E.G.

WHITE AND
THE SCRIPTURES
 Presuppositions

■ All of us have presuppositions.

■ We approach a certain topic with an idea in mind.
■ Are we willing to deconstruct our presupposition based
on the available data?
■ We need to take a more comprehensive look at what
she said and wrote on the topic rather than constantly
dwelling on our pet statements.
 EGWhite Writings and
The Scriptures
■ SDA Fundamental Belief # 1….The
Holy Scriptures are the
supreme, authoritative, and the infallible revelation
of His will. They are the standard of character, the test
of experience, the definitive revealer of doctrines, and
the trustworthy record of God’s acts in history. (Ps. 119:105
; Prov. 30:5, 6; Isa. 8:20; John 17:17; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Heb. 4:12; 
2 Peter 1:20, 21.)
 EGWhite Writings and
The Scriptures
■ What is the relationship between the writings of Ellen White
and the Bible?
– This is really a critical issue among Adventists who accept
Ellen White as a genuine prophet of God. As we examined
in the previous units, there are no degrees in inspiration
and in prophetic authority.
 E.G. WHITE'S UNDERSTANDING

■ Ellen White’s understanding of the relationship of her

writings to the Bible or how she understood the Bible
and her own writings.
■ First , for EGWhite, the Bible is the SUPREME
standard. It is indispensable as a source of knowledge
about God, which contains everything we need to
know for salvation.
■ It is also the supreme religious authority; nothing will
ever replace or supersede it. She also believes that the
Bible must be the test of all other manifestations of the
Spirit.
"In His word, God has committed to men the
knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy
Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative,
infallible revelation of His will. They are the
standard of character, the revealer of doctrines,
and the test of experience" (GC, vii).
■ "The word of God is SUFFICIENT to enlighten the
most beclouded mind and
may be understood by those who have any desire to
understand it" (2 T,455).
■ "The Spirit of Prophecy was not given-nor can it ever be bestowed-to

supersede the Bible; for the Scriptures explicitly state that the Word of God
is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested" (GG, vii).
■ "As the Spirit of God becomes better known, the Bible
will be accepted as the only foundation of faith" (8 T, 192-
93).
■ Second, Ellen White also maintains the principle of
"the Bible, and the Bible only." Some Adventists argue
that, since the Adventist Church, including Ellen White
herself, holds the Protestant position of "Sola
Scriptura," they may ignore Ellen White writings.
■ "The Bible, and the Bible alone, is to be our creed, the
sole bond of union; all who bow to this Holy Word will
be in harmony. Our own views and ideas must not
control our efforts. Man is fallible, but God's Word is
infallible. Instead of wrangling with one another, let
men exalt the Lord" (1 SM, 416)
– We then took the position that the Bible, and the Bible
only, was to be our guide; and we are never to depart
from this position. We were given wonderful
manifestations of the power of God" (CW, 145).
■ In the setting of an understanding of coming events
– "The Bible, and the Bible only, gives a correct view of
these things. Here are revealed the great final scenes in the
history of our world, events that already are casting their
shadows before" (Ed, 179-80).
 Ellen White's View of the Relationship of
Her Own Writings to the Bible

■ First, Ellen White clarified that her writings were not

an addition to the Bible, saying, "Brother J would
confuse the mind by seeking to make it appear that the
light God has given through the Testimonies is an
addition to the word of God, but in this he presents the
matter in a false light.
■ God has seen fit in this manner to bring the minds of His people
to His word, to give them a clearer understanding of it" (4 T, 246).
■ This means that her writings are not to be as equal to the
Scriptures. Nor it should be counted as the additional part
of the Bible. The Bible is one, and her writings are
another.
■ Second; Ellen White recognized that her writings were
to be tested by the Bible. Not the Bible be tested by
EGWhite’s writings
– In the introduction of The Great Controversy, she writes: "The Spirit
was not given-nor can it ever be bestowed...,to supersede the Bible;
for the Scriptures explicitly state that the word of God is the
standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested" (GC,
vii).
 Practical Question

