Part II: Ellen White and Scripture
The second key focus for correctly interpreting Ellen G. White and her writings is her continuous alignment with Scripture. One of the fundamental tenets of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is that the gifts of the Spirit listed by the apostle Paul in Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 4:11-13, and 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 extend beyond the first century A.D. and may be expected until the second coming of Christ. Among these gifts is prophecy, which Adventists believe was manifested in the life and ministry of Ellen White. GOP 280.1
This belief has led to misunderstandings by some Protestants who conclude that a modern manifestation of the gift of prophecy undermines one of the fundamental tenets of the Reformation—sola Scriptura. Since Adventists believe in the legitimacy of an end-time manifestation of the prophetic gift, some have concluded that they treat the writings of Ellen White as additional scripture. This conclusion is incorrect.GOP 280.2
Adventist Historical Understanding of Ellen White’s Writings
Adventists have historically followed the restorationist approach to Scripture that rejects creeds and tradition as authoritative. They seek to subject the centuries of Christian institutional, liturgical, and doctrinal development to the direct scrutiny and critique of Scripture in order to construct a biblical faith. Two of the three principal founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, James White and Joseph Bates, came from the Northern New England branch of the Christian Connexion Church. They brought to Adventism a firm sola Scriptura a priori. Though Adventists now have a statement of fundamental beliefs, they do not view it as creedal but rather representative of their views. Over the years their statement of beliefs has been revised and enlarged. The preamble to the statement of fundamental beliefs reads:GOP 280.3
Seventh-day Adventists accept the Bible as their only creed and hold certain fundamental beliefs to be the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. These beliefs, as set forth here, constitute the church’s understanding and expression of the teaching of Scripture. Revision of these statements may be expected at a General Conference session when the church is led by the Holy Spirit to a fuller understanding of Bible truth or finds better language to express the teachings of God’s Holy Word. GOP 280.4
From the very beginning of their movement Seventh-day Adventists have decisively looked to the Bible alone to settle questions of doctrine and practice. The first fundamental belief currently reads:GOP 281.1
The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration through holy men of God who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In this Word, God has committed to man the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are the infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God’s acts in history (2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Ps. 119:105; Prov. 30:5, 6; Isa. 8:20; John 17:17; 1 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 4:12). GOP 281.2
In A Word to the “Little Flock,” the first publication of Sabbatarian Adventists, James White wrote: “The bible [sic] is a perfect and complete revelation. It is our only rule of faith and practice.” Nine years later he wrote: “I still say that the Bible is my rule of faith and practice, and in saying this, I do not reject the Holy Spirit in its diversity of operations.” In 1863 James White wrote: “When we claim to stand on the Bible and the Bible alone, we bind ourselves to receive, unequivocally and fully, all that the Bible teaches.” Uriah Smith, longtime editor of the Review and Herald, wrote in 1868:GOP 281.3
The Bible is able to make us wise unto salvation, and thoroughly furnish us unto all good works. Do the visions propose to invade this field, and erect a new standard, and give us another rule of faith and practice? Nothing of the kind. On the contrary, they are ever in harmony with the word, and ever refer to that as the test and standard. GOP 281.4
James White’s reason for accepting the legitimacy of post-New Testament prophetic manifestations was based on his understanding of Scripture. He quoted Joel 2:28-30 and Acts 2:17-20 and wrote: “Dreams and visions are among the signs that precede the great and notable day of the Lord. . . . I know that this is a very unpopular position to hold on this subject even among Adventists; but I choose to believe the word of the Lord on this point, rather than the teachings of men.” In 1868 James White remained consistent in his position on Scripture. He wrote:GOP 281.5
We now see the gifts of the Spirit occupying their proper place. They are not manifested to give a rule of faith and practice. We already have a rule that is perfect in the Sacred Writings. They [the gifts] were not designed to take the place of the Scriptures. And they are not given because the Scriptures are an imperfect rule of faith and practice. But in consequence of the errors of God’s professed people, in departing from the perfect rule, which he has given them, the gifts are manifested to correct the erring, and point them to the Bible as their lamp and guide. GOP 281.6
These statements are representative of the consistent early Seventh-day Adventist position on sola Scriptura. Early Adventists steadfastly affirmed the unique authority of the Bible as normative in matters of faith and practice. Their reason for believing in the manifestation of the prophetic gift beyond the New Testament era was founded on biblical arguments. This early position has remained consistent to the present as demonstrated by the current Seventh-day Adventist statement of fundamental beliefs.GOP 282.1