everlasting-gospels.gif  Moving Toward A Doctrne Of Spiritual Gifts-2
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May 2  Moving Toward A Doctrine Of Spiritual Gifts-2

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The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. Ps. 119:130.

Yesterday we noted that James White highlighted the supremacy of the Bible as the teacher for Christians of their duties. According to him the function of the gift of prophecy was not only to confirm the truths already gathered from the Bible and to help unify God's people on the Bible's teachings, but also to "bring you back to the Bible" itself.

There is an important point here. One of the poper functions of spiritual gifts is to bring people back to the Bible. In making that point, James hit upon a crucial understanding. All too often Adventsts have failed to understand the correct role of spiritual gifts. Some have even gone so far as to spend more time and energy studying Ellen White's writings than the Bible.

Such a course flies in the face of the understanding of her work set forth by James and Ellen White and all the other pioneers of Seventh-day Adventism. From Ellen White's perspective, such people have made the "lesser light" into the "greater light" by relegating the Bible to second place.

"The word of God [the Bible]," she penned, "is sufficient to enlighten the most beclouded mind and may be understood by those who have any desire to understand it. But notwithstanding all this, some who profess to make the word of God their study are found living in direct opposition to its plainest teachings. Then, to leave men and women without excuse, God gives plain and pointed testimonies, bringing them back to the word that they have neglected to follow"(5T 663; italics supplied).

Again, "Brother J would confuse the mind by seeking to make it appear that the light God has given through the Testimonies is an addition to the word of God, but in this he presents the matter in a false light. God has seen fit in this manner to bring the minds of His people to His word"(ibid.) "Little heed," Ellen White wrote in another connection, "is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light"(CM 125).

The Adventist poineers were consistently assertive in the role of Ellen White as being a pointer to the Bible rather than being the source for doctrine. In fact, one reason I personally believe that she is a true prophet that she continually directs her readers to Jesus as Savior and to the Bible as the light. 

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May we today follow her counsel.

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