(Much of the text in this lecture is indebted to Jerry Moon, "The 'Sacred' and the 'Common' in the Ellen White Writings," Lecture outline for GSEM534, April 24, 1997, and to Roger W. Coon, "Distinguishing Between the 'Sacred' and the 'Common,' Lecture outline for GSEM534, May 11, 1995.)
 

I. Introduction

A. The Issue:

In 1906, Dr. David Paulson wrote to Ellen White that "I was led to conclude and most firmly believe [from my early training] that every word that you ever spoke in public or private, that every letter you wrote under any and all circumstances, was as inspired as the ten commandments." (Quoted by Ellen White in RH, August 30, 1906; also in 1SM 24)

Did Ellen White's call to prophetic ministry and her reception of prophetic revelation through visions mean that every word subsequently spoken by her was inspired?

    1. The answer to this question is No; but the answer raises a whole new set of questions.

        The answer is evidently correct, because to claim that prophets never spoke uninspired words would be to suggest that they never made mistakes, and this would be making them infallible as individuals.  Biblical prophets made mistakes and even sinned in their speech, so obviously the prophetic gift does not impart personal infallibility.

"Abraham deceived, Moses lost his patience and spoke hasty words, David instructed Joab how to have Uriah killed, Nathan agreed with David's plans to build a house for the Lord, and then had to reverse his statement. All of these men were prophets, but the possession of the prophetic gift did not mean moment-by-moment direction of all their words and acts.  If all they said was not inspired, how much was given by divine direction?" (T. H. Jemison, "Inspiration and the Ellen G. White Writings," in The Spirit of Prophecy Treasure Chest [Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1960], 63.)

    But, nowhere in the Bible is there a clear statement on this subject.
 

    2. Ellen White's writings were not all of the same kind.

        a. Her son, W. C. White, to whom she entrusted the care of her writings after her death, contributed the following to a discussion that took place at the 1913 Autumn Council in Washington, D. C.

"Mother never made the claim, as some have said, that everything she ever wrote at any time was inspired. I told them that Mother, like every other prophet of God, had her own private life, and she spoke and wrote about matters of finance, about her household, her farm, her chickens, her horses, and her dairy, and that there was no claim that she was speaking regarding these matters with the voice of inspiration."  (W. C. White to J. W. Watt, March 7, 1915, quoted in Jerry Moon, W. C. White and Ellen G. White, 414.)

        b. Ellen White herself explained the difference between two major categories of communication.

[In response to God's call,] "I gave myself, my whole being, to God, to obey His call in everything, and since that time my life has been spent in giving the message, with my pen and in speaking before large congregations. It is not I who controls my words and actions at such times.

"But there are times when common things must be stated, common thoughts must occupy the mind, common letters must be written and information given that has passed from one to another of the workers. Such words, such information, are not given under the special inspiration of the Spirit of God." (1SM 39; the context of this statement is the exact number of rooms in the Paradise Valley Sanitarium.)

        c. Here she made a distinction between the sacred and the common, between that which is directly inspired by the Holy Spirit and that which is of common origin.  Evidently not every word written or spoken by Ellen White on every occasion, was received by revelation.
 

    3. This position, however, is not without its dangers.

        a. How are we to safely and certainly distinguish between 'sacred' and 'common' writings?

        b. If we should erroneously categorize some inspired material as uninspired, would we not thus reject God's counsel for us, fail to profit by it, and fail to fulfill His purpose in giving it?

        c. Even to suggest that some part of the writings might be uninspired or non-authoritative opens the possibility that one might apply the same judgment to any of the writings.

        d. Thus all the writings would be robbed of their power, because one's obedience would be given only to those instructions that appealed to one's own reason, mind, and emotions. Thus each individual would become the self-arbiter of what is inspired.

        e. If one of God's major purposes through the Spirit of prophecy is to rebuke, correct, and instruct persons precisely in areas where they are not aware of any need, in areas that go contrary to their personal views, beliefs, understanding of Scripture, and personal preferences, then what power has God in reserve to reach them?
 

