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.’

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

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).

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.com

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.

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•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

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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.

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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,

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•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,

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.

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.

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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

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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;

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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.

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?

March 14, 2009

God bless and a

Happy Sabbath!