(This lecture outline is adapted with permission from Roger W. Coon's lecture outline, "Hermeneutics: Jemison's Third Rule", April 11, 1995.  For further study, see also, Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, pp. 372-415.)
 

Introduction

We have seen, so far, two hermeneutical rules:

1. The general teaching of all the applicable counsels should be studied before conclusions are drawn.

2. The time, place, and circumstances of the giving of certain messages should be considered.

In other words, when the prophet speaks, is he/she referring to a principle or to the specific application of a principle, which we could call a policy?
 

I. Definitions of Principle and Policy

A. Principle

    1. Definition: A principle is an unerring, unchanging rule of human conduct or behavior.

    2. The characteristics of a principle are

• Universal: a principle applies to all men and women in all places (the horizontal aspect).
• Eternal: a principle applies to all historical time periods; principle never change (the vertical aspect).

    1. Definition: A policy is the application of some eternal and universal principle to a particular contextual situation.

    2. Policies, unlike the principles upon which they are grounded, may change, as the circumstances which call them forth may change.
 

II. EGW Distinguishes Between Principles and Policies

A. Principles

    1. A frequently recurring theme in the writings of Ellen White is a call to principled living.

        a. As early as 1869-70, she would write:

            (1) "Every Christian will have to learn to ... be controlled by principle..., controlled by the principles of God's word...." (2T 347, 459).

        b. Typical is this appeal, written 1899:

            (1) "There are practical lessons in the Word of God.... That Word teaches living, holy principles which... Men... are to bring into the daily life here, and carry with them to the school above.... We need the Word of God revealed in living characters. What pure, excellent language is found in the Word of God! What elevating, ennobling principles!" (Ms 96, July 20, 1899, cited in UL 215).

        c. And, 10 years later, in 1909, she would further amplify upon this theme:
 

        (1) "The great conflict is right at hand in which all will take sides. In it the whole Christian world will be involved. Daily, hourly, we must be actuated by the principles of the Word of God. Self must be sanctified by the principles of righteousness, the mercy, and the love of God.

"At every point of uncertainty, pray, and earnestly inquire, "Is this the way of the Lord?" With your Bibles before you, consult with God as to what He would have you do. Holy principles are revealed in the Word of God" (Letter 94a, June 6, 1909, cited in UL 171).

B. Policies

    1. Ellen White recognized that the Bible contains policies, as well as principles, both of which play a significant role in our deciding on how God would have us to live.

        a. And in 1896, she wrote:

            (1) "By studying the Word of God, and carrying out its precepts in all their business transactions, men [and women] may carefully discern the spirit that controls the actions. In the place of following human impulse and natural inclination, they may learn, by diligent study, the principles that should control the sons and daughters of Adam.
   "The Bible is the guidebook that is to decide the many difficult problems that rise in minds that are selfishly inclined. It is a reflection of the wisdom of God, and not only furnishes great and important principles, but supplies practical lessons [policies] for the life and conduct of man toward his fellow man. It gives minute particulars [policies] that decide our relation to God and to each other. It is a complete revelation of the attributes and will of God in the person of Jesus Christ, and in it is set forth the obligation of the human agent to render wholehearted service to God, and to inquire at every step of the way, 'Is this the way of the Lord?'" (Letter 22, 1896, cited in UL 187).

    2. To summarize, then:

        a.  The goal for every Christian: to follow the way and will of the Lord.

        b. The method: to study both principles and policies, as found in the inspired writings, applying both in hermeneutically appropriate ways.
 
 

III. Case Studies

A. Teaching Girls to "Harness and Drive" Horse

    1. In 1903, Ellen White wrote this counsel to young women: girls who "could learn to harness and drive a horse ... would be better fitted to meet the emergencies of life" (Ed 216, 217).
 

    2. Now, that counsel is either a principle or a policy.

        a. Today this counsel is universally ignored on SDA campuses on all continents.

            (1) Perhaps, there are some in our midst who would take this fact as "evidence" that the SDA educational system has again "abandoned the blueprint."

            (2) Not really!

                (a) Ellen White never once used either the word "blueprint," nor the concept, as a way to characterize the nature of her writings.

