Old Light, New Light

Compiled from the writings of Ellen G. White

“New light will ever be revealed on the word of God to him who is in living connection with the Sun of Righteousness. Let no one come to the conclusion that there is no more truth to be revealed. The diligent, prayerful seeker for truth will find precious rays of light yet to shine forth from the word of God. Many gems are yet scattered that are to be gathered together to become the property of the remnant people of God.” — Counsels to Writers and Editors,p. 35.

“Whatever may be man’s intellectual advancement, let him not for a moment think that there is no need of thorough and continuous searching of the Scriptures for greater light.        
“The present attitude of the church is not pleasing to God. There has come in a self-confidence that has led them to feel no necessity for more truth and greater light.
“We must not for a moment think that there is no more light, no more truth, to be given us. … While we must hold fast to the truths which we have already received, we must not look with suspicion upon any new light that God may send.” —Gospel Workers, pp. 300, 310.

“In every age there is a new development of truth, a message of God to the people of that generation. The old truths are all essential; new truth is not independent of the old, but an unfolding of it. It is only as the old truths are understood that we can comprehend the new. … But it is the light which shines in the fresh unfolding of truth that glorifies the old. He who rejects or neglects the new does not really possess the old.” —Christ’s Object Lessons,pp. 127, 128.

Old truth recovered

“God will give additional light, and old truths will be recovered, and replaced in the framework of truth; and wherever the laborers go, they will triumph. As Christ’s ambassadors, they are to search the Scriptures, to seek for the truths that have been hidden beneath the rubbish of error. And every ray of light received is to be communicated to others.” —Review and Herald, December 23, 1890.

“Whoever is with singleness of purpose seeking to do God’s will, earnestly heeding the light already given, will receive greater light.” —The Great Controversy,p. 312.

Give a candid hearing

“Suppose a brother held a view that differed from yours, and he should come to you, proposing that you sit down with him and make an investigation of that point in the Scriptures; should you rise up, filled with prejudice, and condemn his ideas, while refusing to give him a candid hearing? The only right way would be to sit down as Christians and investigate the position presented in the light of God’s word, which will reveal truth and unmask error.” —Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 107.

“If a brother differ with you on some points of truth, do not stoop to ridicule, do not place him in a false light, or misconstrue his words, making sport of them; do not misinterpret his words and wrest them of their true meaning…

“When new light is presented to the church, it is perilous to shut yourselves away from it. Refusing to hear because you are prejudiced against the message or the messenger will not make your case excusable before God. To condemn that which you have not heard and do not understand will not exalt your wisdom in the eyes of those who are candid in their investigations of truth.” — Counsels to Writers and Editors,pp. 50, 51.
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Examine controverted points

“The Holy Spirit is wanting in our work. Nothing frightens me more than to see the spirit of variance manifested by our brethren. We are on dangerous ground when we cannot meet together like Christians, and courteously examine controverted points. I feel like fleeing from the place lest I receive the mold of those who cannot candidly investigate the doctrines of the Bible. Those who cannot impartially examine the evidences of a position that differs from theirs, are not fit to teach in any department of God’s cause.” —Review and Herald, February 18, 1890.

“All should be careful about presenting new views of Scripture before they have given these points thorough study, and are fully prepared to sustain them from the Bible.” —Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 106.

“‘With the solemn conviction that such momentous events were predicted in the Scriptures to be fulfilled in so short a space of time, the question came home to me with mighty power regarding my duty to the world in view of the evidence that had affected my own mind. If the end was so near, it was important that the world should know it. I supposed that it would call forth the opposition of the ungodly; but it never came into my mind that any Christian would oppose it. I supposed that all such would be so rejoiced in view of the glorious prospect, that it would only be necessary to present it, for them to receive it. My great fear was, that in their joy at the hope of a glorious inheritance so soon to be revealed, they would receive the doctrine without sufficiently examining the Scriptures in demonstration of its truth. I therefore feared to present it, lest by some possibility I should be in error, and be the means of misleading any.’
“…How could this combination of farmer and soldier, who possessed no theological training, have any ideas worth serious attention in the field of religion?…

“Thus we have the full answer to why he waited thirteen years before going out to preach. Here was no cocksure enthusiast making a snap judgment or jumping to a conclusion; rather, the opposite.” —Francis D. Nichol quoting and describing William Miller, The Midnight Cry,pp. 36, 37.

