Ellen who?  Ellen G. White, you know her, right?

Some reading this post won’t even know who Ellen G. White is and what level of importance is placed on her inside the Adventist church.  In short, Ellen G. White is the founder of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and is considered a divinely inspired prophetess who had the Spirit of Prophecy manifested through ALL of her writings.  Adventism would not exist without the leadership, writings, and teachings of Ellen G. White.

While this article is not meant to detail the life, work, and writings of Ellen G. White; I will be posting additional articles to help others better understand the role and place inside the Adventist church.

For now, we will address the most important framework in Adventist hermeneutics (the process of interpreting Scripture). Making sure ALL interpretations align with the writings of Ellen G. White.  Inside the Adventist Church Proper, this statement is an absolute and unchangeable reality:

Ellen G. White is always right. The Bible must be interpreted so that it always agrees with her statements, views, and theology.

Let me be clear before I proceed. This article is not meant to disparage anyone in the church. I simply want to address the reality of how Scripture is interpreted within the Adventist framework.

Here is an example of how this will show up in the way Adventists understand Scripture and interpret its meaning and application. Ellen White claims that Satan is the scapegoat and the ‘sin-bearer’ for all humanity because he started it all; therefore, Adventists believe that Satan is the scapegoat and sin-bearer. If she said it, it must be so!

Ellen White says,

“Man, who has defaced the image of God in his soul by a corrupt life, cannot, by mere human effort, effect a radical change in himself. He must accept the provisions of the gospel; he must be reconciled to God through obedience to His law and faith in Jesus Christ.” [1]

First, this is an immediate contradiction with itself. How can one be changed through their own obedience to the law, but we cannot change by our effort?

This statement shows Ellen White’s formula for Sanctification:

Faith + Perfect Obedience to the Law = Sanctification

How does one reconcile statements like this if, hermeneutically, one must let Ellen White interpret the Scriptures? It has been my experience that Adventists will twist and inject E.G. White’isms into the way they see and interpret the Bible. Adventists will torture, manipulate, and jump to conclusions so that Scripture will say what Ellen White said despite Scripture speaking clearly on the topic. Romans 5:8-10 teaches the opposite of Ellen:

“…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Ro 5:8–10)

Ephesians 2:8-9 is very clear and to the point:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8–9)

It confounds me the lengths to which seemingly intelligent Adventists will go to make sure the Bible says what a frail human being in the late 1800’s says on the topic.

Why does someone, removed from Ellen White by over 110 years, feel the need to allow her to interpret the Bible for them?

Answering this question of ‘why the need to allow Ellen to interpret Scripture’, gives insight into the level of importance Adventism places on Ellen White. It is evident by the Official Statement of Confidence directly from the General Conference that the Adventist Church Proper believes that Ellen White is the infallible interpreter of Scripture:

“We reaffirm our conviction that her writings are divinely inspired, truly Christ-centered, and Bible-based. Rather than replacing the Bible, they uplift the normative character of Scripture and correct inaccurate interpretations of it derived from tradition, human reason, personal experience, and modern culture.” [2]

I have said this before, but human writings cannot ‘correct inaccurate interpretations’ unless they are infallible and true. Giving the status of ‘correct interpretation’ is attaching the idea of infallibility without directly stating it. Here, you can see the Adventist church’s perspective regarding ALL of Ellen White’s writings.

One must understand that the Adventist view of Ellen White being able to correct inaccurate interpretations is 100% at odds with the Sola Scriptura concept that began with Martin Luther. Sola Scriptura doesn’t just mean “the Bible and the Bible alone.”  It deals with an important distinction regarding where the authority of interpretation is derived.

[Sola Scriptura], “one of Martin Luther’s famous rubrics maxims, this phrase means “Scripture alone.” This should be understood in contrast to the Roman Catholic view that authority resides both in Scripture and in the “living tradition of the church,” i.e., the rulings of popes and general councils.” [3]

Luther wanted to reform the Roman Catholic church back to an honest version of the church.  Many forget that Luther was Roman Catholic when he began speaking out against and attempting to reform the Church.  Luther believed that Scripture was the only infallible interpreter with the authority to correct interpretations.  Not both Scripture and the traditions of the church, popes, and general councils.

Based on the statement of confidence from the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference, we can see that Adventists believe that BOTH Scripture and the writings of Ellen G. White ‘correct inaccurate interpretations.’

Another use of this faulty hermeneutics is Ellen White’s statement that the Sabbath is “the seal of God,” without which no one can be saved. Here are a few quotes that back up this statement. It’s important to understand that this theme was NOT a one-off comment but rather a recurring idea used to control the direction of the church body and the doctrines of the Adventist church.