"What voice will you acknowledge as the voice of God? What power has the Lord in reserve to correct your errors, and show you your course as it is? What power to work in the church? You have, by your own course, closed every avenue whereby the Lord would reach you.   Will He raise one from the dead to speak to you?" (To the Battle Creek Church in 3SM 69)

"What reserve power has the Lord with which to reach those who have cast aside His warnings and reproofs, and have accredited the testimonies of the Spirit of God to no higher source than human wisdom? In the judgment, what can you who have done this, offer to God as an excuse for turning from the evidences He has given you that God was in the work?" (3SM 70; TM466)

B. How can we discover principles that will enable us to make a right use of the varieties of writing that make up the Ellen White corpus?

        Basic principle: "The testimonies will be the key that will explain the messages given, as scripture is explained by scripture" (1SM 42).
 

The question of 'sacred' versus 'common' is to be settled, not by external criteria or analysis, but by the internal testimony of the writings themselves.

II. Biblical Parallels

A. Did the Bible writers ever include in their inspired writings, materials not based on revelation?

    1. Autobiographical statements based on memory

1 Cor 1:14-16 -- "I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.  (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)"

    2. Personal communications to friends

2 Tim 4:9-13, 19-21 -- "Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.  Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.  Only Luke is with me.  Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.  I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.  When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. . . . Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus.  Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.  Do your best to get here before winter.  Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers."

B. Do these statements invalidate the inspiration of the Pauline epistles?

     No.

    On the contrary, we treasure these parts of Paul's epistles because in them we see that Paul was a real human being. These and similar references enable us to not only admire his theological wisdom, but love him as a fellow pilgrim in the way of Christ.

    These are the kind of material content that have come to be referred to in the Ellen White writings under the term "the 'sacred' and the 'common.'"

 
III. Ellen White's understanding of her writings

The Testimonies:

"Those who carefully read the testimonies as they have appeared from the early days, need not be perplexed as to their origin. The many books, written by the help of the Spirit of God, bear a living witness to the character of the testimonies." (Letter 225, 1906in 1SM 49.)

The Conflict of the Ages Books:

"Sister White is not the originator of these books. They contain the instruction that during her lifework God has been giving her. They contain the precious, comforting light that God has graciously given His servant to be given to the world." (CM 125)

The Articles:

"I do not write one article in the paper expressing merely my own ideas. They are what God has opened before me in vision--the precious rays of light shining from the throne." (5T 67)

The Letters (testimonies):

"Weak and trembling, I arose at three o'clock in the morning to write to you. God was speaking through clay. You may say that this communication was only a letter. Yes, it was a letter, but prompted by the Spirit of God, to bring before your minds things that had been shown me. In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me." (5T 67)

IV. Distinguishing the 'Sacred' and the 'Common'

Ellen White wrote documents that were intended to be personal communications to family members and friends, in which she spoke of common matters in ways similar to what Paul wrote in his letters. (See Appendix A)

How are we to relate to the different categories of content in the writings of Ellen White?
 

A. Unwarranted distinctions that we are warned not to make.

    1. God vs. Sister White

"You have talked over matters as you viewed them, that the communications from Sister White are not all from the Lord, but a portion is her own mind, her own judgment, which is no better than anybody else's judgment and ideas. This is one of Satan's hooks to hang your doubts upon to deceive your soul and the souls of others who will dare to draw the line in this matter and say, this portion which pleases me is from God, but that portion which points out and condemns my course of conduct is from Sister White alone, and bears not the holy signet. You have in this way virtually rejected the whole of the messages, which God in His tender, pitying love has sent to you to save you from moral ruin. . . ." (To J. D. Rice, Letter 16, 1888 in 3SM 68-69)

    2. Revelation vs. opinion

"In the testimonies sent to Battle Creek, I have given you the light God has given to me. In no case have I given my own judgment or opinion. I have enough to write of what has been shown me, without falling back on my own opinions. You are doing as the children of Israel did again and again. Instead of repenting before God, you reject His words, and attribute all the warnings and reproof to the messenger whom the Lord sends." (3SM 70)

    3. Divine vs. human

"I have my work to do, to meet the misconceptions of those who suppose themselves able to say what is testimony from God and what is human production. If those who have done this work continue in this course, satanic agencies will choose for them. . . ." (3SM 70)

