Responses to Answers to Quiz Questions
Here are some explanations of the meaning of some answers you may receive to the questions. You may also wish to respond to answers given to the questions on the previous page.
Ellen G. White and the Spirit of Prophecy
If the answer to the question, “Do you believe the writings of Ellen G. White were inspired by the same Holy Ghost that inspired other authors of Scripture such as Moses, Paul, etc?” is “yes,” it is a very good start as will be explained. If the answer is no, just go on to the English Bible questions.
If the answer is “yes,” then unless the one questioned believes the Holy Ghost made some error, one also has to believe the following quotations.
“Man is fallible, but God’s Word is infallible.” Selected Messages Book One page 416.
“He is to regard the Bible as the voice of God speaking directly to him.” The Acts of the Apostles page 475.
“He who has a knowledge of God and His word through personal experience has a settled faith in the divinity of the Holy Scriptures. He has proved that God’s word is truth, and he knows that truth can never contradict itself.” The Ministry of Healing page 462.
In a discussion with a person who many think is quite knowledgeable, it was stated that the word “infallible” didn’t really mean without any error to Sister White and it was recommended that I listen to something a prominent Seventh-day Adventist evangelist said about that. Here is how it really is. The Glossographia Anglicana Nova of 1707 defines infallible as “that cannot be deceived.” Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines infallible as “the quality of being incapable of error or mistake.” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (unabridged) defines infallible as “incapable of error.”
By the way, Ellen G. White didn’t understand Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic; she was speaking of God’s Word in ENGLISH.
Be aware that there are some common weasel answers to the above question. Some of them are:
“White never claimed infallibility or perfection for herself or her writings.” This is designed to make you think her writings weren’t all inspired. Can you think of ONE of the authors of the Bible that claimed to be perfect or infallible? Just ONE? I didn’t think so. One who has claimed infallibility when speaking ex cathedra is the pope.
They like to quote the place where Ellen G. White wrote, “If you had made God’s word your study, with a desire to reach the Bible standard and attain to Christian perfection, you would not have needed the Testimonies.” This is taken to mean that the Testimonies inspired by the Holy Ghost aren’t very important. In addition it assumes you have studied the Bible sufficiently so you don’t need the Testimonies. Very few have studied the Bible sufficiently.
You might be told that Sister White’s books are “the lesser light.” This implies they aren’t very important. If you spurn something inspired by the Holy Ghost it won’t go well with you.
The English Bible
The answer to the question, “do you believe there is an infallible English Bible?” should be either “yes” or “no.” If it is “no,” you have a clear answer and might consider finding another teacher.
If the answer is “yes,” you’ll need to ask the second question. You probably won’t get a simple “yes” answer though. The answer may be that “it doesn’t matter which Bible you read as long as you read one.” Another could be that the “original autographs” (which no one has) were inspired but the translators weren’t inspired. Yet another answer could be “I believe the Textus Receptus” (also called “Received Text” or “Traditional Text” or “Majority Text”) which is an imaginary book that no one has. If you could get a “Textus Receptus” you couldn’t read it unless you were able to read Hebrew, Chaldee, Greek, Latin and the language of the Waldenses. Don’t feel bad though. Those who claim to believe the “Textus Receptus” couldn’t read it either if such a book existed.
In the unlikely event that your respected teacher of the holy Scriptures says there is an infallible Bible, ask which one. Though they like to say, “the Bible says,” they usually have no single Bible they believe is without any error. They may try to placate you with, “the best translation is,” which means they have no one Bible they believe is without any error.
The funny thing is, if the prince of the church recommends a specific bible, chances are it won’t be the King James Version even though it is the only commonly used English Bible without error.
Go here to return to the starting page. For an exposé on the New King James Version go here. Go here for the fourth page.
© Martin J. Lohne 2020 and 2022.