The Prophetic Gift
The Prophetic Gift
2009 Quater 1
Unions Churches Members Population
Bangladesh Union Mission 107 26,160 149,002,000
Central Philippine Union Conference 1,141 118,897 15,329,200
East Indonesia Union Conference 656 93,984 21,378,000
Myanmar Union Mission 192 25,236 49,805,000
North Philippine Union Mission 1,300 208,352 54,865,000
BANGLADESH South Philippine Union Conference 1,824 227,286 18,513,000
DHAKA Southeast Asia Union Mission 305 77,434 203,232,000
West Indonesia Union Mission 660 91,110 210,251,300
Hanoi Guam—Micronesia Mission 18 4,009 450,000
MYANMAR LAOS Sri Lanka Mission of Seventh-day Adventists 36 3,554 20,087,000
division
Vientiane Totals January 2008 6,240 876,197 742,922,300
Bay of Bengal Yangon
D a Na n g
South China Sea
THAILAND
Guam
Manila PHILIPPINES
Bangkok
VIETNAM
Indian Ocean CAMBODIA
Phnom Penh
Ho Chi Minh City
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2
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1
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3 Davao
SRI LANKA
S R ILA N K A BRUNEI
Kuala MALAYSIA
Lumpur
SIA
LAY
MA
Where legally possible, offerings will go to these projects; otherwise special arrangement will be made with the
M anado
General Conference for distribution of funds based on the laws of the countries where these offerings are collected.
SINGAPORE
N
A NTA
KALIM
SULAWESI
Jayapura
Fakfak
SUMATRA
Ambon
Southern Asia-Pacific
Mission Projects Ujungpandang
Jakarta
INDONESIA
Our Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this quarter will help the Southern
JAVA
Asia-
Pacific Division with these projects:
Kupang
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1 Junior college classroom block at Palawan Adventist Academy, Palawan, TIMOR
Philippines.
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2 Secondary school in Dumaguete, Central Philippines.
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3 Secondary school in Zamboanga, South Philippines.
EAQ090101 For more information, visit www.adventistmission.org Map not drawn to scale
*EAQ090101*
Jan Feb Mar 2009 ■ ■ THE PROPHETIC GIFT ADULT SABBATH SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
■
The
A DULT
■
Jan Feb Mar 2009
S ABBATH S CHOOL
B IBLE S TUDY G UIDE
Gift
Prophetic
ADVENTIST CHURCH
SEVENTH-DAY
Contents 1 Heaven’s Means of Communication—December 27–January 2 ——6
2 The Prophetic Gift—January 3–9——————————————14
3 Spiritual Gifts and Prophecy—January 10–16————————22
4 The Gift of Prophecy and God’s Remnant Church—January 17–23
——————————————————————————————30
5 The Inspiration of the Prophets—January 24–30———————38
6 Testing the Prophets—January 31–February 6 ————————46
7 The Work of the Prophets—February 7–13 —————————56
8 The Authority of the Prophets—February 14–20 ——————64
9 The Integrity of the Prophetic Gift—February 21–27 —————72
10 The Message of the Prophets—February 28–March 6 —————80
11 Interpreting the Prophetic Writings—March 7–13——————88
12 The Blessings of the Prophetic Gift—March 14–20——————96
13 Confidence in the Prophetic Gift—March 21–27 ——————104
Editorial Office 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904
Come visit us at our Web site: http://www.absg.adventist.org
Principal Contributor Editorial Assistant Gerhard Pfandl Tresa Beard Editor Pacific Press® Coordinator Clifford R. Goldstein Paul A. Hey Associate Editor Art Director and Illustrator Soraya Homayouni Lars Justinen Publication Manager Concept Design Lea Alexander Greve Dever Designs
The Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide is prepared by the Office of the Adult
Bible Study Guide of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The
preparation of the guides is under the general direction of the Sabbath School
Publications Board, a subcommittee of the General Conference Administrative
Commitee (ADCOM), publisher of the Bible study guides. The published guide
reflects the input of worldwide evaluation committees and the approval of the
Sabbath School Publications Board and thus does not solely or necessarily repre-
sent the intent of the author(s).
1
The Prophetic F “ or I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28). No greater prophet than John? That would include, apparently, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, even Moses. Yet, according to Jesus, John was the greatest of them all. How fascinating, especially because, unlike Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and Moses—John the Baptist had no writings in the Bible, and yet John was a greater prophet than all those who, at The prophetic gift least before him, did! wasn’t limited only to The point? The prophetic gift wasn’t lim- the prophets whose ited only to the prophets whose writing writing became became Scripture. No, the prophetic gift Scripture. included those whose work for the Lord involved something other than writing books of the Bible. The whole question of the prophetic gift, and of inspiration in gen- eral, has been a source of discussion and debate throughout church history. How were the prophets inspired? How do inspiration and rev- elation work? How much, if any, of culture and personal views appear in the writings of the prophets? If these questions still generate dis- cussion within Christendom after centuries of debate, we’re hardly going to solve them all in the Adult Bible Study Guide this quarter. But we’ll sure do our best to try. Issues regarding the nature of the prophetic gift and inspiration have been especially important to Seventh-day Adventists. In the book of Revelation, God promised that there will be a special manifestation of the prophetic gift at the time of the end (Rev. 12:17; 19:10; 22:8, 9). Seventh-day Adventists believe that the gift of prophecy has been manifested in the ministry of Mrs. Ellen G. White (1827–1915). For seven decades she gave messages of counsel and warning to our church; and though she died in 1915, her books, full of spiritual insights and counsel, have been a source of tremendous blessing to 2 Gift countless millions whose lives have been, and continue to be, spiritu- ally and theologically enriched through them. We truly have been given a gift. Yet, questions remain. What is the role of the prophetic gift? If we claim the Bible as our final authority, what authority (if any) should the Spirit of Prophecy have? How should these writings be inter- preted? Though this gift has been a blessing, in what ways has it been misused? More than three decades have gone by since we last studied in Sabbath School the topic of the gift of prophecy. Since then the church has grown from 2.5 million members to more than 15 million (as of this writing). And though there are questions about the Spirit of Prophecy (along with the prophetic gift in general) that remain unan- swered, we believe we’ve been given more than enough reasons to believe in this special manifestation of prophecy among us. However, the real focus of this lesson isn’t just on the gift but on the Gift-Giver. As we study the question of inspiration and revelation, we’ll learn about the Lord who loves this world so much He gave of Himself, in the person of Jesus, as the sacrifice for our sins. Though God, though sinless, though the Creator Himself, He became a human being, and in that humanity took upon Himself the punish- ment for our evil as the only way that we, as sinners, could stand par- doned and justified before Him. That’s the God we serve, and that’s the God we seek to reveal in this quarter’s lessons.
Gerhard Pfandl, a native of Austria, has been associate director of the Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference since 1999.
3
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Heaven’s Means of
Communication
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 18:1–15, 32:30,
Exod. 4:10–17, Ps. 19:1–6, John 1:14, 3:16, Col. 2:9.
Memory Text: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1, 2, NKJV).
here are two basic ways in which God has revealed Himself to
T humanity: general and special revelation. General revelation is
God’s revelation of Himself to all people through nature and
conscience (see Ps. 19:1, Rom. 1:20). God’s revelations through the
prophets as recorded in Scripture, especially His revelation through
Jesus Christ, is special revelation. Through this means, God appeared
to the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets in order to make His will
known. He revealed His power and purpose through Israel’s history.
Then later, He sent His Son, who, in the garb of humanity, revealed
the Father in a unique and powerful way.
This week we’ll look at both types of revelation.
The Week at a Glance: What is general and special rev- elation? What can nature teach us about God? What can it not teach us? How does the revelation through Jesus Christ differ from God’s other revelations?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 3.
6 S UNDAY December 28
In the Beginning
In the Garden of Eden God spoke with Adam and Eve face-to-face.
“And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in
the cool of the day” (Gen. 3:8). However, after that fateful day, when
they blatantly disobeyed their Lord, they no longer were allowed to
enjoy His presence (Gen. 3:23, 24), and their face-to-face communion
with Him ended.
What do the following texts tell us about face-to-face encounters with God? Gen. 18:1–15; 32:30; Exod. 33:11; Judg. 6:22; 13:2, 3.
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Frequently the Old Testament identifies the Angel of God or the
Angel of the Lord as God Himself. Jacob refers to God and the Angel
in the same way (Gen. 48:15, 16); the Angel of the Lord appears to
Moses in the burning bush; yet, it is God who speaks to him (Exod.
3:2–6); the Angel who appeared to Gideon is identified with God
(Judg. 6:11–14); and the same is true of the Angel of the Lord who
appeared to Manoah and his wife (Judg. 13:11–22). Whenever God
manifested Himself to human beings in a bodily form, it was always
in a humanlike manifestation.
In John 1:18 John says, “No man hath seen God at any time, the
only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath
declared him.” The Divine Being, therefore, who appeared to the peo-
ple in the Old Testament must have been Jesus, not the Father. Ellen
G. White tells us that “after the transgression of Adam, the Lord spoke
no longer directly with man; the human race was given into the hands
of Christ, and all communication came through Him to the world. It
was Christ who spoke the law on Mount Sinai.”—Fundamentals of
Christian Education, pp. 237, 238.
What has been your own experience regarding what sin and
rebellion do between you and God? That is, when you do some-
thing that you know is wrong, that you know is sinful, how does
that impact your relationship with God? In what ways do you
feel a separation from Him? How does guilt drive you away
from Him, away from the desire to pray and commune with the
Lord? How does this experience help you better understand
what happened in Eden?
7
M ONDAY December 29
In Nature What can nature reveal about God? Ps. 19:1–6, 33:6–9, Rom. 1:19–23.
The Bible tells us that the world that God created was perfect in
every way (Gen. 1:31). But Scripture also reveals that sin has altered
the natural world (Gen. 3:17, 18). Prior to the Fall, only beautiful or
useful plants were found upon the earth. God “never made a thorn, a
thistle, or a tare. These are Satan’s work, the result of degeneration. ”
—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 186.
Nevertheless, there is still great beauty in the changing of the leaves
in autumn, in a vivid sunset, and in the opening of a rosebud on a
sunny morning.
Bible writers often refer to the phenomena of nature as a revelation
of God’s majesty and greatness (Psalm 8 and 104). Consider the uni-
verse! On a clear night one can see with the unaided eye thousands of
stars. However, our Milky Way galaxy has about two hundred billion
stars—and that’s only one galaxy among several hundred billion
galaxies that we now can see. Who knows how many more are beyond
our telescopes!
Distances in the universe boggle the mind: Apart from the sun, the
nearest star to our earth, Alpha Centauri, is 4.37 light-years away (one
light-year is the distance light travels in one year—5.9 trillion miles).
A spaceship traveling 100,000 miles per hour would require about
29,000 years to get there. In contrast, our Milky Way has a diameter
of 100,000 light-years! The largest galaxy known thus far is
Markarian, with a diameter of 1.3 million light-years.
Similar awe-inspiring facts would come to light if we used an elec-
tron microscope to study the tens of thousands of genes each individ-
ual possesses. Our finite minds are simply unable to comprehend all
the wonders of the created world.
Yet, nature alone isn’t enough to reveal the fullness of God’s character
(Rom. 1:25). Many of the fundamental questions about God cannot be
answered through a study of nature. We will find it hard to see God’s love
reflected in how cats and killer whales play with their prey before killing
them. And while we can see God’s power and majesty in creation, nature
does not tell us always that God is “merciful and gracious, long-suffering,
and abounding in goodness and truth” (Exod. 34:6, NKJV).
What aspects of nature truly talk to you about the love and
power of God? At the same time, what things do you find dis-
turbing; and why? What do your answers tell you about how
limited nature is in revealing the fullness of God’s love and char-
acter?
8 T UESDAY December 30
Through Prophets After the Fall, when God no longer spoke to humanity directly, He
communicated with them through men and women whom the
Bible calls seers or prophets (1 Sam. 9:9). What do the following
texts tell us about these prophets? 2 Sam. 23:2; Jer. 1:5; Hos. 4:1;
Amos 7:14, 15; Jonah 1:1–3.
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The word prophet (in Hebrew nabi´) means “one called [by God]”
or “one who has a vocation [from God].” The prophet is a person who
proclaims divine messages. These may relate to the past, the present,
or the future and may consist of exhortation, instruction, consolation,
or prediction.
The English word prophet comes from the Greek prophetes, a com-
bination of the preposition pro, “for” or “on behalf of,” with the verb
phemi, “to speak.” Thus the idea being “to speak for.”
Read Exodus 4:10–17. How does this help us better understand the role of a prophet?
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Here Moses objects to God’s call for him to go to Egypt and confront
Pharaoh, claiming that he is “slow of speech and of a slow tongue” (vs.
10). Even after God reminded Moses that He had made man’s mouth and
would enable him to speak before Pharaoh, Moses still objected. Then
God told Moses that He would send Aaron to go with him. “He shall be
your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for
you, and you shall be to him as God” (vs. 16, NKJV). As Moses was to
be the spokesperson for God, so Aaron would be the spokesperson for
Moses. Thus, a prophet speaks for someone. The prophet may speak to
humankind on behalf of God or vice versa. The primary task of a bibli-
cal prophet was not to predict the future but to declare the divine will.
Throughout the history of Israel, the prophet’s main task was to guide
God’s people. Particularly during the time of the monarchy, when the
kings often “did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings
13:2), the prophetic institution was the guardian of the theocracy. The
prophets upheld the law of God and taught it to the people.
Notice the humility of Moses and the sense of his own weakness.
Why is that a good attitude for anyone, not just a prophet, to
have? What dangers do we face if we get a sense of our own self-
sufficiency?
9
W EDNESDAY December 31
Through the Word
Basic to the claims of Christianity is that it is a revealed religion, the
record of which we find in Scripture. During the first few millennia of
humankind’s existence, God revealed Himself to individuals through
dreams, visions, or epiphanies (appearances). From the time of Moses
(fifteenth century B.C.) and onward, many of these revelations were
written down. As a result, we have today 66 books in the Bible, con-
taining all the knowledge necessary for salvation.
What do the following texts tell us about the Bible itself?
Matt. 1:22; 2:15, 17; 4:14
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John 20:30, 31
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2 Tim. 3:16
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There are a number of important characteristics of the Bible that
should hold our attention. (1) Its unity: The Bible at first sight appears
to be merely a collection of ancient literature. However, considering
that it was written by approximately forty authors over a period of
nearly sixteen hundred years, its unity is amazing. The plan of salva-
tion is revealed progressively from Genesis to Revelation. There is
unity in its theme: The Messiah is promised throughout the Old
Testament and declared in every New Testament book to have come in
the person of Jesus Christ. And there is complete harmony of teaching:
The doctrines of the Old and New Testament are the same. (2) The his-
tory it portrays: The Old Testament embodies the oldest history of any
people in the world. William F. Albright, the greatest archaeologist of
the twentieth century, wrote, “Hebrew national tradition excels all
other in its clear picture of tribal and family origins. In Egypt and
Babylonia, in Assyria and Phoenicia, in Greece and Rome, we look in
vain for anything comparable. There is nothing like it in the tradition
of the Germanic peoples. Neither India nor China can produce any-
thing similar.”—The Biblical Period From Abraham to Ezra (New
York: Harper, Torch Book, 1963), p. 27. (3) Its survival: The Bible,
compared with other ancient writings, has more manuscript evidence
than any other piece of classical literature—in spite of early attempts
by Roman emperors to destroy it. For example, there are more than five
thousand known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament in existence.
Homer’s Iliad is second with only 643 manuscripts that have survived.
The reason for this phenomenon is the Holy Spirit, the real author
of God’s Word, who inspired all the human authors. He ensured that
the biblical historians presented an accurate picture, and He watched
over the history and preservation of the Bible. 10
T HURSDAY January 1
Through Christ
The center and substance of God’s revelation is the person of Christ,
God in human flesh. When in God’s plan the time was right, Jesus was
“born of a woman, born under the law” (Gal. 4:4, NKJV). He lived for
about thirty-three years in Palestine, died on the cross, rose from the
tomb, and ascended to His Father.
What do the following texts tell us about how God’s revelation through Christ differed from the other revelations discussed this week? John 1:14; 3:16; 14:8, 9; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:1, 2.
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The Bible far surpasses the revelation of God in nature; yet, no writ-
ten record can equal the personal presence of the Son of God. The
Bible is God’s tool to accomplish His purpose in our lives. However,
it has no lasting value if we regard it only as an interesting history
book. Unless it leads us to the One it reveals, our study of the Bible
will be of little benefit. The Bible was written, above all, to give to us
the revelation of God presented to the world through the life and death
of His Son, Jesus.
“That was the true Light which gives light to every man who comes
into the world” (John 1:9, NKJV ). What contribution does this text
make to our understanding of the revelation of God in Christ?
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The NIV English translation catches the idea best: “The true light
that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” This does
not mean that every person receives this light, only that if a person is
illuminated at all, it must be from Jesus (Acts 4:12). The true light
shines on all humankind in the same sense that Jesus died for every-
one, but not everyone will be saved. As John goes on to say, many will
not accept this light (John 1:10–12).
How well do you know Jesus yourself? If someone were to say to
you, “Tell me about Jesus, what He is like and what He can do
for me,” what would you say and why? Be prepared to share
your answer in class on Sabbath.
11
F RIDAY January 2
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “A True Knowledge of God,”
pp. 409–426, in The Ministry of Healing; “God in Nature,” pp. 99–101,
in Education.
“Christ came to teach human beings what God desires them to
know. In the heavens above, in the earth, in the broad waters of the
ocean, we see the handiwork of God. All created things testify to His
power, His wisdom, His love. But not from the stars or the ocean or
the cataract can we learn of the personality of God as it is revealed in
Christ. God saw that a clearer revelation than nature was needed to
portray both His personality and His character. He sent His Son into 1 the world to reveal, so far as could be endured by human sight, the
nature and the attributes of the invisible God.”
“Christ revealed all of God that sinful human beings could bear
without being destroyed. He is the divine Teacher, the Enlightener.
Had God thought us in need of revelations other than those made
through Christ and in His written word, He would have given them.” 2 —Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, pp. 265, 266.
“The Bible is a wonderful book. It is a history that opens up to us
the past centuries. Without the Bible we should have been left to con-
jectures and fables in regard to the occurrences of past ages. It is a
prophecy that unveils the future. It is the Word of God, unfolding to us
the plan of salvation, pointing out the way by which we may escape
eternal death and gain eternal life.”—Ellen G. White, Bible Echo,
October 1, 1892, par. 5. 3
Discussion Questions:
●
1 In class, compare your answers to Thursday’s final question.
What can you learn from each other?
●
2 If God does reveal Himself to us through nature, at least par-
tially, what does this tell us about our need to protect the envi-
ronment?
●
3 What are some other ways God communicates with us? How
can we be sure it really is God talking to us? What safeguards
are there to protect us from deceptions?
●4 As a class, plan an outing in nature in which you can look at
the revelation of God found there. What things clearly testify to
His creative power and love? What things leave large questions
still unanswered? Why is nature, however beautiful, still not suf-
ficient to tell us all that we need to know?
12
I N S I D E Stor The Stranger on the Bus by BENJAMIN D. SCHOUN One family in the country of Azerbaijan is convinced that the stranger they encountered on a bus was no ordinary passenger. Gunel’s family was mourning the loss of her grandfather. One day Gunel’s mother boarded a bus to visit her grandfather’s grave. As she sat crying quietly, a woman sat down beside her. She comforted Gunel’s mother by telling her that God is good, that Jesus will come again, and that there is hope for the future. The woman told her about a church she could visit to learn more about these things. Gunel’s mother thanked the woman for her kind words. A month later, Gunel’s mother saw the woman on the bus again. The woman again encouraged her and gave her the address of the church. Gunel’s mother was so moved by the experiences that she asked Gunel to go with her to visit the church on Saturday morning to see what it was like. The two women stood near the church, hesitant to go inside, for they had never been to a Christian church. A church greeter standing saw the two women and crossed the street to invite them in. Inside they were welcomed warmly with hugs and kisses. After the service, Gunel’s mother asked members about the woman she had met on the bus. She described her in detail, but no one recognized the woman from the description. The pastor, who knew all of the Adventists in the city, listened to the description and finally concluded that no such person attended the church. “I think you’ve met an angel,” he told Gunel and her mother. Gunel’s mother continued attending the Adventist church. She studied the Bible diligently and was baptized. Later, Gunel and her brother and sister also were baptized. Now they hold a small group meeting in their home. Many of their friends abandoned them when they left their traditional religion, but they are firm in their faith. Gunel is studying to help Adventist World Radio produce radio programs in the Azeri language. The family has never seen the woman on the bus again. Your mission offerings support outreach to Azerbaijan and all of Central Asia through Adventist World Radio and personal evangel- ism. Thank you. GUNEL (left). Benjamin D. Schoun is president of Adventist World Radio.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 13 LESSON 2 *January 3–9
The Prophetic Gift
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 20:7, Exod. 15:20,
Deut. 18:15, Matt. 11:11, John 6:14, Heb. 11:24–26.
Memory Text: “Then He said, ‘Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; and I speak to him in a dream’ ” (Numbers 12:6, NKJV).
ll through history, and even up to the present, we can find
A examples of people uttering predictions about the future. In
most cases, these things never come true. When they do come
true, a number of factors could be involved. Could it be sheer luck?
Maybe the Lord was in it? Or perhaps the enemy of souls was work-
ing to deceive as many as he could?
Sure Satan uses false prophecies and prophets to mislead people. But
we can take comfort in knowing God has His true prophets to make
known His will.
In Scripture, individuals whom God endowed with the gift of prophecy
were people who walked with God. Not that they were sinless, but
they strove to live in harmony with God’s revealed will. They had a
personal relationship with God, and in that context the Lord was able
to use them in a special way.
This week we’ll take a look at how He used them.
The Week at a Glance: Were the Old and New Testament prophets saints or just ordinary men and women? What role did women prophets play in Israel? What were the differences between apostles and prophets in the New Testament?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 10. 14 S UNDAY January 4
Patriarch and Prophet In Genesis 20:7 we find the first mention of the word prophet (Heb.
nabi´ ) in the Bible. What was the context in which it was used?
What can we learn from the context about what a prophet was
and how he or she functioned?
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In the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), the word
prophet describes the recipient of divine revelation. During the time
of the judges the word seer (in Hebrew ro´eh) appears to have come
into use (1 Sam. 9:9, 11, 18, 19); then, later, the usage reverted to the
older term again.
Prophets were not only spokespersons for God but on occasion were
also intermediaries between God and the people. Abraham in Genesis
20 was the intermediary between God and Abimelech—he was to pray
to God on behalf of Abimelech.
Abraham is a towering figure in the Old Testament. Three times in
Scripture he is called God’s friend (2 Chron. 20:7, Isa. 41:8, James
2:23). When he was 99 years old, God told him, “I will make you
exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall
come from you” (Gen. 17:6, NKJV), a promise that, humanly speak-
ing, seemed impossible. Because Abraham believed God in spite of
what human reason told him, he became “the father of all those who
believe” (Rom. 4:11, NKJV).
Considering that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son in
response to God’s command (Genesis 22), it seems incredible that
Abraham should have lied to Abimelech concerning Sarah (Gen.
20:2). However, the situation is only too true to life. “As water reflects
a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man” (Prov. 27:19, NIV). The
occasional manifestation of the remaining old nature in the believer,
the backsliding of God’s children in all ages, and our own sad depar-
tures from the path of righteousness are sufficient to explain the
deplorable conduct of the “father of all those who believe.” How
human Abraham was—moments of great faith, moments of deep
lapses. What follower of Abraham’s God can’t relate?
What encouragement can you take for yourself from the fact
that, despite Abraham’s mistakes and lack of faith, God used
him anyway, even mightily? How can we learn not to let our
lapses turn us away from continuing to press on ahead in faith?
15
M ONDAY January 5
The First Named Prophet of Israel
The first person of the nation of Israel called a prophet was Moses.
Concerning his death, the statement is made, “since then there has not
arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to
face” (Deut. 34:10, NKJV). Abraham was the father of the nation of
Israel, but Moses was the first prophet in Israel’s history—an example
for all the prophets who followed him.
What do the following texts tell us about Moses’ personality and charac- ter? Exod. 4:10; 32:11–13, 32; Num. 12:3; 20:10–12; Heb. 11:24–26. How do some of these traits help us understand how he fit into his role as a prophet?
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Through his upbringing in Egypt, his strong faith in God, and his
personal experience with the Almighty at the burning bush (Exodus
3), Moses was well equipped to lead the people of Israel. From
Scripture, we know that because of Israel’s repeated failure to have
faith in God, Moses constantly was interceding with God for the
nation (Exod. 32:11–13, Num. 14:13–19, 16:46–50), while at the
same time admonishing the Israelites to be faithful.