                (b) She never gave her church a "blueprint" for anything--for a blueprint spells out in specific detail everything required in a construction project--and this she consistently refused to do, either for institutions, or for individuals.

            (3) The CD-ROM lists the word "blueprint" twice, and both times it is a supplied word, one never used by EGW herself:

                (a) John A. Burden (1862-1942), the original compiler of Loma Linda Messages, inserted it in an editorial subtitle ("Divine Instruction the 'Blue-Print' Through the Inspired Pen of Ellen G. White") on the title page (p.3).

                (b) Donald E. Mansell, then-associate secretary of the White Estate, supplied it as a section heading for MR #883 ("Blueprint for SDA Health-Care Institutions"), (p. 11, cited in 11MR 187).

                (c) Unfortunately, both usages may, quite unintentionally, prove to be misleading.
 

    3. Rule #2 requires us to study the context in examining potentially troublesome statements. So what about girls harnessing and driving horses?

        a. Internal Context: It quickly becomes apparent that Ellen White here is urging girls, as well as boys, to obtain a practical education (the principle), in order to be better fitted to meet life's emergency situations.

        b. External Context: In 1903, when these words were first published, many if not most SDAs in North America lived in isolated rural communities.

            (1) Electricity had begun to appear in some places.

            (2) Rural telephones were still at least three decades in the future.

            (3) If the husband/father were to become injured or seriously ill, it might be imperative for the wife/mother to remain at his side to render first-aid.

                (a) If the daughter did not know how to "harness and drive" a horse, the summoning of a physician might be impossible, and the patient die unnecessarily, prematurely.
 

    4. Application today:

        a. In our industrialized and technologically advanced society, one may not need to learn to harness or drive a horse today. But there are important hand-on skills that every one needs to learn to cope with life and not always depend upon technology.

            (1) Learning the elementary skills of auto care, maintenance, changing a tire, even minor engine tune-ups should be part of the curriculum of our schools, and are certainly more applicable and important for life than learning how to harness and drive a horse.

        b. While this provision does not meet the letter of Ellen White's counsel, her policy, it admirably meets the spirit--and principle--in a splendid manner!
 

    5. And it may well be worth noting at this point that Ellen White's concern for practical education extended as well to boys, who--in this same chapter--were urged to learn how to wash their own clothes, cook, and perform other necessary household duties!
 

B. The Propriety of Varied Physical Postures in Prayer

    1. One Sabbath morning Ellen White was sitting on the platform of the Battle Creek Tabernacle as a minister was about to lead the congregation in the morning prayer.

        a. As he seemed to intend remaining standing, Ellen White, calling him by name, whispered hoarsely, "Get down upon your knees!"

        b. And in reporting this experience, later, she added immediately, "This is the proper position always" (2SM 311).

            (1) Does this mean, then, that it is never appropriate to sit, or to stand, while prayer is being offered?

            (2) Ellen White's use of that little word "Always" would seem to indicate just that.

            (3) But does "always" always mean "always"?
 

    2. Rule #1 calls for the assembling of all available data upon the subject before making a final conclusion. So let us begin by attempting to do just that:

        a. "Both in public and private worship, it is our privilege to bow on our knees before the Lord when we offer our petitions to Him" (GW 178).

            (1) The internal context is "public and private worship."

            (2) The presence of the expression "it is our privilege," and the absence of that word "always," are interesting, and may even be helpful; do they allow a little leeway in the matter?

        b. "There is no time or place in which it is inappropriate to offer up a petition of God.... In the crowds of the street, in the midst of a business engagement, we may send up a petition to God.... We should have the door of the heart open continually and our invitation going up that Jesus may come and abide as a heavenly guest in the soul" (SC 99).

            (1) "Crowded streets" and "business engagement" might suggest that kneeling, here at least, might be not only inappropriate, but even potentially dangerous to personal safety!

        c. "We may commune with God in our hearts.... When engaged in our daily labor, we may breathe out our heart's desire, inaudible to any human ear..." (GW258).