"God has given me a marked, solemn experience in connection with His work; and you may be assured that so long as my life is spared, I shall not cease to lift a warning voice as I am impressed by the Spirit of God, whether men will hear or whether they will forbear. I have no special wisdom in myself; I am only an instrument in the Lord's hands to do the work He has set for me to do. The instructions that I have given by pen or voice have been an expression of the light that God has given me. I have tried to place before you the principles that the Spirit of God has for years been impressing upon my mind and writing on my heart. And now, brethren, I entreat you not to interpose between me and the people, and turn away the light which God would have come to them. Do not by your criticisms take out all the force, all the point and power, from the Testimonies. Do not feel that you can dissect them to suit your own ideas, claiming that God has given you ability to discern what is light from heaven and what is the expression of mere human wisdom. If the Testimonies speak not according to the word of God, reject them. Christ and Belial cannot be united. For Christ's sake do not confuse the minds of the people with human sophistry and skepticism, and make of none effect the work that the Lord would do. Do not, by your lack of spiritual discernment, make of this agency of God a rock of offense whereby many shall be caused to stumble and fall, "and be snared, and be taken." (5T 691)

    4. Inspired vs. uninspired

"Those who have helped souls to feel at liberty to specify what is of God in the Testimonies and what are the uninspired words of Sister White, will find that they were helping the devil in his work of deception. Please read Testimony No. 33, page 211 [Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 682], 'How to Receive Reproof.' "  (Letter 28, 1906; in 3SM 70)

B. So, how can we distinguish between the sacred and the common in Ellen White's writings?

The only safe basis for understanding the distinction is: The function and purpose of the writings themselves.

    We should not ask whether a statement is inspired or not, whether it is of divine origin or of common source, whether it comes from God or from the writer.

    Instead we should understand what are the purpose and function of the statement.

    The difference between 'sacred' and 'common' is not a matter of truth vs. error, but a difference in function.

When Paul tried to recall exactly whom he had baptized in Corinth, the function and purpose of that information was not to document his work record in Corinth.  Rather, the purpose was to show that he had baptized comparatively few, in support of his assertion that the focus of his ministry was not on accumulating personal disciples; his focus was on preaching the gospel (1 Cor 1:11-17).  For that purpose it did not matter whether he baptized two or six or a dozen.

Similarly, the exact number of rooms (the 40 rooms could be seen as a 'round number' that was accurate to the nearest ten) in the Paradise Valley Sanitarium did not effect Ellen G. White's counsel to the administrators on how the institution should be operated. (See Appendix B)
 

V. Conclusion

Why is it so dangerous to confuse the 'sacred' and the 'common,' i.e. discard or devalue inspired writings because of the presence of some 'common' elements?

A. Regardless of whether she wrote or spoke of revealed or common themes, she remained the chosen messenger of God, in private as well as public.

    1. Ellen White often wrote private letters on common topics.

    2. She sometimes expressed unaided human opinions.

    3. But she always remained a prophet.
 

B. "Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35). Why? Because God watches over His word to fulfill it.
 

C. Only safe course:

Accept the writings in their entirety as the prophet's total testimony, but use the various parts according to the purposes for which they were given.

 

A Family Letter

To Edson and Emma White, September 10, 1903  (Letter 201, 1903; also in 7MR 117-122)

    It has been a long time since I have written to you. I should be very much pleased to visit you in your own home. Willie writes me that he is much pleased with your situation. I have not heard from you for a long time. I should be so glad to get a letter from you, even if it is only a few lines. And remember that if at any time you wish to pay us a visit, to counsel about your work and about the books that we are trying to get out, I shall be more than glad to see you.

     It seems a long time since Willie left us. He went away the last of June, and it is now the tenth of September. He will not be home for a week yet.

     Of late I have had many letters to write. Different ones write to me in regard to whether our young people should be sent to Battle Creek to take a nurses' course. This is a delicate subject, but something must be said in answer to the questions asked.

     For the past week the days have been exceedingly hot. The paper says that this is caused by a hot wind from the North. Since beginning this letter I have had to open my windows to get some fresh air. I perspire freely, and then have an attack of sneezing. I hope that you do not find the hot weather very trying.

     I think that I shall write you a family letter, telling you about my household and my place. My health is fairly good. I have been and am still able to go up and down stairs as easily as any member of my family, excepting when my hip gives me pain, as it does occasionally.

