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Ellen White and the Use of “Three” Concerning the Godhead

reddogs

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There are a number of statements in the Spirit of prophecy on the Godhead and I came across this study of how and when it was presented with the use of 'three'. Very insteresting..

SOP uses "three great powers of heaven”
“three highest powers"
"third person of the godhead"
“the threefold name”
“three living persons of the heavenly trio”
“three great worthies”.
and the times of their usage...
dates of first occurrence and number of times published for each expression:
third person of the Godhead
1896, 1897, 1898,____________________1904, 1905,_____1908
the threefold name
________________1900
three great powers of heaven
____________________1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907,_________1910
three highest powers
___________________________________1904, 1905, 1907, 1908, 1909
three great worthies, three holiest beings, three persons of the heavenly trio
___________________________________________1906'

The scriptural support for there are “three great powers” or “three highest powers.”
This is clearly revealed in Scripture.
1. “The power of the Most High” Luke 1:35; “the power of God” Rom 1:16
2. “Christ the power and wisdom of God” 1Cor 1:24; “the power of our Lord Jesus Christ” 1Cor 5:4
3. “through the power of the Holy Ghost” Rom 15:13; “power of the Spirit of God” Rom 15:19

Now here is the really interesting assertion in the study...

The Dividing Line –
Inheritance versus Self-Originated Life
While there is no dispute concerning the existence of the three highest powers, there is a difference of understanding on the relationship of these three powers. I submit to you for your consideration that there is an assumption in this question that these three powers are all self-originated powers with no possibility of inheritance. There is an assumption that inheritance would disqualify a person from being considered Divine.
This assumption is unwittingly reflected in the slight misquoting of the statement “three Living persons in the heavenly trio.”The statement actually says “three living persons of the heavenly trio.” Is there a difference between in and of? The word in gives the sense of “contained within” while of gives the sense of emerging or coming out of. This, for some, may not alter the meaning but in my mind it leans towards a relationship of the three powers of coming out from one source point. I will offer several considerations for the inherited Divinity of Christ as the most normal, literal and grammatical way of reading the Scriptures and Ellen White.
A. Terms of Father and Son

What is the normal, literal and grammatical meaning of these terms? Check this study Father and Son | Fountain of Living Waters to see the manifold expressions of Father and Son, Son of God, Father and His Son. All of these references speak to the reality of the Son coming from the Father. A careful reading of the latter section of Testimonies Vol 8 reveals clearly the identities of Father and Son. For instance:
The Scriptures clearly indicate the relation between God and Christ, and they bring to view as clearly the personality and individuality of each.
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?" Hebrews 1:1-5.
God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to His Son. {8T 268}
In the first paragraph Ellen White states the clear relation of Father and Son. In Paragraph two, she supports this relation and distinction with Heb 1:1-5 and then in paragraph 3 states plainly God is the Father of Christ, Christ is the Son of God. The normal, literal and grammatical meaning of this is straight forward. It is simply expressing the literal understanding of the terms Father and Son.
As James White states “The simple language of the Scriptures represent the Father and Son as two distinct persons. With this view of the subject there are meaning and force to language which speaks of the Father and the Son.” James White, Review and Herald, June 6, 1871
We might also mention Prov 8:22-30 with Ellen White’s direct reference to being brought forth:
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by Him as His right. This was no robbery of God. "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way," He declares, "before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth" (Proverbs 8:22-27). Review and Herald, April 5, 1906
Once again:
“Through Solomon Christ declared: ‘The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.’” Signs of the Times Aug 29, 1900
And again:
And the Son of God declares concerning Himself: "The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting. . . . When He appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him." Proverbs 8:22-30. Patriarchs and Prophets p. 34, 1890

I see no reference to personification, metaphor or symbolism in the quotes above; such concepts did not arise until the 1950’s.'
 

stinsonmarri

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This is treadful ground on this web unless you go where they want you to speak about the Trio. Remember that EGW books were edited for publication. EGW and James White did not believe in the one theory that is based on Catholic Church. The word is used by all churches today including the SDA, but not according to the Bible. "Person" if you look up this word it means human and the Trio are not human.

What many also believe that is not Biblical is this misunderstanding of the word "spirit." Most think ghost and spirit is the same thing, they are not. Ghost does not exist but spirits do. What man has attempted to imply is that a spirit is not a being which again is false. We take the metaphor approach when the Bible says hands, nostril, feet, mouth, and hair and so on when speaking about the Trio or other spiritual beings. Man has tried to keep the Trio like the mythical gods of Olympia that had human or person traits. What we fail to realize in Gen 1:26 that we were made in the resemblance of the Trio and Their character. We look exactly like the Trio and also act like the Trio. However there is one difference the Trio can materialize through metal or other things that we cannot do. Simple the Trio molecular structure is not made like ours. Ours contain both flesh and blood, so all spiritual beings like angels and the Trio do not have.

This is the reason that Yashua came in the flesh with uncontaminated blood like Adam. He then died in the flesh, but His body has been changed like ours will be without the flesh and blood. What is flesh and blood all the tissue and structure that needs the blood. That will not be all of the body or the bone, nerve and other function of the body that do not need to eliminate waste. (Luke 24:13-43) The word flesh was used in this Scripture in the Greek which means the skin because the Bible makes it clear that flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 1Co 15:50) We will become changed just like Yashua and also eat at the Welcome Table. The Trio are One as a husband and wife is one which means unity look it up. That is what EJW believed as grew in to later years of life!

Happy Sabbath
stinsonmarri
 
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