            (1) Again, the thought of a silent prayer while working does not appear to include the necessity of kneeling for this particular form of prayer.

        d. "We must pray constantly, with a humble mind and a meek and lowly spirit. We need not wait for an opportunity to kneel before God. We can pray and talk with the Lord wherever we may be" (Lt 342, 1906, cited in 3SM 266).

        e. "You cannot always be on your knees in prayer, but your silent petitions may constantly ascend to God for strength and guidance" (CH362:2, from Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 15, pp. 11-15, June 3, 1907)

        f. "It is not always necessary to bow upon your knees in order to pray" (MH510, 511).

            (1) And now, superficially at least, we are faced with an apparent contradiction:

                (a) In 2SM 311: "This is the appropriate position always."

                (b) But, in MH 510, 511: "It is not always necessary to bow upon your knees...."

            (2) Does "always" always mean always? (Does "only" only mean only?)

            (3) And we answer, YES -- within an immediate context.
 

    3. An examination of Scripture will prove helpful at this point:

        a. The unconverted Pharisees apparently were not the only ones who, upon occasion, would "pray standing" (Matt. 6:5).

        b. Solomon, at the dedication of his Temple:

            (1) Knelt, for a prayer of confession (1 Kings 8:54).

            (2) Yet he also stood, for certain other prayers, including certain "blessings," and for the benediction (v. 14, 22, 23, 55).

    4. How about congregational or pastoral prayers? An examination of Ellen White's own personal experience in offering public prayers reveals she employed different bodily postures:

        a. In one prayer, she and the congregation knelt, after first standing in consecration (RH, Mar. 11, 1909, cited in 3SM 267).

        b. Upon another occasion, in Europe, she instructed the people to remain seated for the prayer (Diary, Feb. 20, 1887, cited in 1SM 147 and 3SM 267, 268).

        c. On some other occasions, she stood, and invited the people to stand with her:

            (1) Mar. 7, 1908, at Oakland, CA (3SM 268, 269).

            (2) Feb. 8, 1909, also at Oakland (3SM 269).

            (3) May 18, 1909, at a GC Session in Takoma Park, MD (3SM 269, 270).

        d. D. E. Robinson, one of Ellen White's secretaries (1902-15), wrote on Mar. 4, 1934, "I have been present repeatedly at camp meetings and General Conference Sessions in which Sister White herself has offered prayer with the congregation standing, and she herself standing" (3SM 267, footnote).

        e. Her grandson, Arthur L. White, helpfully adds:

       (1) "That Ellen White did not intend to teach that on every prayer occasion we must kneel is made clear both by her words and her example. To her there was no time or place where prayer was not appropriate. Her family testified that in her home those at the dining table bowed their heads and not their knees. She was not known to kneel for the benediction at the close of services she attended. The earnest counsel on kneeling would seem to have its principal application in the worship services in the house of God and private devotions at home. In public ministry there were times when she stood for prayer" (3SM 270, footnote).

    5. From her writings, at least two principles appear to emerge contextually from the data:

        a. Reverence for God: "There should be an intelligent knowledge of how to come to God in reverence and godly fear with devotional love. There is a growing lack of reverence for our Maker, a growing disregard of His greatness and His majesty" (MS 84b, 1897, cited in 2SM 312).

        b. Dependence upon God: "Both in public and private worship it is our duty to bow down upon our knees before God when we offer our petitions to Him. This act shows our dependence upon God" (2SM 312).

            (1) In her personal diary she finally makes her intended meaning explicit. On Feb. 13, 1892, in Melbourne, Australia, she mentions of having to be carried up a long stairway to a meeting hall in the arms of her son and a layman, because of being "compassed with infirmities" [rheumatism, and possibly arthritis]. And she lamented:

                (a) "I was not able to bow my knees in the opening prayer or when I entered the desk [pulpit] as I usually do, but the form is not the essential part. My heart went up to God in earnest prayer and He did help me and I believe gave me a decided message for the people assembled" (Ms 29, 1892, emphasis supplied).
 

    6. It becomes clear, then, that it is not a violation of principle to stand for certain prayers (such as an invocation, benediction, or even a consecration prayer), or to sit for certain other prayers (an offertory, and even a consecration prayer).

        a. Another important factor: certain cultures demonstrate respect/reverence in different ways:

            (1) In Eastern Europe, Slavic congregations generally stand, not only for the pastoral prayer, but also for the reading of God's Word. This is how, in their particular culture, they manifest deference , respect, reverence.