■ Should we interpret the Scriptures in the light of

EGWhite’s writings or EGWhite’s writings should be
interpreted in the light of the Scriptures?
■ Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has
given a lesser light to lead men and women to the
greater light" (R & H, January 20, 1903).
– "lf you had made God's word your study, with a desire to
reach the Bible standard and attain to Christian perfection,
you would not have needed the Testimonies" (5T, 665).
– "The written testimonies are not to give new light,
but to impress vividly upon the heart the truths of
inspiration already revealed" (Ibid.).
■ "Additional truth is not brought out; but God has
through the Testimonies simplified the great truths
already given" (Ibid).
■ "The Testimonies are not to belittle the word of God,
but to exalt it and attract minds to it, that the beautiful
simplicity of truth may impress all" (2 T, 606).
 EGWhite and Sinlessnes

■ “we cannot say, ‘I am sinless,’ till this vile body is

changed and fashioned like unto His glorious body.
“(ST, Mar. 23, 1888, in 3SM 355).
 The Bible and Sin

■ “there is no man that sinneth not.” 1 Kings 8:46

■ “there is none that doeth good, no not one.” Psalms 14:3
■ “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, that
doeth good, and sinneth not.” Ecclesiastes7:20
■ “There is none righteous, no not one.” Rom 3:10
■ “For all have sinned.” Rom 3:23
■ "We cannot say, 'I am sinless' till this vile body is
changed and fashioned like unto His glorious body.
But if we constantly seek to follow Jesus, the blessed
hope is ours of standing before the throne of God
with­out spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing,
complete in Christ, robed in His righteous­ness and
perfection."—That I May Know Him, p. 361.
■ “If we regard the doctrine of sinless perfection a
heresy, we regard contentment with sinful imperfection
as a greater heresy.” The Doctrine of Christ, 123.1
■ "When it is in the heart to obey God, when efforts are
put forth to this end, Jesus accepts this disposition and
effort as man's best service, and He makes up for the
deficiency with his own divine merit."— My Life Today, p. 250.
■ "Christ looks at the spirit, and when He sees us
carrying our burden with faith, His perfect holiness
atones for our short­comings. When we do our best, He
becomes our righteousness." —Selected Messages, book 1, p. 368.
"The Father beholds not your faulty character, but
He sees you as clothed in My perfection."— The Desire of
Ages, p. 357.
■ So perfect is the character represented which men must
have in order to be Christ’s disciples that the infidel
has said that it is not possible for any human being to
attain unto it. But no less a standard must be presented
by all who claim to be children of God. Infidels know
not that celestial aid is provided for all who seek for it
by faith.
■ But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his
eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have
suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish,
strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10.
■ Those only who through faith in Christ obey all of God’s
commandments will reach the condition of sinlessness in
which Adam lived before his transgression. They testify to
their love of Christ by obeying all His precepts, including the
one relating to the observance of the Sabbath, the seventh day
of the week, the day that He blessed and sanctified, “because
that in it He had rested from all His work.” (Genesis 2:3.) {8MR 99.2}
■  
■ He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we
might at last stand before God clothed in the robe
of sinlessness. {ST Chapter 1134} 
■ “Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy
law. We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the
claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for
us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have
to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers
to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give
yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as
your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted
righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and
you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.” SC 62
■ "So long as Satan reigns, we shall have self to subdue, besetting sins to
over­come; so long as life shall last, there will be no stopping place, no
point which we can reach and say, I have fully attained. . . . Let not God
be dishonored by the declara­tion from human lips, 'I am sinless; I
am holy.' Sanctified lips will never give utter­ance to such
presumptuous words. . . . Let those who feel inclined to make a high
profession of holiness look into the mirror of God's law. As they see
its far-reaching claims, and understand its work as a dis­cerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart, they will not boast of
sinlessness."— The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 560-562.
■ As the result of a vision of Christ, the prophet Daniel
said, "And there remained no strength in me: for my
comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I re­
tained no strength" (Dan. 10:8).
■ Comment­ing on this experience, the servant of the Lord wrote:

■ All who are truly sanctified will have a similar experience. The
clearer their views of the greatness, glory, and perfection of Christ,
the more vividly will they see their own weakness and imperfection.
They will have no disposition to claim a sinless character; that which
has appeared right and comely in them­selves will, in contrast with
Christ's purity and glory, appear only as unworthy and corruptible.
It is when men are separated from God, when they have very
indistinct views of Christ, that they say, "I am sinless; I am
sanctified."—The Sanctified Life, p. 50.