     Our electric battery, which has been out of repair, is now in working order; and what relief it brings in sickness! Just as the prunes were ready to pick, Brother James was seized with an attack of what he calls lumbago. He had severe pains in his back, and could neither stand straight, nor bend down far enough to unlace his shoes. Sara gave him electricity, Sister James helping where she could. But Sister James was afraid of the battery, and would not touch the sponges. At first Brother James could hardly endure the application of the electricity, but Sara persevered, and wonderful relief came to him. He now thinks that electricity is a marvelous remedy. After the first application, he was able to walk straighter than he had been able to for days, and he continued to improve. Sara has given him electricity three times a day, and he has been able to keep at his work.

     For the past few months the farm and orchard have supplied a large part of our food, though some of the fruit trees, having borne a super-abundance last year, bore hardly anything this year. At first we had strawberries and cherries. There were not so many of these as there were last year, but they were extra nice. Then came loganberries, and of these we had an abundance. We all enjoyed them exceedingly. We had a good crop of Early Rose potatoes, and they were as fine as any I have ever eaten.

     For three weeks we have been using tomatoes of our own raising. I thought them a long time ripening, but about three weeks ago I went to Healdsburg. We took some ripe tomatoes with us, and I was very glad that we did; for there was not a ripe tomato to be found over there.

     Brother Leininger has been given charge of a large apple orchard. The owner told him that he might give away all the windfalls. Brother Leininger told me of this, and said that if I wished, I could have all that I wanted of the apples that fell. We have been there several times to pick up apples, and thus we have been able to put up a large quantity of applesauce. The apples are wormy, but Sister Nelson prepares them carefully, cutting out all the decayed parts. We have applesauce on the table every day.

     I find Sister Nelson to be a faithful, economical housekeeper. She has been very busy canning fruit and drying corn. The others have not been able to help her much; for they have all been busy on the writings. But Mrs. Nelson does not complain. She sees what needs to be done, and does it. This is a great blessing.

     She has already canned one hundred and thirty-eight quarts of tomatoes, sixty quarts of loganberries, and seventy-five quarts of applesauce, besides cherries, peaches, and apricots. We hope to have 200 quarts of tomatoes put up. We have nearly a bushel of sweet corn dried, and have had sweet corn on the table nearly every day for two or three weeks.

     It seems wonderful that in this dry time--not a drop of rain has fallen for nearly six months--there can be such an abundance of tomatoes and sweet corn. To me this seems like a miracle; for the crops have not been watered, and there has been very little fog. I certainly cannot solve the problem of how, without a drop of rain, there can be so rich a harvest.

     The grapes are ripening fast. Oh, I wish that you and Brother Palmer and his family could be with us for a while. I know that you would enjoy grapes fresh from the vineyard.

     We do not know just what we shall do with our grapes. I wish that we could find a good market for them. But I shall not sell them to the wineries.  We shall can a few, and perhaps make the rest into sweet wine. Last year we sold the whole crop to the Bakery, but they did not make proper provision to handle them, and many spoiled just as they were ready to pick.

     Our prunes this year are much larger than they were last year, but there are not nearly so many of them. We are drying them ourselves. Brother James' children have been gathering prunes for two or three days, and Brother James and Brother Packham dip the prunes, and spread them on crates in the sun. We think that we shall be able to get a good price for them, because this year the prune crop everywhere is light.

     I think that I have told you how I lost on my prune crop last year. A young man, our nearest neighbor, bought the whole crop. He also bought largely from others who have prune orchards. He contracted for more than he could handle, and then the rain came early, and spoiled tons and tons of prunes. The young man lost everything, and could not pay his creditors for the prunes that they had sold him. My loss was between five hundred and seven hundred dollars. I may possibly get fifty dollars after the young man's mother has sold this year's crop of prunes.

     Brother James wishes that you could have some of the prunes that he is now drying, and if we hear of any one going to the South, we shall try to send you some. The fresh prunes are very nice. Marian almost lives on them.

     A word or two more. I have on hand a large quantity of last year's prunes. I should be glad to give these to our people in the South. But I have not money to pay the cost of transportation. Have you any suggestion to make as to how these prunes could be sent South? Please mention this in your next letter.

     I am very short of money, and I do not know what I should have done had we not been able to spread our table with the fruits of our place. It is years since I have received so little from my books. For nearly six months not a penny came to me. Then I received four hundred dollars from Australia. There were four hundred dollars due me from the London office, but the Pacific Press owed the London office, and I owed the Press, so I gave the Press an order on the London office.