            (2) In certain parts of Africa, if an African wears Western costume (business suit, shoes, etc.) to church, he will walk straight into the sanctuary, to take his seat in the pew. But if he is wearing national costume, he will first remove his sandals a the door, and leave them neatly in pairs on the vestibule floor (after the manner of Moses, at the burning bush), before taking his seat.

                (a) For further study, see W. E. Read (GC Field Secretary, 1945-58) seven-page monograph, "Our Posture in Prayer," undated, White Estate Document File DF 568s; cf. Also Q/A File, 25-D-1.
 

C. School-Entrance Age of SDA Children

    1. In 1872, Ellen White wrote her first major treatise on Christian education ("Proper Education").

        a. This 30-page document was first published in 3T 131-60.

        b. In it she used the word "only" twice--in the same paragraph.

            (1) "Parents should be the only teachers of their children until they have reached eight or ten years of age."

            (2) "The only schoolroom for children from eight to ten years of age should be in the open air amid the opening flowers and nature's beautiful scenery" (3T 137).
 

    2. Some 30 years later, this counsel was taken so literally by SDA school administrators ("from Maine to California, and from Manitoba to Florida," lamented her son, Willie), that he could not enroll his children (who were Ellen White's grandchildren) in the SDA elementary school at St. Helena, CA, after returning from Australia.
 

    3. W. C. White called a meeting of the local church school board for Thursday morning, Jan. 14, 1904, to which he brought his mother, whose words, in 1872, had caused all this stir in the first place.

        a. A verbatim transcript of the proceedings of this meeting (lost for years in an unmarked box in a GC warehouse storeroom), is today published in 3SM 214-26.
 

    4. During this meeting, Ellen White expressed praise and appreciation for certain schools at the kindergarten level in Battle Creek, in which children under the age of eight were students.

        a. And, contextually, it would seem that the principle was not a particular age-limit, but, rather, that parents and teachers should do that which is best for the individual child under any given circumstance.

            (1) Some children develop motor co-ordination skills and emotional maturity earlier than others.

            (2) And there may be certain family situations in which it is actually more desirable for children to be in a school, rather than at home with the mother as teacher.

                (a) Where the mother is not professionally competent, or emotionally qualified, to teach her own children, it may be better to have her child in a schoolroom.

                (b) Where both parents are forced to seek employment outside of the home, it would be far better to have the child under the discipline of the controlled environment of the school, rather than alone, unsupervised at home.
 

    5. What principles are involved here? At least two:

        a. Doing "the very best possible" to achieve the "harmonious development" of the individual child.

        b. The exercise of "common sense." During this session with the school board, Ellen White said:

            (1) "God wants us all to have common sense, and He wants us to reason from common sense. Circumstances alter conditions. Circumstances change the relation of things" (3SM 217).

        c. Ellen White often stated an "ideal" goal toward which we should strive, but also recognized that sometimes we fall short of the ideal because of circumstances.

            (1) For further study, see:

                (a) Betty S. Nelson's, "Ellen G. White's 'Eight-to-Ten' Statements: Principles and Early Usage," unpublished monograph, 1981, 32-pp., White Estate Q/A File 28-A-1 (also available in AU Adventist Heritage Center).

                (b) "In a Class of Their Own," Newsweek, Jan. 10, 1994, p. 58.
 

D. Vegetarianism vs. Flesh Diet

    1. Ellen White was a 17-year-old Sunday-keeping pork-eater when she received her first vision, in December 1844.

        a. Yet the light on Sabbath keeping did not come until April 3, 1847, nearly two and one-half years later. (EW 32).

        b. And the light on vegetarianism was not given until some 18 1/2 years later, on June 6, 1863 (RH, Oct. 8, 1863, cited in CD 481).

            (1) Because she was a "great" meat-eater, she then had a "special battle to fight" against appetite (2T 371, 371).

            (2) But "I accepted the light on health reform as it came to me" (Ms 50, 1904, cited in CD 482); and "I broke away from everything at once" (2T 371).
 

