The Crisis of Authority Is Ellen White too

The Crisis of Authority Is Ellen White too old for Seventh-day Adventists? Denis Fortin Greater Sydney Conference, February 2005

The Achilles’ heel The concept of authority has become one of the most controversial notions of modern times. Just as much as authority in society is being challenged, the authority of Scripture is also challenged.

How about the authority of Ellen White and her writings? What shall we do with Ellen White’s ministry through her writings? Should we continue to give her writings the authority we have given them in the past? Or should we limit her authority? In fact, does she have any authority?

Ellen White’s use of Scripture Since Ellen White gave priority to Scripture in her ministry, perhaps we can get some useful insights from her use of Scripture. Her relevance for us today can begin with how she perceived and used Scripture.

Primarily a commentator Throughout her writings, but primarily in her Conflict of the Ages series, Ellen White ‘commented’ on the Biblical story from the origin of sin in heaven to its final eradication from the universe after the millennium. She articulated her thoughts around her major themes: great controversy, love of God, salvation in Jesus, and justification of the character of God.

Types of biblical interpretations • Typologies • Moralisms • Character sketches • Biblical analogies and parallelisms • Spiritual warfare • Exegesis

Typology Moses is described as a type of Christ; his intercessory ministry on behalf of Israel parallels that of Christ (PP 330) Elijah the prophet is compared to God’s remnant people at the end of time.

Moralism Weaving moral lessons from events that happen to biblical people. Aaron’s behavior in the chapter “Idolatry at Sinai” in Patriarchs and Prophets. The story of Nadab and Abihu a few chapters later is fraught with moral lessons for God’s people.

Character Sketches Given the overarching theme of the great controversy in her writings, how people relate to God in this controversy between good and evil allows her to illustrate how one’s life today should be lived in order to be victorious or to be defeated by the foe. Plenty of character sketches illustrate her narratives. Among her favorites in the Scriptures : Joseph, Daniel and the apostle John.

Biblical analogy and parallelism Ellen White draws parallels between various Bible stories, events, people, or texts. In the chapter “Idolatry at Sinai”, she draws a biblical analogy between God’s judgment of idolatry with what is predicted will happen at the end of time (PP 326).

Spiritual Warfare Ellen White presents to her readers the “behind the scenes” events, conversations between Christ and Satan, or between evil angels, how God interprets or reacts to events, etc. This approach is closely connected with her understanding of the great controversy. Chapter 29 in Patriarchs and Prophets, “Satan’s Enmity Against the Law”

Exegesis Although Ellen White was not a trained biblical scholar she nonetheless interpreted Scripture and in her commentaries expounded on its meaning. Books such as Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing and Christ’s Object Lessons are genuine Bible commentaries.

Ellen White’s emphasis “The space she devotes to Biblical events and persons is not always proportional to the space given in the Bible. Her emphasis on certain events or persons depends on how she believes those events and persons contribute to the unfolding of the Great Controversy Theme. ” (Herbert Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 419)

So what about her authority? If we claim that Ellen White was inspired and that her writings bear the imprint of God than we must conclude that her writings are somehow authoritative; that, although secondary to Scripture, they are an authoritative source of guidance, instruction, and correction for the church. But what kind of guidance and instruction?

So what about her authority? Ellen White’s writings provide authoritative guidance in the following areas: – – Spiritual life and growth Pastoral life and activities Doctrinal insights Theological focus and context

Spiritual Guidance Ellen White’s writings have provided our church with spiritual guidance. She emphasized our need for – a close walk with God, – of regular Bible study, – of witnessing for Christ, – of living a genuinely committed Christian life.

Pastoral Guidance Ellen White’s ministry has provided pastoral guidance to the whole church. Her writings have provided – Guidance to church leaders and pastors – Guidance for the establishment and activities of church institutions – Focus for the mission of the church

Doctrinal Insights Beyond the spiritual and pastoral guidance and correction provided by the writings of Ellen G. White, her writings also provide doctrinal guidance – valid applications of biblical teachings – interconnectedness of biblical doctrines – steering Adventists away from errors of interpretation

Doctrinal Guidance Ellen White showed doctrinal authority when the church was confronted with difficult doctrinal issues – Kellogg’s teachings on pantheism – Centrality of Christ’s death on Calvary – Importance of healthful living

Centrality of Christ’s death “The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption, --the Son of God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by our ministers. ” (GW 315)

Theological Focus Perhaps more crucial to Adventism is how Ellen White’s writings have provided the church with theological guidance, with interpretative themes and motifs for a proper understanding of God’s revelation. Major themes: – – – Great controversy between good and evil Love of God for humanity Salvation in Jesus Second coming of Christian living

Theological Guidance Ellen White’s theological themes provide Adventism and Christianity with theological presuppositions and assumptions (like a pair of eye glasses) with which to study Scripture and understand its meaning for our lives today as we wait for Christ’s second coming. But can she think theologically?

Thoughts on inspiration Calvin E. Stowe: Origins and History of the Books of the Bible (1867), pp. 19 -20. Ellen G. White: Manuscript 24, 1886 (published in 1 SM 21)

Thoughts on inspiration Stowe -- It is not the words of the Bible that were inspired, it is not the thoughts of the Bible that were inspired; it is the men who wrote the Bible that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man’s words, not on the man’s thoughts, but on the man himself; so that he, by his own spontaneity, under the impulse of the Holy Ghost, conceives certain thoughts and give utterance to them in certain words, both the words and the thoughts receiving the peculiar impress of the mind which conceived and uttered them, and being in fact just as really his own, as they could have been if there had been no inspiration at all in the case. . Inspiration generally is a purifying and an elevation, and an intensification of the human intellect subjectively, rather than an objective suggestion and communication; though suggestion and communication are not excluded. The Divine mind is, as it were, so diffused through the human, and the human mind is so interpenetrated with the Divine the utterances of the man are the word of God, that for the time being. White – It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man's words or his expressions but on the man himself, who, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts. But the words receive the impress of the individual mind. The divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and will; thus the utterances of the man are the word of God.

Thoughts on inspiration Discussing the literary dependency of this example is difficult because although the words are the same, theological thought is not. Had Ellen White simply copied Stowe’s words without thinking carefully through their ramifications, she might have adopted a theology of inspiration similar to that later developed by theologians such as Karl Barth or Emil Brunner. Stowe advocated a theory of inspiration in which the subjective elements of the prophet are predominant and in which inspiration is an encounter between the divine and the human. There is no actual transmission of objective information between God and the prophet.

Thoughts on inspiration Although much of Ellen White's wording is taken from Stowe, the two views are very different. It seems obvious from this example that she had Stowe’s text nearby when she wrote her own. Yet she did not mindlessly copy from Stowe but carefully weighed the concepts and understood the difference she wished to emphasize in her own understanding of the process of inspiration.

Is Ellen White too old for Adventism? I think through the last 150 years, Ellen White’s ministry and writings have given spiritual, pastoral, doctrinal, and theological guidance to Adventism. Who we are and what we do is largely the result of her ministry and guidance. Who we will be in the future depends to a large extent on what level of guidance and authority we will still allow her writings to provide.