Following the golden-calf episode at Mount Sinai (Exodus 32),
Moses spent 40 days with God on the mountain. When he returned
from the mountain, his face shone (Exod. 34:28–35). The radiant face
of Moses was but a reflection of divine glory (2 Cor. 3:7). Consider-
ing the fact that Moses had the unique privilege of seeing the glory of
the Creator, it is small wonder that his face shone after such an expe-
rience, but this was not the only reason. The golden-calf rebellion was
directed not only against God but also against Moses. The evidence of
his communion with God was instrumental in restoring him to his
rightful place of leadership. When the people realized where he had
been, his role of leader and mediator that had been questioned was
restored.
Anyone filled with the Spirit of God will in some way reflect the glo-
rious character of God. Those who live close to God will have a telling
effect on the lives of others, though they may not know it themselves.
Who is someone who seems to have a close relationship with the
Lord? How is that closeness revealed in their lives? What char-
acter traits do they manifest? How can you learn to walk closer
to the Lord? What things in your life are holding you back from
that closer walk?
16 T UESDAY January 6
Prophets in Israel Prior to his death Moses told the Israelites: “ ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear’ ” (Deut. 18:15, NKJV). The context indicates that this prophecy had an immediate application to the prophetic leadership of Israel in the years following the death of Moses (Deuteronomy 18; 34:9, 10; Hos. 12:10). The prophets from Joshua to Malachi were partial fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy. Christ, however, fully could meet the conditions set forth in Moses’ prediction (see John 1:21, 6:14, 7:40). He came as the Second Moses, not to free His people from the power of earthly rulers but to free them from the power of sin. The writings of the prophets of the Old Testament from Isaiah to Malachi are well-known. In addition, there were many other prophets in the history of Israel. Samuel lived during the period of the judges (1 Sam. 3:20). Gad and Nathan continued his work (2 Sam. 12:1, 24:13). After the division of the kingdom in 931 B.C. we find the prophets Ahijah (1 Kings 11:29), Elijah (1 Kings 18:1), and Elisha (2 Kings 2:9–14) ministering to the people of God. Prophets came from all walks of life: Jeremiah and Ezekiel were priests, Isaiah and Zephaniah were of royal blood, Daniel was prime minister of Babylon, Samuel was a judge, Elisha was a farmer, and Amos a shepherd. Whatever their backgrounds, all of them were God’s messengers through whom God tried to keep Israel from falling into sin. Some prophets wrote books (1 Chron. 29:29, 2 Chron. 9:29), oth- ers did not (1 Kings 17:1, 2 Kings 2:15); some were counselors to kings (Jer. 38:14), others preached to the people (Ezek. 3:17). After four centuries of prophetic silence, John the Baptist appeared as the last of the prophets of the Old Covenant period (Matt. 3:1). All through the sacred Scriptures we see the Lord speaking to His people through His servants, the prophets. The whole Bible itself is the work of these prophets, delivering the messages that God gave them. No matter how diverse their backgrounds, education, tempera- ments; no matter the flaws in their characters (with the radical excep- tion of Jesus), these human beings, flesh and blood like us, were used by the Lord to proclaim His messages, messages that still are being proclaimed today in almost every country in the world and will con- tinue until the close of time.
Which prophet can you relate to the most? Which prophet speaks the clearest to you, and why? What have you taken from that prophet’s life and message? How are you able to apply what you’ve learned from them to your life in a way that changes you for the better?
17
W EDNESDAY January 7
Prophetesses in Israel Scripture mentions a number of prophetesses. Who were they?
What do the following texts tell us about the role they played in the
history of Israel? Exod. 15:20, 21; Judg. 4:4–10; 2 Kings 22:11–20.
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Miriam, the sister of Moses, is called a prophetess. She is described
as leading the women in the Song of Moses and Miriam (compare
Exod. 15:1 and 15:21, NIV). Moses was the appointed leader of the
people of Israel, but his dealings would have been primarily with the
men, who were considered the heads of their families. Miriam’s task
was, perhaps, with the Israelite women. She must have been several
years older than Moses (Exod. 2:1–8), and according to Josephus she
married Hur, who together with Aaron had held up the arms of Moses
in the battle with the Amalekites.—The Works of Flavius Josephus
(Philadelphia: David McKay Publisher), p. 98.
That she was an important person in Israel is seen in the fact that all
Israel had to wait seven days until God took away her leprosy after the
unfortunate incident with her brother Moses and his wife (Num.
12:1–15).
Deborah (Judges 5) must have been an extraordinary person. In a
society dominated by men, she became a political and spiritual leader,
something few women achieved in those days. Deeply spiritual, she
ascribed all praise for the victory over the Canaanites to God (vss.
3–5, 13); she did not take any glory for herself or Barak.
As a “mother in Israel” (vs. 7), she watched over the people with
maternal care, counseling and aiding them in procuring justice.
Read Judges 4:1–8. What does this tell us about how highly respected this woman was in Israel at that time?
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Another prophetess in Israel was Huldah (2 Kings 22:14–20,
2 Chron. 34:20–28). When King Josiah asked her concerning God’s
will, she prophesied judgment and disaster upon Jerusalem and its
people but not in Josiah’s day; his eyes were not to see the evil because
he humbled himself before the Lord. It is interesting that Huldah was
consulted although both Jeremiah and Zephaniah were living at the
same time.
18 T HURSDAY January 8
New Testament Prophets
The Old Testament prophetic period came to an end about four hun-
dred years prior to the birth of Christ. During the period between that
end and the birth of Christ, many Jewish books were written, but none
were accepted as inspired.
The life of Christ ushered in a new era, in which God again called individuals to function as His spokespersons. Who were some of these New Testament prophets, and what was the difference between them and the apostles? Luke 1:67; John 1:6, 7; Acts 11:27, 28; 13:1; Rev. 1:1–3.
In New Testament Greek, the word apostle was used of persons in
the sense of ambassador, envoy, or delegate. Josephus, for example,
used this word when speaking of the ambassadors whom the Jews sent
as their representatives to Rome.—Flavius Josephus, The Works of
Flavius Josephus, p. 11.
In the New Testament, apostle carries the concepts of mission and
representation. The term appears in the context of Jesus’ ordaining
and sending forth His disciples on an evangelistic mission (Matt.
10:2–6). The apostles were those with special authority from the risen
Lord; they had seen for themselves His death and resurrection, some-
thing that all the previous prophets hadn’t. Some of the apostles, such
as John and Paul, were also prophets, but not all apostles were
prophets. According to Ephesians 2:20, apostles and prophets together
provided the foundational interpretation of what God had done in
Christ for humanity.
Read Matthew 11:11. Why was John the Baptist greater than all the Old Testament prophets? What does Jesus mean when He says, “But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (NKJV)?
John the Baptist was the greatest prophet in the sense that it was his
privilege to announce the coming of Christ, to whom all the prophets
had borne witness (see Luke 24:27; John 5:39, 46). Like Abraham, all
the Old Testament prophets looked forward to the day the Messiah
would come (1 Pet. 1:10, 11), but John saw Him in the flesh. Hence,
in some sense, the prophetic office in the Old Testament reached its
climax in John. At the same time, John the Baptist was only at the
door of the kingdom of grace, looking in, while the least follower of
Jesus can look back and rejoice in the fulfillment of all the Messianic
prophecies through Christ.
Dwell on some of the Old Testament prophecies that pointed to
Jesus as Messiah. How can they help strengthen your faith?
19
F RIDAY January 9
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “The Test of Faith,” pp. 145–
155; “Moses,” pp. 241–256, in Patriarchs and Prophets.
“During his stay in Egypt, Abraham gave evidence that he was not
free from human weakness and imperfection. In concealing the fact
that Sarah was his wife, he betrayed a distrust of the divine care, a lack
of that lofty faith and courage so often and nobly exemplified in his
life.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 130.
“Moses had been instructed in regard to the final reward to be given
to the humble and obedient servants of God, and worldly gain sank to 1
its proper insignificance in comparison. The magnificent palace of
Pharaoh and the monarch’s throne were held out as an inducement to
Moses; but he knew that the sinful pleasures that make men forget
God were in its lordly courts. He looked beyond the gorgeous palace,
beyond a monarch’s crown, to the high honors that will be bestowed
on the saints of the Most High in a kingdom untainted by sin. He saw 2
by faith an imperishable crown that the King of heaven would place
on the brow of the overcomer.”—Ellen G. White, Conflict and
Courage, p. 81.
“The glory reflected in the countenance of Moses illustrates the
blessings to be received by God’s commandment-keeping people
through the mediation of Christ. It testifies that the closer our com-
munion with God, and the clearer our knowledge of His requirements,
the more fully shall we be conformed to the divine image, and the 3
more readily do we become partakers of the divine nature.”—Ellen
G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 330.
Discussion Questions:
●
1 Discuss some of the character flaws found in various prophets
and apostles in the Bible. What hope can you take from these for
yourself? At the same time, what are the good characteristics
seen in many of these people? What hope and promise can you
find there, as well?
●2 What about some of the so-called “prophets” today, those
making all sorts of predictions, many of which are reported in
the local newspaper? How should we relate to them? What kind
of people are they; what kind of predictions do they make? What
can we learn from the contrast between them and the prophets
seen in the Bible?
●
3 In what ways can we, as a church, act in the role of the
prophets? In what ways are we called to do just that? How can
we better fulfill that role?
20
I N S I D E Stor Keeping the Faith on Sabbath by MUHINDO KABWE Schools in French-speaking countries hold classes on Sabbaths. Getting schools to accommodate Adventists is difficult. It’s no different where I live in Congo. After secondary school, I enrolled in a government school to study busi- ness. I knew that Sabbath would be a problem, but I was one of four Adventists in the school, and we helped one another stay faithful to God. Three other Adventist students, who were older than I, told me that exams were scheduled for Sabbath, and rescheduling them was difficult. We had no option but to pray for God’s will and request permission to take our exams on another day. But several teachers refused. We fasted and prayed, then we went to the school administration. The administration told us that all exams are scheduled for Saturday, no excep- tions. But we weren’t ready to give up. We prayed for two more days and returned to plead our case. To our surprise the director decided to write a letter to the teachers stating that no exams would be scheduled on Saturday. And he even allowed us to make up the exams we had missed because they were given on Sabbath. We were overjoyed! Then just before the end of my second year at the school, a new direc- tor was elected. He changed the exam policy so exams fell on Saturdays again. We appealed, but we were denied. Final exams came, and several fell on Sabbath. We faced failure. Instead of letting us take our exams on another day, the director offered to let us withdraw from school. I decided to stay at the school. I fasted and prayed about the exam schedule, but the teachers could do nothing without the director’s permis- sion. It was a difficult situation, but by trusting God and praying much, I was able to take enough exams to pass on to the third year. By this time my Adventist friends had finished their studies. I was the only Adventist still at the school. I held evangelistic meetings to introduce teachers and students to Adventist beliefs, especially about the Sabbath. The meetings focused on Jesus and drew about eighty people, including two teachers. After that, it was easier to get Sabbaths off. Two students wanted to know more about Adventists and why we are so firm in our beliefs. I explained the Sabbath from before Creation right through to Revelation and invited them to church. Both of them have since been baptized. I completed my studies at last, and the new Adventists who now attend this school are able to get Sabbaths off because of the groundwork we laid for them. Your mission offerings brought the news of Jesus to my country and to me. Now we share that news with others. Thank you for your help. MUHINDO KABWE is an accountant in the Education Department of the Northeast Congo Attached Territory in Goma, Congo.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 21 LESSON 3 *January 10–16
Spiritual Gifts and
Prophecy
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 2:1–11; Rom. 12:6–8;
1 Cor. 1:6, 7; 13:9; Eph. 4:11; 2 Thess. 2:9, 10.
Memory Text: “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all” (1 Corinthians 12:4–6, NKJV).
eventh-day Adventists believe in the existence of spiritual gifts.
S We’re not alone either. Many charismatic and Pentecostal churches
have claimed to see the manifestation of spiritual gifts among
themselves. Some of these have included people in church, making
noises like animals (lions, donkeys, dogs, even chickens!), as well as
the utterances of prognostications and prophecies, such as the time it
was prophesied that God blew up the space shuttle Challenger in
order to teach America a lesson because there was a public school-
teacher on board. (Apparently, someone believed that God doesn’t like
public schoolteachers.)
As Seventh-day Adventists, we believe in the gifts of the Spirit,
including prophecy, but we also believe that everything should be
tested by the Word of God. This week, using the Word, we’ll take a
closer look at some of these gifts.
The Week at a Glance: What is the purpose of spiritual gifts? How are they manifested? What about the gift of tongues? What does the Bible teach about counterfeit gifts?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 17.
22 S UNDAY January 11
Spiritual Gifts
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evan-
gelists; and some, pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:11).
Spiritual gifts (Greek charismata) are known as spiritual because
they originate with the Holy Spirit, who apportions them to each
according to His will (1 Cor. 12:11). In addition, the Holy Spirit is
given to Christians so that they may understand and appreciate these
gifts (1 Cor. 2:10–13).
Paul provides four lists of spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:6–8; 1 Cor. 12:8–10, 28–30; Eph. 4:11, 12). What is the purpose of spiritual gifts? Why were they given? _______________________
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According to the New Testament, spiritual gifts are given for the
completion of the mission entrusted to the church. This includes the
nurture and edification of the church, as well as the proclamation of
the gospel to the world. The existence of these gifts should serve as a
constant reminder of our utter dependence upon the Lord in order for
us to do the work He has called us to do.
From the Gospels we know that the apostles possessed spiritual
gifts even prior to Pentecost. In Luke 9:1, Jesus “gave them power and
authority over all demons, and to cure diseases” (NKJV), and in
Matthew 10:8 He charged them to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,
raise the dead, cast out demons” (NKJV). Then at Pentecost they were
filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues (Acts 2:1–4). This
seems to indicate that it is possible to receive more than one baptism
of the Holy Spirit.
How have spiritual gifts been manifested in your own church?
What has been the fruits of these gifts? What can you do to help
nurture these gifts in your local congregation? Bring your
answers to class on Sabbath for discussion.
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23
M ONDAY January 12
Spiritual Gifts in the Church Today
These days we find two views among Christians in regard to the
permanency of spiritual gifts. Some believe that edifying gifts, such as
knowledge, wisdom, teaching, exhortation, faith, and mercy, are per-
manent gifts but that the sign gifts, such as prophecy, healing, tongues,
and miracles, ceased with the death of the apostles. Defenders of this
view claim: “The sign gifts had a unique purpose: to give the apostles
credentials, that is, to let the people know that these men all spoke the
truth of God. Once the Word of God was inscripturated, the sign gifts
were no longer needed and they ceased.”—John F. MacArthur, Jr.,
Charismatic Chaos (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1993), p. 199.
Other Christians believe that all the spiritual gifts will be present in
the church until the Lord comes.
What do the following texts say about the permanence of spiritual gifts? 1 Cor. 1:6, 7; 13:9, 10; Eph. 4:11–13. _______________________
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According to Paul, the charismata, the spiritual gifts, will be in the
church until Jesus comes, but does this mean that all the gifts will be
present all the time?
The church father Irenaeus (A.D. 120–195) wrote about the presence
and operation of spiritual gifts even in his day. Thus, according to
Irenaeus, spiritual gifts were still in evidence at the end of the second
century A.D.
During the next two centuries, however, the church suffered a seri-
ous spiritual and theological deterioration, and the spiritual gifts
largely disappeared. During the time of the Reformation, beginning
with John Wycliffe in England, God used the Reformers to restore
neglected truth, and they certainly had the gifts of knowledge, wis-
dom, and teaching. None of the main Reformers, though, claimed to
have the prophetic gift. This particular gift, according to Revelation
12:17, was to be manifested again in the end-time remnant church.
Paul says in Ephesians 4:12 that spiritual gifts are given “for the
equipping of the saints for the work of ministry” (NKJV). What
kind of equipping is Paul referring to, and in what way do you
see this happening in the church today?
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24 T UESDAY January 13
Counterfeit Gifts What does the Bible teach about counterfeit gifts and their origin?
Matt. 7:22, 23; 2 Thess. 2:9, 10; Rev. 16:13, 14.
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By the power of God, Moses and Aaron, standing before Pharaoh,
turned a staff into a snake (Exod. 7:10), the river Nile into blood (vs. 20),
and made frogs come out of the Nile to cover the land (Exod. 8:6); but
by the power of Satan the Egyptian magicians could do the same.
However, from the third plague onward the Egyptian magicians were
unable to counterfeit God’s miracles.
This teaches us two things: (1) Satan can produce miracles that look
like the genuine article, and (2) Satan can work only within the limits
set by God.
Counterfeit gifts are not just a perversion of the true gifts of God
but can be similar manifestations from a different source—Satan.
A study of the texts listed above should reveal to us a few other
important points about the existence of counterfeit spiritual gifts.
First, as we can see, these false manifestations can be done by those
professing the name of Jesus; indeed, as Jesus said, many will claim
to do some miracles in His name. And yet, according to Jesus, they are
not of Him.
Second, there will be miracles, miraculous signs and wonders, pow-
erful enough to deceive many. In other words, we need to be very care-
ful not to be swept away by the existence of the supernatural. Even
though something is done in the name of Jesus and appears to be
supernatural doesn’t mean it’s a genuine gift of the Spirit.
Finally, in the end, Satan is working to do what he can to deceive as
many people as possible. Thus, whatever manifestations that do appear,
we always must test them by the Bible. If they are not in harmony with
the Word of God, we have our answer, regardless of how impressive
the manifestations appear to be. The Bible must be our ultimate stan-
dard.
With these thoughts in mind, what are we to make of these min-
istries that claim to manifest all sorts of prophecies, healing, and
wonders week after week? Without wanting to judge anyone,
why should we be leery? What kind of questions should we ask,
and why?
25
W EDNESDAY January 14
The Gift of Prophecy
The French physician Michel de Notredame (1503–1566), known
as Nostradamus, supposedly predicted the great fire of London of 1666
with the words: “The blood of the just will be demanded of London,
burnt by the fire in the year 66.” (http://www.armageddonline.org/
nostradamus.php [Accessed January 29, 2007.]) The Irish seer Cheiro
warned journalist W. T. Stead in 1894 and again in 1911 that he would
drown in April 1912. Stead died when the Titanic sank in April 1912.
In 1956 Jean Dixon published a vision in which she said she saw that
a Democrat would be elected president of the United States in 1960,
only to be assassinated in office. John Kennedy, a Democrat elected
in 1960, was assassinated in 1963 while in office.
How can we account for these exact predictions by people who had lit- tle in common with the biblical prophets? Isa. 8:19, Acts 16:16, 2 Cor. 11:14.
Ever since Satan used the snake in the Garden of Eden to deceive
Eve, he has used a variety of human agents to deceive men and
women, including the giving of predictions that have come true.
Which means, then, that the fulfillment of a prediction is not a guar-
antee that it is a true prophecy from God.
Nevertheless, prophets and prophecies play an important part in the
plan of salvation. This point is made clear in the Bible.
Prophecy, or the prophetic office, is listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8–10 as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It appears first on the list in Romans 12:6 and second, after apostleship, in both 1 Corinthians 12:28–30 and Ephesians 4:11. What makes the prophetic gift so important that it is the only gift that is mentioned in all four lists of spiritual gifts or ministries? _______________________ _______________________
The purpose of the prophetic gift is to provide a means of commu-
nication between the Creator and His creatures. Prophetic messages in
Scripture have unveiled the future (Daniel 2), counseled and reproved
kings (Isa. 7:3, 4), warned of coming judgments (Jer. 1:14–16), called
for revival (Joel 2:12, 13), and encouraged and comforted God’s peo-
ple (Isa. 40:1, 2).
Prophets were men and women who spoke the word of God to their
generations. The emphasis in the prophetic gift was not on predicting
the future (although this was one of the marks of a true prophet) but
on setting forth what God wanted His people to hear. 26
T HURSDAY January 15
Spiritual Gifts and 1 Corinthians 14
The church in Corinth had many problems: division, immorality,
court cases among believers, marriage problems, and the abuse of the
Lord’s Supper. Another problem concerned spiritual gifts, particularly
the use of the gift of tongues (1 Cor. 14:1–5).
What was the gift of tongues in the book of Acts? Going solely by what these verses in Acts 2:1–11 say, what kind of languages were being spoken? _______________________
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What were the tongues spoken in the church in Corinth? 1 Cor. 14:1–25. _______________________
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When we apply the principle Scripture interprets Scripture, which
means obscure passages are explained by plain ones, we have to con-
clude that the tongues in 1 Corinthians 14 are of the same nature as
the tongues in the book of Acts, especially because the same Greek
word glossa is used for tongues in both books. In other words, the evi-
dence is that tongues in both places were the supernatural ability to
speak in foreign languages. Some understand the gift to apply also to
instances in which a person speaking in one language is understood in
another language or languages by those listening. In either case, this
undoubtedly rules out the common and popular notion of tongues
today, in which people babble in unknown languages.
Also, God works through man’s intelligence. Would the Lord, who
warned us against babbling on as the heathen do (Matt. 6:7, NEB),
inspire unknown noises? In 1 Corinthians 14:22, tongues are a sign to
unbelievers as at Pentecost, and how could someone uttering noises
that no one understands be a sign to unbelievers? Tongues, as Acts 2
shows, are real languages, given for the purpose of building up the
church. Furthermore, spiritual gifts were given for the common good
(1 Cor. 12:7), ruling out using a gift purely for personal gratification,
as the so-called modern gifts of tongues are used today.
In spite of all the manifestations of ecstatic speech today, nowhere
does the Bible teach that the gift of tongues is anything other than
human languages. Modern tongues-speaking, called glossolalia, is not
the same as the biblical gift of languages.
Think about the words you speak on a daily basis. How much is
meaningful, purposeful talk, and how much is nonsensical banter?
27
F RIDAY January 16
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “Pentecost,” pp. 35–46, in
The Acts of the Apostles.
“The special gifts of the Spirit are not the only talents represented
in the parable. It includes all gifts and endowments, whether original
or acquired, natural or spiritual. All are to be employed in Christ’s
service. In becoming His disciples, we surrender ourselves to Him
with all that we are and have. These gifts He returns to us purified and
ennobled, to be used for His glory in blessing our fellow men.”—Ellen
G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 328. 1 “The man who makes the working of miracles the test of his faith
will find that Satan can, through a species of deceptions, perform
wonders that will appear to be genuine miracles.”—Ellen G. White,
Selected Messages, book 2, p. 52.
“Some of these persons have exercises which they call gifts and say
that the Lord has placed them in the church. They have an unmeaning 2 gibberish which they call the unknown tongue, which is unknown not
only by man but by the Lord and all heaven. Such gifts are manufac-
tured by men and women, aided by the great deceiver. Fanaticism,
false excitement, false talking in tongues, and noisy exercises have
been considered gifts which God has placed in the church. Some have
been deceived here.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church,
vol. 1, p. 412.
3 Discussion Questions: ● 1 As a class, go over your answers to Sunday’s study. What kind of gifts are manifested in your local church? How can you take better advantage of what you have? Most important, how are these gifts being used?
●
2 Pentecostal Christians believe that speaking in tongues is the
evidence that a person is filled with the Holy Spirit. According to
Scripture, what is the true evidence of a Spirit-filled life? See
Gal. 5:22, 23.
●
3 What are some of the supernatural manifestations common in
your culture and your part of the world? What seems to be the
fruit of these manifestations? What are ways that you, as a
church, cannot only protect other church members from being
deceived but also help others outside the church be aware of the
potential dangers inherent in these manifestations?
●4 Discuss what Ellen G. White says in the first quote listed
above. What does she mean about the gifts being “purified and
ennobled”? What is she talking about? Can people have gifts that
are used for wrong purposes? Explain.
28
I N S I D E Stor Not Afraid by ARASH* I am a refugee living in a Middle Eastern country. I was imprisoned when I refused to work on a project involving chemical warfare. There I met someone who helped me escape and flee the country. I applied to the United Nations for refugee status and hid in the city while the paperwork was processed. There I met a Christian couple who really impressed me. Although I had grown up in a religious country, I did not practice religion. But I could see the difference their God made in their lives. I accepted their invitation to worship with them in their house church though I did not intend to become a Christian. I did not understand a lot of what the man said, but his life and behavior made me want to know about God. I began to read the Bible they gave me. When the government learned that I was a refugee and knew military secrets about my homeland, they pressed me to talk. I refused. They threat- ened me, beat me, and put a gun to my head; but still I refused to talk. My Christian friends prayed for my safety, and one day the interrogator told me to leave the city if I wanted to live. He actually helped me leave the city. I made my way to the capital city. When I arrived, I missed my Christian friends. I started worshiping in a Protestant church, but I noticed that they did not have the same love in their lives. I remembered how my friends who had introduced me to Jesus lived like Jesus. I kept searching. Then one day I met a Christian woman and saw God’s love in her life. She invited me to worship with a small group, and I accepted. I watched the people and realized that these Christians lived what they preached, as my friends had. The pastor asked me to translate The Desire of Ages, and the book changed my life. I realized that the Old Testament is the foundation for the New Testament. Reading just the New Testament is like reading only the last half of a book and trying to understand it. I realized that I had found the true church that followed God’s Word. The church members are not perfect, but they seek to follow God’s Word. I want to be like Jesus, to serve people, teach people, and help peo- ple, no matter who or where they are. I will go where God leads me, even back to my homeland. I am not afraid. Please pray for me; pray for the people in my homeland and the people in my adopted country. They need to meet Jesus, for they are His children; they just don’t know it yet.