    2. For the next 30 years, however, she would occasionally depart, temporarily, from her habitual practice of excluding flesh articles from her diet, in at least three categories of "emergency" situations:

        a. Problems in travel, where it was especially difficult in those days to obtain a vegetarian, non-flesh diet.

        b. Therapeutic use in certain medical situations.

        c. Transition periods in her extended family, between the departure of a cook who knew how to cook vegetarian, and the training of the replacement cook.

            (1) See Roger W. Coon, Ellen G. White and Vegetarianism: Did She Practice What She Preached? (Pacific Press, 1986, 30 pp.) (a brief synopsis appeared in Ministry, April, 1986, pp. 4-7, 29).
 

    3. Despite these temporary departures from habitual vegetarianism, Ellen White claimed ever to have followed "principle" in the matter of her diet:

        a. 1870: "I have not changed my course a particle since I adopted the health reform. I have not taken one step back since the light from heaven upon this subject first shone upon my pathway.... I left off these things from principle. I took my stand on health reform from principle. And since that time, brethren, you have not heard me advance an extreme view of health reform that I had to take back. I have advanced nothing but what I stand to today" (2T 371, 372, cited in CD 483, 484).

        b. 1897: "I present these matters before the people, dwelling upon general principles" (Ms 29, 1897, cited in CD 493).

        c. 1904: At the age of 76, she reported she was experiencing better health than "I had in my younger days;" and she attributed this improvement in health to following "the principles of health reform" (Ms 50, 1904, cited in CD 482).

        d. 1908: "It is reported by some that I have not lived up to the principles of health reform, as I have advocated them with my pen. But I can say that so far as my knowledge goes, I have not departed from those principles" (Letter 50, 1908, cited in CD 491, 491).

        e. 1909: "It is reported by some that I have not followed the principles of health reform as I have advocated them with my pen; but I can say that I have been a faithful health reformer. Those who have been members of my family know that this is true" (9T 158, 159).
 

    4. Vegetarianism, per se, is not a principle--though principles, and moral issues, are certainly involved.

        a. Vegetarianism, itself, cannot be a principle, because principles, by definition, are unchanging, unvarying rules of human behavior and conduct that apply to all peoples in all ages.

        b. If vegetarianism, itself, were a principle, it would have been wrong for the followers of God in Old Testament times, and of Christ in New Testament times, to have eaten meat and fish.

            (1) Abraham fed veal to Christ and His two accompanying angels, under the oak at Mamre (Gen. 18:7, 8).

            (2) Christ instructed Moses to command all Israel to eat roast Passover lamb on the night of the Exodus, and annually thereafter (Ex 12:1-14).

            (3) And Christ and His disciples, in addition to eating Passover lamb annually, repeatedly ate fish from Galilee--even after the resurrection! (John 21:9, 10).
 

    5. While vegetarianism, itself, is not a principle; it is a divinely-inspired policy--and, remember, policies are just as binding upon Christians as are principles, when they find themselves in the same contextual situations which called forth the prophetic application initially.
 

    6. Vegetarianism is a policy, based upon certain eternal principles of health:

        a. Eat and drink to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).

        b. Practice temperance in all things; total abstinence from all that is hurtful and harmful, and moderation in the use of that which us healthful (PP 562; Te 138).

        c. Promote and maintain life and good health:

            (1) "Preserve the best health" (YI, May 31, 1894, cited in CD 395).

            (2) "We are, as it were, under bonds to our Maker to preserve our bodies in the very best condition of health that we may in our lives render to God perfect service (19 MR 314; cf. 14MR 222; YI, Nov. 8, 1900; MYP 69; MH 130; 3T 63).

            (3) "Eat that food which is most nourishing" (9T 163).

        d. Like all policies and specific applications of eternal and universal principles, sometimes emergency situations require emergency solutions. Sometimes we may, indeed, be required to choose between the lesser of two acknowledged undesirable practices; but we should always do the very best possible under every circumstance in life.
 

E. The "Bicycle" Testimony

    1. Following an 1894 vision relating to some events in Battle Creek, Ellen White wrote:

a. "There seemed to be a bicycle craze. Money was spent to gratify an enthusiasm.... A bewitching influence seemed to be passing as a wave over our people there.... Satan works with intensity of purpose to induce our people to invest their time and money in gratifying supposed wants. This is a species of idolatry.... There were some who were striving for the mastery, each trying to excel the other in the swift running of their bicycles" (8T 51, 52).

