Counsels on Christian Worldview

Counsel #4 — Literary Assistants

Picture: Counsel #4 — Literary Assistants CCW 156.1

Ellen White used assistants to help her edit and compile her writings. Those who think God dictates to His prophets or controls them like a robot view this as evidence that Ellen White was a false prophet. However, much of the Bible was also written by prophets who freely expressed divine ideas in their own words. Sometimes, God’s prophets had assistants to help them. Moses was assisted by his brother Aaron, Elijah by Elisha, Elisha by Gehazi, Jeremiah by Baruch, and Paul by Tertius (Romans 16:22). Some of these assistants spoke God’s message on behalf of the prophet, and some of them assisted by writing.^[231] CCW 156.2

“And they asked Baruch, saying, ‘Tell us now, how did you write all these words—at his instruction?’ So Baruch answered them, ‘He proclaimed with his mouth all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink in the book.”” Jeremiah 36:17, 18 NKJV CCW 156.3

“While my husband lived, he acted as a helper and counselor in the sending out of the messages that were given to me. As the work grew, others assisted me in the preparation of matter for publication. After my husband’s death, faithful helpers joined me, who labored untiringly in the work of copying the testimonies and preparing articles for publication. But the reports that are circulated that any of my helpers are permitted to add matter or change the meaning of the messages I write out are not true.” Ellen White in Letters and Manuscripts, vol. 21, Letter 225, 1906, par. 7 CCW 156.4

Reflect: How does the collaboration between a prophet and an assistant impact the human element of inspired writing? CCW 156.5