Pastor Jan Paulsen, President of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (worlwide church) enjoys taking time to answer questions asked by youth and young adults. The questions and answers included below deal with Ellen G. White, drama, wearing of pants, which version of the Bible to use, among other things of interest to some of the members of our churches. Read the answers and the rationale Pastor Paulsen uses, they may help you to answer to someone in your church or your community, when they ask.
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Question:It seems that the church is not consistent anymore with Ellen White’s writings. Why do some people in the church eat meat and dairy, wear pants and jewelry?
Pastor Jan Paulsen: There may be a many reasons why people choose to do something or not, particularly when it comes to lifestyle issues. For some, it may be that they are unaware of particular principles. Others may not consider the issue relevant or important, so they make a conscious decision to disregard the guidance that God has given. In some parts of the world, culture plays a part in a person’s choice of what to do or wear. And of course, when it comes to diet, some live in places where there are not many options.
Throughout Ellen White’s writings, principles have been given to help us determine what God desires for our best good. He then allows us the freedom to best work out our own actions in harmony with these principles. As we do, it is important to remember that God always points us to the ideal. His greatest desire always is that we reach our maximum spiritually and in every other way that affects our eternal salvation.
Regarding the specific issues you raise, let’s start with the two having to do with diet. Vegetarianism is the ideal diet God has recommended for us through the writings of Ellen White, but she recognized that there are exceptions, and that not everyone comes to the same convictions at the same time. Also, there is need for proper dietary education before one makes a radical change in diet.
As for dairy, a careful study of Ellen White’s writings shows that she did not require or recommend that we stop using all dairy products--not until safety concerns would make it necessary.
What about pants? Presumably, the question is about pants for women! Mrs. White nowhere says that women may not wear pants. In fact, the “reform dress” that she recommended in the 1860s and early 1870s included pants under a modest-length dress. In commenting on Deuteronomy 22:5, she urged that women not wear clothes designed to imitate those of a man (see 1T 421). While this clearly applies to masculine-looking women’s fashions, many people believe that it does not rule out all pants.
In some situations, pants may be the most modest and practical attire for women. Grace Jacques, granddaughter of Mrs. White, reported that late in her life Mrs. White herself wore pants of some kind (perhaps they were farm-type overalls) for picking fruit while standing in a wagon in the orchard. In any situation, we should dress appropriately to our gender and to the needs of the occasion.
Regarding jewelry, the question is not so much about what Mrs. White says as about what Scripture says. Our pioneers believed, and most Adventists still believe, that the instructions in 1 Timothy 2:9, 10 and 1 Peter 3:3, 4 show that we should be more concerned about what’s happening inside us, rather than how we look on the outside. And these passages also illustrate the kind of outward adorning that we should reject.
Those who choose to wear jewelry may simply not have considered the issue, or there may be some other factor at work. But when we commit to making Jesus top priority in our lives, we’ll find out that we are happiest and most fulfilled when we’re following His guidelines for our life.
Question: Should we be taking Ellen White’s advice as commandments to get to heaven?
Pastor Jan Paulsen: Absolutely not! Commandments will not get us to heaven. The only way to heaven is by accepting the salvation offered to us through Jesus Christ.
God gave us much helpful information through Ellen White to assist us on our Christian pilgrimage to heaven, but her writings were never intended as commandments to get us to heaven. The Bible is our only rule of faith and practice.
Ellen White said that her writings are a lesser light to lead us to the greater light. In a world that sometimes seems wrapped in darkness, we need all the light God has chosen to make available to us, and the inspired insights in Ellen White’s writings can be extremely helpful in our Christian experience.
Question: Ellen White forbids theatrical performances (Evangelism, pp. 137, 138). So why then are drama productions allowed in church?
Pastor Jan Paulsen: On those pages in Evangelism, Mrs. White was not warning against plays and skits but the attempt by some ministers to “proclaim the solemn, sacred message in a theatrical style,” like dramatic stage actors of the 19th century. In doing so, these ministers adopted a strange manner and odd postures and gestures. Mrs. White called such things “undignified demonstrations.” Perhaps that description might well also apply to some plays and skits, but her comments do not automatically rule out dramatic productions entirely.
Visual presentations have long been known to be an effective way to communicate a message. And while Ellen White clearly points out the many perils that often accompany "plays" and "theatrical programs,” especially in the secular realm, she does not condemn a program just because it may be dramatized. It’s probably a good idea, though, for churches and schools to establish guidelines that can be considered carefully and prayerfully in planning any dramatic productions that they sponsor.
