"The words of the Bible, and the Bible alone,
should be heard from the pulpit."
Prophets & Kings, pg. 626
This is very interesting as many Adventist Pastors regularly use statements from Ellen White's writings......
"..Particular context of the quotation
The statement in question "The words of the Bible, and the Bible alone, should be heard from the pulpit" occurs in the midst of the discussion of the contrasting sides of the battle in the last conflict from paragraphs 23 and 24. The contrasts are developed as follows:
The laws of men................................The precepts of Jehovah
Error.......................................................Truth
Religions of fable and tradition.........Religion of the Bible
Explaining away Bible's truths..........Implicit confidence in the Scriptures
An imaginary religion, a religion
of words and forms, where truth
is kept in the outer court...................Diligently studying the Word of God
Tradition, human theories
and maxims......................................The word of God
Religions of fable and tradition
Further insight into Mrs. White's meaning can be gained by considering other places in her writings where she wrote about the religions of fable and tradition…
It is worthy to note the teaching of that Bible: "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit...For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:4,13. It is evident that the true gift of prophecy also comes from God, and so is of the same source. The Bible writers were all inspired of God and moved by God and drank from the same Spirit. E. G. White drank from the same Spirit. Thus qualitatively there can be no difference in the degree of inspiration of her writings, or in their spiritual authority as compared to the Bible. Yet we are wise to maintain the distinction that the Bible is canon (measure, tester, etc.) for the world, and to establish all of our principles primarily upon the Bible. Do the E. G. White writings constitute a Deuterocanon (second set of measure) for Seventh-day Adventists today? Remember, the Deuterocanonical books accepted by Roman Catholicism are uninspired and virtually unquoted throughout the New Testament; it can be well argued that based on their content they are inconsistent with the rest of the Bible and we have no reason to accept them as infallible light from heaven. But when we come to the E. G. White writings, we do indeed have no shortage of indications that they are consistent with the Bible and are indeed sent to us as light from the very same source...."excerpts from Using Ellen White's Writings from the Pulpit? by [SIZE=-1]Larry Kirkpatrick.[/SIZE]
should be heard from the pulpit."
Prophets & Kings, pg. 626
This is very interesting as many Adventist Pastors regularly use statements from Ellen White's writings......
"..Particular context of the quotation
The statement in question "The words of the Bible, and the Bible alone, should be heard from the pulpit" occurs in the midst of the discussion of the contrasting sides of the battle in the last conflict from paragraphs 23 and 24. The contrasts are developed as follows:
The laws of men................................The precepts of Jehovah
Error.......................................................Truth
Religions of fable and tradition.........Religion of the Bible
Explaining away Bible's truths..........Implicit confidence in the Scriptures
An imaginary religion, a religion
of words and forms, where truth
is kept in the outer court...................Diligently studying the Word of God
Tradition, human theories
and maxims......................................The word of God
Religions of fable and tradition
Further insight into Mrs. White's meaning can be gained by considering other places in her writings where she wrote about the religions of fable and tradition…
GC 582,583 The last great conflict between truth and error is but the final struggle of the long-standing controversy concerning the law of God. Upon this battle we are now entering - a battle between the laws of men and the precepts of Jehovah, between the religion of the Bible and the religion of fable and tradition.
ST May 7, 1902 Christ came as One able to expound the law of God, so long misunderstood and misinterpreted by priests and leaders. He tore away the gloomy framework of error and doubt, tradition and superstition, with which men had surrounded truth and obscured its brightness. Resetting the jewels of truth in the framework of God's law, He caused them to shine in their original heavenly luster. He taught a religion entirely different from the religion taught by the Pharisees. He showed that true happiness springs from purity of heart. True religion is not a mere theory; it affects the heart, and is expressed in the life by good works.
Manuscript Releases, Vol. 8, pg. 185 Bible religion is not made up of theological systems, creeds, theories, and tradition, for then it would not remain a mystery. The worldly would understand it through their own natural abilities. But religion, Bible religion, has a practical saving energy, elements proceeding wholly from God - a personal experience of God's power transforming the entire man. MS 30, 1889, p. 23. DA 32 At this time the systems of heathenism were losing their hold upon the people. Men were weary of pageant and fable. They longed for a religion that could satisfy the heart.
The final conflict presents itself as one between truth derived from God versus error derived from heathenish religious systems which are unable to link their adherents to heaven. The source content of these opposing systems is from heaven versus from beneath. It is true that here Mrs. White specifically points to the Bible. And yet it is true that behind this is the fact that the reason she points to the Bible is because its ultimate source is God. The underlying principle is that true religion comes from God. She here contrasts the deceptive sources of Satan in fables and traditions, with the true source of God, represented in the religion of the Bible. It is worthy to note the teaching of that Bible: "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit...For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:4,13. It is evident that the true gift of prophecy also comes from God, and so is of the same source. The Bible writers were all inspired of God and moved by God and drank from the same Spirit. E. G. White drank from the same Spirit. Thus qualitatively there can be no difference in the degree of inspiration of her writings, or in their spiritual authority as compared to the Bible. Yet we are wise to maintain the distinction that the Bible is canon (measure, tester, etc.) for the world, and to establish all of our principles primarily upon the Bible. Do the E. G. White writings constitute a Deuterocanon (second set of measure) for Seventh-day Adventists today? Remember, the Deuterocanonical books accepted by Roman Catholicism are uninspired and virtually unquoted throughout the New Testament; it can be well argued that based on their content they are inconsistent with the rest of the Bible and we have no reason to accept them as infallible light from heaven. But when we come to the E. G. White writings, we do indeed have no shortage of indications that they are consistent with the Bible and are indeed sent to us as light from the very same source...."excerpts from Using Ellen White's Writings from the Pulpit? by [SIZE=-1]Larry Kirkpatrick.[/SIZE]
