The Gift of Prophecy

Conclusion

Ellen G. White’s use of Scripture is rich and wide-ranging. She consistently affirms the Bible as the church’s only rule for faith and practice, and the test of all Christian experience. She even gives Scripture priority over nature, which God created. Scripture is inspired and carries divine authority and hence functions as the norm for theology and practical life. For her, Scripture is its own expositor. It is possible to compare scripture with scripture because Ellen G. White believed in the unity and clarity of Scripture. In her writings she employed and applied virtually the whole of Scripture, Old Testament and New Testament. The apocalyptic books of Daniel and Revelation provided the backdrop for her presentation of a cosmic metanarrative that can be seen as a comprehensive framework for much of what she wrote. GOP 318.2

In her use of the Bible, Ellen G. White consistently displayed a reverence and deep love for the Word of God. Her approach to the Bible is characterized by respect and gratefulness toward the Word of God. Alberto R. Timm has aptly pointed out that “we should also take into more serious consideration the respectful way in which all true prophets dealt with the writings of other prophets. None of the New Testament prophets pointed out factual errors in the Old Testament, nor did Ellen White in regard to the Bible.” ⁹⁴ Ellen G. White always approaches the Bible in the spirit of Christ, in the spirit of biblical writers, and in the attitude of a humble learner affirming the trustworthiness and infallibility of Scripture. While she is aware that in transmission and the process of copying the Bible some mistakes were made, it is remarkable that she never saw it as her task to pinpoint these mistakes or elaborate on any deficiencies or so-called biblical errors. Instead she emphasized the trustworthiness and sufficiency of Scripture, which is the living Word of God. GOP 318.3

May we be inspired to learn from Ellen G. White to use the Bible in a similar way, building trust in God’s Word rather than sowing doubt, using the Bible to build faith rather than using it to destroy faith through an attitude of critical skepticism. May we be grounded in Scripture, obedient to Scripture, ever learning from and faithful to Scripture, just as Ellen G. White was, so that the living Word of God can change our lives and strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ, our only Savior, and kindle our love for God the Father through the work of the Holy Spirit. GOP 319.1