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Commentary on "Testing the Prophets"
Day 5: Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The central focus of the Christian faith is the nature and work of Jesus Christ.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world (I John 4:1-3 KJV).
Problems
Each and every Christian is the 'Beloved' addressed in the above passage. All Christians are commanded to test the spirits and see if they "confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh". This is vital because, as stated in Acts 4:12, "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved". Our salvation is at stake by who we confess to be our Savior.
Who carried our sins to the grave?
Ellen G. White, with reference to Lev. 16:7-10, teaches the Satan is the Scapegoat who ultimately will carry our sins to 'the place unknown'. There is no Scripture reference to support this view.
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (I Peter 2:24 KJV).
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors (Isa. 53:12 KJV).
When did Jesus sit down at the "right-hand of the Father"?
Adventist theology, based on Ellen G. White's teachings, believe that on the date of Oct. 22, 1844, Jesus entered the Most Holy of Holies and sat down at the right hand of the Father. Let's look at what the Bible has to say:
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:1-3 KJV).
According to the Bible, this heavenly “seating” happened long before 1844. See also I Peter 3:22.
What (or who) is the Seal of our salvation?
Ellen G. White teaches that the Seal of the 'Remnant Church' (the true Body of Christ) is the Sabbath. The Bible has something different to say:
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:11-14 KJV).
What defiles the Body of Christ?
Ellen G. White uses I Cor. 3:16,17 to support her Health Message on the premise that what we eat can defile the Temple of the Holy Spirit, our bodies.
If you start at the beginning of this chapter, you see that what really defiles the Temple of the Holy Spirit is worldly human ambition that causes us to make someone so important that we take our focus off of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man (Matt. 15:9-11 KJV).
Could Jesus have sinned?
In the SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1128, we find the following statement. Does this come from the Bible or is Ellen G. White the source?
"But Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God. He took upon Himself human nature, and was tempted in all points as human nature is tempted. He could have sinned; He could have fallen, but not for one moment was there in Him an evil propensity. He was assailed with temptations in the wilderness, as Adam was assailed with temptations in Eden."
According to Col. 1:19, in Jesus "all fulness dwell" of his Father. Whatever is true of the Father is also true of the Son. God can not and never will sin. Neither could Jesus; then, now or ever. See also; Col 2:9; Heb. 4:15; James 1:13.
Summary
- There is a clear difference between what the Bible teaches and what Ellen G. White has to say. There is a choice to be made. Where are you to place your faith? Is it to be Ellen's Jesus or the Jesus of the Bible?
Copyright 2009 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised January 26, 2009. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com. Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.
Official Adventist Resources
Standard Edition Study Guide Week 6
Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 6
Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Week 6
Search the Complete Published Ellen G. White Writings