Early SDA Writers: Are they Inspired?To a person confused by the contradictory information in early SDA books (Non SOP) Did you get the statement I sent you that Smith originally took the stand of our Pioneers but LATER changed? Later then his false stand was adopted by ones who sided with him in rebellion against SOP. When you get to know the sad HISTORY of rebellion in our denomination - you will understand the situation. Many books can be used for their good parts and if you get solidly grounded in Bible and SOP - you can recognize the bad parts. God would have given much more detail through EGW if our leaders had not set their determination to go their own way regardless. When men refuse to listen - God stops talking! Did you know that at one point in the 1900s, the leaders had refused to listen to any counsel from the Lord and went their own way - then they got into a royal mess! So they sent a group of the top men out to talk to EGW at Elmshaven. She sat and listened to what they had to say-- then she got up without saying a word - walked out of the room and quietly shut the door!!
Now SDAs today don't know these things and it is important that we know them to understand what we must be able to do today.
I am going to tell you a secret - I know all about your sense of confusion and darkness - not knowing who to believe - I went through it big time!! BUT I want to tell you there is an answer and that answer is Bible and SOP!! It is hard for me to say don't read other books - because they are helpful - and I write myself - BUT Here is what I have learned: I only read other writers for HISTORICAL FACTS - information about things that are happening - BUT I only use Bible and SOP for doctrine and do not read so called spiritual books put out these days or much of what was put out in past. I will read people whose whole fabric of what they write is SOP - BUT I check the quotes myself on my CD and make sure they are right and I also read context and look up key words for comparison. You know, over and over again EGW tells us to dig for truth as for hidden treasure - but we tend to want it handed to us on a platter. Some of the platters we reach for are a mixture of truth and error, and nothing is more dangerous. EGW warned the publishers at the late 1800s and early 1900s NOT to keep printing book after book - Did you know we were to take the SOP to the world? Yes, that is what we were to sell - the words given by God - not the words of men too proud to accept rebuke and counsel from the Prophet! By the way - here is the REAL GOOD NEWS for you - There ARE enough clues and information in the SOP to tell us what is true in prophetic interpretation!! It is there - but again we have to dig for it. God was not able to give us as much as He wanted to, as the people and leaders refused it and are still refusing it - but He hid it all there for those like you and me who love Truth enough to search for it - and we can know it and He will personally teach it to us through the Bible and SOP - when we ask Him to send the Holy Spirit to be our personal Teacher.
Here is a quote to back up what I am telling you:
Now see what she tells us? She says WHEN they are BETTER understood! She wrote this in 1900 - Daniel and Revelation by Smith was being sold - and yet she said - the bible books of Daniel and Revelation needed to be BETTER understood- if what Smith put out was 100% on - she could have said, we have this understanding - go read Smith's book! Smith's book has value- mostly for the HISTORICAL information - I use it as a history book, not a doctrinal book. You see these men used worldly books to get their ideas like our 'educated' people are doing today - the SOP was beneath the notice of such pompous men. There is only one thing that will prevent a person from coming to a clear knowledge of truth if he is willing to put effort into it - That one thing is PRIDE of opinion! A person comes to some information that runs contrary to what he was taught or believed and he digs in and refuses to change his opinions, then he looses the Holy Spirit after a while and is left to his own darkness. EGW says we have MUCH to learn and MUCH MUCH to unlearn, see we have more to unlearn than to learn! I have had to admit I was wrong so many times as I studied - but know I believe Bible and SOP no matter how it crosses my path! May God help us all to do this always is my prayer!! I know that when you receive the book called "Broken Blueprints" and read it- you will understand more about the situation in the church at the time of the later life of Haskell and Smith. I had one person a while back that sent me a stand on doctrine and used the writings of Loughborough to prove her point. I wrote to her an explained that while I appreciate the work of this man and his books on the history of our church and the history of EGW and the SOP are most interesting and encouraging, and there is no doubt that the Lord wanted him to write this for us who come later; but he is not an inspired writer. You see this is why we always have to use Bible and SOP to verify the doctrinal stands of these people; we must not make the mistake that many have made with Smith, Jones, Waggoner, Haskell, Prescott and others that because at some point the prophet commented favorably on a book or a message, that this means we can take every word of that person as from the mouth of God. It just is not so. Many of these were led astray and many who follow BLINDLY their writings go astray also. But God works with us, erring and backward and slow to learn as we are.
It is interesting that while Haskell later repented for his moving away from the SOP, we do not know if Smith ever did. EGW had a great burden for him as also for Kellogg - who went his own way and never to our knowledge repented.
Bible & SOP study will allow you to be well grounded and able to spot deviations. I have often read historical material by different writers and been blessed - then I would hit into something and say "OH OH! where is he going now??" Sometimes it is because some new influence has come into the writer's life at a certain point: with Smith it was an almost insane jealousy and rivalry with James White that later transferred to EGW after James died.
It is essential always to pray for the Holy Spirit to teach you all things: make plain to Him that you want TRUTH and you will not let loyalty to any man or group of men keep you from accepting what He shows you is TRUTH. I have a little motto on my site that says a lot-
TRUTH IS TRUTH
It doesn't cease being truth just because it
offends us. "Truth is always Simple- Error is complicated!" "Everything bearing the divine stamp unites simplicity with utility." 3T -409
Another question about SDA Authors:
Greetings in Jesus;
I can not tell you for sure about the book 'Coming of
the Comforter' . I have never read it. I can offer a few suggestions
though - A man can be on track and produce materials that are OK while
he is and later go off track -- we see this happen with A T Jones and
Waggoner- they produced some worthwhile material but gradually
apostatized and ended up in big error.
I will share with you a rule I have for myself and
also Br.V. follows this same practice. I do NOT read anything for
doctrinal information EXCEPT Bible, and SOP - and compilations that are
mostly Bible & SOP on a subject - such as Pilgrims' Rest produces
in books and some tracts. Absolutely not! It is so easy for a smooth
talker to lead a dunce like me into error. I have to have my spiritual
food pure and from inspired sources. I fully believe that it is not safe
to rely on any uninspired book for doctrinal information. The errors
these days are way too subtle.
ALSO of course; always plead with God in the name of
Jesus to send you the Holy Spirit to teach you all things as He has
promised. REMEMBER though, that the Holy Spirit works with you as you
read INSPIRED material, the sparks of man's kindling do not receive the
holy fire.
If I want to understand all about the Holy Spirit - I
use SOP and Bible; if I want to understand Righteousness by faith - I
use SOP and Bible etc.
SO do I never read any other books? YES; I read books
for HISTORY facts; church history, world history, prophetic history,
natural history and I read BIOGRAPHIES of godly persons and again this
is for historical facts and testimonies of experience. But for
doctrine-- I would stick straight to inspiration and even those other
materials, I compare with inspiration, and trash what does not line up.
'Temcat'
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