*ARASH (not his real name) awaits God’s marching orders from his adopted home in the Middle East.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 29 LESSON 4 *January 17–23
The Gift of Prophecy and
God’s Remnant Church
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Revelation 12; 14:1–12.
Memory Text: “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17, NKJV).
he remnant theme first appears with Noah and his family (Gen.
T 7:23) and resurfaces in the history of Israel. The apostle Paul
refers to a remnant (Rom. 11:5) that was then constituted of
Jews who had accepted Jesus and who later became the nucleus of the
Christian church. In the book of Revelation a remnant appears in the
churches of Thyatira (Rev. 2:24) and Sardis (Rev. 3:4). It appears also
in chapter 12—the subject of our study this week.
God’s faithful remnant was not always a visible remnant; that is,
from the early days up to the last days, God has His faithful ones in
different faiths, which is why the call is made: “ ‘Come out of her
[Babylon], my people’ ” (Rev. 18:4). Nevertheless, there is a specific
depiction of God’s remnant in the last days.
The Week at a Glance: What do the symbols in Revelation 12 represent? What events in history can be seen as a fulfillment of this chapter? What is the meaning of the phrases “the testi- mony of Jesus” and “the spirit of prophecy”?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 24.
30 S UNDAY January 18
Good Versus Evil: Act 1 Read Revelation 12:1–6. What’s happening here?
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Revelation 12 introduces the great controversy between Christ and
Satan in symbolic form and describes its progress from the time of
Christ to the time of the end. In verse 1 John sees a dazzling sight—a
pregnant woman, “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet”
(NKJV), and wearing a crown of 12 stars. He calls the appearance a
“great sign” (NKJV), indicating that the woman is more than a mere
woman. She is a symbol for the church or for God’s faithful people
(see Isa. 54:5, 6; 2 Cor. 11:2). The woman’s dazzling appearance links
her to Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2, Rev. 1:16).
According to Revelation 12:6, the woman flees from the dragon into the wilderness, where she is taken care of by God for 1,260 days. What is this talking about, and what do the 1,260 days sym- bolize? Dan. 7:25, Rev. 12:14, 13:5.
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Until the nineteenth century, most students of prophecy used the
year-day principle, and so they understood the 1,260 days to refer to
the time of persecution of the church during the Middle Ages, a period
of 1,260 years.
And with good reason, too. First, the whole section is filled with
symbols that aren’t taken literally, so why should the time element be
taken literally, as well? Second, the various time phrases used in Daniel
and Revelation—“time and times and half a time” (Dan. 7:25, 12:7,
Rev. 12:14, NKJV), “forty-two months” (Rev. 11:2, 13:5, NKJV), and
“one thousand two hundred and sixty days” (Rev. 11:3, 12:6, NKJV)—
are not the natural way of expressing a literal three and one-half years
(see Luke 4:25, James 5:17). For these reasons and others, Seventh-
day Adventists (in contrast to most other Christians today) interpret
the 1,260 days as 1,260 years and see it as a reference to the period of
papal supremacy from the sixth to the end of the eighteenth century.
What are some of the symbols prevalent in your own society and
culture? What purpose do they serve? What is the advantage
(and disadvantage) of them? How do you use symbols in your
everyday life? How does the way symbols are used around you
help you better understand the way the Bible uses symbols?
31
M ONDAY January 19
Good Versus Evil: Act 2
Revelation 12:7–12 is an interlude in the story; it focuses on the fall
of Satan in heaven and his being cast down to the earth. Hence, we are
given a glimpse into the origins of the great controversy as it began in
another part of the universe. The back-and-forth between heaven and
earth should tell us how closely events in one impact events in the
other. Truly, we are in the midst of a cosmic battle!
Revelation 12:13–17 picks up the story from verse 6 and describes in symbolic terms the persecution of the Christian church, first by the Roman Empire and later by the apostate Roman Church. What do the symbols here represent?
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In these verses, a flood of water is sent against God’s people, a sym-
bol of persecuting armies (Jer. 46:7, 8; 47:2; Dan. 9:26). In contrast,
in Revelation 12:16 the earth is described as helping the persecuted
church. In 1620, the first pilgrims, fleeing the religious persecution in
Europe, arrived on the American continent. On this newly discovered
continent, they found a safe haven where the persecuting armies of the
European powers could not reach them. Thus, symbolically, the new
continent America swallowed up the persecuting armies.
In Revelation 12:17, we are now in the time after the 1,260-day
period (which ended at the close of the eighteenth century). Satan,
seeing that he was unable to wipe out God’s faithful people, is angry
with a particular group called “the rest of her offspring” (NKJV) or
“the remnant of her seed” (KJV).
Read carefully Revelation 12:17. What is the first identifying mark of this special remnant? How do the following texts help us under- stand what “the commandments of God” mean? Matt. 24:20, Rom. 3:31, Eph. 6:1, James 2:9–11, 1 John 3:4.
How much simpler could God have made it? This end-time remnant
will be distinguished, first of all, by the fact that it keeps the com-
mandments of God, all of them, which, of course, includes the sev-
enth-day Sabbath.
How firm are you in your own mind regarding God’s call that
we keep His commandments? How can you be sure that the
Lord commands us to keep them? How do you respond to argu-
ments against keeping the commandments, especially the
Sabbath? 32
T UESDAY January 20
The Testimony of Jesus
The second identifying mark of the remnant church is “the testi-
mony of Jesus” (marturia Iesou). This expression occurs six times in
the book of Revelation (Rev. 1:2, 9; 12:17; 19:10; 20:4, NIV).
What is the meaning of the phrase “the testimony of Jesus” in the fol- lowing texts? Rev. 1:2, 9; 19:10; 20:4, NIV.
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Two grammatically possible explanations concerning its meaning
have been put forward. The first view interprets “the testimony of
Jesus” as man’s witness for Christ (NEB, RSV). The second view
understands “the testimony of Jesus” as the self-revelation of Jesus—
His own testimony (NIV, NKJV).
A study of the word testimony in John’s writings indicates that each
time it appears in the same grammatical construction as in Revelation,
it always refers to Jesus’ own testimony (John 1:19; 3:11, 32, 33;
5:31). In contrast, the idea of witnessing about somebody in John’s
writings consistently is expressed by a different grammatical con-
struction.
In the book of Revelation, therefore, the expression “testimony of
Jesus” also should be understood as Jesus’ testimony about Himself
and not the remnant’s testimony about Him. This is borne out by a
study of the texts in Revelation themselves. Revelation 1:2 says that
John bore witness to “the word of God” and to “the testimony of
Jesus.” Thus, “the word of God” refers to what God says and is paral-
lel to “the testimony of Jesus.” Thus, “the word of God” is simply
what Jesus says; it is the testimony that Jesus gives about Himself.
The same is true in Revelation 1:9. John introduces himself, states
his credentials, and says that he is on the island of Patmos because of
“the word of God” and “the testimony of Jesus.” The parallelism
between the “word of God” and “the testimony of Jesus” is again
clearly discernible. Thus, according to the principle of interpreting
scripture with scripture, every text in the book of Revelation where the
phrase “testimony of Jesus” appears always refers to Jesus’ own testi-
mony.
How has Jesus revealed Himself to you? Would you like to know
Him better? What is the only way you can?
33
W EDNESDAY January 21
The Spirit of Prophecy Revelation 19:10 says, “ ‘ For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit
of prophecy.’ ” In all of Scripture the phrase “spirit of prophecy”
appears only in this text. What does it mean? 1 Cor. 12:8–10, 28;
Eph. 4:11.
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The closest parallel to the phrase “spirit of prophecy” in the Bible
is found in 1 Corinthians 12:8–10. There Paul refers to the Holy Spirit,
who gives the gift of prophecy among other gifts (charismata), and
the person who receives this gift is called a prophet.
Now, just as in 1 Corinthians 12:28, those who have the gift of
prophecy (verse 10 of the same chapter) are called prophets—in
Revelation 22:8, 9 those who have the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10)
are also called prophets.
“And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that
you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who
have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus
is the spirit of prophecy’ ” (Rev. 19:10, NKJV).
“I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me
these things. Then he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that. For I am
your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those
who keep the words of this book. Worship God’ ” (Rev. 22:8, 9, NKJV).
The situation in both passages is the same. John falls at the feet of
the angel to worship. The words of the angel’s response are almost
identical, yet the difference is significant. In Revelation 19:10, the
brethren are identified by the phrase “who hold to [have] the testi-
mony of Jesus” (NIV). In Revelation 22:9, the brethren are called sim-
ply “prophets.”
If the Protestant principle of interpreting scripture by scripture
means anything, this comparison must lead to the conclusion that “the
spirit of prophecy” in Revelation 19:10 is the prophetic gift, which is
given not to church members in general but only to those who have
been called by God to be prophets.
This is not purely an Adventist interpretation. Lutheran scholar
Hermann Strathmann says about “brothers who have the testimony of
Jesus” (NJKV) in 19:10: “According to the parallel 22:9 the brothers
referred to are not believers in general, but the prophets. . . . If they
have the marturia Iesou [the testimony of Jesus], they have the spirit
of prophecy, i.e., they are prophets.”—Theological Dictionary of the
New Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1967), vol. 4, p. 501.
34 T HURSDAY January 22
The Remnant Church
From our study thus far, we understand that in Revelation 12:17
“the rest of her offspring” (NKJV) refers to God’s visible remnant
church that can be recognized by two specific characteristics: (1) they
“keep the commandments of God” as God has given them on Mount
Sinai, including the Sabbath commandment, and (2) they “have the
testimony of Jesus Christ,” which is the Spirit of prophecy, or the
prophetic gift.
The Sabbath-keeping Adventist movement, from even before its
organization in 1863, always has claimed these identifying signs for
itself. As Adventists we proclaim the Ten Commandments, including
the seventh-day Sabbath; and we believe that as a church we have the
testimony of Jesus; that is, that God manifested Himself in the life and
work of Ellen G. White.
Thus, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not just one church
among many. It is a church prophetically foreseen. God has called this
church into existence for a very specific purpose—to proclaim the
three angels’ messages to a dying world.
Read Revelation 14:6–12. What is happening there that helps us understand some of the characteristics of God’s end-time people? What elements come into play, and in what ways are we justified in seeing ourselves and our calling there?
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As Seventh-day Adventists, we believe that we are members of God’s
remnant church. However, this identification with the remnant church
does not accord us an exclusive status with God. We can be part of this
corporate remnant and still be lost. Salvation is not guaranteed
through membership in any church. We are saved as individuals, not
as a church. It’s a great privilege and responsibility, being part of this
church, because we have a sacred calling; but being a member of this
church no more guarantees salvation than being a Hebrew in ancient
Israel did (Jer. 8:20).
What is your only guarantee of salvation, and how can you have
it as your own?
35
F RIDAY January 23
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “The Spirit of Prophecy,” pp.
7–16, in The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1; “Historical Prologue,” pp. vii-
xxxii, in Early Writings.
“One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an iden-
tifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry
of Ellen G. White—the Lord’s messenger. Her writings are a continu-
ing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church
comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear
that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience
must be tested.”—Seventh-day Adventists Believe . . . (2nd ed.,) 1 (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press® Publishing Association, 2005), p. 247.
A study of the idea of the remnant in the Old Testament reveals a
few interesting characteristics. Perhaps the most important one is that
all through the Bible, the remnant were those who were living with
more light than others. Noah had the light about the coming flood.
Abraham had the light about the true God. The nation of Israel was 2 worshiping the Lord in the sanctuary, while their pagan neighbors
were sacrificing children on their altars or bowing down to statues of
cats and bulls and other animals. In short, the idea of the remnant had
more to do with a revelation of truth and of God’s character than with
the holiness of those who had that knowledge. The point? As
expressed in Thursday’s lesson, being part of the remnant means only
that you have great light, and with that light comes important respon-
sibilities. It does not mean you automatically have salvation; nor does 3 it mean that those who aren’t part of the remnant are lost. It’s an unfor-
tunate fact of sacred history that many of those who were part of
God’s remnant not only failed to live up to the light they were given
but oftentimes rebelled against it.
Discussion Questions:
●
1 What important message is found in Luke 12:48 for those who
believe that they are part of the remnant church?
●
2 The claim that we are the “remnant church” can sound very
arrogant and exclusive. And yet, why does it make sense that God
would have a special people with a special message in the last
days? Or does it? Discuss.
●
3 If being in the remnant does not guarantee salvation, then
what’s the advantage of being part of it?
36
I N S I D E Stor I Love to Preach! by ARNEL BLANC I didn’t grow up in the Adventist Church. But God led me to this church in a wonderful way. A Protestant pastor in town knew a little about Adventists, but he refused to acknowledge their teachings. Then he had a dream in which God told him to preach the fourth commandment or risk being lost forever. The pastor preached the Sabbath truth in his church, and I accepted the message. Several months later I was baptized and started preaching. Preaching, for me, was my gift to God, and He blessed my efforts. An Adventist leader in the area urged me to study theology at the Adventist university. So I enrolled. During school breaks, I returned home and preached and gave Bible studies. During one of my home visits, I studied with a young woman who was baptized. We were friends, but neither of us had any idea that it would go beyond that. Then God spoke to her and showed her that we were to be married. She resisted, but God persisted, and in time we married. We now work in an exciting area. Our town is a political hot spot in Haiti. Sometimes things get so tense that people fear to leave their homes. But even during these tense times, people come to our evangelistic meet- ings. We preach and pray, and hundreds come. After one meeting 72 peo- ple were baptized! This difficult area has yielded more baptisms in a given year than anywhere else in Haiti. I love evangelism! I want to preach and evangelize so that everyone in our area will know that Jesus is coming again. I have eight congregations; the largest has 400 members. But there are still places where we have no Adventist believers. My wife and I have a burden to reach those areas, to bring God’s light to the dark corners of Haiti. In Haiti we have one Seventh-day Adventist for every 28 people! Yet there are places where not one Adventist lives. Haitian people love the gospel, and many Adventist laypeople want to reach out and preach to those who do not know that Jesus is coming again. But the political and economic situations here make it difficult to reach these people. We want Jesus to come soon, and we ask that you pray for the people of Haiti and continue to help us reach them for Christ through your mission offerings. Then we will be ready for Jesus to come. Hallelujah!
PASTOR ARNEL and JUQUELANDE BLANC share their faith in southern Haiti.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 37 LESSON 5 *January 24–30
The Inspiration of the
Prophets
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Jer. 36:1–4; 1 Thess.
2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16; Titus 1:12; 2 Pet. 1:1–4, 20, 21.
Memory Text: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruc- tion in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
hristians have long debated the question, What does it mean
C when we say that the Bible is inspired? For Seventh-day
Adventists there is, in addition, the question of the inspiration
of Ellen G. White. In 1906, she wrote a letter to an Adventist physi-
cian in which she refuted the idea that every word she wrote was as
inspired as the Ten Commandments: “My brother, you have studied
my writings diligently, and you have never found that I have made any
such claims, neither will you find that the pioneers in our cause ever
made such claims.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 24.
This week we will study some of the issues surrounding the question
of inspiration.
The Week at a Glance: What is the difference between inspiration and revelation? What is the difference between verbal and thought inspiration? Can prophets get help from others when they write? What are some examples of prophets quoting sources outside the Bible?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 31.
38 S UNDAY January 25
Revelation-Inspiration Study 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:20, 21. What do these texts tell
us about the divine activity in the production of the books of the
Bible?
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In 2 Timothy 3:16 Paul says that the Bible is theopneustos (God-
breathed). In the Latin translation of the Bible the text reads, scriptura
divinitus inspirata, from which we get the English word inspired. Paul
is saying that the Bible had its origin in an activity of the Holy Spirit.
Through visions and dreams, the Holy Spirit revealed truth to the
prophets (revelation), and then He ensured, through His guidance in
the writing process (inspiration), that what the prophet wrote was in
harmony with what God had revealed.
Second Peter 1:21 tells us that “men spoke from God as they were
carried along by the Holy Spirit” (NIV). As a ship is carried along by
the wind, the biblical writers were moved by the Holy Spirit. Thus,
revelation-inspiration refers to that process whereby the Holy Spirit
revealed to the prophets what God wanted them to know and then
guided them in the proclamation of that message. Some spoke the
word; others wrote it down. The written form became the inspired
(God-breathed) Scripture.
Although in the New Testament the apostles did not claim inspira-
tion as frequently as did the Old Testament writers, it is obvious that
they regarded their messages as given by divine authority. Paul, for
example, wrote, “These things we also speak, not in words which
man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches” (1 Cor.
2:13, NKJV), and “When you received the word of God which you
heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in
truth, the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13, NKJV).
Yet, the Bible is also a human book. At face value it bears all the hall-
marks of human authorship. Authors in recording their own experiences
refer to themselves with personal pronouns (Neh. 1:1–11, Dan. 10:1–9,
Gal. 1:12–20), the customs and traditions of the authors’ times are seen
in the writings, and some of the psalms and proverbs reflect the litera-
ture and culture of the surrounding nations. In short, though inspired by
the Lord, the Bible also reflects the humanness of its penmen.
Of all the Bible authors, which one’s humanity comes through
most clearly to you? In what ways can you sympathize and
relate to that author purely on a human level? Bring your
answer to class on Sabbath.
39
M ONDAY January 26
Verbal or Thought Inspiration What do the following texts tell us about inspiration in Scripture?
Isa. 2:1, 2; Ezek. 36:16; 1 Cor. 7:10–12, 39, 40; 1 Thess. 2:13.
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Two important theories of inspiration are:
Verbal Inspiration. The focus in verbal inspiration is on the words
of the Bible rather than on the author. All the words are said to be
inspired by God, who chooses from the vocabulary and educational
background of the writer. According to this view, only the original
writings of the biblical writers are inspired, not the copies, which
might have errors. This view must be distinguished from the dictation
theory of inspiration, in which every word in Scripture is dictated by
the Holy Spirit without reference to the vocabulary and educational
background of the writer.
Thought Inspiration. The focus here is on the writers, not on the
words. Primarily the thoughts, not so much the words of the Bible, are
inspired (1 Cor. 7:10–12, 39, 40; 1 Thess. 2:13), except when the
words of God or an angel are quoted (Jer. 29:30, 31; Rev. 19:9) or
when God speaks directly through a prophet (Num. 22:35; 23:1–12,
26). The writer receives the vision, dream, or thought and puts it down
in writing in his own words (Isa. 2:1, 2; Rev. 4:1); the Holy Spirit
ensures that the words used convey God’s truth correctly. The Bible,
therefore, is declared to be the infallible revelation of God’s will.
On the basis of Scripture and the writings of Ellen White, Adventists
hold to thought inspiration. “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 dif-
fused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and
will; thus the utterances of the man are the Word of God.”—Ellen G.
White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 21. As the last sentence indi-
cates, the words of the prophet become the Word of God. In the same
vein David wrote, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word
was on my tongue” (2 Sam. 23:2, NKJV). This indicates that inspira-
tion not only imparted thoughts but ensured that the Written Word
accurately conveyed God’s thoughts.
Why is it important to have a correct understanding of how
inspiration works? What are the dangers of holding wrong
views?
40 T UESDAY January 27
Visions and Physical Phenomena What do the following texts tell us about how heavenly visions
affected some biblical prophets? Dan. 10:7–9, 17, 18; Acts 9:1–5;
Rev. 1:17.
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To stand in the presence of a heavenly being can be a powerful
experience. Daniel, Saul (Paul), and John all fell to the ground when
they received a heavenly vision. Daniel wrote, “No strength remained
in me” (NKJV), and John said, “I fell at his feet as dead.”
Ellen White describes her experience with these words: “As
inquiries are frequently made as to my state in vision, and after I come
out, I would say that when the Lord sees fit to give a vision, I am taken
into the presence of Jesus and angels, and am entirely lost to earthly
things. I can see no farther than the angel directs me.”—Selected
Messages, book 1, p. 36.
In 1868 her husband, James White, gave the following description of
her physical appearance while in vision: “1. She is utterly unconscious
of everything transpiring around her; 2. She does not breathe. . . .
[This] has been repeatedly proved by pressing upon the chest, and by
closing the mouth and nostrils; 3. Immediately on entering vision, her
muscles become rigid, and joints fixed, so far as any external force can
influence them; . . . 4. On coming out of vision, whether in the day-
time or a well-lighted room at night, all is total darkness. Her power
to distinguish even the most brilliant objects, held within a few inches
of the eyes, returns but gradually.”—Life Incidents (Battle Creek,
Mich.: Steam Press, 1868), p. 272.
Many observed her during her visions. Joseph Bates, for example,
wrote, “I have seen her in vision a number of times, and also in
Topsham, Maine; and those who were present during some of those
exciting scenes know well with what interest and intensity I listened
to every word, and watched every move to detect deception or mes-
meric influence. And I thank God for the opportunity I have had with
others to witness these things. I can now confidently speak for myself.
I believe the work is of God.”—Christian Experience and Teachings
of Ellen G. White, p. 89.
However impressive these physical manifestations might be,
why must we not base our belief in her gift on them? What ulti-
mately must be the final test of Ellen White’s prophetic calling?
41
W EDNESDAY January 28
Inspiration and Literary Assistants
Prophets were not God’s pens but His penmen. What they saw or
heard in visions and dreams they wrote down according to the best of
their ability. From Scripture we know that some of the biblical authors
had secretaries to help them write down the messages of God.
Read Jeremiah 36:1–4, Romans 16:22, 1 Corinthians 16:21, Colossians 4:15–18, and 2 Thessalonians 3:17. What do they tell us about the use of literary assistants?
Thus, both Old Testament and New Testament writers used literary
assistants or scribes to write down the messages God had given them.
From New Testament times we know that at times scribes used a
wax tablet to take down the gist of what the author wanted to say
before they wrote a good copy of the letter. Prior to sending it, the
author would go over the letter to make sure it conveyed to the reader
what he wanted to say.
Ellen White also used literary helpers. Here’s why:
1. With formal schooling ending at the age of nine, she recognized
her own limitations as a writer. “I am not a grammarian. I will try, if
the Lord will help me, at forty-five years old to become a scholar in
the science. God will help me. I believe He will.”—Ellen G. White,
Selected Messages, book 3, p. 90. Thus, some of her assistants func-
tioned as her copy editors.
2. The great demand for her writings made it necessary for her to
have literary help. “After my husband’s death, faithful helpers joined
me, who labored untiringly in the work of copying the testimonies and
preparing articles for publication.”—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 50.
3. Because most of her books were not written as books but were
put together from previously written material, she needed special
assistance in their production. Marian Davis was Ellen White’s book-
maker. “She takes my articles which are published in the papers, and
pastes them in blank books. She also has a copy of all the letters I
write. In preparing a chapter for a book, Marian remembers that I have
written something on that special point, which may make the matter
more forcible. She begins to search for this, and if when she finds it,
she sees that it will make the chapter more clear, she adds it. The
books are not Marian’s productions, but my own, gathered from all my
writings.”—Selected Messages, book 3, p. 91.
How does this understanding help us better grasp how inspira-
tion works? What wrong views might you have held on the topic
of inspiration?
42 T HURSDAY January 29
Inspiration and the Book of Luke What does Luke say about how his Gospel came into existence, and
what does this tell us about inspiration? Luke 1:1–4.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
In writing his Gospel, Luke doesn’t seem to have relied on dreams
or visions. Neither was he an eyewitness to the events he describes.
Instead, he worked from what he had learned from others, all, no
doubt, under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, which
ensured that what he wrote down was in harmony with the historical
events and God’s will.
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul not only received informa-
tion orally from others (1 Cor. 1:10, 11) but in a few places quoted
from the writings of pagan authors. For example, in Acts 17:28 he
quotes from the Cilician poet Aratus (ca. 315–240 B.C.) who wrote, “It
is with Zeus that every one of us in every way has to do, for we are
also his offspring.” See also 1 Corinthians 15:33 and Titus 1:12, where
Paul quoted other sources, all in order to teach inspired truth.
