1. FIRST QUARTER January – March 2009 Gerhard Pfandl - Principal Contributor John the Baptist was called by Jesus to be the greatest of all the prophets. But “the prophetic gift involved something other than writing the books of the Bible.” This Sabbath School Bible Study Guide not only introduces God’s messengers through out the ages but the also Source of all true prophecy, the ‘Gift-Giver.’

2. FIRST QUARTER 2009 This Sabbath School lesson help was produced for the glory of God. It is being distributed through the internet media for you to use as you teach our Sabbath School classes. Please do not alter the way it was arranged. Thanks and God bless. Yours–in-Christ, Pastor N. V. Macatiag

3. March 14, 2009 Memory Text: “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:16, NKJV).

4. March 14, 2009 A. Introduction There is no question that Ellen G. White manifested in her life and works the gift of prophecy. The inspiration that she received is in the same level as the Old and New Testament prophets. But not her authority. When interpreting her writings we can apply the same principles used in interpreting the Scriptures.

5. March 14, 2009 B. The Methods 1. Sound Exegesis/Powerful Homiletics a. Biblical exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of the Bible. The goal of Biblical exegesis is to find the meaning of the text which then leads to discovering its significance or relevance. Wikipedia.com Exegesis is concerned with the original meaning of a text. It focuses on what the author wanted to say and what the text meant to the original receiver.

6. March 14, 2009 i. 1 Samuel 24:3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where [was] a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. ii. “To cover ones feet” is an old way of saying ‘to go to the toilet’. Understanding the exegesis informs us how vulnerable Saul was at the moment.

7. March 14, 2009 b. Homiletics (Gr. homiletikos, from homilos, to assemble together), in theology the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific department of public preaching - Wikipedia.comGr.theologyrhetoric preaching

8. March 14, 2009 Homiletics is the art of preaching. In a homiletics class a student learns sermon preparation and how to use the Scriptures in preaching. Sometimes a preacher may use just the wording of a text, without special regard for its original meaning, to make a point or an appeal during a sermon. This is called the homiletical use of Scripture.

9. March 14, 2009 1 Samuel 24:3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where [was] a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. ii. By understanding the exegesis of the text. We can see Saul at his most vulnerable moment, when we can see that Saul was at the mercy of David. David could have killed Saul at the moment but we can see the

10. March 14, 2009 kind-heartedness of David. He respected God’s anointed and by doing so honors and glorifies God more. Homiletics is applying God’s words into human life and situations. Thus we can see the scope that when God chooses a person, He do so by looking at one’s heart.

11. March 14, 2009 2. Time and Place a. A crucial rule of biblical interpretation is the principle of studying the times and circumstances during which a particular text was written and by whom. i. Jeremiah 4:23-26- I beheld the earth, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, [there was] no man,

12. March 14, 2009 and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place [was] a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, [and] by his fierce anger. (KJV) ii. This text frequently interpreted to mean a picture of what will happen in the millennium. Jeremiah here is not describing what will happen in the millennium. He is describing what will happen to Jerusalem when Babylon finishes it. Thus,

13. March 14, 2009 exegetically, Jeremiah 4:23–26 refers to the destruction of Jerusalem. Symbolically, however, it also refers to the time of the millennium. Ellen G. White, therefore, quotes from Jeremiah 4 to describe the situation on earth during the millennium.—The Great Controversy, p. 659.

14. March 14, 2009 3. Context The meaning - the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect: a. Immediate context – i. Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

15. March 14, 2009 ii. We may think that this text refers to that event after the millennium. But Isaiah here is referring to that event when Israel should have lived a life of faithfulness and obedience. But it did not happened so this conditional prophecy did not happen. iii. Ellen White makes the statement that “those who accept the Saviour, however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or to feel that they are

16. March 14, 2009 saved.” COL 155. When we study the context, we discover that she is speaking about whether a person can fall from grace after conversion. Many Christians in her days believed in the doctrine of “once saved always saved.” Ellen White was clearly against this teaching. In context she says, “Never can we safely put confidence in self or feel, this side of heaven, that we are secure against temptation.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 155.

17. March 14, 2009 b. Larger Context - The larger context refers to what other texts beyond the immediate passage have to say on a particular topic. It can refer to other chapters in a book, the whole book, or to the whole of Scripture.

18. March 14, 2009 i.In James 2:14-26/ Eph. 2:8, 9- James is not arguing for good works as a requirement for salvation. Rather, he insists that there are two kinds of faith, one valid and the other invalid. Paul speaks about the valid faith that is followed by good deeds. James refers to the invalid faith that stops at the intellectual level, faith that is mere mental assent.

19. March 14, 2009 ii. When reading Ellen White, we also need to look at the larger context in her writings; i.e., everything she has written on a particular topic. We cannot just take one or two statements and run with them.

20. March 14, 2009 C. Reactions: 1. Apart from the guidelines studied in this week’s lesson, we need to: (a) ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the study of His Word; (b) ensure that we use one or more good translations; (c) look for principles that are universal and apply to all people, in all places, and at all times;

21. March 14, 2009 d) be willing to obey the truths we discover; (e) be open-minded and willing to surrender previously held positions; (f) guard against extreme interpretations; (g) work together with people of experience; and (h) use common sense.

22. March 14, 2009 2. How are we going to use this knowledge and apply it to our present era? 3. What are some other ways that Ellen White’s writings have been misused? What can we do, however, to avoid the trap of throwing the whole thing out, simply because it has not been used properly?

23. March 14, 2009 God bless and a Happy Sabbath!