The Ellen G. White Estate web site has a document that further discusses this question. It may be found at: www.WhiteEstate.org/issues/Drama.html.
Question: Is Ellen White considered a doctrinal authority?
Pastor Jan Paulsen: The Seventh-day Adventist Church looks to Scripture for its doctrines. The church’s official statement, “Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists,” lists only Bible texts after each statement of belief. Our evangelists preach our doctrines from the Bible. Our distinctive doctrines such as the Sabbath and the Sanctuary came to us from Bible study, not from Mrs. White’s visions.
Because we believe that Mrs. White’s prophetic gift came from the same Source and in the same way as that of the Bible prophets, we take these writings seriously. We believe they have God’s authority behind them. But Mrs. White taught us to look to the Bible as “the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience” (The Great Controversy, introduction, p. vii).
You should also know that, as with any written texts, the writings of Mrs. White can, and have, been misused. By taking some of her statements out of context it is possible to twist and distort her meanings. And, unfortunately, some people have used her writings in ways that are inappropriate. The very best thing you can do is to read her words for yourself, and discover firsthand the voice of this extraordinary woman.
Question: What version of the Bible did Ellen White use?
Pastor Jan Paulsen: Typically, she used the English Bible that was almost universally used among Protestants in her day--the King James Version. She knew many of its passages by heart, and its expressions are sprinkled throughout her writings, even when she was not formally quoting a Scripture passage.
But she did not use the KJV exclusively. In the 1880s, when the Revised Version became available, she began to quote from it occasionally in her writings, as she did the American Revised Version in the early 1900s. You can find examples of these in such books as The Great Controversy (pp. vii, xi, 54, 269, 287, 446, etc.), Christ’s Object Lessons (pp. 34, 36, 77, 81, etc.), The Acts of the Apostles (pp. 128, 312), The Desire of Ages (pp. 314, 334, 463), Education (pp. 28, 30, 68, 78, etc.), and Patriarchs and Prophets (pp. 33, 43, 126, 154, 471, 537, etc.), among many others.
A few other translations also appear in her writings, but less frequently. She was open to using new translations when they helped to make the point more clearly or more attractively. But the King James Version remained her standard. It was the one she was most familiar with, and it was the most widely used Bible of the time among people both inside and outside of the Seventh-day Adventist faith.
Question: Revelation 22:18 says that nothing should be added or taken away from the Holy Scripture. So why then does the Adventist Church seem to hold Ellen White’s writings above the Bible?
Pastor Jan Paulsen: The passage you mention actually refers to the Book of Revelation itself. It is a warning against tampering with that book. But you’re right--we would not want to tamper with any of the Bible.
There is no biblical passage, though, that rules out God giving messages through prophetic voices other than those who wrote in Scripture. The Bible itself tells of prophets whom God sent but who did not become Bible writers. Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist come quickly to mind. Other prophets wrote books (2 Chronicles 9:29), but though these did not become a part of the Bible, they were no less a message from God.
Further, the Bible leads us to expect prophetic messages in the last days (Joel 2:28-31, Ephesians 4:11-13, Revelation 12:17, 19:10 [cf. 22:8, 9]). Clearly, we should listen to the genuine prophetic voice when it comes, even in our day.
The Seventh-day Adventist church has always taught that the Bible is the test of every other claim in the spiritual realm. Maybe some church members have specialized more in Mrs. White’s writings than in Scripture, but this is not the church’s teaching, nor was it hers. She wrote of her own writings, “Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light” (Colporteur Ministry, p. 125). She also wrote, “I recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice. By that Word we are to be judged. God has, in that Word, promised to give visions in the ‘last days’; not for a new rule of faith, but for the comfort of His people, and to correct those who err from Bible truth” (Early Writings, p. 78).
Question: Why do some Adventist colleges allow students to participate in Greek-style men’s and women’s clubs when Ellen White said fraternities were at odds with the Kingdom of God?
Pastor Jan Paulsen: Ellen White echoed Paul’s counsel in 2 Corinthians 6 when she warned against secret fraternities or societies (like the Masons) where Christian principles are compromised because of one’s total loyalty to the organization. (See Selected Messages, book 2, pp. 121-139.) The same principle would apply regarding membership by Christians in any kind of organization that demands total loyalty. It is absolutely impossible to be totally committed to Christ while at the same time being totally involved with any worldly organization.