Ellen White from time to time used other books as sources for her
own works. In the introduction to The Great Controversy she wrote:
“The great events which have marked the progress of reform in past
ages are matters of history, well known and universally acknowledged
by the Protestant world; they are facts which none can gainsay. . . . In
some cases where a historian has so grouped together events as to
afford, in brief, a comprehensive view of the subject, or has summa-
rized details in a convenient manner, his words have been quoted; but
in some instances no specific credit has been given, since the quota-
tions are not given for the purpose of citing that writer as authority,
but because his statement affords a ready and forcible presentation of
the subject. In narrating the experience and views of those carrying
forward the work of reform in our own time, similar use has been
made of their published works.”—Pages xi and x11.
Prophets using other sources? Many people find that disturb-
ing. What does this tell us, though, about how inspiration can
work? If you think about it, what’s wrong with prophets under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit going to other sources as a way
of helping express truth?
43
F RIDAY January 30
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “The Inspiration of the
Prophetic Writers,” pp. 15–23, in Selected Messages, book 1.
“Yet now when I send you a testimony of warning and reproof,
many of you declare it to be merely the opinion of Sister White. You
have thereby insulted the Spirit of God. You know how the Lord has
manifested Himself through the Spirit of prophecy. Past, present, and 1
future have passed before me. I have been shown faces that I had never
seen, and years afterward I knew them when I saw them. I have been
aroused from my sleep with a vivid sense of subjects previously pre-
sented to my mind and I have written, at midnight, letters that have
gone across the continent, and arriving at a crisis, have saved great
disaster to the cause of God. This has been my work for many years. 2
A power has impelled me to reprove and rebuke wrongs that I had not
thought of. Is this work of the last thirty-six years from above or from
beneath? . . .
“. . . In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I am
presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me. I do not
write one article in the paper, expressing merely my own ideas. They
are what God has opened before me in vision—the precious rays of
light shining from the throne.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, 3
book 1, p. 27.
Discussion Questions:
●
1 As a class, read your answers to Sunday’s study and compare
notes on which prophets members were able to relate 10. Which
prophets were picked, and why?
●
2 Some people have worked on the assumption that some parts
of the Bible are more inspired than others. Though it’s true that
some parts might be more relevant to us today than others, that’s
radically different from the idea that some parts are more
inspired than others. What’s the great danger of taking such a
position? As you think about it, ask yourself the following ques-
tions: Who decides which parts are more inspired than others?
What criteria does one use to make that determination? Where
does the authority to make these decisions come from? What
happens when people disagree about which parts are more
inspired than others?
●
3 Think about the life and teachings of Ellen White during her
long years of ministry. Despite the large amount of misinforma-
tion out there about her and her ministry, and despite the fre-
quency with which her writings have been abused, what great
evidence and reasons do we have for believing in the reality of her
prophetic gift?
44
I N S I D E Stor Saved by a Watermelon by HOMER TRECARTIN The 12 members of a small church in Dubuque, Iowa, planned evange- listic meetings. They asked Elder Dave Weigley to lead out. For three months before the meetings were scheduled to begin, the members prayed for Elder Weigley, the meetings, and the people who were searching for something better in their lives. As time for the meetings drew near, Pastor Weigley remembered a girl he had studied with a year earlier in Florida. She wanted to clean up her life and start over, but she didn’t know how to break free from her current situation. She had thought about moving back to Iowa to be near her fam- ily. She hoped that a move would give her the new start she needed. Weigley called the local elder in Florida and asked about the girl. The elder remembered her first name, Sharon, but he couldn’t remember her full name. He knew that she moved north, but he did not know where she had gone. Weigley urged the local elder to pray for this girl. If she was in the Dubuque area, he wanted to invite her to the meetings. On the first day of the meetings, a young woman entered the rented hall, walked up to a greeter, and said, “Hi, I came to see Pastor Weigley.” The greeter took her to the local pastor. “I am Pastor Wagly,” the man said, smiling. The young woman looked at him and said slowly, “No, you’re not the man I’m looking for.” Laughing, the man said, “Oh, you mean the other Pastor Weigley. Our names sound the same, but they are spelled differently. Let me take you to Pastor Dave Weigley.” The pastor escorted the young woman to a back room where Elder Dave Weigley was preparing his message. When the two walked through the door, Pastor Weigley’s mouth dropped open. “Sharon!” he exclaimed, “How did you come to be here?” Sharon laughed. “I moved here shortly after I met you last year. It’s been good for me to start over again. Then yesterday my mom invited me over for watermelon. She covered the table with newspapers to catch the juice, and we sat down to eat and talk. As I was eating, my eye fell on an adver- tisement for some prophecy meetings. Then I saw your name, and I decided right then I had to come.” Sharon attended the meetings faithfully and was baptized. God doesn’t always send a bright light and loud voice to catch some- one’s attention, as He did with Saul. Sometimes He uses simple things— such as a juice-soaked newspaper ad on the kitchen table. DAVE WEIGLEY is president of the Columbia Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and lives in Maryland, USA. Homer Trecartin is planning director for the Office of Adventist Mission at the General Conference.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 45 LESSON 6 *January 31–February 6
Testing the Prophets
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Isa. 8:20; Jer. 18:6–10;
Jonah 3; 4; Matt. 7:20; Gal. 2:11–14.
Memory Text: “Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21, NKJV).
undamental Belief number 18 states, “One of the gifts of the
F Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the
remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen G.
White, the Lord’s messenger. Her writings are a continuing and
authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort,
guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear that the
Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be
tested.”—Seventh-day Adventists Believe . . . (2nd ed.) (Nampa, Idaho:
Pacific Press® Publishing Association, 2005), p. 247. (See Joel 2:28,
29; Acts 2:14–21; Heb. 1:1–3; Rev. 12:17; 19:10).
Although Mrs. White never called herself a prophetess, the church
has recognized her as such. In 1905 she wrote: “Others have called me
a prophetess, but I have never assumed that title. I have not felt that it
was my duty thus to designate myself.”—Selected Messages, book 1,
p. 36. This week we’ll look a little closer at her prophetic gift.
The Week at a Glance: How did God communicate to His prophets? What are the biblical tests of a true prophet? What is conditional prophecy? Are prophets infallible? Why do we believe that Ellen G. White’s visions and prophetic dreams were from God?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 7. 46 S UNDAY February 1
Dreams and Visions
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit
upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see
visions” (Joel 2:28).
How did God communicate with individuals whom He called to prophetic office? Gen. 15:1, Num. 12:6–8, Dan. 7:1. _______________________
___________________________________________________________________
In Scripture we learn that God primarily used dreams and visions to
communicate with His messengers. Prophetic dreams played an
important role in the time of the patriarchs (Genesis 20–41), in the
ministry of Daniel (Daniel 1–7), and in the Nativity narratives (Matt.
1:20; 2:12, 19, 22). Visions frequently are mentioned in the writings
of the prophets (Isa. 1:1, Ezek. 1:1, Dan. 8:1, Obad. 1:1, Nah. 1:1)
and in the book of Acts (9:10, 10:3, 11:5, 16:9, 18:9).
During her 70-year ministry (1844–1915) Ellen White received an
estimated two thousand visions and prophetic dreams. “At times I am
carried far ahead into the future and shown what is to take place. Then
again I am shown things as they have occurred in the past. After I
come out of vision I do not at once remember all that I have seen, and
the matter is not so clear before me until I write, then the scene rises
before me as was presented in vision, and I can write with free-
dom.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 36.
Often her visions were given while she was in the presence of others,
who observed certain physical phenomena—she did not breathe, she had
supernatural strength (no one could move her limbs), and she was uncon-
scious of her surroundings. Adventists and non-Adventists have testified
to the supernatural character of her visions. At the General Conference
session in 1893, J. N. Loughborough said: “I have seen Sister White in
vision about fifty times. . . . She has been examined while in vision by
skillful physicians, and we have testimonials from them which declare
that the phenomena of her visions are beyond their comprehension.”
—General Conference Daily Bulletin, January 29, 1893.
What’s been your experience with Ellen White’s writings? In
what ways have they impacted your spiritual life? Put aside any
preconceived notions that you might have about her published
works, and just read some of them. What can they tell you about
the author?
47
M ONDAY February 2
Agreement With the Bible What is one of the most important tests of a true prophet? Isa. 8:20.
Why should this be so important?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Law (Heb. torah) is the common biblical term for the inspired writ-
ings of Moses (Deut. 4:44, 31:9); the testimony refers to the witness
of the prophets (2 Chron. 23:11, John 3:32). In other words, what a
prophet says must harmonize with what God has revealed already.
Though later prophets may reveal additional insights regarding the
plan of salvation, they will not contradict what God has said before.
God’s unchangeableness (Mal. 3:6) is at stake in His revelations to
humanity.
An example of this test of a true prophet is given in Jeremiah 28.
Jeremiah prophesied that Israel would serve the king of Babylon 70
years (Jer. 25:11). A few years into the 70 years, Hananiah the son of
Azur claimed otherwise: “In the presence of the priests and of all the
people, saying, ‘Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, say-
ing: “I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full
years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house
. . . with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,” says the
Lord’ ” (Jer. 28:1–4, NKJV). Because this was not in harmony with
what God had told Jeremiah previously, God gave another message to
Jeremiah: “Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you
make this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘. . . This
year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the
Lord.’ So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh
month” (Jer. 28:15–17, NKJV).
Every true prophet has made the writings of previous prophets the
benchmark for his or her own ministry. The same is true for Ellen
White. Anyone familiar with her books can testify that she used
Scripture profusely. She immersed herself in the Bible and constantly
referred to the biblical text, and what she wrote is in agreement with
the Bible. Although she was not a theologian and did not write an
exegetical commentary on the Bible, her message is in harmony with
the message of Scripture.
Why must harmony with the Bible be our final test of every-
thing moral, spiritual, and theological? Why must we have a
final authority, especially in spiritual and theological matters?
48 T UESDAY February 3
Fulfilled Prophecy Read Jeremiah 18:6–10. What important principle regarding the ful-
fillment of predictions is found here?
The proof of a true prophet lies, in part, in the fulfillment of his or
her predictions (see 1 Sam. 9:6, Jer. 28:9, Lam. 3:37). At the same
time, though, not all predictions come to pass if the people involved
have a change of heart. It’s what is known as conditional prophecy,
and it’s important for us to understand.
Study Jonah 3 and 4. What must be taken into consideration in applying the test of fulfilled prophecy?
The fulfillment of most prophecies (exceptions are the end-time
prophecies of Daniel and Revelation) is dependent on the actions and
attitudes of the people concerned. Jonah made the clear-cut statement,
given to him from God, that in 40 days Nineveh would be “over-
turned” (Jonah 3:4, NIV). Yet, it never happened. Was Jonah a false
prophet? Of course not. Instead, the prophecy was conditional—its
fulfillment depended upon how the people responded to the message
God had given them.
This principle may explain why a particular prophecy made by Ellen
White did not come to pass. In 1856, Mrs. White declared: “I was
shown the company present at the Conference. Said the angel: ‘Some
food for worms, some subjects of the seven last plagues, some will be
alive and remain upon the earth to be translated at the coming of Jesus.’ ”
—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, pp. 131, 132.
All who were alive way back then are now, of course, dead. How do
we explain this? The answer is conditional prophecy. We must remem-
ber that she was told God’s kingdom could have come in her lifetime.
In 1896 she wrote: “If those who claimed to have a living experience
in the things of God had done their appointed work as the Lord
ordained, the whole world would have been warned ere this, and the
Lord Jesus would have come in power and great glory.”—Review and
Herald, Oct. 6, 1896.
In the last volume of the Testimonies for the Church, published in
1909, she wrote, “If every soldier of Christ had done his duty, if every
watchman on the walls of Zion had given the trumpet a certain sound,
the world might ere this have heard the message of warning. But the
work is years behind. While men have slept, Satan has stolen a march
upon us.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 29. If we apply the
principle of conditionality to her 1856 vision, the problem disappears.
See also Friday’s lesson.
49
W EDNESDAY February 4
Confessing Jesus, the God-man What was one of the issues John faced in his time; and what does he
say is another mark of a true prophet? 1 John 4:1, 2.
One of the problems in John’s day was the question over the human
nature of Christ. Was He really flesh and blood, or did He, as some
taught, only appear to have a body? To understand and confess that
Jesus was truly human became so important to John that he declared
it to be a test of a true prophet.
This test is broader than simply believing that Jesus became a
human being. It includes everything the Bible teaches about Jesus. He
took on humanity for a purpose. He became man in order to live a sin-
less life and then die for sinful humanity. But more than that, He
became man so that after His resurrection and ascension He could
minister for us in the heavenly sanctuary. Our High Priest is one who
is able to understand us and can sympathize with our weaknesses,
because He was tempted in every way human beings are tempted
(Heb. 4:14, 15).
Every true prophet will point people to Jesus, the God-man, who is
the Savior and example of all humanity. Ellen G. White’s life was
devoted to doing just that. She wrote, “Jesus Christ is everything to
us,—the first, the last, the best in everything. Jesus Christ, His Spirit,
His character, colors everything; it is the warp and woof, the very tex-
ture of our entire being. . . . Christ is a living Saviour. Continuing to
look unto Jesus, we reflect His image to all around us.”—Messages to
Young People, p. 161.
Why is it so important that true prophets exalt Jesus Christ? Acts 4:12. _______________________
___________________________________________________________________
The ecumenical spirit and postmodern thinking have permeated
almost all Christian churches today, in the process eroding the unique-
ness of Christianity and especially the importance of Jesus Christ as
Savior of the world. In contrast, Ellen White wrote: “The only hope
for fallen man is to look to Jesus and receive Him as the only
Saviour.”—Testimonies to Ministers, p. 367. “Only Bible truth and
Bible religion will stand the test of the judgment.”—Fundamentals of
Christian Education, p. 127. “Let us lift up Jesus, the Saviour of men.
Talk of his love, tell of his power.”—Signs of the Times, March 18,
1889. See also Friday’s study.
50 T HURSDAY February 5
The Orchard Test What did Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount about how true
prophets can be identified? Matt. 7:20.
The context of this statement is Jesus’ warning to the disciples to
beware of false prophets (Matt. 7:15). Jesus applied the principle—
that a good tree bears good fruit—to the life of the prophets. What
kind of fruit do they bring forth? What influence do their teachings
have on others?
The orchard test takes time. Ellen White lived and worked for 70
years under the critical eyes of millions of people, largely skeptical,
doubtful, suspicious, and in some cases openly hostile. Errors, faults,
and inconsistencies were and still are exposed with great satisfaction by
her opponents. God alone is flawless; His messengers never are.
What do these texts tell us about the character flaws of some people who had the prophetic gift? Gen. 12:12, 13; Jon. 1:1–3; Acts 15:36–39; Gal. 2:11–14. _______________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Being a prophet, of course, does not make a person infallible or sin-
less. Mrs. White made mistakes and had character weaknesses, as did
other people, but the trend of her life was such that at her death a local
non-Adventist newspaper reported, “The life of Mrs. White is an
example worthy of emulation by all. . . . She was a humble, devout dis-
ciple of Christ and ever went about doing good. . . . Her death marks
the calling of another noted leader of religious thought and one whose
almost ninety years were full to overflowing with good deeds, kind
words and earnest prayers for all mankind.”—“Called to Her Reward,”
St. Helena Star (Calif.), July 23, 1915.
Some people have difficulties accepting her prophetic ministry
because they stumble over certain details of her writings but fail to see
the bigger picture: the way God used her to raise up this church, the
many wonderful insights she received from God, and the contributions
she has made to this church.
What are the great advantages of having the prophetic gift mani-
fested among us? What are potential challenges it brings?
51
F RIDAY February 6
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “The Bible Prophets Wrote
for Our Time,” pp. 338, 339, in Selected Messages, book 3; Arthur L.
White, “Make It Known to Others,” pp. 60–72, in The Early Years:
1827–1862.
1 “As the subject was presented before me, the period of Christ’s min- istration seemed almost accomplished. Am I accused of falsehood because time has continued longer than my testimony seemed to indi- cate? How is it with the testimonies of Christ and His disciples? Were they deceived? “Paul writes to the Corinthians: ‘But this I say, brethren, the time is 2 short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not’ (1 Cor. 7:29, 30). “Again, in his epistle to the Romans, he says: ‘The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light’ (Rom. 13:12). . . . “The angels of God in their messages to men represent time as very short. Thus it has always been presented to me. It is true that time has 3 continued longer than we expected in the early days of this message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we hoped. But has the word of the Lord failed? Never! It should be remembered that the promises and threatenings of God are alike conditional.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 67.
Discussion Questions:
●
1 Why have some Seventh-day Adventists lost confidence in
Ellen White’s prophetic ministry? Could part of the problem be
with how her work has been presented? Discuss.
●
2 Take some of your favorite excerpts from her writings and read
them again. What was it about them that you liked so much?
What is the message she is giving in these sections? Bring your
selections to class and share them.
●
3 Some people use the writings of Ellen White as the final
authority on every point. Why is that wrong? What great dangers
does such an attitude present to our church? What are some ways
this wonderful gift has been, and still is, abused in the church?
What have been some of the results?
52
I N S I D E Stor Excited About God by NONHLANHLA KHUMALO I attend an Adventist secondary school in Zimbabwe. I love sharing my faith with others, but it hasn’t always been that way. At first it was hard for me to tell others what God was doing in my life. But as I prayed and stud- ied the Bible, I became more certain of my faith and wanted to share it with others. I started with my twin brother. He’s a Christian, but he didn’t attend a Pathfinder camp I went to near Victoria Falls. At that camp I learned to make prayer and Bible study part of each day. And I heard sto- ries of miracles God was doing in people’s lives. I went home excited about God. I started telling my brother what God meant to me. The more I shared, the more eager I was for him to experience the joy of sharing his faith. When I started studying in this school, I joined the Christian Service Band. We went to a village about an hour away to hold Sabbath services. We rode in an open truck pulled by a tractor to reach the village. The dirt road spit dust onto us, but we didn’t mind. We passed the time singing songs and talking about God. When we arrived, we brushed the dust off our clothes and entered the church. The church members knew we were coming, but other villagers watched curiously as we walked into the church. I was a little nervous my first time there, and I asked God to help me teach the younger children their Bible lesson. We had no felts or no pic- ture rolls, but the children listened carefully as we told them the Bible story. Then I read the story of the boy Samuel from my Bible. Few of the children prayed at home, so we taught them to pray and urged them to pray every day at home. I was surprised at how little these children knew about God and His love for them. After Sabbath School and church, we divided up into teams and visited every home. We talked and prayed with the people and invited them to the evangelistic meetings that would start soon in the village. It was late afternoon when we returned to the school, and I was hungry and dusty. But I was happy that we could make a difference in the lives of these villagers. I want to continue visiting that village and watch people respond to God. In the meantime, I am praying that the people will see the light of God’s love in our lives and in the lives of believers living in the village. I invite you to join us in sharing God’s love with these villagers through your mission offerings and your prayers.
Nonhlanhla Khumalo is a student living in Zimbabwe.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 53 We’re all God’s children.
Some of us just don’t know Him yet.
Your mission offerings help to Tell the World.
www.AdventistMission.org LESSON 7 *February 7–13
The Work of the
Prophets
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 22:1–14, Isaiah 53,
Matt. 3:7–10, 1 Cor. 5:1–5.
Memory Text: “By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved” (Hosea 12:13, NKJV).
s the Bible amply shows, the life of a prophet was never easy.
A Ellen White’s was no exception, and though she didn’t face the
same kind of trials that many of the Bible prophets did (jail,
stoning, etc.), she had plenty of trials just the same. In the early years,
besides struggling with illness and various assaults of Satan, she and
James were very poor and had to depend on others for living quarters
and furniture. Two of their four children died young, and James wore
himself out with traveling, preaching, writing, and guiding the fledg-
ling church until 1881, when he died at the age of 60. For the last 34
years Ellen White continued to labor in an environment that was at
times hardly friendly. This week we’ll look at some of her work and
how it paralleled the biblical prophets.
The Week at a Glance: Does the preaching of the gospel in the New Testament differ from the proclamation of salvation in the Old Testament? Why were the early Seventh-day Adventists, who came out of the Millerite movement, opposed to church organization? What were some ways prophets delivered God’s messages to His people?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 14.
56 S UNDAY February 8
Preaching the Gospel Where do we find the gospel of salvation in the Old Testament? Gen.
22:1–14, Lev. 4:27–31, Isaiah 53.
The plan of salvation was explained to Adam and Eve as soon as
they had sinned; it graphically was illustrated in Abraham’s test on
Mount Moriah and in the sanctuary service instituted by Moses. The
sanctuary rituals were designed for an agricultural people who lived
closely with their animals. The sacrificed animals symbolized Christ’s
death on the cross, and the priest’s services illustrated His ministry in
the heavenly sanctuary.
Does the preaching of the gospel in the New Testament differ from the proclamation of salvation in the Old Testament? John 1:29, Rom. 3:21–26.
While the Old Testament people looked forward by faith to the
Messiah, the New Testament looks back to the accomplished salvation
through Jesus Christ. In both testaments the focus is on what God has
done to remedy humanity’s fall into sin.
It’s the same with the writings of Ellen White, where we find more
than eight thousand references to the gospel and about six thousand
references specifically to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.
The Christ of the Cross and the cross of Christ were the focus of her
message. She admonished Seventh-day Adventists to uplift Jesus
Christ before the world. “Of all professing Christians, Seventh-day
Adventists should be foremost in uplifting Christ before the world.”
—Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p. 156. “Christ as manifested to the
patriarchs, as symbolized in the sacrificial service, as portrayed in the
law, and as revealed by the prophets, is the riches of the Old Testament.
Christ in His life, His death, and His resurrection, Christ as He is man-
ifested by the Holy Spirit, is the treasure of the New Testament.”
—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 126. “The sacrifice of
Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other
truths cluster. . . . This is to be the foundation of every discourse given
by our ministers.”—Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p. 315.
How much time do you spend thinking about Jesus, focusing on
His life and what He’s done for you? How much stronger would
your faith be if you were to dwell more on Christ and His sacri-
fice in your behalf?
57
M ONDAY February 9
Guiding God’s People
Jesus appointed Paul and the Twelve Apostles, some of whom also
had the prophetic gift, to lead and guide the early Christian
church. What are some of the specific areas in which Paul and the
apostles provided counsel and guidance for the church? Acts
6:1–7, 1 Cor. 5:1–5, 7:10–16, Titus 1:5, 1 John 4:1–3.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
The leaders of the early church faced many problems. Questions of
immorality, apostasy, church organization, and a host of other matters
occupied the time and attention of the early church. Prophets and
apostles guided and directed the people of God in accordance with the
Lord’s revealed will.
The early days of our church had numerous struggles, as well.
During the first 20 years of our church, there was no church organi-
zation, so there also was no paid ministry; preachers worked at other
jobs to make a living. Anyone could preach if he felt called, and, as a
result, heresies prospered. Furthermore, church buildings and the
Review and Herald press were in the names of individuals, which cre-
ated the potential for many problems. For years James White urged
organization but with little success.
Then in 1854, Mrs. White published an article concerning church
order. “The Lord has shown that gospel order has been too much
feared and neglected. Formality should be shunned; but, in so doing,
order should not be neglected. There is order in heaven. There was
order in the church when Christ was upon the earth, and after His
departure order was strictly observed among His apostles. . . .
“The danger of those traveling whom God has not called was shown
me. . . . I saw that this door at which the enemy comes in to perplex
and trouble the flock can be shut. I inquired of the angel how it could
be closed. He said, ‘The church must flee to God’s Word and become
established upon gospel order, which has been overlooked and ne-
glected.’ ” —Ellen G. White, Early Writings, pp. 97, 100.
It took another six years until a church name was adopted in
Michigan. In 1861 the Michigan Conference was established, and in
1863 the General Conference was established.
People sometimes talk about not wanting to be part of an orga-
nized church. What are the advantages of being part of an
organized structure? How can you better serve the organized
church and help remedy aspects of it that you believe could use
improvement?
58 T UESDAY February 10
Reproving Sin What were some of the evils the prophets spoke against, and what
parallels can you see to our own days? 1 Kings 18:21, Isa. 1:10–14,
Amos 5:12, Mal. 3:8–10, Matt. 3:7–10.
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Prophets were commissioned by God to resist social injustice, root
out idolatry, protest against immorality, and condemn formalistic wor-
ship and hypocrisy. At times it seemed to them that their voices were
the only dissenting cries (1 Kings 19:14); yet, their protests were
God’s protests and were delivered regardless of the consequences.
How did Ellen White deal with messages of reproof for individuals?