     At one time I had drawn all that I had in the bank here. But Sara had some money in the bank, and she allowed me to draw on her account to meet running expenses. I shall have to borrow some money somewhere unless I receive some soon. But though no money comes to me, I praise the Lord for His blessings. We meet round the meal table with good appetites and cheerful, happy hearts, thankful that the Lord has so graciously blessed us by giving us an abundant harvest from the seed sown. The Lord is good, and we will honor Him by praising His holy name.

     I will be thankful for the blessings that we have; and if the time comes when I can pay off my debts, I shall praise the Lord.

     We try to practice economy in every line in our home. We see so much to be done to advance the cause of truth. I pray that the Lord will open the way for me to receive some money from my books. I hear good reports in regard to the sale of "The Coming King." I am glad for you. Marian is now working on the Temperance book. I am very anxious to see this book in circulation.

     The world has certainly been taken captive by Satanic agencies, and a time of trouble such as has not been since there was a nation, is soon to come. This is why I desire so much to have means. I want to prepare books for publication, and I want to establish memorials for God--schools, and sanitariums, and meeting houses.

     We need now the power of the Holy Spirit. We need now to put on every piece of the gospel armor. We need clear, sharp spiritual discernment, that we may not be taken captive by the enemy.

     Dear children, Canaan is in sight. We must have a place there, in that beautiful home where the Lord will be our Father and we His children. Oh, to be where the wickedness of the wicked shall have come to an end.

     I hope and pray that the Lord will help you in your work in the South. If at any time you want to come to us, come; and we will unite our forces.

Appendix B

The Number of Rooms in the Paradise Valley Sanitarium

Manuscript 107, 1909 (in 1SM 38-39; written March 5, 1909)

     I am troubled in regard to Brother A [E. S. Ballenger], who for some years has been a worker in southern California. He has made some strange statements, and I am pained to see him denying the testimonies as a whole because of what seems to him an inconsistency--a statement made by me in regard to the number of rooms in the Paradise Valley Sanitarium. Brother A says that in a letter written to one of the  brethren in southern California, the statement was made by me that the sanitarium contained forty rooms, when there were really only thirty-eight. This, Brother A gives to me as the reason why he has lost confidence in the testimonies. . . .

     The information given concerning the number of rooms in the Paradise Valley Sanitarium was given, not as a revelation from the Lord, but simply as a human opinion. There has never been revealed to me the exact number of rooms in any of our sanitariums; and the knowledge I have obtained of such things I have gained by inquiring of those who were supposed to know. In my words, when speaking upon these common subjects, there is nothing to lead minds to believe that I receive my knowledge in a vision from the Lord and am stating it as such. . . .

     When the Holy Spirit reveals anything regarding the institutions connected with the Lord's work, or concerning the work of God upon human hearts and minds, as He has revealed these things through me in the past, the message given is to be regarded as light given of God for those who need it. But for one to mix the sacred with the common is a great mistake. In a tendency to do this we may see the working of the enemy to destroy souls.

     To every soul whom God has created He has given capabilities to serve Him, but Satan seeks to make this work of service hard by his constant temptation to mislead souls. He works to dim the spiritual perceptions that men may not distinguish between that which is common and that which is holy. I have been made to know this distinction through a life's service for my Lord and Master. . . .

     The message came to me, Dedicate yourself to the highest work ever committed to mortals. I will give you high aspirations and powers and a true sense of the work of Christ. You are not your own, for you are bought with a price, by the life and death of the Son of God. God calls for your child's heart and service under the sanctification of the Holy Spirit.

     I gave myself, my whole being, to God, to obey His call in everything, and since that time my life has been spent in giving the message, with my pen and in speaking before large congregations. It is not I who controls my words and actions at such times.

     But there are times when common things must be stated, common thoughts must occupy the mind, common letters must be written and information given that has passed from one to another of the workers. Such words, such information, are not given under the special inspiration of the Spirit of God. Questions are asked at times that are not upon religious subjects at all, and these questions must be answered. We converse about houses and lands, trades to be made, and locations for our institutions, their advantages and disadvantages.

     I receive letters asking for advice on many strange subjects, and I advise according to the light that has been given me. Men have again and again opposed the counsel that I have been instructed to give because they did not want to receive the light given, and such experiences have led me to seek the Lord most earnestly.