“The sign or seal of God is his Sabbath, and the seal or mark of the beast is in direct opposition to it; it is a counterfeit Sabbath on the ‘day of the sun.’” [4]

“If parents allow their children to receive an education with the world, and make the Sabbath a common day, then the seal of God cannot be placed upon them. They will be destroyed with the world;” [5]

“The sign or seal of God is the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, and the Lord’s memorial of his work of creation.” [6]

“The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God.…”

 

“Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed. There are many even among those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads. They had the light of truth, they knew their Master’s will, they understood every point of our faith, but they had not corresponding works.…”

 

“Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples.…” [7]

It is clear that Ellen White taught that one must keep the Sabbath to be ‘sealed by God.’ Where she gets this in Scripture, Adventists don’t know. They accept this for what it is and then read it into the Bible. The Church doggedly believes and teaches this without reservation, even though the Bible is replete with statements that the Holy Spirit is the Seal of God, without whom we cannot be saved!

Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” You also have texts like 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 that state profoundly, “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” Ephesians 1:13-14 affirms, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” And if you move a couple of chapters to Ephesians 4:30, Paul reiterates, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Who will you trust to form your belief system, Ellen G. White or the Bible? They absolutely and unequivocally contradict each other.

Who will you trust to inform your belief system and framework?

The last example to reinforce this faulty hermeneutic is the statement from Ellen White that the Sabbath and Sunday worship will have eschatological salvific implications. She was so bold about her concept of the Sabbath that she taught the Sabbath will determine our salvation and that Sunday is the dreaded ‘mark of the beast’ that will cause one to be damned to hell. Or, at least, at minimum, on the slow road to perdition and label apostate!

 

“There is one point that I wish to lay before those who work in the Southern field. Among the colored people, they will have to labor in different lines from those followed in the North. They can not go to the South and present the real facts in reference to Sunday-keeping being the mark of the beast, and encourage the colored people to work on Sunday: for the same spirit that held the colored people in slavery is not dead, but alive today, and ready to spring into activity.” [8]

It’s important to note that not only was she concerned for the missionaries going to the South because of the potential of taking on the ‘mark of the beast,’ but she also stated that it would be different in the South because of the slavery oppression. This forced work placed a ‘mark of the beast’ on those in the South who needed freedom.

She was clear that working on Sunday or being asked to refrain from work on Sunday doesn’t give you the ‘mark of the beast.’

“Refraining from work on Sunday is not receiving the mark of the beast.… In places where the opposition is so strong as to arouse persecution, if work is done on Sunday, let our brethren make that day an occasion to do genuine missionary work.” [9]

Instead, as stated above, she taught that worshiping on Sunday and NOT keeping the Sabbath Holy, a requirement for salvation, was the actual ‘mark of the beast.’ Adventists to this day believe and teach this despite the consistent biblical teaching that Christians can worship God on any day (John 4:21-24), that the Sabbath is NOT binding on believers (Romans 14:5-6, Col 2:16-17), that believers in the Old and New Testament periods worshiped on Sunday without displeasing God (Heb 10:24-25, Rev 1:10), and that days of observance are based on personal conviction (Col 2:16-17).

If one is to understand the views and perspectives of the Adventist doctrines honestly, one must better understand the Ellen G. White lens through which ALL interpretations are viewed. While Ellen G. White never made one Adventist doctrine, she was the divine stamp of approval on all doctrines developed during her lifetime. The Adventist Church Proper uses the same method today, even though she passed away in 1915. They continue to use her literary estate to stamp interpretations and doctrines as ‘TRUTH’ from God.

As we move forward into further articles about Ellen and her involvement in the Church’s history, leadership, and Biblical understanding, I hope that this article will serve as the foundation for a better understanding of the teachings that will become glaringly at odds with Scripture.

The struggle for correct teaching and understanding has been very real ever since the Apostolic period.  Paul wrote this to the Galatians.  It would be wise to heed his caution!

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—  not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.  As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Ga 1:6–9)

May God continue to bless each of you as you wrestle with the Word of God. Let it change you, changing your perspective of who God is and the sound doctrines He wants you to believe.

In Christian Love,

 

 

 

[1] Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4 (Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1855), 294.

[2] Conference of SDA, “Statement of Confidence in the Writings of Ellen G White – Adventist.Org.”

[3] Nathan P. Feldmeth, Pocket Dictionary of Church History: Over 300 Terms Clearly and Concisely Defined, The IVP Pocket Reference Series (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008), 127.

[4] Ellen Gould White, The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan; Great Controversy (Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1888), 691.

[5] Ellen Gould White, Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-Day Adventists (Basle: Imprimerie Polyglotte, 1886), 217.

[6] Ellen Gould White, Special Testimony to Battle Creek Church (PH086), 1898, 6.

[7] Ellen Gould White, Maranatha, The Lord Is Coming (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1976), 240.

[8] Ellen Gould White, Spalding and Magan Collection (Leaves-Of-Autumn Books, 1916), 19–20.

[9] Ellen Gould White, Last Day Events (Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1992), 139.