Like the prophets of old, Ellen White had to reprove sins known
only to the individual and God. It was a work she did not enjoy. “I bore
my testimony and related things which had been shown me in the past
history of some present, warning them of their dangers and reproving
their wrong course of action. I stated that I had been placed in most
disagreeable positions. When families and individuals were brought
before me in vision, it was frequently the case that what was shown
me in relation to them was of a private nature, reproving secret sins. I
have labored with some for months in regard to wrongs of which oth-
ers knew nothing. As my brethren see these persons sad, and hear
them express doubts in regard to their acceptance with God, also feel-
ings of despondency, they have cast censure upon me, as though I
were to blame for their being in trial. . . . It has been the disagreeable
work assigned me to reprove private sins. Were I, in order to prevent
suspicions and jealousy, to give a full explanation of my course, and
make public that which should be kept private, I should sin against
God and wrong the individuals. I have to keep private reproofs of pri-
vate wrongs to myself, locked in my own breast. Let others judge as
they may, I will never betray the confidence reposed in me by the
erring and repentant, or reveal to others that which should only be
brought before the ones that are guilty.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies
for the Church, vol. 1, pp. 584, 585.
If the Lord gave Ellen White a message for you, what do you
think it would say, and why? Most important, how would you
respond?
59
W EDNESDAY February 11
Communicating God’s Will What were some of the ways the prophets delivered God’s messages
to His people? Num. 9:1–5; Jer. 37:16, 17; Ezek. 4:1–6; Col. 4:16.
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Prophets were charged by God to deliver to the people the messages
that they received from Him. At times they proclaimed God’s words in
a discourse before a company of people. At other times they delivered
their testimonies in private interviews. Frequently, prophets were told to
write out the messages received so that not only the people living at that
time but also all future generations would hear what God had to say.
When Ellen Harmon (Ellen G. White’s maiden name) received her
second vision in December 1844, she was told that she must go and
relate to others what had been revealed to her. For several days, she
prayed that this burden might be taken from her, but the words of the
angel sounded continually in her ears, “ ‘Make known to others what
I have revealed to you.’ ”—Ellen G. White, Life Sketches of Ellen G.
White, p. 69.
During 1845, therefore, Ellen Harmon, accompanied by her sister
Sarah or other friends, visited former Millerites in Maine, New Hamp-
shire, and Massachusetts, who had experienced the Great Disappoint-
ment on October 22, 1844, and shared her early visions with them.
James White, a former Millerite preacher, became convinced that her
visions were genuine and began to travel with her and her compan-
ions, and in 1846 James and Ellen were married.
Early in her ministry, Ellen White also was told to write out the
things revealed to her. Messages to individuals frequently were com-
municated to their recipients through letters (often called testimonies).
Thousands of such communications were mailed from her home over
the years. Of these she wrote, “In these letters which I write, in the tes-
timonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has pre-
sented to me.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5,
p. 67. When Ellen White died, she left behind about one hundred thou-
sand pages of published and unpublished material.
What do the writings of Ellen G. White mean to you personally?
Discuss your answer in class.
60 T HURSDAY February 12
Predicting the Future What were some of the Bible prophecies that have been fulfilled?
Isa. 44:28, Jer. 25:11, Dan. 9:24–27.
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About one hundred fifty years prior to the time of Cyrus, Isaiah
prophesied that a king by the name of Cyrus would bring back the
Jews from Babylon and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The fulfill-
ment of this prophecy is found in Ezra 1:1–4.
Jeremiah predicted the length of the Babylonian captivity, and
Daniel predicted the time of the appearance of the Messiah almost six
hundred years before Jesus was born. Both prophecies provide evi-
dence for the inspiration of the Scriptures.
And with Ellen White, too, we can find many of her predictions ful-
filled. For instance, on January 12, 1861, three months before the out-
break of the American Civil War, Mrs. White received a vision in the
Parkville, Michigan, church in which she was shown battlefields cov-
ered with the dead and dying. As she related what she had seen, she
told her listeners, “There are men in this house who will lose sons in
that war.”—Pacific Union Recorder, March 7, 1912 (Arthur L. White,
Ellen G. White: The Early Years, vol. 1, p. 463). No less than five fam-
ilies in the room that day lost sons in the Civil War.
In 1885, Ellen White predicted: “When Protestantism shall stretch
her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when
she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism . . . then
we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of
Satan and that the end is near.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the
Church, vol. 5, p. 451.
At the time she wrote those words, Protestants and Catholics were
all but at war with each other. In 1885 the ecumenical movement was
still a long way in the future, but times have changed greatly. Just one
example: On March 29, 1994, 39 leading evangelical Protestants and
Roman Catholics signed a document entitled “Evangelicals and
Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium”—a
stunning fulfillment of prophetic trends.
61
F RIDAY February 13
Further Study: Read Arthur L. White, “The Messenger of the Lord
at Work,” pp. 73–89, in The Early Years: 1827–1862; Ellen G. White,
“God’s Law Immutable,” pp. 433-450, in The Great Controversy.
“When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such
points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the
state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then
Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierar-
chy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably 1 result.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 445.
For more than one hundred fifty years, Adventists have been warn-
ing the world about the coming reconciliation between Catholics and
Protestants—even when all political and religious indications made
such a reconciliation seem impossible. Today, of course, the impossi-
ble has become all but inevitable, as time and again Catholics and var- 2 ious Protestants are coming together on a whole host of issues. Most
interesting, and again in line with what Ellen White wrote more than
a century ago, the Protestants are the ones who are making the most
incredible compromises, all in order to bring about this unity with
Rome. Though there’s still much to unfold, these events are leading to
an amazing fulfillment of prophecy and are another powerful vindica-
tion of Ellen White’s prophetic gift.
3 Discussion Questions: ●1 To whatever degree possible, do a little research about the reli- gious climate in America in the 1800s, particularly regarding Catholic-Protestant relations. Bring what you learn to class on Sabbath, and then discuss the predictions she made during that time regarding Protestants and Rome.
●
2 Talk about the hostility that some people have toward orga-
nized religion. What are their complaints? Are those complaints
often valid? If so, what can we do, as an organized church, to
solve as much as possible some of those things that cause this hos-
tility?
●
3 What are ways that Ellen G. White’s writings can be abused?
What kind of principles can we follow in order to protect our-
selves from misusing this wonderful gift?
62
I N S I D E Stor Wendy’s Prayers Wendy lives in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. As the eldest child in her family, it was her job to care for her younger sisters. Even before she started school, she carried the youngest child on her back. Wendy often heard the children next door singing songs about Jesus. One day she asked the children to teach her the songs. Her neighbors did, and they invited her to go to Sabbath School with them. Wendy wasn’t sure whether her mother would let her go to Sabbath School, so on Sabbath morning she hid until her neighbors walked by her house. Then she followed them to church. Wendy’s mother learned that Wendy was going to church and gave her permission to go—as long as she took her sisters with her. So every Sabbath morning Wendy washed and dressed her little sisters and took them to church. They had to climb a steep hill, and Wendy could not carry her baby sister all the way. So her other sisters helped her. Wendy loved church and often invited her mother to come with her. Sometimes her mother came, but just to visit. When Wendy was eight, a huge argument broke out at home. Her father had taken a second wife, which angered her mother so much that she and her children returned to her home village. Wendy missed her father, but she was delighted to find an Adventist church near their new home. Every Sabbath morning Wendy hustled her little sisters to church. Wendy’s aunt lived in the village. She was also an Adventist, and she often invited Mother to attend church. When Mother decided to give her heart to God, Wendy was thrilled. Wendy’s aunt was moving to an isolated village high in the mountains and wanted Wendy to go with her. Wendy loved living with her aunt. She loved family worship when the family prayed for her family. Wendy’s prayer was always that her mother would stay faithful to Jesus and her father would give his heart to God. When Wendy returned home, she was thrilled to learn that her father was attending church with Mother! He was even bringing his other wife and their children! It was quite a sight: one man, two wives, and 11 chil- dren sitting together in church. In time Father’s second wife gave her heart to Jesus and became an Adventist, but Father could not join the church because he had two wives. Still he faithfully attended church. Then one day Father said that he had sent his second wife home to her village and had asked the pastor to baptize him. “God has answered so many of my prayers,” Wendy says. “He helped me find Jesus, then led my whole family to God.” Your mission offerings help reach people at home and in the uttermost parts of the earth for the Savior. Thank you for having a part in telling the world about God’s love. WENDY lives in Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 63 LESSON 8 *February 14–20
The Authority of the
Prophets
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Exod. 4:10–16, 1 Sam.
12:1–14, 2 Kings 22:10–13, Jer. 36:22–31, Mark 1:21–27, Acts
16:25–34.
Memory Text: “Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21, NKJV).
ll through the Bible, a theme recurs: God talks to people through
A His prophets, and the people either accept or reject what’s being
said. Of course, by rejecting the words of the prophets, they’re
not rejecting the prophets, they’re rejecting the One who sent them.
It’s a very serious thing, then, to claim to speak in the name of God.
If you claim to speak for Him, and are, then you are a mouthpiece for
the Creator of the universe, no small responsibility. People have been
delegated authority to speak for the boss of the company, or the pres-
ident, or prime minister—but to speak for the Lord? That’s heavy.
Unfortunately, much of biblical history is a story of God speaking
through His prophets and of people rejecting what was said. How
careful we need to be so as not to make the same mistake today.
The Week at a Glance: Why was Moses so reluctant to become God’s prophet? What authority did the prophets have in Israel, even those who never wrote a book of the Bible? Is there a difference between the authority of the canonical and extracanon- ical prophet?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 21.
64 S UNDAY February 15
The Prophet as God’s Mouthpiece Read Exodus 4:10–16, the dialogue between God and Moses. What
happened here, and what can we learn from this exchange about
how prophets are called and how they operate?
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According to the arrangement God put in place, Moses was literally
“to become God” to Aaron (see Exod. 4:16), and Aaron was to
become Moses’ mouthpiece or “prophet” (Exod. 7:1). This defines
accurately the intimate relationship between God and all His prophets;
they were His mouthpieces, His spokespersons. Furthermore, as in the
case of Moses and Aaron—God “taught” all His prophets what they
were to do in regard to being a mouthpiece. Moses was, however,
somewhat of a reluctant prophet.
According to her own testimony, Ellen White was reluctant when
first called by the Lord, as well. “In my second vision, about a week
after the first, the Lord gave me a view of the trials through which I
must pass, and told me that I must go and relate to others what He had
revealed to me. It was shown me that my labors would meet with great
opposition, and that my heart would be rent with anguish; but that the
grace of God would be sufficient to sustain me through all. After I
came out of this vision I was exceedingly troubled, for it pointed out
my duty to go out among the people and present the truth. My health
was so poor that I was in constant bodily suffering, and to all appear-
ance had but a short time to live. I was only seventeen years of age,
small and frail, unused to society, and naturally so timid and retiring
that it was painful for me to meet strangers.
“For several days, and far into the night, I prayed that this burden
might be removed from me, and laid upon some one more capable of
bearing it. But the light of duty did not change, and the words of the
angel sounded continually in my ears, ‘Make known to others what I
have revealed to you.’ ”—Ellen G. White, Life Sketches of Ellen
G. White, p. 69.
In what way are we called, regardless of our position in the
church, to “make known to others what I have revealed to you”?
What has God revealed to you? How can you better share that
with others?
65
M ONDAY February 16
The Authority of the Incarnate Word
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18).
In Matthew 21:23, while Jesus was teaching, the chief priests and
the elders asked Him, “ ‘By what authority are You doing these things?
And who gave You this authority?’ ” (NKJV). Jesus responded to the
question in good rabbinic fashion, and that was with a counter ques-
tion: “ ‘The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or
from men?’ ” (vs. 25, NKJV; see vss. 24–27). In rabbinic debates the
counter question was meant to point the way to the answer of the orig-
inal question. When they refused to answer, He refused to give a clear
answer in return, because if they refused to acknowledge God’s power
in John’s ministry, there was little point in discussing His own—which
was also from God.
What do the following texts tell us about Jesus’ authority? Matt. 7:28, 29; Mark 1:21–27; Luke 8:22–25; 9:1; John 5:25–27.
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Ultimate authority belongs to Christ as our Creator (John 1:3) and
Redeemer (Rom. 3:24). He is at once the final court of appeal and the
absolute norm by which each life is to be judged. Divine authority
finds its focus and finality in Him. The Gospels, therefore, declare
that His teaching caused astonishment because He taught as One hav-
ing authority (Matt. 7:29).
Throughout the Gospels we find Christ’s more-than-human author-
ity. He forgave sins (Mark 2:10), drove out devils (Mark 3:15), and
claimed the right to judge men’s hearts (John 2:24, 25) and give eter-
nal life (John 10:28). Yet, the authority that Christ exercised within
His earthly commission was granted to Him by the Father (John 17:2).
Whatever He did, including all the miracles He performed, always was
done in dependence on and in cooperation with His Father (John
5:19). At the same time, He had absolute authority (Matt. 28:18).
Therefore, He could delegate authority to His disciples (Mark 6:7)
and will in the end judge all people (John 5:27).
We live in a day and age when it’s fashionable to question author-
ity. How are we to relate to authority? What factors should deter-
mine our answer?
66 T UESDAY February 17
The Authority of the Written Word Compare these two responses to God’s Written Word: 2 Kings
22:10–13; Jeremiah 36:22–31. Though we might not act quite as
dramatically as the folk did here, how do these incidents represent
the basic responses to God’s Written Word?
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One can reject God’s Word today without openly burning it, as did
this king. Instead, it can be ridiculed, ignored, denounced as out-of-
date, or interpreted in such a way that it is deprived of any historical
value or authority.
Yet, no one can disregard the authority of Scripture with impunity.
Sooner or later, he or she will suffer the consequences of that rejec-
tion. In the Written Word, the character and will of God, the meaning
of human existence, and the purposes of God for humanity in all ages
are stated in propositional form that all can understand. To reject it
may not have immediate consequences, but it will certainly result in
eternal loss.
“He [Christ] pointed to the Scriptures as of unquestionable authority,
and we should do the same. The Bible is to be presented as the word of
the infinite God, as the end of all controversy and the foundation of all
faith.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 39, 40.
All through her life Mrs. White exalted the Word of God. In regard to
the controversy between science and Scripture she wrote: “There should
be a settled belief in the divine authority of God’s Holy Word. The Bible
is not to be tested by men’s ideas of science. Human knowledge is an
unreliable guide.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 114.
In 1909 she attended her last General Conference session. At the
close of her last sermon she picked up the Bible, opened it, and held
it out on extended hands.
“ ‘Brethren and Sisters,’ ” she said, “ ‘I commend unto you this
Book.’ ”—Arthur L. White, Ellen G. White: The Later Elmshaven
Years, p. 197.
Examine your own attitude toward the Scriptures. Ask yourself
the following questions: How much time do I spend in them?
How seriously do I try to follow the teachings? When I read, am
I trying to find fault with it? What’s my attitude toward pas-
sages that I find disturbing or that express ideas that I don’t
like? What can I learn from my answers?
67
W EDNESDAY February 18
The Authority of the Spoken Word
In ancient times, when writing material was scarce and most peo-
ple could not read, the spoken word was very important. What
effect did the spoken Word of God have on people in the following
passages? Jer. 38:1–4, John 3:1–10, 6:51–66, Acts 16:25–34.
The Word of God, whether spoken or written, has a double function.
It is like a two-edged sword, says Paul, “piercing even to the division
of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12, NKJV). In the context
of what Paul is saying, the word refers to the messages that were
preached both to ancient Israel and to Christians (Heb. 4:2).
Like a surgeon’s scalpel, the spoken Word of God can penetrate to
heal and restore, or it can furnish the evidence of a deadly disease that
will result in eternal condemnation. Unless the word preached meets
with faith on the part of the hearers, it cannot benefit them.
While not everyone in the church was willing to accept Ellen G.
White’s prophetic authority, the church by and large listened to her
counsel and benefited by it. The following story reveals the good
things the church experienced by following Ellen G. White’s advice.
For example, church organization between 1863 (when the General
Conference was organized) and 1901 remained basically unchanged.
As work in different lines developed, various associations (Medical
Missionary, Sabbath School, Religious Liberty, Tract Society, etc.)
were formed to foster these ministries. Because these associations
were all autonomous organizations represented by independent cor-
porations but not integral parts of the General Conference organiza-
tion, they were sometimes in competition with one another. On the
other hand, all major decisions in regard to the worldwide work were
made by a few people at the General Conference in Battle Creek.
The day before the General Conference session in 1901, Ellen
G. White met with the church leaders and urged them to make drastic
changes in the running of the church. Accordingly, when the confer-
ence opened, the usual order of business was set aside, and a large
committee (about 75 people) was appointed to work on the reorgani-
zation of the church structure. The result was that the General
Conference committee was enlarged considerably, the various associa-
tions became departments of the General Conference, and union con-
ferences were organized to enable leaders in the field to make deci-
sions on the spot without having to wait for answers from Battle Creek.
The reorganization of the church structure, directed by divine coun-
sel, was accepted unanimously and has stood the test of time. With
some modifications and enlargements, it is still the structure of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church today. 68
T HURSDAY February 19
The Authority of Noncanonical
Prophets
Apart from the canonical prophets, such as Isaiah and Amos, we
find in Scripture a number of prophets whose books did not become
part of the canon. What do the following texts tell us about these
prophets and their writings? 1 Chron. 29:29, 2 Chron. 9:29, 12:15.
Among its sources, the books of Chronicles refer to different
prophetic books written by extracanonical prophets: Gad, Nathan,
Ahijah, Shemaiah, and Iddo.
What authority did extracanonical prophets have? 2 Sam. 12:1–4, 1 Kings 11:29–39, 14:2–18, Luke 7:28.
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In David’s time, Scripture was the books of Moses, but not for one
moment did David question the authority of Nathan. He knew that
Nathan was a prophet and that his word was authoritative, even though
Nathan had no books that ever made it into the Bible.
Let us suppose that archaeologists found a book written by Nathan
today. Would it be added to the Bible? No; it would remain an inspired
book outside of the canon. And if a theological statement were found
in the book, it would remain an inspired and authoritative statement
outside of the canon.
The canon is simply the collection of books that under God’s guid-
ance was put together as the rule of life and faith for God’s people and
by which everything else has to be measured. It contains everything a
person needs to know to be saved. However, not everything the
prophets wrote under inspiration is in the Bible. We know, for exam-
ple, that Paul wrote more inspired letters than we have in the New
Testament today (1 Cor. 5:9, Col 4:16). Now, if we found one of these
letters today, it would not become part of the Bible. It would remain
an authoritative, inspired letter, outside of the canon.
Ellen White’s authority can be compared to the authority of the
extracanonical prophets. The inspired messages she received for the
church are not an addition to the canon. Her writings are not another
Bible, nor do they carry the kind of authority found in the Bible. In the
end, the Bible and the Bible alone is our ultimate authority.
Why must even Ellen White’s writings be tested by the Bible?
Why must she not be the final authority on doctrinal matters?
69
F RIDAY February 20
Further Study:
In 1982, an ad hoc committee of the General Conference prepared a
statement on the relationship between the Bible and Ellen G. White. It
reads in part, “Affirmations: (1) We believe that Scripture is the divinely
revealed Word of God and is inspired by the Holy Spirit. (2) We believe
that the canon of Scripture is composed only of the 66 books of the Old
and New Testaments. (3) We believe that Scripture is the foundation of
faith and the final authority in all matters of doctrine and practice. (4) We
believe that Scripture is the Word of God in human language. (5) We
believe that Scripture teaches that the gift of prophecy will be manifest 1 in the Christian church after New Testament times. (6) We believe that
the ministry and writings of Ellen White were a manifestation of the gift
of prophecy. (7) We believe that Ellen White was inspired by the Holy
Spirit and that her writings, the product of that inspiration, are applicable
and authoritative especially to Seventh-day Adventists. (8) We believe
that the purposes of the Ellen White writings include guidance in under- 2 standing the teaching of Scripture and application of these teachings,
with prophetic urgency, to the spiritual and moral life. (9) We believe that
the acceptance of the prophetic gift of Ellen White is important to the
nurture and unity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. (10) We believe
that Ellen White’s use of literary sources and assistants finds parallels in
some of the writings of the Bible. Denials: (1) We do not believe that the
quality or degree of inspiration in the writings of Ellen White is different
from that of Scripture. (2) We do not believe that the writings of Ellen 3 White are an addition to the canon of Sacred Scripture. (3) We do not
believe that the writings of Ellen White function as the foundation and
final authority of Christian faith as does Scripture. (4) We do not believe
that the writings of Ellen White may be used as the basis of doctrine. (5)
We do not believe that the study of the writings of Ellen White may be
used to replace the study of Scripture. (6) We do not believe that Scripture
can be understood only through the writings of Ellen White. (7) We do not
believe that the writings of Ellen White exhaust the meaning of Scripture.
(8) We do not believe that the writings of Ellen White are essential for the
proclamation of the truths of Scripture to society at large. (9) We do not
believe that the writings of Ellen White are the product of mere Christian
piety. (10) We do not believe that Ellen White’s use of literary sources and
assistants negates the inspiration of her writings.”—“The Inspiration and
Authority of Ellen G. White Writings” in Ministry, August 1982, p. 21.
The conclusion then was drawn that a correct understanding of the
inspiration and authority of the writings of Ellen White will avoid two
extremes: (1) regarding these writings as functioning on a canonical
level identical with Scripture; (2) considering them as ordinary
Christian literature.
Discussion Question:
Go through the lists above. How does this help clarify some issues
regarding Ellen G. White? What questions does it raise?
70
I N S I D E Stor Man With the Black Book by SATURNINO SABALLA JR. I am a SULAD, a student missionary, teaching in a newly opened vil- lage in Mindanao, Philippines. These villagers found God through a dream. One night the datu (chief) dreamed that a Man dressed in white and car- rying a big black book came to him. “Whoever obeys the commands writ- ten in this book will be my people,” the Man said. Then he explained the importance of the Sabbath. The datu called the villagers together and shared his dream. The people agreed that they would worship the creator God on His sacred day. On Saturday they gathered to worship in the only way they knew—chewing betel nut and talking to an unseen spirit. Then a villager met an Adventist tailor while visiting town. The villager told the tailor about their new religion, which required them to worship on Saturday and related the chief’s dream about the Man with a black book. “I also am a Sabbath keeper!” the tailor said. “May I visit your village and worship with you?” The villager eagerly agreed. The tailor and a lay worker set out on Friday for the six-hour hike to the village. They carried a large Bible. When they reached the village, they met the datu, who stared at the Bible. “This is the book I saw in my dream!” he said. “You must be Sabbath keepers too!” The next morning the villagers gathered for worship followed by a feast of roasted pig and vegetables. Then the datu invited the visitors to speak at the afternoon meeting. The lay worker read the Sabbath commandment from the Bible and explained how God wanted them to worship. The chief and villagers cheered in agreement. Then the lay worker explained God’s other laws, laws of good health. He explained that the pig is a scavenger and is not fit for food, and that betel nut is a drug that God does not want His followers to use. The datu again responded. “My dear people,” he said. “This black book tells us many important things. We shall eat pig flesh no more. We shall use betel nut no more.” The datu turned to the two men and invited them to teach them more. “We will gladly obey,” he said. In time every villager was baptized. Today SULAD missionaries are teaching the villagers to read the black book for themselves. Our mission offerings help plant new churches in remote areas of God’s vineyard. Thank you for sharing in this work.
SATURNINO SABALLA JR. is teaching in Bantolinao Mission School in Mindanao, Philippines.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 71 LESSON 9 *February 21–27
The Integrity of the
Prophetic Gift
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Sam. 7:1–7, 1 Kings
22:10–18, Jer. 43:2–4, Dan. 8:27.
Memory Text: “As the Lord lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak” (2 Chronicles 18:13, NKJV).
f you ever read modern criticism of the Bible, one thing you’ll
I notice: The same kind of attacks leveled against the Bible are sim-
ilar to the attacks leveled against Ellen White. And one attack
against Ellen White is that because she used other sources, she is not
reliable or honest.
Yet, Ellen White has explained in print how she used the writings of
others, and why. She even recommended that people read certain
books she used in writing her own works. That hardly sounds as if she
were trying to hide her use of other sources.
This week we’ll explore a little more about how inspiration works,
both with Bible writers and with Ellen White.
The Week at a Glance: What do we know about the integrity of biblical prophets? If Scripture and the writings of Ellen G. White are both inspired by the same Spirit, what is the relationship between them? What is the danger in seeing prophets as infallible? Can prophets give wrong advice?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 28.
72 S UNDAY February 22
The Integrity of the Prophet
The year was 853 B.C. King Ahab of Israel invited King Jehoshaphat
of Judah to go with him into battle against the Arameans, and Jehosha-
phat agreed. However, he requested that before they go into battle they
ask for a word from the Lord. When Jehoshaphat refused to accept the
word of the four hundred prophets of Ahab, Micaiah, a prophet of the
Lord, was called.
