Because That Pastor You Really Like Just Quoted Her
You are on a roll. You find an evangelist or pastor that you really enjoy and you marathon-listen to his or her sermons on Youtube or Audioverse. Then, after several fantastic messages, it happens: Ellen White is quoted.
Your breath catches in your throat. You may roll your eyes. You may even turn off the recording altogether.
I hope that you haven’t given up on that speaker, because we all have a lot to learn.
Because Modern Research Supports Her
You start to get curious about this Ellen White so many of us Adventists speak of. You may pick up an old book you tried to read in college, or when they had a good sale at the ABC. You may run a few web searches and see if you find something interesting.
I hope you find that modern research supports Mrs. White. You may stumble upon something called The China Study which supports Ellen White’s remarks about diet and nutrition.
I also hope you find that new research from the Barna Group supports Ellen White’s remarks on parenting in Child Guidance, Education, and Adventist Home.
Because the Bible Supports Her
You cannot argue with the Bible. As you listen to or read Mrs. White’s comments you may realize that she has amazing things to say about God’s Word. At the same time, the Bible says amazing things about prophets! Second Peter 1:21 says, “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” There are scriptures that follow this sentiment–prophecies are from God alone. Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 14:3 we see that, “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” Prophecies are meant to be a positive thing. They are meant to edify, exhort, and comfort. These are all positive words. I think we can collectively agree that Mrs. White’s many books, letters, and pamphlets were meant for these things. If you get negative feelings from them, I urge you to prayerfully search yourself to see why.
Because She Doesn’t Replace Your Bible
Nothing you use to study the Bible should replace prayer and relationship with Jesus. If you are in a prayerful and committed relationship with God, then you will not be swayed by other material. It is okay to study Mrs. White just as it is okay to study use a Beth Moore devotional study, or listen to Doug Batchelor on Youtube. Unfortunately, many people looking at our churches and families from the outside assume that we have replaced the Bible with Mrs. White. They see this as wrong, and it is! Ellen G. White doesn’t have the authority to replace your Holy Bible, and no one has given her this authority. All you have to do in your own household to protect God’s Word is to read it. Read Mrs. White, read whoever you want, and then read the Bible. Read it often, read it thoroughly, and read it as a family.
*Photo courtesy of the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.