    2. External Context:

"Toward the end of the last century the American people were swept with a consuming passion which left them with little time or money for anything else.... What was this big new distraction? For an answer the merchants had only to look out the window and watch their erstwhile customers go whizzing by. America had discovered the bicycle, and everybody was making the most of the new freedom it brought.... The bicycle began as a rich man's toy. Society and celebrity went awheel...."

"The best early bicycle cost $150, an investment comparable to the cost of an automobile today.... Every member of the family wanted a 'wheel,' and entire family savings often were used up on supplying the demand." (Frank Tripp, "When All the World Went Wheeling," The Readers's Digest, Dec., 1951, pp. 121-23).

    3. Principles Involved:

        a. Stewardship of time and money.

        b. Avoidance of competition/rivalry.

        c. Avoidance of strife for supremacy.
 

    4. Commentary:

        a. Because of rapid strides in technology and manufacturing, in a few years after the invention of the bicycle, it became the most economical means of transportation.

        b. Under these circumstances, the 1894 testimony would not stand in the way of a proper use of this now-inexpensive vehicle.
 

F. Certain Practices Involved in Sabbath-Keeping

    1. Although Ellen White's counsels pertaining to the detailed specifics of proper Sabbath-observance (e.g., 6T 349-68; 2T 701-5) are widely ignored by most Adventists today, three in particular arise to trouble Adventists who genuinely seek to follow her counsels:

        a. No "cooking" during the Sabbath hours. All meal preparation should be done on Friday, the Preparation Day (6T357; 355).

        b. The "baths" should be taken before sunset on Friday (6T 355).

        c. "Shaving" should not be done "after the beginning of the Sabbath" (ST, May 25, 1882).
 

    2. Cooking Upon the Sabbath:

        a. The Counsels:

            (1) "Cooking upon the Sabbath should be avoided" (6T 357).

            (2) "On Friday let the preparation for the Sabbath be completed. See that ... all the cooking is done" (6T 355).

        b. The Context:

            (1) In Ellen White's day "simple" cooking was itself a very complex, time-consuming, and involved operation requiring lots of work.

                (a) Thermostat-free wood stoves, without automatic timing devices, required labor-intensive, total personal attention by the cook, and wood had to be fetched into the kitchen at regular intervals to keep the fire going.

                (b) Even "simple" cooking required "work;" and work was eschewed on the Sabbath.

            (2) Therefore, the main-basic-food preparation for the Sabbath should be done on Friday.

            (3) It was, however, permissible, to heat-up food prepared the day previously, since God did not require Sabbath-keepers to eat cold food upon His special day (6T 357).

        c. The Principles:

            (1) Nothing that could be done on the previous six working days should be left to Sabbath hours (6T 354:3).

            (2) All unnecessary "work" should be avoided.

        d. Application of the Principles:

            (1) Today's housewives, however, have self-timing ovens that can be electronically programmed to bake, without the personal attendance of the cook, while she worships at church.

                (a) Today, she also has microwave ovens, which do the work of hours within a few seconds of time.

                (b) Cooking is no longer altogether the time-consuming, labor-intensive chore of yesteryear.

            (2) Whatever preparation that can be done on Friday should still be done on Friday.

            (3) But the use of modern, labor-saving devices does have a mitigating, extenuating bearing upon the counsels developed to meet earlier, substantially different, conditions.
 

    3. Sabbath Baths:

        a. The Counsel:

            (1) "On Friday let the preparation for the Sabbath be completed. See that all clothing is in readiness and that all the cooking is done. Let the boots be blacked and the baths taken" (6T 355).

        b. The Context:

            (1) There were no hot water heaters then; all water had to be heated on a wood-burning stove in the kitchen, with all of the attendant disadvantages (including, again, bringing in the wood).

            (2) Houses had no bathrooms such as we have today; baths were taken in the kitchen, in large tubs on the floor.

                (a) The water, first, had to be pumped from a well, then hauled indoors, one bucket at a time; then it had to be heated; then carried from the stove, one bucket at a time, to the tub; then removed again, as waste water, and thrown outdoors. This involved lots of work!

                (b) Multiply all these tasks by the number of persons scheduled to take baths, and you begin to get some idea of the magnitude of the operation.