Read 1 Kings 22:10–18. How did Ahab’s officer attempt to influence Micaiah, and what did the prophet do, regardless of the circum- stances?
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Micaiah’s message was unpopular with the king, and he was sent to
prison for it (1 Kings 22:27). King Ahab, in spite of the prophet’s
warning, went into battle and was killed; and King Jehoshaphat, who
in a weak moment had agreed to support King Ahab, barely escaped
with his life.
Though prophets, like all humans, have their moments of weakness,
in this case Micaiah was determined to tell the truth, no matter how
unpopular it was with those in authority. Throughout history, God’s
prophets have endured hardship because they refused to change their
testimony to suit their contemporaries.
During Ellen White’s lifetime, critics questioned her integrity and
have continued to do so ever since her death. She has been accused of
deception, falsehood, and lies. One major reason for these accusations
has been personal presuppositions about how a prophet should func-
tion. For example, some critics believe that “prophets ‘should have
full knowledge’ from the start of their ministry; their predictions
should be unalterable, their writings exempt from all errors, discrep-
ancies, and mistakes, and never include uninspired sources. For them,
prophets never express merely personal opinions in their writings.”
—Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord (Nampa, Idaho:
Pacific Press® Publishing Association, 1998), p. 468. As we have
seen in our study of biblical prophets, these presuppositions assume
a verbal-inspiration concept that Seventh-day Adventists do not hold.
If we don’t hold it for the Bible itself, why should we for Ellen White?
Have you ever had to deliver an unpopular message? What kind
of pressures did you face? In what ways did you try to make
excuses to yourself that could have allowed you not to deliver the
message? What have you learned from that experience?
73
M ONDAY February 23
The Integrity of the Message
A few months after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., Gedaliah, the
governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar, was assassinated. The lead-
ers and the people left in the land were afraid of Babylonian reprisals
and decided to seek safety in Egypt; but they wanted to make sure that
God was on their side. So, they asked Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord
concerning their plan.
What was Jeremiah’s message, and how did the people respond to it? Of what did they accuse Jeremiah, and who was said to have orig- inated the counsel that Jeremiah declared to be from the Lord? Jer. 43:2–4.
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Because some did not like the clear instructions God gave, they
claimed Jeremiah’s message actually had originated with his literary
assistant Baruch and not with the Lord.
How interesting that thousands of years later, Mrs. White (like
Jeremiah) has at times been the focus of claims that her literary assis-
tants wrote her books or that she plagiarized most of what she wrote.
Yet, in the preface to The Great Controversy she stated that she had
used other books: “In some cases where a historian has so grouped
together events as to afford, in brief, a comprehensive view of the
subject, or has summarized details in a convenient manner, his words
have been quoted. . . . In narrating the experience and views of those
carrying forward the work of reform in our own time, similar use has
been made of their published works.”—Page 14.
Does this justify the charge of plagiarism? In 1981 the General
Conference asked a non-Adventist copyright lawyer to study the mat-
ter. After spending more than three hundred hours researching, he
concluded that “Ellen White was not a plagiarist, and her works did
not constitute copyright infringement/piracy.”—Adventist Review,
September 17, 1981. Among the reasons given were first, the fact that
the books Ellen White used were not covered by copyright; and sec-
ond, even if they had been covered by copyright, her use of phrases
and sentences did not constitute an infringement of copyright.
Why was there always hostility among God’s professed people
to the messages of the prophets? Look in your own heart; can
you find, at least somewhat, part of the answer there? Explain.
74 T UESDAY February 24
“Thus Says the Lord” What did the prophets often designate as the source of their mes-
sages? Jer. 1:4, Ezek. 7:1, Hos. 1:1. Why is this so important to
what they have to say?
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The prophets repeatedly pointed out that their messages came from
God. Their position can be compared to that of earthly ambassadors
who are sent out by an earthly ruler and who are commissioned to rep-
resent their sovereign. In that capacity they must adhere closely to the
instructions they have received. The expression “the Word of the Lord
came unto . . .” means that (a) their messages carry divine authority,
(b) they received them by direct communication from the Lord, and
(c) these messages are in their minds, ready to be presented.
The expression “thus says the Lord” appears more than four hun-
dred times in the Old Testament—a powerful testimony to the fact that
in Scripture, God is speaking directly to the reader. The prophet’s
responsibility was to bring these messages before the people and
apply them to the audience’s situation.
Ellen White strongly emphasized the inspiration of the Scriptures.
“I take the Bible just as it is, as the Inspired Word,” she said.
—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 17. At the same time, she also
claimed divine inspiration for her writings: “In these letters which I
write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the
Lord has presented to me. . . . It is true concerning the articles in our
papers and in the many volumes of my books.”—Page 29.
Ellen White called her writings the lesser light leading men and
women to the greater light—the Bible. (See Colporteur Ministry,
p. 125.) While both are light, their functions are different: (1) The
Bible is God’s message for all time and for all people. The writings of
Ellen G. White are God’s message for a particular time, the end time,
and for a particular people, the remnant church. (2) Her writings are
not a new or additional standard of doctrine but a help for the church
in the time of the end. Her writings focus the reader’s attention on
Scripture. They do not replace Scripture.
How can we avoid the trap of putting Ellen White’s writings on
par with the Bible? Why is that so easy to do and such a big mis-
take?
75
W EDNESDAY February 25
Growth in Understanding
Prophets did not receive all of God’s light at one time. As they faith-
fully ministered as the Lord’s servants, they received more light and
grew in their understanding.
What do the following texts tell us about the spiritual-growth experi- ence of biblical prophets? Dan. 8:27, 9:2, Gal. 2:11–16, 1 Pet. 1:10.
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The possession of the prophetic gift in biblical times did not imply
immediate, full, and complete knowledge of spiritual and other mat-
ters. Prophets received increased light as history unfolded and as they
were able to understand it. They also had to study Scripture, as the
case of Daniel illustrates (Dan. 9:2). In Daniel 8:27 the prophet said,
“I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it” (RSV). About
ten years later the angel Gabriel came and explained to him the full
import of the vision (Dan. 9:20–23).
The prophets knew only that which God had revealed to them, and
only this were they permitted to set forth as a “Thus saith the Lord.”
Since the messages to one prophet often complemented those given to
others, it became necessary to study and compare the various revela-
tions in order to get a balanced and comprehensive view of the mes-
sages from Heaven.
It was the same with Ellen White: “For sixty years I have been in
communication with heavenly messengers, and I have been constantly
learning in reference to divine things, and in reference to the way in
which God is constantly working to bring souls from the error of their
ways to the light in God’s light.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages,
book 3, p. 71.
Hence, when we compare earlier writings of Ellen G. White with her
later works, we sometimes find that her later writings modify or expand
her earlier writings, reflecting a deeper insight into God’s messages.
She was not a systematic theologian but more of an evangelist and
communicator of what God showed her. Her understanding of theol-
ogy, though founded on Scripture and informed by her visions, grew
through the years as she continued to study Scripture and the writings
of others and was open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We must be careful not to place the attributes of God, such as
omniscience (knowing all things), on His messengers. What is
the danger in seeing prophets as infallible and having full
knowledge in all areas of life? 76
T HURSDAY February 26
When Prophets Get It Wrong Read 2 Samuel 7:1–7. What was wrong with Nathan’s advice to
David, and why would God not allow David to build Him a tem-
ple? 1 Chron. 22:8.
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The prophet Nathan was a wise, thoughtful, and God-fearing man,
but not everything a prophet says or does is done under inspiration. In
giving his approval to David’s plan, Nathan had spoken as a friend of
the king and not in his capacity as a prophet. A permanent dwelling
for the God of Israel was probably something that most pious people
desired. In a night vision (2 Sam. 7:4–17), however, God told Nathan
that what he had told David was wrong and that he had to go and tell
David.
Ellen White was not infallible, and she never claimed infallibility.
She grew, changed her mind on issues, and was constantly open for
more light.
In one instance, when the publishing house in the South was doing
poorly, she supported making it merely a depository for the Review
and Herald. “Go ahead,” she said, “God’s cause must not be left to
reproach, no matter who is made sore by arranging matters on a right
basis. Edson should give himself to the ministry and to writing. . . .
Finance is not his forte at all.”—Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, p. 270.
But within 24 hours Ellen G. White received a vision that caused her
to reverse herself. “Let the Southern field have its own home-published
books,” she told the General Conference.—Arthur L. White, Ellen
G. White: The Early Elmshaven Years, p. 193.
We must remember that prophets are not always on duty—that is,
they are not speaking constantly for God. “There are times when com-
mon things must be stated, common thoughts must occupy the mind,
common letters must be written and information given that has passed
from one to another of the workers. Such words, such information, are
not given under the special inspiration of the Spirit of God.”—Ellen
G. White, Selected Messages, book 3, p. 58.
But as history has shown, if erroneous counsel has been given by a
prophet, God will intervene to correct the mistake.
Some people love to focus on every perceived error in either the
Bible or in the lesser light, which is the writings of Ellen G. White.
What’s so dangerous and unhealthy about that kind of attitude?
How can you protect yourself from falling into that trap?
77
F RIDAY February 27
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “The Question of Influence,”
pp. 62–67, in Selected Messages, book 3.
“Ellen White made claims about her ministry that leave no room for
compromise or ambivalence about those claims. She claimed to have
seen things that could have come only from supernatural inspiration.
Either her claims are true or she was a lunatic and/or a powerful liar who
promulgated her insane ravings or amazing deceptions from the middle
of the nineteenth into the second decade of the twentieth century.
“What rational options are there for someone who claimed to have 1 seen, in vision, what she claimed to have seen? She claimed to have
seen Jesus bring the redeemed into the Holy City. She claimed to have
seen people living on other planets and angels protecting God’s peo-
ple. She claimed to have seen, in vision, Jesus in the heavenly sanctu-
ary or what Satan looked like in heaven before he sinned. She claimed
to have seen angels visiting Adam and Eve in Eden. She said that she 2 saw the look on Adam’s face when he realized that Eve had sinned.
She claimed to have seen Jesus, in vision, and what His face was like
after the wilderness fast. She claimed to have seen the Resurrection of
Jesus from the tomb, as well as an angel release Paul and Silas from
prison. She claimed to have seen Satan lead lost multitudes into the
final rebellion against God after the second resurrection. She claimed
to have seen, in vision, life in the new earth, and on and on. . . .
“What does one do with these claims? Those who place her ministry 3 on the level, for instance, of Martin Luther, are living in a logical fan-
tasy world. Either we take her for what she has claimed for herself
(which, of course, leaves open a whole group of questions that we, as
a church, haven’t always answered in the most fortuitous manner), or
we have to reject her as [a] liar, a lunatic, or someone inspired by the
devil. These are the only logical options.”—Clifford Goldstein,
Graffiti in the Holy of Holies (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press®
Publishing Association, 2003), pp. 172, 173.
Discussion Questions:
●1 Read over the argument above. The point is simple: Ellen
White, by her claims, doesn’t leave us many logical options
regarding her ministry. From what we know of her life, her
teachings, and the legacy of writings that she has left, what’s
really the best and most logical explanation for her life and min-
istry? Defend your answer.
●
2 As with the Bible, some questions remain regarding Ellen
White’s ministry. The issue is do we focus on these few questions
and miss the big picture of her work, or do we focus on the big
picture, knowing that as with anything, some questions will
remain?
78
I N S I D E Stor Redeemed, Healed, and Joyful by SUNG JA KOH I live in Korea. I grew up believing in God, but Jesus wasn’t my Savior. I married a Christian man, but I didn’t know how to have a close relationship with Christ. I prayed that God would show Himself to me and show me that He is in control of my life. My husband and I visited different churches, hoping to find a relationship with God. We prayed for hours, hoping that this would draw us closer to God. But we found no spiritual breakthrough. We stopped attending this church, but we didn’t stop searching. Then my husband met a pastor who offered to study the Bible with us. At last we experienced God’s love. We moved back to my husband’s hometown, where we lived with my in- laws. They still worshiped their ancestors, and the situation caused me great stress. I became sick. In spite of the doctors’ advice, I grew worse. My hus- band urged me to have faith, and I begged God to heal me. Then I learned about a health recovery program called NEWSTART that was being held in a nearby church. I went, hoping something there would help me. The program nourished my body and my soul. A change to a more natural diet eased my symptoms. The daily devotionals at the program fed my soul, and I asked the leader for Bible studies. I found answers to Bible questions that had troubled me for years, and I became convinced of the truth. My husband wanted me to wait to visit the Adventist church until he could go, but his busy schedule left no time for Bible studies, so I went alone. I knew I had found what I was searching for and was baptized. I shared cassettes, books, and pamphlets with my husband, and eventually he agreed to go to church with me. In spite of Satan’s attempts to divert his attention from the truth, my husband also joined the church. I prayed for my grown children, and one by one they opened their hearts to God’s message. Some have been baptized, and others are on the way. My brother also found this beautiful faith. My mother was growing old and weak. She told me that she did not have the peace she wanted, and there was little time left. Praise God, she surrendered her heart to God and asked to be baptized just two months before she passed away. My mother-in-law turned from ancestor worship and gave her life to Jesus too. God has shown us the truth, and we want to share it with others. Please pray with us for family members who have not yet given their hearts to God. And thank you for your mission offerings, which help sponsor programs such as the one that brought me to God’s church. SUNG JA KOH shares her faith in Kwangju City, Korea.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 79 LESSON 10 *February 28–March 6 The Message of the Prophets
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Exod. 20:1–17; Leviticus
16; Matt. 24:24–31; Rom. 3:21–28; Heb. 8:1, 2; 9:23.
Memory Text: “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:16, NKJV).
he doctrinal framework of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
T largely was created by a small, dedicated group of Adventist pio-
neers. Their meetings were characterized by earnest Bible study
and prayer. Writing in 1904, more than a half century after the events,
Ellen G. White still had vivid memories of these gatherings. “Often we
remained together until late at night, and sometimes through the entire
night, praying for light and studying the Word.”—Selected Messages,
book 1, p. 206. At times, when they could go no further, Ellen White
would supply answers given to her in vision, though she never initiated
doctrinal formulation. The visions were not given to take the place of
faith, initiative, hard work, or Bible study. The crucial point to remem-
ber is that our church’s doctrines are based solely on the Bible. They are
not dependent upon Ellen White’s writings, however helpful she has
been in clarifying some of those teachings.
The Week at a Glance: Why do we need to keep the com- mandments when we are saved by grace? What is the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary? How does the Sabbath commandment differ from the other commandments? What happens at death, and why is knowledge of the state of the dead important? What does the Bible teach about the manner of Christ’s second coming? *Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 7. 80 S UNDAY March 1
Righteousness by Faith What is the common lot of all human beings, and why? What is the
only solution for the situation in which we find ourselves? 1 Kings
8:46, Rom. 3:21–28, 5:12.
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Sin is the greatest problem we face. The Egyptians thought that
death was humanity’s biggest problem, hence they developed the art
of mummification and built huge pyramids to keep the mummies. The
Greek philosophers thought ignorance was the chief enemy of true
happiness, so they emphasized education. But the chief problem of
humanity is sin. Sin destroys happiness and peace of mind. Sin kills,
and no modern medicine can cure it. From the moment we are born,
we begin to die. The only cure is Jesus Christ and the Cross. “There is
not a point that needs to be dwelt upon more earnestly, repeated more
frequently, or established more firmly in the minds of all than the
impossibility of fallen man meriting anything by his own best good
works. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone.”—Ellen
G. White, Faith and Works, p. 19.
According to the Greek poet Homer, ships passing through the
Strait of Messina were in danger of running afoul of the rock Scylla
on one side or the whirlpool Charybdis on the other. Christians are
always in danger of running afoul of either legalism or cheap grace.
Those who fear that talk of assurance of salvation in Christ will lead
to cheap grace and the tolerance of sinful behavior stress the impor-
tance of obedience. Those who fear that talking of obedience and vic-
torious Christian living directs attention away from Christ and leads to
legalism emphasize God’s part in salvation.
The balanced Christian will have assurance of salvation in Jesus
and lead a victorious Christian life at the same time. The two go
together like the two sides of a coin. Whomever God justifies, He also
sanctifies. We cannot have one without the other. We are saved by
faith alone, but the faith that saves is not alone; good works follow,
even though those good works, even done under the unction of the
Holy Spirit, never can justify us before God. Our salvation is rooted
only in what Jesus has done for us.
Discouraged over your spiritual life? Not getting the victories you
wish you had? What great hope can you find in the fact that you
are accepted solely through what Jesus has done for you and not
through your victories or failures? Why should that hope keep
you from never giving up in your struggles with sin and self?
81
M ONDAY March 2
The Sanctuary What were the services of the Old Testament tabernacle, and how did
they illustrate the plan of salvation? Heb. 9:1–8.
With the sanctuary service God produced a visual demonstration
that enabled the sinner to understand the great plan of salvation.
Confession, sacrifice, forgiveness, faith, reconciliation, holiness, all
graphically were demonstrated in the daily and yearly services of the
earthly sanctuary.
According to Hebrews 8:1, 2, Jesus ministers in the heavenly sanc- tuary. What does His ministry consist of, and why does Hebrews 9:23 say that the heavenly sanctuary needs cleansing?
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In the Old Testament the sinner received forgiveness through faith
in the atoning blood of the Promised Seed (Gen. 3:15), who was fore-
shadowed in the animal sacrifice of the sanctuary service. And just as
in the earthly service at the close of the year there was a Day of
Atonement, a day of judgment on which the sanctuary was cleansed,
so in the heavenly sanctuary service there is a day of judgment prior
to Christ’s second coming.
The pre-Advent judgment reveals to the universe those who have
professed Christ and are really His followers. God, so to speak, opens
the books of heaven for all the universe to see that in each case His
decision was just and fair. In that sense, this judgment vindicates the
justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus (Rom. 3:4).
In Leviticus 16, the key element that appears again and again is
blood. And that makes sense, because this is the Day of
Atonement, and only blood atones. And what is atonement,
other than the work of God saving us? Hence the judgment is
good news; it’s the work of God saving us because we can’t save
ourselves. The crucial point is that just as the high priest never
went into the Most Holy Place without blood, neither should we,
for to enter into the Most Holy Place without blood means
death, not atonement. Dwell on these ideas. What hope and
encouragement should they bring to us, who are living in the
great antitypical day of atonement?
82 T UESDAY March 3
The Sabbath
The Sabbath and marriage are the only earthly institutions that come
to us from the time before sin entered the world. Hence, sometimes they
are called the twin sisters of Paradise. When you look at our world
today, it’s obvious that Satan has worked hard to deface and defile them.
Read Exodus 20:1–17. What is it about the Sabbath commandment that makes it stand out from the others?
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The fourth commandment is, in a sense, a test commandment. It
tests humanity’s spirituality. Because it deals with time, which is invis-
ible, rather than with tangible objects, it is well suited to measure
humanity’s attitude toward God. How we feel toward the Sabbath is an
indicator of how we feel toward God. It is the only commandment an
individual can break and yet be fully accepted as a good person in any
conservative Christian society.
In a certain sense, the Sabbath is arbitrary. Why the seventh day
over any other? It’s because God said so, that’s why. There’s a lot of
obvious and apparent logic in not stealing, not killing, not coveting,
and so forth. You don’t have to be a Christian to follow those precepts;
many non-Christians do.
But to obey the seventh-day Sabbath, which isn’t rooted in any nat-
ural phenomena, is to reveal a willingness to obey simply because God
tells us 10. Sabbath keeping is an act of faith; we keep the seventh-day
Sabbath, not because it’s socially acceptable, not because it’s popular,
not because it fits in with any natural cycle. No, we keep the seventh-
day Sabbath because God commands us to, and as New Testament
Christians saved by grace, we reveal our faith through obedience to
God’s commandments (James 2:10, 11; 1 John 5:2, 3; Rev. 14:12).
In fact, by resting on the Sabbath, we’re revealing to the world that
all this talk about resting in Christ isn’t just talk. As Sabbath keepers,
we truly rest in Christ’s work of salvation for us, not just daily but also
in a special way each week. We reveal the fullness of our assurance in
Christ by resting on the Sabbath (see Heb. 4:1–11). Sabbath keeping
is an outward expression of our rest in Christ.
Though the Sabbath is, in a sense, arbitrary, what are the tangi-
ble and practical benefits we get from keeping the Sabbath holy,
as God commanded? What can you do to better enjoy the ben-
efits of Sabbath keeping?
83
W EDNESDAY March 4
State of the Dead What do the following Bible texts tell us about humanity’s condition
in death? Ps. 146:4; Eccles. 9:5, 6; John 11:11–14; Acts 2:34.
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Inspiration teaches that only God is immortal (1 Tim. 6:16) and that
human beings apart from God are subject to death. Jesus taught that
death is a sleep that ends in one of two resurrections—a resurrection
of life and a resurrection of damnation (John 5:28, 29). William
Temple, archbishop of Canterbury, recognized this when he wrote,
“Man is not immortal by nature or of right; but he is capable of
immortality and there is offered to him resurrection from the dead and
life eternal if he will receive it from God and on God’s terms.”
—Nature, Man, and God (London: Macmillan & Co., 1934), p. 472.
How are we to understand texts such as Matthew 25:46 and Revelation 14:9–11? Do they teach eternal torment in hell?
The notion of human immortality is found in all primal, animistic,
and polytheistic religions. It was also an important concept in Greek
philosophy, which conceived of Hades as a ghostly, shadowy under-
world, in which the soul lived a twilight existence. The Greeks viewed
human beings as consisting of matter and soul. At death, matter and
soul separated, releasing the soul from the prison house of matter into
an independent existence.
In Matthew 25 and Revelation 14, the words translated “everlast-
ing” and “for ever” do not mean necessarily never ending. The Greek
words aion and aionios express duration as long as the nature of the
subject allows. For example, in Jude 7 we are told that the cities
Sodom and Gomorrah are suffering the punishment of eternal (aion-
ios) fire. Yet, 2 Peter 2:6 says that they were turned into ashes. When
the subject of the words eternal or forever is the life of the redeemed
who have received immortality, the word means a time without end.
When it refers to the punishment of the wicked, who do not receive
immortality, the word has the meaning of a limited time period.
From popular preachers to popular films, the world is flooded
with spiritualism (the idea that the dead live on now in another
existence). How does our understanding of the state of the dead
give us powerful protection against this terrible deception?
84 T HURSDAY March 5
The Second Coming
Since the early 1970s, Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth has
sold more than fifteen million copies. In recent years, the Left Behind™
series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale
House Publishers) has sold millions, as well. These facts indicate that
there is a general awareness among many Christians that we are living
in the time of the end.
The word Adventist in our church name means that we believe in the
second coming of Christ so much that it’s part of our identity. Yet, our
understanding of the Second Coming is far different from that advo-
cated in the Left Behind™ series or by Hal Lindsey.
What does the Bible teach about the manner of Christ’s coming, and why is it of vital importance to know this? What deceptions did Jesus warn us about regarding the manner of His coming? Matt. 24:5, 24–31; Rev. 1:7. ________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
First introduced by John N. Darby in the nineteenth century, the
concept that Christ’s coming consists of two stages has captured the
thinking of many Protestants today. The first supposed stage involves
a secret rapture, when all true Christians will be caught up with
Christ, and the second focuses on Christ’s appearing seven years later
to rule on earth for 1,000 years.
Seventh-day Adventists can find no scriptural support for splitting
the Second Advent into a rapture and an appearing. According to the
New Testament, Jesus’ return will be an indivisible, single, literal,
audible, and visible event (1 Thess. 4:16, 17; Rev. 19:11–21). And, just
as important, Jesus warned us against false interpretations about the
manner of His coming. Jesus obviously knew that deception would be
rampant (Matt. 24:24), which is why the Word of God is so clear about
how He will return.
Though the passing of every day brings us closer to Christ’s
return, the passing of each day also makes His return seem more
and more delayed. How do we strike the balance between living
in the expectation of Christ’s return and yet simply getting on in
the daily routine of life?
85
F RIDAY March 6
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “Can Our Dead Speak to
Us?” pp. 551–562; “God’s People Delivered,” pp. 635–652, in The
Great Controversy.
During the early years, many of our pioneers became imbalanced in
their preaching of the law. Hence, Ellen White wrote in 1890: “As a peo-
ple, we have preached the law until we are as dry as the hills of Gilboa 1
that had neither dew nor rain. We must preach Christ in the law.”
—Review & Herald, March 11, 1890. At the 1888 Minneapolis General
Conference session, E. J. Waggoner and A. T. Jones did just that. The
burden of their message was “to affirm the truth that the only way righ-
teousness can be obtained is through a living faith in the Lamb of God,
whose blood was shed on Calvary’s cross as a propitiation for the sins 2
of the world. No one can enter the kingdom of God without being clad
in the spotless robe of Christ’s righteousness. This robe can neither be
purchased with silver or gold nor earned by good works. This message
was a clarion call to make Christ and His righteousness the center of all
our living and our preaching. It placed special emphasis on righteous-
ness by faith as a real personal experience rather than a mere theory.”
