Special Insights No. 2
Second Quarter 2007
Adult Sabbath School Lessons
“Thy Word Is a Lamp Unto My Feet”
(Produced by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)
The Final Word
The young man Timothy had been
raised from childhood on “the holy Scriptures”—the
Old Testament,—by his mother and grandmother. Of these writings
the Apostle Paul averred, “All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God” (2 Tim. 3:16). The key Greek word is theopneustos, meaning
God breathed out, not breathed in. God exhaled the writings of the Old
Testament and by extension the New Testament.
God took the initiative with the prophets and apostles. Scripture proceeded
from Him. This means that the prophets did not take up the pen to write
by their own volition, motivated to unburden their hearts. It was God
who compelled them to write.
By analogy it was God who formed the corpse of Adam from the dust of
the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man
became a living soul. Without the inspiration of God, man would not
be alive. The prophets and apostles of old could have written on their
own volition, but their writings would have been merely human thoughts
and words, inspiring as they might be.
However, when God initiated the process of Inspiration which acted
upon the writer, the thoughts previously divinely revealed to the prophet
by God, were the breathed-out life of God Himself, albeit through human
writers. The writings were of a status and authority that superceded
ordinary human writings, either Hebrew or Christian.
Just as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, so God submitted
His inscripturated word to human beings. The Scriptures do not represent
His word in a way that God would write Himself with His own heavenly
language, for human beings would be not be able to understand His foreign
language. They would need an interpreter.
So in order to avert this step, God used human writers who voluntarily
submitted to His movements upon them. They expressed God’s thoughts
in their own words, mannerisms, cultural expressions, etc., so that
it might be understood in the time, place, and by the people, for whom
God aimed His message. The literal words do not represent God’s
form of speech; except the words of the Ten Commandments and the exact
reported words of Jehovah and Jesus. The words convey the exact thoughts
of God and as such are the infallible word of God.
Those who appreciate the work of God surrounding the 1888 Minneapolis
General Conference may be prompted to inquire, to what extent did God
inspire his two messengers, A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner? Ellen White,
who had the gift of prophecy, said they were “the Lord’s
delegated messengers” (Selected Messages, book 2, p. 102); “the
Lord’s messengers” (The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p.
1025); who bore “heavenly credentials” (ibid., p. 543).
She said the Lord “sent a most precious message to His people
through Elders Waggoner and Jones” (Testimonies to Ministers,
p. 91). “God had sent these young men, Elders Jones and Waggoner,
to bear a special message” (Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, p. 83).
She spoke of “the rays of light which shone at Minneapolis”
(1888 Materials, p. 1030). One might continue on and on with over three
hundred of Ellen White’s enthusiastic endorsements of what she
heard during the 1888 era.
The writings and messages of Jones and Waggoner were never placed on
the level of Holy Scripture. They were never equivalent to the writings
of the Spirit of Prophecy. However, Ellen White’s endorsements
of Jones and Waggoner’s message indicated that they had Heaven’s
approval within the time frame of the 1888 era.
The “most precious message” included:
-
“The matchless charms of Christ” (1888 Materials, p.
348);
-
The agape of God as understood in the light of the cross of Jesus
(Eph. 3:18);
-
The truth regarding the old and the new covenants as the people’s
promise and God’s promise (Ex. 19:8; Gal. 3:14-16; 4:22-24),
respectively;
-
A Savior who has come near to us by taking our humanity and condemning
sin in sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3);
-
The gift of “justification of life” for the sins of
the whole world (Rom. 5:18);
-
Justification by faith in view of our High Priest in the most holy
place of the heavenly sanctuary, preparing a people for His return
(Heb. 10:16-20);
-
The gift of repentance ministered by the heavenly Psychiatrist,
removing the heart enmity against God in the body of the worldwide
church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:19, 20).
Thank God, the Holy Spirit is still inspiring people to minister to
us! Let us not neglect the “most precious message” He has
entrusted to us.”
—Paul E. Penno
(Note: A series of CDs on these lessons recorded
by this Robert J. Wieland is available from the office of the 1888 Message
Study Committee: 269-473-1888.)
Listen to the audio recording for Lesson 2 now in MP3 format.
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