            (3) Understandably, most persons took only one bath per week (whether they needed it or not!).

                (a) Sunday-keepers typically took their weekly bath on Saturday nights.

                (b) And Sabbath-keepers, in this context, were urged to take theirs Friday afternoons, before the beginning of the Sabbath.

        c. The Principle(s):

            (1) All unnecessary work should be avoided on the Sabbath.

            (2) SDAs were to greet the Sabbath with clean bodies--and the "work" of bathing was to be done before the beginning of Sabbath hours.

        d. Application of the Principle(s):

            (1) Today most houses have bathrooms, controlled hot-water heaters, and showers in which hot water is instantly available.

            (2) A shower can be completed in five minutes, generally. And many (if not most) people are accustomed to taking a daily shower, just as they clean their teeth daily.

            (3) For many Adventists, a long bath on Friday evening is a means of relaxation and rest, calming one's body after a hard week of work.

            (4) Now, if one is doing work that gets him/her dirty on Friday, the counsel concerning taking the bath before sunset still equally applies.

            (5) But the taking of a daily morning shower on Sabbath, as upon other six days of the week, need not be interdicted by the counsels as given.
 

    4. "Shaving" Upon the Sabbath:

        a. The Counsel:

            (1) There is only one such reference to this on the CD-Rom: "The violation of the fourth commandment is not confined to the preparation of food. Many carelessly put off the blacking of their boots, and shaving, until after the beginning of the Sabbath. This should not be. If any neglect to do such work on a working day, they should have respect enough for God's holy time to let their beards remain unshaven, their boots rough and brown, until the Sabbath is past. This might help their memory, and make them more careful to do their own work on the six working days" (ST, May 25, 1882).

        b. The Context:

            (1) Ellen White, clearly, is here using the word "shaving" as a synonym for the "trimming" of a beard regularly worn by men in her day.

                (a) In 1882 the clean-shaven look was not in vogue; and most men did not shave daily, as they do today.

            (2) The intended analogy, today, would be to getting a haircut on the Sabbath, not to the eradication of a one-day crop of whiskers, to make one's face appear clean-shaven again for the new day, as upon all other days of the week.

        c. The Principle(s):

            (1) Again, no unnecessary work should be done on the Sabbath.

            (2) What can be lived without on any day of the week, can also be lived without on the Sabbath.

        d. The Application to today:

            (1) It is not wrong for a man to shave his face on Sabbath, assuming he does so every other day of the week. It would be no different from daily cleaning one's teeth, or taking a daily shower in the morning, to freshen-up for the new day.

            (2) In fact, if a man does not shave on the Sabbath, while he does every other day of the week, his unshaven face on the Sabbath is certainly giving the impression that here is a man who does not care about his appearance. Such a testimony would be detrimental to his reputation and even to his profession, if he is a minister.
 

Conclusion

    1. We have, in this series of presentations, examined three broad rules of interpretation.
 

    2. "Common sense," as Ellen White urged upon us, is something we should "reason from" and continue to develop, maintain, and employ.
 

    3. Balance is the goal to be achieved; distortion is the error to be avoided.
 

    4. And we should avoid the pitfall, in the making of distinctions between principles and policies, to think that prophet-applied policies are not as important as prophet-enunciated principles, and that such policies can be neglected with impunity.

        a. Policies have equal weight with principles, in the context in which prophets apply them.
 

    5. In spelling out the details of his plan for our lives, God would have us understand that:

        a. Our obedience to His stated commands is not to be viewed as a sort of penance:

            (1) "Earnestly and untiringly are we to strive to reach God's ideal for us. Not as penance are we to do this, but as the only means of gaining true happiness. The only way to gain peace and joy is to have a living connection with Him who gave His life for us, who died that we might live, and who lives to unite His power with the efforts of those who are striving to overcome" (HP 33).

        b. His commands are not to be observed in any legalistic manner:

• "We are not merely to observe the Sabbath as a legal matter. We are to understand its spiritual bearing upon all the transactions of life" (6T 353).
• But, on the other hand, we need to beware to a philosophy of Sabbath-keeping that teaches that the doing of something (or anything) is alright if it helps someone to relax or feel better.