—A. V. Olson, Through Crisis to Victory 1888–1901 (Washington,
D.C.: Review and Herald® Publishing Association, 1966), p. 35. 3
Discussion Questions:
●1 Is there any teaching of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
that is based on anything other than the Bible? That is, is there
any doctrine that comes from Ellen White rather than the Bible?
Though we believe in the gift of prophecy, why must we make
sure that we know all our teachings are from the Bible alone?
What problems are created if we lean on Ellen White for our doc-
trines? At the same time, why is she so helpful to us in clarifying
and understanding teachings that we have gotten from the Bible?
●
2 Dwell on the idea that Sabbath keeping is an expression of the
rest we have in Christ, in that our salvation is based on His works
for us, not on our own. How does this help answer the spurious
charge that by keeping the Sabbath, we are denying the gospel of
God’s grace?
●3 Even critics of Ellen G. White admit that she played a big role
in moving the Adventist Church from legalism toward a more
Cross-centered view of salvation, which is a strange thing for a
“false prophet” (what many of these same people refer to her as)
to do. How is the inconsistency of these critics revealed by their
view that, though a “false prophet,” she nevertheless guided the
church away from legalism?
86
I N S I D E Stor The Eavesdropper by DAVID VIKAS PAN Chhabi stood in the shadows, straining to hear the visitor talking to her brother-in-law about a God named Jesus. Several weeks earlier Chhabi had heard her brother-in-law say, “Something good is in this Jesus.” She wondered who this Jesus was and why her brother-in-law was interested in Him. Chhabi wanted to learn more about this Jesus, but her husband forbade her to join the Bible study on the veranda. So when the Global Mission pioneers, David and Swarna, visited their home, Chhabi eavesdropped on the Bible studies being held on the family’s veranda. Chhabi found Swarna’s telephone number and called her. She told Swarna, “I want to know about Jesus, but my husband won’t allow it. Please pray to your God that He will cause my husband to allow me to search for the true God,” she begged. The two women began meeting secretly to study the Bible while Chhabi’s husband was at work. One day when the women were studying, Chhabi’s daughter rushed in to tell her that Father was coming! Fearing what he would say, Chhabi asked Swarna to pray before he entered the house. When he arrived, he sat down to listen to their study. Chhabi asked her husband why he was home early, and he said that he was not feeling well. Swarna prayed for him, and soon he said he felt better. After that, Chhabi’s husband allowed her to study the Bible with Swarna. Chhabi learned to pray and began praying for her husband. He didn’t argue when she wanted to attend church—a bold step for an Indian woman, and in time she was baptized. Men don’t allow their wives to teach them, but Chhabi encouraged him to read certain passages in the Bible and decide for himself whether he was going to worship the idols or the living God. Chhabi’s husband read the passages, and soon he joined her in the faith. Today Chhabi’s family and three of her husband’s brothers and their families have become Adventists. Then Chhabi turned to her own family. She is encouraging her mother, a widow who lives in another area, to follow Jesus. She is praying that her two brothers will also consider following Jesus. But there are no Adventists in their village, and some villagers are pressuring them to reject Christianity. Our mission offerings support Global Mission pioneers in India and around the world as they share the gospel and plant churches where the name of Jesus is not known.
DAVID VIKAS PAN is a district pastor and Global Mission supervisor near Kolkota (Calcutta), India.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 87 LESSON 11 *March 7–13 Interpreting the Prophetic Writings
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Isa. 65:17; Mark 1:15;
Rom. 2:14–16; Eph. 2:8, 9; James 2:14–26; 1 John 5:12, 13.
Memory Text: “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27, NKJV).
s Seventh-day Adventists we believe that Ellen White mani-
A fested the gift of prophecy. The next question, however, is how
do we interpret her writings?
Though we believe that her inspiration, not her authority, is on the
same level as the Old and New Testament prophets, when interpreting
what she has written, we must apply the same principles of interpre-
tation to her writings that we do to Scripture. Indeed, principles for
interpreting the Bible can be used when interpreting Ellen White’s
writings, even though the authority of the Bible is above the authority
of the Spirit of Prophecy. To use an analogy from American law, one
might use the same principles for interpreting a decision of the United
States Supreme Court as for interpreting a decision by a lower court,
but in the end the decision of the Supreme Court carries the ultimate
authority.
The Week at a Glance: What is the difference between exegesis and the homiletical use of a biblical text? Why is context so important? Can people who have never heard the gospel be saved? What distinguishes the kingdom of grace from the kingdom of glory?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 14. 88 S UNDAY March 8
Exegesis
Exegesis is concerned with the original meaning of a text. It focuses
on what the author wanted to say and what the text meant to the orig-
inal reader.
What is the original or exegetical meaning of Romans 2:14–16? Compare Ezek. 3:17–19, Rom. 10:12–17.
There is no question that there will be people in heaven who never
have heard the gospel. “Among the heathen are those who worship God
ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instru-
mentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law
of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have
done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the
Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the
children of God.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 638.
On occasion, God, apart from human messengers, reaches out to
individuals in heathen lands and saves them. However, they are saved
because the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they have
responded appropriately as evidenced by their works. They are not
saved because they have lived up to their conscience; if they were, then
they would be saved by keeping the law, and the New Testament clearly
denies that possibility (Rom. 3:28, Gal. 2:16). The issue in Romans
2:11–16 is the accountability of Jews and Gentiles, not their salvation.
The fact that God is no respecter of persons (vs. 11) is illustrated by
what Paul says in Romans 2:12. “As many as have sinned without law
will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will
be judged by the law” (NKJV). Those “without law” are the Gentiles
who do not have the written law given to the Israelites on Mount Sinai.
However, they will perish, not because they did not have the written
law but because they are sinners who have transgressed against the law
“written in their hearts, their conscience” (vs. 15).
In the judgment, Jews and Gentiles will be judged and condemned
by their respective laws, the Jews by the written law and the Gentiles
by the law “written in their hearts.” Among the Gentiles, conscience
performed the same function as the written law performed among the
Jews. Scripture clearly says that “ ‘there is no one righteous, not even
one’ ” (Rom. 3:10, NIV). This means that Jews and Gentiles are sin-
ners alike and are all saved the same way, not by any law keeping but
only by Jesus’ death on the cross.
How reliable a guide is your conscience? Does following your
conscience always guarantee that you will make a right deci-
sion? Justify your answer.
89
M ONDAY March 9
Homiletics
Homiletics is the art of preaching. In a homiletics class a student
learns sermon preparation and how to use the Scriptures in preaching.
Sometimes a preacher may use just the wording of a text, without spe-
cial regard for its original meaning, to make a point or an appeal dur-
ing a sermon. This is called the homiletical use of Scripture.
What was the kingdom Jesus was proclaiming as being near in Mark 1:15?
____________________________________________________________________
The kingdom that Jesus was proclaiming at that time was the kingdom
of grace, which He established at His First Advent. But the text also can
be applied to our situation today. A preacher on Sabbath morning may
tell the congregation, “All the time prophecies have been fulfilled, the
kingdom of God is at hand.” And he may appeal to them that today we
need to repent and believe the gospel. The kingdom that the modern
preacher has in mind, however, is no longer the kingdom of grace but the
kingdom of glory that Christ will inaugurate at His second coming. The
first interpretation of Mark 1:15 is exegetical, the second homiletical.
According to Mark 1:17, Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee one
day when He saw Simon and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the
sea. Jesus said to them, “ ‘Follow me and I will make you become fish-
ers of men’ ” (NKJV), and immediately they left their nets and followed
Him.
A modern preacher, using the words of Mark 1:17, may call upon
church members to follow Jesus because only He can make us fishers of
men. Exegetically the text applies to Simon and Andrew, but homileti-
cally it can be applied to every Christian, because Jesus wants us all to
become fishers of men (Matt. 28:19, 20).
Ellen G. White frequently used Scripture homiletically. She was
steeped in the language of the Bible, and whenever she spoke or wrote
on a topic, she used biblical language and biblical texts to convey to the
church the message that she had received from the Lord. For example,
in the book Education, Ellen G. White has a chapter on the study of
physiology. Speaking of good posture she says, “Among the first things
to be aimed at should be a correct position, both in sitting and in stand-
ing. God made man upright, and He desires him to possess not only the
physical but the mental and moral benefit, the grace and dignity and self-
possession, the courage and self-reliance, which an erect bearing so
greatly tends to promote.”—Education, p. 198. That “God made man
upright” is a quote from Ecclesiastes 7:29 (NKJV), but when Solomon
wrote Ecclesiastes, he was referring to moral uprightness, not to posture.
90 T UESDAY March 10
Time and Place
A crucial rule of biblical interpretation is the principle of studying
the times and circumstances during which a particular text was writ-
ten and by whom.
What is Jeremiah describing in Jeremiah 4:23–26?
When most Adventists read these texts, they think of the millen-
nium. However, when Jeremiah wrote this text, around 600 B.C., he
was not thinking of the millennium. The context of this passage is the
destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.
God, through Jeremiah, pleaded with His people to turn from their
evil ways, but they would not listen. In verses 23–26 the prophet sees
in vision what will happen if they disobey. In poetic language he
describes the waste and desolation that will come upon the land of
Judah because of their disobedience. The crucial point is that when a
text was written and under what circumstances need to be taken into
account when we seek to interpret it.
What happened with Judah and Jerusalem in 586 B.C. is a symbol of
what will happen to the world in the future. When Jesus comes and the
earth is cleansed with fire, Jeremiah 4:23–26 will be an apt descrip-
tion of this earth during the millennium. Thus, exegetically, Jeremiah
4:23–26 refers to the destruction of Jerusalem. Symbolically, however,
it also refers to the time of the millennium. Ellen G. White, therefore,
quotes from Jeremiah 4 to describe the situation on earth during the
millennium.—The Great Controversy, p. 659.
In reading Ellen White, we also need to take time and circumstances
into account. For example, in 1897 Mrs. White wrote that “the money
expended in bicycles and dress and other needless things must be
accounted for.”—Testimonies to Ministers, p. 398.
At the end of the nineteenth century, the bicycle was not an eco-
nomical means of transportation but was rather a rich person’s toy. The
best early bicycle cost US$150, an investment comparable to the cost
of an expensive car today. People were mortgaging their income for
months in advance to buy what was then an expensive luxury item.
Within a few years’ time the bicycle became a useful and inexpensive
means of transportation, and she never again spoke against it.
Her policy on bicycles was based on the biblical principle of good
stewardship. If she were alive today, she probably would apply this
principle to other things that people spend frivolously on.
Time and circumstances are important not just in the interpre-
tation of inspired writings but in all aspects of life. How quick
are you to judge the actions of others without getting more
background information? How can you improve in this area?
91
W EDNESDAY March 11
Immediate Context Read Isaiah 65:17. What is the new heaven and new earth to which
Isaiah is referring? Is it the new earth that Christians expect in
the future?
In the immediate context, Isaiah says, “ ‘No more shall an infant from
there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his
days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being
one hundred years old shall be accursed’ ” (vs. 20, NKJV). Death on the
new earth? This cannot be the new earth we expect that follows the mil-
lennium. What then is the new heaven and the new earth in verse 17?
In this passage Isaiah describes a “new creation” that would have
been brought about had Israel, following the restoration from the
Babylonian captivity, remained faithful to God and fulfilled the divine
commission to be a light to the world (Isa. 42:6). Unfortunately, it
didn’t, and thus the prophecy, which was conditional, was not ful-
filled. This “new heaven and new earth” never became a reality.
Nevertheless, in a secondary sense these verses point forward to the
new heaven and the new earth to be ushered in at the close of the mil-
lennium. But in that “new earth and new heaven” there will be no chil-
dren born to the redeemed (Matt. 22:30), neither will there be any
more sorrow or death (Rev. 21:4), so we have to be careful how far we
seek to push the imagery. In Christ’s Object Lessons, Ellen White makes the statement that
“those who accept the Saviour, however sincere their conversion,
should never be taught to say or to feel that they are saved.”
—Page 155. Does this mean we can never be certain about our
salvation? 1 John 5:12, 13.
When we study the context, we discover that she is speaking about
whether a person can fall from grace after conversion. Many Christians
in her days believed in the doctrine of “once saved always saved.” Ellen
White was clearly against this teaching. In context she says, “Never can
we safely put confidence in self or feel, this side of heaven, that we are
secure against temptation.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 155.
The immediate context makes it clear that she is addressing the issue
of self-confidence and temptations after conversion. We are never
secure against temptations, we can never say that we cannot fall, that
we are saved and therefore secure from temptation, but this does not
mean that in Jesus we cannot have day-by-day assurance of salvation.
If your hope of salvation rests in what Jesus did for you, how can
you then not have assurance of salvation? On the other hand, if
you are looking to self, how can you ever have any assurance at all? 92
T HURSDAY March 12
The Larger Context
The larger context refers to what other texts beyond the immediate
passage have to say on a particular topic. It can refer to other chapters
in a book, the whole book, or to the whole of Scripture.
Are we saved by grace through faith alone, or do we also need works? Eph. 2:8, 9; James 2:14–26. Is Paul in conflict with James on the issue of salvation? What do the following texts have to say on this topic? Rom. 3:21–28, Rom. 4:3, Gal. 3:6–12.
When we look at the larger context in Scripture, what other passages
have to say on the topic, we discover that James is not arguing for good
works as a requirement for salvation. Rather, he insists that there are two
kinds of faith, one valid and the other invalid. Paul speaks about the
valid faith that is followed by good deeds. James refers to the invalid
faith that stops at the intellectual level, faith that is mere mental assent.
Paul uses the example of Abraham to show that we are justified on
the basis of valid, or real, faith. James shows that Abraham’s faith was
real because it produced good works (obedience). Therefore, we do
not need anything but faith, valid faith, to be saved, and our behavior
will show if our faith is valid or not.
When reading Ellen White, we also need to look at the larger context
in her writings; i.e., everything she has written on a particular topic. We
cannot just take one or two statements and run with them. For example,
on the issue of meat-eating she has very absolute-sounding statements
but also many modifying statements that need to be considered, as well.
In the book Counsels on Diet and Foods, she says: “Vegetables, fruits,
and grains should compose our diet. Not an ounce of flesh meat should
enter our stomachs. The eating of flesh is unnatural. We are to return to
God’s original purpose in the creation of man.”—Page 380. Anyone read-
ing only this statement would have to come to the conclusion that under
no circumstances are we to eat meat. However, a few pages further on is
this statement: “A meat diet is not the most wholesome of diets, and yet
I would not take the position that meat should be discarded by every one.
Those who have feeble digestive organs can often use meat, when they
cannot eat vegetables, fruit, or porridge.”—Pages 394, 395. (See also
Friday’s lesson.) When we look at the total body of what she has written
on a given topic, a balanced picture emerges that is invaluable for every
Christian who takes religion seriously.
While we shouldn’t make meat and drink our religion, God has
given us wonderful counsel about diet that can have a positive
impact on our health. How careful are you in your diet and all
your habits? Why wait until sickness strikes before you make a
change for the better?
93
F RIDAY March 13
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “Christ Our Righteousness,”
pp. 35–39; “Ellen White Clearly Draws the Lines,” pp. 41–46; “Faith
and Works,” pp. 47–50, in Faith and Works.
Further Guidelines for the Interpretation of Inspired Writings
Apart from the guidelines studied in this week’s lesson, we need to
(a) ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the study of His Word;
(b) ensure that we use one or more good translations; (c) look for prin- 1
ciples that are universal and apply to all people, in all places, and at
all times; (d) be willing to obey the truths we discover; (e) be open-
minded and willing to surrender previously held positions; (f) guard
against extreme interpretations; (g) work together with people of
experience; and (h) use common sense. 2
Ellen G. White on Once Saved Always Saved
“There is nothing so offensive to God or so dangerous to the human
soul as pride and self-sufficiency. Of all sins it is the most hopeless,
the most incurable. Peter’s fall was not instantaneous, but gradual.
Self-confidence led him to the belief that he was saved, and step after
step was taken in the downward path, until he could deny his Master.
Never can we safely put confidence in self or feel, this side of heaven,
that we are secure against temptation. Those who accept the Saviour, 3
however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or to
feel that they are saved. This is misleading. Every one should be
taught to cherish hope and faith; but even when we give ourselves to
Christ and know that He accepts us, we are not beyond the reach of
temptation.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 154, 155.
Discussion Questions:
●
1 Look at the whole context of the Ellen White quote above. Now
look at the one statement about not saying we are saved. How
easy to take that one statement out of context and come away
with a whole different meaning from what was intended. Why
must we always be careful not to pull statements out of context?
What other examples can you find of people having done just
that? Why is it such a temptation?
●
2 What are some other ways that Ellen White’s writings have been
misused? What can we do, however, to avoid the trap of throwing
the whole thing out, simply because it has not been used properly?
●3 Think about what we’ve been given with the health message
as it appears in the writings of Ellen White. What great blessings
can we take away from it if we use it properly? What traps must
we avoid?
94
I N S I D E Stor Amina’s Forbidden God Amina* (ah-MEE-nah) lives in northern Africa. From childhood she read her holy book, and there she met Issa (Jesus) and fell in love with Him. She often asked her father to tell her more about this Prophet who was a perfect Man. As she grew to adulthood, Amina became a sincere and faithful follower of her family’s religion, but she never forgot Issa. One day a Christian girlfriend invited Amina to visit the Adventist chapel in her city, and Amina went. She couldn’t explain why she went, for going to a Christian house of prayer was a dangerous thing to do. But she went. And something—some power she did not fully understand—drew her to return again and again. Little by little Amina’s faith in her family’s religion faded as her love for Issa grew. Amina’s father saw that Amina was losing her faith and wanted to wake her up to the danger she was in. Because she no longer submitted to daily prayers with the family, her father refused to allow her to enter his home. He hoped that she would realize her error and once more worship with them. But it didn’t work. Finally after almost a year of estrangement, Amina’s parents invited her to return home—but she wasn’t allowed to speak of Issa or Christianity inside the house. For nearly 10 years Amina kept her faith to herself. For 10 years she didn’t worship in the Adventist chapel in town or talk about Issa. Then one day Amina asked her girlfriend to take her to the Adventist chapel. There she met a missionary who welcomed her with joy. Amina spoke at length with the missionary and asked many questions about Issa. Is He really God? What does He require of followers? Amina continued worshiping at the chapel, and several months later, she surrendered her life to Issa and was baptized. The Lord, Issa, has become everything to her. Amina has made a dangerous decision, for in her culture to leave her family’s faith could mean death. In spite of the danger, Amina bravely shares her faith in quiet ways and with much prayer. With kind words, a visit, and a smile, she shares her faith. And through her actions, the Spirit of God is touching hearts. God often arranges opportunities for Amina to show her faith in Issa. Pray for Amina and her quiet ministry in the shadows of her daily life. Pray that her acts of faith become as precious drops of water to the parched desert of her hostile homeland. Your mission offerings help reach people such as Amina for Issa. Thank you.
- Not her real name.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 95 LESSON 12 *March 14–20 The Blessings of the Prophetic Gift
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Exod. 17:14, 34:27, Lev.
11:1–8, Deut. 6:4–7, Isa. 44:8, 49:6.
Memory Text: “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless
He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7,
NKJV).
ll through biblical history, the Lord worked through the
A prophets (including those who wrote no books of the Bible) in
order to encourage, uplift, and warn God’s people. However
unpopular at times their messages, or however often their motives
were misunderstood, these people all had one goal in mind: to bless
and benefit God’s church. And it was certainly no different with Ellen
White and her prophetic gift.
This week we are going to look at some of the blessings that come
to God’s people through the prophetic gift. The Seventh-day Adventist
Church, certainly as we know it today, would probably not exist had it
not been for the guidance God gave this movement through the Spirit
of Prophecy.
The Week at a Glance: Why and for what purpose did God elect Israel as His special people? How were the young peo- ple in Israel educated in Old Testament times? What were some of the counsels on health that God gave the Israelites? Why did the Israelites write God’s Word on the doorframes of their houses? How has the Lord used the gift of prophecy to benefit the church?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 21. 96 S UNDAY March 15
Why did God elect Israel as His special people? Deut. 7:7, 8; Isa. 44:8; 49:6.
God chose Israel to be His witnesses. All nations of the earth were
to share in the blessings that He was to bestow on His people. Israel
was to show forth His praise (Isa. 43:21), declare His glory among the
nations (Isa. 66:19), and be a light to the Gentiles.
What is the mission of the Christian church, and how well is it car- rying out this mission? Matt. 28:19, 20.
The Christian church experienced two great periods of expansion in
its history. The first period was the time of its establishment in the
first and second centuries; the second was during the nineteenth cen-
tury, also called the century of mission. Following the great revivals
of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the Christian church
established many Bible and missionary societies in Europe and
America, and within 100 years it increased from 18 percent of the
world population in the year 1800 to 34 percent in 1900.
In the early decades of Seventh-day Adventist history, it was
believed that the church was fulfilling God’s command to teach all
nations simply by preaching to the immigrants in North America.
However, Ellen White in 1871 wrote, “Young men should be qualify-
ing themselves by becoming familiar with other languages, that God
may use them as mediums to communicate His saving truth to those
of other nations.”—Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 204.
Then in 1874 she had an impressive dream of giving the third
angel’s message to the world. In the dream she was told: “You are
entertaining too limited ideas of the work for this time. . . .
“The message will go in power to all parts of the world, to Oregon,
to Europe, to Australia, to the islands of the sea, to all nations,
tongues, and peoples. . . . Your faith is limited, it is very small. Your
conception of the work needs to be greatly enlarged.”—Pages 208,
209.
In the same year J. N. Andrews became the first official Seventh-
day Adventist missionary. He and his children went to Switzerland,
and three years later the John G. Matteson family was sent to
Scandinavia. Today, out of 229 countries of the world recognized by
the United Nations, Seventh-day Adventists have an established work
in more than two hundred of them.
How do we strike the balance between working for souls over-
seas while at the same time not neglecting the mission field in
our own backyard?
97
M ONDAY March 16
How were the young people in Israel educated in Old Testament times? What important principles can we take from these texts regarding the spiritual aspect of all proper education? Gen. 18:19; Deut. 6:4–7, 20–25.
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Through the father’s instructions Hebrew children were taught what
God had done for His people in the past, how they were to live in His
presence, and what God’s promises were for the future. They also were
taught the skills they would need to be successful members of their
community. It was, therefore, both an education in practical skills
along with spiritual and religious instruction.
In the earliest days of the Adventist movement, private initiatives
among our pioneers led to several attempts to establish a school for
Adventist children, but none of them lasted long.
Then at the beginning of 1872, Ellen White received a vision on the
proper principles of education. On the basis of this vision she wrote
30 pages on those principles. Among other things she wrote, “We need
a school where those who are just entering the ministry may be taught
at least the common branches of education, and where they may also
learn more perfectly the truths of God’s word for this time.”
—Fundamentals of Christian Education, pp. 45, 46.
In May 1872 the General Conference committee agreed to assume
responsibility for a locally operated church school in Battle Creek,
Michigan, and on June 3 the first official Seventh-day Adventist
school opened its doors. Two years later 100 students were enrolled in
the newly established Battle Creek College.
Today more than six thousand Adventist schools, colleges, and uni-
versities serve more than one million students around the world.
What should an Adventist school be like today? How should it
be different from other schools? Make a list of specific charac-
teristics and discuss them in class.
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98 T UESDAY March 17
Health
God told the Israelites: “ ‘If you diligently heed the voice of the
Lord your God and do what is right in His sight . . . I will put none
of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians’ ”
(Exod. 15:26, NKJV). What were some of the counsels on health
given to them by God? Lev. 7:22–26, 11:1–8, 13:46.
For centuries, leprosy and the Black Death spread fear and terror
among medieval humanity. It was only when church leaders remem-
bered that people afflicted with leprosy in the Bible were segregated
and excluded from the community, and they applied this principle to
the victims of leprosy and the bubonic plague that these scourges were
stopped.
Most Seventh-day Adventist pioneers were anything but health
reformers. At the 1848 Sabbath Conferences, they most likely sat
together eating pork chops for lunch. In a vision in 1848, Ellen
G. White was shown that tobacco, tea, and coffee are harmful, but it
took several years to convince the membership.
On June 6, 1863, Ellen G. White received a vision in which she was
shown the need for health reform. “I saw that it was a sacred duty to
attend to our health, and arouse others to their duty.”—Selected Messages,
book 3, p. 280. Two years later, on December 25, 1865, she was shown
that Seventh-day Adventists should establish a health institute. The
Western Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek, which opened its doors
in 1866, was the first of a network of more than three hundred hospitals,
clinics, and dispensaries that the church operates today.