“God has a church upon the earth who are His chosen people, who keep His commandments. He is leading, not stray offshoots, not one here and one there, but a people….
“It is our individual duty to walk humbly with God. We are not to seek any strange, new message.” —Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers,p. 61.

“God has not passed His people by, and chosen one solitary man here and another there as the only ones worthy to be entrusted with His truth. He does not give one man new light contrary to the established faith of the body. In every reform men have arisen making this claim.” –Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 45.

Submit to brethren of experience

“There are a thousand temptations in disguise prepared for those who have the light of truth; and the only safety for any of us is in receiving no new doctrine, no new interpretation of the Scriptures, without first submitting it to brethren of experience. Lay it before them in a humble, teachable spirit, with earnest prayer; and if they see no light in it, yield to their judgment; for ‘in the multitude of counselors there is safety.’

“…Men and women will arise professing to have some new light or some new revelation whose tendency is to unsettle faith in the old landmarks. Their doctrines will not bear the test of God’s work, yet souls will be deceived. False reports will be circulated, and some will be taken in this snare. —Testimonies for the Church,vol. 5, pp. 293, 295.

“For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellers there is safety.” Proverbs 24:6.

God’s church a channel of light

“God has made His church on the earth a channel of light, and through it He communicates His purposes and His will. He does not give to one of His servants an experience independent of and contrary to the experience of the church itself. Neither does He give one man a knowledge of His will for the entire church while the church—Christ’s body–is left in darkness.” — The Acts of the Apostles,p. 163.

Judgment of General Conference

“But when the judgment of the General Conference, which is the highest authority that God has upon the earth, is exercised, private independence and private judgment must not be maintained, but be surrendered.” —Testimonies for the Church,vol. 3, p. 492. 

“But when, in a General Conference, the judgment of the brethren assembled from all parts of the field is exercised, private independence and private judgment must not be stubbornly maintained, but surrendered. Never should a laborer regard as a virtue the persistent maintenance of his position of independence, contrary to the decision of the general body.” —Testimonies for the Church,vol. 9, p. 260.

Suppositions

“I have been instructed that it is not new and fanciful doctrines nor human suppositions which the people need, but the testimony of men who know and practice the truth, men who understand and obey the charge given to Timothy….

“God has not laid upon any one the burden of encouraging an appetite for speculative doctrines and theories. Keep these things out of your teaching….
“Let none seek to tear away the foundations of our faith,–the foundations that were laid at the beginning of our work, by prayerful study of the Word and by revelation. …In the past, many have undertaken to build a new faith, to establish new principles; but how long did their building stand? It soon fell; for it was not founded upon the Rock.

“Perilous times are before us. Every one who has a knowledge of the truth should awake, and place himself, body, soul, and spirit, under the discipline of God. The enemy is on our track. We must be wide awake, on our guard against him. —Gospel Workers,pp. 305, 307, 308.

“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17:21.

Speculations

“I was shown that however true his views were, God did not call for him to put them in front before his brethren and create differences of ideas.

“Speculative ideas should not be agitated; for there are peculiar minds that love to get some point that others do not accept, and argue and attract everything to that one point, urging that point, magnifying that point, when it is really a matter which is not of vital importance, and will be understood differently.

“We are one in faith in the fundamental truths of God’s word. And one object must be kept in view constantly; that is, harmony and cooperation must be maintained without compromising one principle of truth. … To have unity and love for one another is the great