But Ellen White did recognize a place for certain “clubs” at Adventist schools. She gave practical counsel about literary societies while cautioning against the tendency of some clubs to lose their intellectual and spiritual goals. She urged us to remember that “the intellect, as well as the heart, must be consecrated to the service of God.” See Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, pp. 541-544.
Question: Is it right for some people to quote Ellen White instead of the Bible?
Pastor Jan Paulsen: We might also ask: Is it right for some people to quote Martin Luther instead of the Bible? Or Max Lucado? Or anyone other than the Bible? Depending on the subject and the occasion, we might choose to quote any number of people.
If we are attempting to present spiritual truth, or if we are discussing a disputed point regarding spiritual things, the Bible is our point of reference. We may bring in other writers if we wish (and anyone with the genuine prophetic gift ought to rank high among them). But we must understand that these are not the source of our beliefs. Ellen White’s own counsel would lead us to make the Bible our main study and to appeal to it as our source of spiritual truth.
Question: Has our view of Ellen White changed? Is she now considered just another Christian writer?
Pastor Jan Paulsen: Some have taken this view regarding Mrs. White. The church at large, however, has not changed its position. We still believe Ellen White was a “messenger of the Lord” in ways that other Christian writers are not. We recognize that the guidance she gave this church could not have come from merely a human source, even a devoutly spiritual human source.
We know much today about the human side of God’s messenger and about the ways in which she accomplished her commission. But if these lead us to conclude that her writings are no different from those of other Christian writers, we will have overlooked remarkable evidence of supernatural workings in her life and ministry. That evidence squares with the Bible’s portrayal of a true prophet.
The Bible counsels us, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 NKJV). Over the years the church has tested the life, ministry, and writings of Mrs. White and has found them good. So it will “hold fast” to these things and “not despise prophecies.” Where we have honored them in the past, God has blessed us, and He will bless us still as we pay attention to His messenger.
Question: I’ve read some of Ellen White’s writing and, while some of it is inspirational, some of it seems outdated and irrelevant to my life. What do I do with those parts?
Pastor Jan Paulsen: In my own experience, whenever I read inspired writings I start by asking God to help me discover in what I am reading something He knows will particularly benefit and bless me.
Some of what Ellen White has written may not apply to you now, and perhaps it never will. For instance, smoking has never been a temptation to me. Consequently, what Ellen White has written against smoking has no particular relevance to me--that’s just not my particular temptation. But when I pray and ask God to guide me to find those things that I need in my life, He always does.
Besides praying for guidance, also look for the principle in what you are reading. Something may seem outdated, but when you look at the underlying principle behind the counsel, it often becomes extremely relevant.
Since everyone is different, different parts of the writings of Ellen White appeal to different people. But I can assure you that study of the writings of Ellen White brings real blessing. So before deciding that something really is not relevant for you, make certain that you have prayed for guidance to find what will help you and that you have checked out the principle involved. Then, if you are absolutely certain that this particular counsel is not for you, move on to another part that speaks to you more directly.
Question: I’ve heard that Ellen White was ordained. Is this true? And if so, why don’t we ordain women today?
Pastor Jan Paulsen: In 1909 Mrs. White filled out a “Biographical Information Blank” for the General Conference. Item 19 asked, “If ordained, state when, where, and by whom.” On the line next to this, she merely wrote an X. She put one other X on the blank, in answer to Item 26: “If remarried, give date, and to whom.” We know that she never remarried after James White’s death, so the X clearly means, “No, this doesn’t apply to me.”
Similarly, we may conclude by her own testimony that she was not ordained. Yet from 1871 on, the church issued her the credentials of an ordained minister, even though she was not ordained. On some of the credentials the word “ordained” was neatly crossed out, but on others it was not. Apparently the church leaders wished to acknowledge her gift with the highest credentials the church had, even while they recognized that these were not a perfect fit. Mrs. White never exercised any of the distinctive functions of an ordained minister.
In 1881 the General Conference considered a resolution to allow ordaining women to the gospel ministry, but the resolution did not pass. It was referred to committee, where it died. Two recent General Conference sessions considered aspects of the issue again, but in both cases the motions were defeated by substantial majorities. Many delegates expressed concern over whether the practice was in harmony with the Bible’s instruction regarding church leadership. Just as Mrs. White was not ordained, the church does not ordain women to the gospel ministry today.
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