What can we say to those who claim that Ellen G. White copied the health message from other health reformers of her time?
Recent research into Ellen G. White’s health message has revealed
that there is a vast difference in quality between Ellen G. White’s prin-
ciples of health and those advocated by other health reformers in her
time. “Modern medical science has verified a high percentage of her
health principles . . . while the sources from which she supposedly
copied had a low percentage of health principles that have been veri-
fied. This difference indicates that Mrs. White had health information
that could not have come from any human source available anywhere
at the time she lived.”—Leonard Brand and Don S. McMahon, The
Prophet and Her Critics (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press® Publishing
Association, 2005), pp. 87, 88.
The health message is a wonderful gift from God to us. Like all
of His gifts, it can be, and indeed, has been abused. How can we
avoid turning this gift into a curse?
99
W EDNESDAY March 18
Publishing
According to Scripture, Moses was the first one to write down
God’s words (Exod. 17:14, 34:27, Deut. 31:24). Today, the Bible is the
most published and most read book in history.
Where were the Israelites to write the words of the law? Why do you think that command was given? Deut. 6:1–9, 11:18–20.
To inscribe important sayings or statements in conspicuous places
on their dwellings was a custom widely prevalent in the ancient Near
East. It is evident in Muslim countries and even among Western
nations. In the British Isles, as well as in Germany, Austria, and
Switzerland, inscriptions can be seen on houses.
In Israel the purpose of writing God’s Word on the doorframes of their
dwellings was to keep God’s instructions constantly in view and in mind,
thereby reminding them continuously to keep God’s commandments.
What role did publishing play in the early history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church?
The publishing work in our church did not originate from human
wisdom. In 1848, Ellen G. White had a vision in the home of Otis
Nichols in Dorchester, Massachusetts. When she came out of it, she
said to James, “ ‘I have a message for you. You must begin to print a
little paper and send it out to the people. Let it be small at first; but as
the people read, they will send you means with which to print, and it
will be a success from the first. From this small beginning it was
shown to me to be like streams of light that went clear round the
world.’ ”—Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 125.
“ ‘Streams of light that went clear round the world’ ”! How could that
be? Jesus was coming soon. The number of Adventists were so few.
There were no wealthy persons or great scholars among them. The
world was unbelieving. And yet, here was a young woman who pre-
dicted that a work of publishing, to be started by her penniless husband,
would grow until it would encompass the globe? More than six months
went by before James White could make even the smallest beginning,
arranging on a charge account for the printing of 1,000 copies of an
eight-page paper. Today the Seventh-day Adventist Church owns more
than fifty publishing houses, and the message is being printed and pro-
claimed in more than two hundred twenty languages.
What has been the impact of the printed page in your own spir-
itual experience? 100
T HURSDAY March 19
Theology
All through biblical history, God has used the prophetic gift to pro-
tect His people from theological errors. It was no different with the
ministry of Ellen White. In the early days of our church she had to
combat fanaticism of various kinds. Some people claimed to be per-
fect, others stated that no more work should be done, and some kept
on setting times for Christ’s return. During the Kellogg crisis at the
turn of the century, her counsel saved the church from pantheism. At
the same time, almost single-handedly she led the church from a semi-
Arian (a belief that Jesus was not God) to a Trinitarian position. When
A. F. Ballenger tried to change the sanctuary teaching, she took a
strong stand against it. Ellen White also had a strong role in keeping
the church of her day from falling deep into legalism; along with A. T.
Jones and E. J. Waggoner, she was a great proponent of salvation by
faith in Christ alone, without the deeds of the law.
After her death, her writings continued to give guidance to the church.
In more recent times, her writings provide clear direction on the issue of
Creation, which is coming under attack even from within our own ranks.
What does the Old Testament teach about origins of human life? Gen. 1:1–3, Exod. 20:8–11, Ps. 33:6, Isa. 42:5.
According to the Old Testament, the Lord created life on our earth
in six days. The Hebrew word translated day in Genesis 1 is yom.
Whenever this word in the historical books of the Bible is accompa-
nied by a numeral, it always refers to a literal 24-hour period (see Gen.
7:11, Exod. 16:1). In resting on the seventh day of the Creation week,
God established the Sabbath as a perpetual memorial of His com-
pleted creative work. In short, we are on immovable biblical ground
by adhering to a literal six-day Creation, despite voices, even among
us, that would argue for something else.
And though Ellen White has been dead for almost a century, here,
too, her words give us a strong affirmation of this great Bible truth: “I
was then carried back to the creation and was shown that the first
week, in which God performed the work of creation in six days and
rested on the seventh day, was just like every other week.”—Spiritual
Gifts, vol. 3, p. 90.
Despite the clear testimony of the Bible, despite the strong affir-
mation of Ellen White, some among us still insist that God used
millions of years of evolution to create human life. What examples
can you find from the Bible of people getting so caught up in the
trends of their time that they lose sight of important truth? How
can we protect ourselves from falling into the same tired, old trap?
101
F RIDAY March 20
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “Teaching and Healing,”
pp. 139–160, in The Ministry of Healing; “Source and Aim of True
Education,” pp. 13–19; “Relation of Education to Redemption,”
pp. 28–30, in Education.
Many of the principles of healthful living found in the writings of
Ellen White already were taught in a limited way by other health
reformers of her day. But in their teaching we find many errors and
extremes that Ellen White avoided because of the instructions she
received from God. For example, Sylvester Graham and James 1 Jackson, two prominent health reformers in Ellen White’s day, both
taught, “Don’t eat salt.” Ellen G. White, however, wrote, “I use some
salt, and always have, because salt, instead of being deleterious, is
actually essential for the blood.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9,
p. 162.
Other errors that were taught by health reformers in the nineteenth 2 century and that Ellen G. White avoided included: Do not cut your
hair; do not drink water—get your liquids from fruit only; when eat-
ing meat, eat mostly the fat; overweight people are healthy people; do
not use soap, etc.—Leonard Brand and Don S. McMahon, The
Prophet and Her Critics (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press® Publishing
Association, 2005), pp. 77, 78.
Discussion Questions: 3 ●
1 As a class, go over your answer to Monday’s final question.
●2 We now live in the day and age of science, where for many peo-
ple science is the only way to know truth. How interesting that of
all the things we teach (the Second Coming, salvation by faith,
the state of the dead, etc.), only one can be verified scientifically:
our health message. Dwell on the implications of that thought.
●3 As Seventh-day Adventists we insist, and rightly so, that all our
doctrines need to come from the Bible and the Bible only. At the
same time, if we believe that Ellen White manifested the gift of
prophecy, shouldn’t weight and credence be given to her writings
on doctrine, as well? How do we find the right balance in how we
use her writings to deal with theological issues?
●4 As with the Bible, there are things about Ellen White’s writ-
ings that we don’t understand. How can we protect ourselves
from getting into the deadly mode of focusing only on the prob-
lems or concerns, and missing the greater picture?
102
I N S I D E Stor Moans in the Night by JAMES APPEL
Wails and moans cut into the evening’s silence. These sounds of mourn- ing come from just beyond the hospital wall. Allawaye lives there. His third wife’s baby was recently hospitalized for meningitis. After a course of antibiotics he was sent home eating and with no fever. But three days later Allawaye brought him back, feverish again. The bacteria in his body is resistant, and we have no other antibiotics to treat it. The next morning Allawaye returned to the hospital. The baby is better, but not well enough to go home. I explain that the baby is still sick and could still die. One of Allawaye’s wives speaks in a low, threatening tone. “We will take the baby home. Your treatments have not worked, and it’s time to consult a witch doctor.” I explain why the child must stay in the hospital, and Allawaye agrees to finish the treatment. I offer to pray for the baby, and the family agrees. I plead with God to prove that it’s not witchcraft that has made the child sick and ask Him to heal the child. We’ve done all we can with our limited medical supplies, and now we need a miracle. The wails next door tell me that God has not intervened. Most people in this area believe that disease is caused by witchcraft, that someone has cast a spell on them. They seek treatment from the “tradi- tional” healers—the witch doctors—and come to the hospital only when the patient is nearly dead. Then, if the patient dies, it’s our fault. My frustration rises with the wailing. How does one fight, not just against the forces of physical disease in a resource-poor setting, but against the forces of ignorance and evil? I’ve tried to give patients hope, to encourage them to fight, only to hear family members tell them that they are going to die. The sick person loses hope and eventually dies, at least in part because of the psychological attacks of their family. Nothing I’ve experienced in Tchad even comes close to that for discouraging. I light my kerosene lamp and open my Bible to John 3:19. “Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (NIV). I understand God’s dilemma. He can’t mess with free will. Satan can use fear, superstition, manipulation, coercion, and brutality, but God won’t. And because I’ve aligned myself on God’s side, I can’t use force either. Sometimes I’d like to shake parents who wait to bring their child to the hospital half dead instead of when they first get sick. It’s true: People do love the darkness rather than the light. There’s noth- ing we can do except continue to fight, continue to pray. Maybe one or two will see the light and come out of the darkness. JAMES APPEL is a missionary doctor serving in Tchad, central Africa.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 103 LESSON 13 *March 21–27 Confidence in the Prophetic Gift
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: Ps. 41:9; Isa. 53:4–6;
Matt. 23:28–31; John 5:39; Acts 10:9–16, 44–48; 17:11.
Memory Text: “Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper’ ” (2 Chronicles 20:20, NKJV).
ome folk were interested in joining the Seventh-day Adventist
S Church. They had come to accept the teachings of the church
through their study of the Bible but had questions about Ellen
White. After all, with so many false prophets and false teachers out
there, they wanted to be careful. Knowing their concerns, and under-
standing them, the minister said to them: “This is something you have
to come to on your own, through a personal conviction of the Holy
Spirit. Take time to read her writings. Some things will resonate
clearly with you right away; other things you might have questions
about. But just read the books yourself and then come to your own
conclusion about them. In the end, her writings are really the best and
ultimate testimony regarding their origins.”
The Week at a Glance: Why must the Bible be our final doctrinal authority? How important is Bible study in our lives today? What happens when people ignore the prophetic word? What role should miracles have in establishing our faith? Why do people rebel against the prophetic gift?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 28.
104 S UNDAY March 22
Biblical Authority What parallels do you see between the experience of the disciples after
the Crucifixion and the early Advent believers after the Great
Disappointment in 1844? Luke 24:13–27; Acts 10:9–16, 44–48.
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The disciples experienced their great disappointment at the Crucifix-
ion. They had hoped Jesus would redeem Israel; as they watched Him
ride a donkey into Jerusalem in fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy,
they were certain that He would set Himself up as their king, drive out
the Romans, and establish God’s kingdom on earth. Only after His
death, when He had “opened their understanding, that they might
comprehend the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45, NKJV), did they see for the
first time that He had come for a different purpose. In other words,
even with all those years of Jesus being in their midst, even with His
plain testimony, they made mistakes; they still didn’t understand what
the Scriptures had taught. Jesus pointed them to the Bible, and on that
they were to base their beliefs.
Read Acts 1:6. What does this say about how, even after Jesus was with them after the Resurrection, they still were carrying false ideas about what His coming meant?
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The early Advent believers also experienced a great disappointment
because of William Miller’s mistaken view that the sanctuary in
Daniel 8:14 was the earth. And just as Bible study and God’s super-
natural interventions had helped the disciples to shed their mistaken
views, so, too, did the early Advent believers come to a new under-
standing of the sanctuary truth through their study of Scripture and by
God’s guidance in the prophetic ministry of Ellen White.
In the end, however helpful the prophetic gift was, our pioneers
were determined to base doctrines on the Bible without using the
prophetic gift as a doctrinal authority.
Today, too, the strength and certainty of what we believe as
Seventh-day Adventists must be based on the Word of God alone.
Once we are certain of our doctrines from the Bible, and work from
that firm base, we can truly have confidence in the prophetic gift.
105
M ONDAY March 23
Into the Word Why did the Bereans study the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul
said was true? Why did they not trust his words? Acts 17:11.
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Because Paul preached Christ from Scripture, showing that He was
the promised Messiah, those who heard him with an open mind were
driven to study the Scriptures for themselves to see if these things
were indeed so. In other words, even Paul’s words weren’t good
enough. They had to be confirmed by the Bible.
What do the following texts tell us about the importance of the study of Scripture? Prov. 2:1–6, Isa. 34:16, Matt. 4:4, Rev. 1:3.
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Ellen White consistently lifted up God’s Word and encouraged
church members to study it. “I recommend to you, dear reader, the
Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice,” she wrote in Early
Writings (p. 78). In the introduction to The Great Controversy she wrote,
“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.”—Page 9.
Why did the prophets throughout history admonish God’s people to
read and study God’s Word? The reason is simple: God “gave His
word to men as a revelation of Himself. Every new truth discerned is
a fresh disclosure of the character of its Author. The study of the
Scriptures is the means divinely ordained to bring men into closer
connection with their Creator and to give them a clearer knowledge of
His will. It is the medium of communication between God and
man.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 69.
Ellen White’s writings are never to be used in place of the Bible; on
the contrary, she spent her life trying to get church members to read
the Bible and make it the rule of faith for their lives.
What are ways that you can get more out of your own Bible
study? How can you make your time in the Bible more prof-
itable than it is now?
106 T UESDAY March 24
Pointing to Jesus Jesus said: “ ‘You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me’ ” (John 5:39, NKJV). What do the following Old Testament texts tell us about Jesus? Ps. 16:9, 10; 41:9; Isa. 53:4–6; Mic. 5:2.
Jesus said, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day” (John 8:56), “Moses . . . wrote about Me” (John 5:46, NKJV), and “David [called Me] Lord” (Matt. 22:45). He began His ministry in the synagogue at Nazareth with the words of Isaiah, “ ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because / the Lord has anointed Me / To preach good tidings to the poor’ ” (Isa. 61:1, NKJV). Jesus then said, “ ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’ ” (Luke 4:21, NKJV). Jesus knew that the Old Testament was replete with references to Him. He was the central figure in Israel’s hope. The biblical authors from Moses to the apostle John directed their readers to the One who would come first to save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21) and a second time to deliver them from the presence of sin (Rev. 21:4). Following in the footsteps of the biblical prophets, Ellen White con- sistently pointed people to their Savior Jesus Christ. “Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, help- less, and despairing, our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness.”—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 9. And she admonished ministers to make Christ the center of everything. “Put Christ into every sermon. Let the preciousness, mercy, and glory of Jesus Christ be dwelt upon until Christ is formed within, the hope of glory.”—Evangelism, p. 186. Repeatedly she emphasized that Jesus was very real to her. “I know my Saviour loves me, and I love my Jesus. I rest in His love, notwith- standing my imperfections.”—Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, p. 245. Jesus was the center of her ministry. “The object of all ministry,” she said, “is to keep self out of sight, and to let Christ appear. The exalta- tion of Christ is the great truth that all who labor in word and doctrine are to reveal.”—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 155.
Forgetting for a moment about doctrine and theology, ask your- self this basic question: How well do I know Jesus? What does your answer tell you about yourself and your spiritual life? What changes might you need to make?
107
W EDNESDAY March 25
The Blood of the Prophets
“ ‘Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but
within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the
prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, If
we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been
partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be
witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which
killed the prophets’ ” (Matt. 23:28–31).
What do Jesus’ words have to say about the attitude that many have had toward the prophets? What lesson can we draw from these words for ourselves?
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Despite all the evidence for the integrity and validity of Ellen
White’s ministry, even among us there are those who are, in a sense,
spilling “the blood of the prophets.” Among us, as in ancient Israel,
there are those who in various ways, subtle and sometimes not so sub-
tle, are working to destroy confidence in the prophetic ministry of
Ellen White. It has been that way from the beginning, and we can be
sure it will be right up to the end, as well. Just about every charge lev-
eled against her and her works are similar to the charges leveled
against the prophets of old and against the Word of God itself.
Reasons for these attitudes vary (see Friday’s lesson). Some people
have elevated her writings to a level that is inappropriate, and so oth-
ers have reacted to that, sometimes going too far in response. Others
have a false understanding of how inspiration works, and because her
writings do not fit that understanding, they have turned against them.
Some speak, perhaps, out of ignorance; others, perhaps, from mean-
spirited hostility. Fortunately, we aren’t to judge motives or hearts. We
simply have to be able, as Peter wrote, “to give an answer to every man
that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and
fear” (1 Pet. 3:15). In the end, each one of us will have to make a
choice, regarding the voices we listen to and believe.
What is your own attitude about the writings of Ellen White?
Why do you hold them? Think through your reasons for those
attitudes. Are you open to change, if need be?
108 T HURSDAY March 26
The Gift and Miracles
“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto
him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and tor-
ments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those
which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed
them” (Matt. 4:24).
Think about the ministry of Christ when He was here in the flesh.
Time and again, Jesus performed miracle after miracle. Whether turn-
ing water into wine (John 2:1–11), feeding the 5,000 (Matt.
14:14–21), healing the sick (Matt. 4:24), or raising the dead (John
11:1–45), Jesus punctuated His time here on earth with miracles, a
powerful testimony to His divine power.
Read Luke 24:13–27, the story of Jesus and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. What did He point them to in order to persuade them that Jesus of Nazareth was, indeed, the Messiah? Why is that answer so important to us, particularly in the context of the prophetic gift?
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Despite all the miraculous things that Christ did while here, He
pointed the two disciples to the Word of God and from the Bible alone
worked to teach them the truth about His death and resurrection and
what it all meant.
This point shouldn’t be overlooked. Over the years, there have been
numerous accounts of the miraculous ways in which the Lord worked
through the ministry of Ellen White. Some of these accounts are more
easily verifiable than others. Either way, in the end, our belief in the
manifestation of the gift should not rest on accounts of miracles and
so forth. Though they might have a role, the ultimate test must always
be the Word of God and how the gift harmonizes with the Bible.
Miracles are fine, but they are hardly the final test and mean nothing
if the teachings are unbiblical.
As with the inspiration of the Bible, questions remain about the
manifestation of the prophetic gift in the life of Ellen White. Yet, the
gift speaks for itself and gives the best testimony and witness regard-
ing itself. There’s little that we, or accounts of miracles, could or
should add. More than enough evidence has been given for anyone to
make an informed decision regarding the gift, regardless of the unan-
swered questions that we who “see through a glass, darkly” (1 Cor.
13:12) might still have.
109
F RIDAY March 27
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “Attitudes Toward the Testi-
monies,” pp. 40–48, in Selected Messages, book 1.
Opposition or indifference to the writings of Ellen G. White usually
is the result of (1) a failure to read enough of her writings to recognize
and understand her overall and well-balanced instructions; (2) a failure
to understand the proper relationship of her writings to Scripture; (3) a
failure to recognize the true nature of divine inspiration; (4) a failure to 1 recognize the principle of time and place in connection with the coun-
sel she has given; (5) a failure to acknowledge that her counsels are still
relevant today; (6) a failure to recognize that while sufficient evidence
is given to convince the honest in heart, the Lord does not remove the
opportunities for doubt; (7) an unwillingness to make a personal sacri-
fice of some cherished habit or practice that seems out of harmony 2 with the counsels given in the writings of Ellen G. White.
Most opposition to the Spirit of Prophecy would disappear (1) if
people would stop using some pet sentence or paragraph as a club
with which to hit somebody else; (2) if everyone would apply the
counsels to themselves instead of trying to apply them to someone
else; (3) if we would not quote her without knowing where the quote
is found (there are too many apocryphal sayings in existence); (4) if
we would not discuss something she wrote without having studied 3 everything she wrote on a particular topic (partial knowledge can be
more dangerous than no knowledge at all); (5) if we would recognize
that people’s failure to live up to or carry out the counsels that Ellen
White has given has nothing whatsoever to do with the reliability of
the visions and instructions.—Based on Denton E. Rebok, Believe His
Prophets (Washington, D.C.: The Review and Herald® Publishing
Association, 1956), pp. 309–312.
Discussion Questions:
●
1 As a class, talk about the blessings the Adventist Church has
received from the ministry of Ellen White. What are some favorite
quotations? How has her writing personally impacted each mem-
ber’s spiritual growth? At the same time, what struggles have peo-
ple sometimes had with her writings? What was the cause of those
problems, and how can we help folk work through them?
●2 Many new people coming to the Adventist Church have ques-
tions regarding Ellen White. What are some approaches we could
take in helping them come to a balanced understanding of the gift?
●
3 What have you learned this quarter that helps you better
understand the role of the Spirit of Prophecy? What positions
have you had to change? What new insights have you gained?
What questions still remain?
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I N S I D E Stor The Drunkard and the Tailor by FULGÊNCIO CHALUFOIA
I was a drunkard, and my drinking robbed me of everything. But a hum- ble tailor helped me find my way back from the edge of hell. I live in Mozambique. I kept my drinking a secret until I was married, hoping that I could stop. But I was powerless to stop. After we were mar- ried, my drinking only got worse. Sometimes I was so drunk I beat my wife, and she threatened to leave me. I went to a witch doctor, but he could not help me conquer my addiction. Finally my wife had enough; she left me. Desperate to stop drinking, I bought a Bible and began attending church. One Sunday on my way to church, I met a tailor working in his roadside shop. “Where are you going?” he asked. “To church,” I replied. “Why are you going today?” he asked. “Yesterday was God’s Sabbath day.” Curious, I stopped. The tailor told me that God had the answer to my drinking problem and offered to teach me the Bible. The tailor could not read, but he knew the Bible. He sat down beside me, opened a notebook filled with Bible references, and pointed to one. “Look up this verse,” he said. I found the Bible verses and read them. Then he explained what they meant. We read many Bible texts, and the tailor explained each one to me. Finally he told me to read Exodus 20. I read the Ten Commandments, and suddenly I realized that the Bible was filled with new truths that I had never read before. I asked the tailor what church he belonged to, and he told me the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He invited me to worship there the follow- ing Sabbath. I promised to be there as I continued on to my church to tell my friends what I had just learned. The next Sabbath I found the Adventist church and worshiped there. In that church I found God’s grace and the power to overcome alcohol and tobacco. It took some time, but with God’s help, I never smoked or drank again. My drinking had cost me everything—my job, my wife, my home. But God has given me my life back. I am happy in Jesus, and I have invited my friends to find Jesus as well. So far at least 15 of my friends have discov- ered God’s truth and joined the Adventist church because I shared with them what God has done for me. Your mission offerings help bring the gospel to thirsty souls everywhere.
FULGÊNCIO CHALUFOIA lives in Chimoio, Mozambique.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Web site: www.adventistmission.org 111 2009 Bible Study Guide for the Second Quarter
This quarter we will look at two important aspects of faith—
doctrine and experience. We will focus on 13 essential themes of the
Christian faith, 13 essential teachings. Each week’s lesson will
attempt to maintain a careful balance between a correct biblical
understanding of these various elements of our faith and how they
impact our daily experience. It’s our hope that by the end of the quar-
ter you will not only understand these themes better but also have
been enriched as far as your Christian experience is concerned. Each
lesson is not just about truth but about “the truth as it is in Jesus.”
After all, He is the One who is the Alpha and Omega of our faith.
There may be 13 different themes, but they will have one focus: the
One in whom “we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Lesson 1—Love
The Week at a Glance:
SUNDAY: Love—The Fabric of Life (Gen. 1:26, John 3:16)
MONDAY: The Old Testament God—A God of Love (Jer. 31:3)
TUESDAY: The New Testament God (Phil. 2:5–8 )
WEDNESDAY: A Response of Love (Matt. 5:44, 25:31–46, 1 Pet.
1:22)
THURSDAY: Love Personified (Luke 17:12–19)
Memory Text—1 Corinthians 13:13
Sabbath Gem: God is love. His love is more than we can
fathom. Our concept of love is often shallow in comparison with the
infinite love of God. Whatever else God is aside from love, what-
ever He has done, is doing, and will do—everything is a manifes-
tation of His never-ending love. Lesson 2—Faith
The Week at a Glance:
SUNDAY: A Gift From God (Rom. 10:17)
MONDAY: The Basis of Our Faith (John 5:39)
TUESDAY: Exercising Faith (Matt. 9:29)
WEDNESDAY: Growing in Faith (1 Cor. 16:13)
THURSDAY: Faith in a Person (1 Pet. 2:4–8)
Memory Text—Ephesians 2:8
Sabbath Gem: Faith is a deep-rooted assurance that affects an
entire person. It is a principle that governs life. Faith is the means
by which we reach out and grab hold of God’s promises that we
can’t see but trust are there.
Lessons for the Visually Impaired The regular Adult Sabbath School
Bible Study Guide is available free each month in braille and on audiocassette to
sight-impaired and physically handicapped persons who cannot read normal ink
print. This includes individuals who, because of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis,
accident, and so forth, cannot hold or focus on normal ink-print publications. Contact
Christian Record Services, Box 6097, Lincoln, NE 68506-0097.
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