The following is the original quote Ellen White made concerning the mystery of the Holy Spirit which is often quoted in Acts of the Apostles, p 52.
That it has been edited by the publishers/authorities is immediately obvious when compared with the original statement below.
Brother Chapman was holding to a view that the identity of the Holy Spirit was Gabriel and was not being sent out to preach because he did not agree that the Comforter is Christ. Ellen White told brother Chapman to come into harmony with the brethren.
Ellen White, in Petoskey, Michigan, to Brother Chapman on 11 June, 1891:
“I have received yours dated June 3. In this letter you speak in these words: ‘Elder Robinson does not want me to leave, but urges that I enter the canvassing field until such time as the conference can afford to employ me in some other capacity, but states positively that I cannot be sent out to present the truth to others until some points held by me are changed or modified in order that the views regarded by us as a people should be properly set forth. (p 475) He quotes as a sample, ‘My idea in reference to the Holy Ghost’s not being the Spirit of God, WHICH IS CHRIST, but the angel Gabriel, and my belief that the 144,000 will be Jews who will acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. On all fundamental points I am in perfect harmony with our people; but when I try to show what seems to me to be new light on the truth, those in authority, none of whom have seemingly ever made a personal investigation of the matter, refuse to look into the Bible, but brand me as a fellow with queer ideas of the Bible….’ “Your ideas of the two subjects you mention do not harmonize with the light which God has given me.
The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery not clearly revealed, and you will never be able to explain it to others because the Lord has not revealed it to you. You may gather together Scriptures and put your construction upon them, but the application is not correct. The expositions by which you sustain your position are not sound. You may lead some to accept your explanations, but you do them no good, nor are they, through accepting your views, enabled to do others good. It is not essential for you to be able to define just what the Holy Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, ‘the Spirit of truth, which the Father shall send in My name.’ ‘I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:16, 17). This refers to the omnipresence of the spirit of Christ, called the Comforter…. There are many mysteries, which I do not seek to understand or to explain; they are too high for me and too high for you. On some of these points silence is golden…I hope that you will seek to be in harmony with the body…you make the mistake that many others have made, of thinking that you have new light, when it is only a new phase of error. You need to come into harmony with your brethren.… It is your duty to come as near to the people as you can…. Now, my brother, it is truth that we want and must have, but do notintroduce error as new truth.” MR 1107.
Notice above he is out of harmony with the brethren on the identity of the Holy Spirit which his brethren say “is Christ”. And Ellen White says that he needs to come into “harmony with the body”. Also regarding the nature of the Holy Spirit that is not for us to define. However the identity of the spirit is clearly revealed.
“There is no comforter like Christ, so tender and so true. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. His Spirit speaks to the heart.… The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul.” (Ellen White, Review & Herald, October 26, 1897)
“The reason why the churches are weak and sickly and ready to die is that the enemy has brought influences of a discouraging nature to bear upon trembling souls. He has sought to shut Jesus from their view as the Comforter, as one who reproves, who warns, who admonishes them,saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” (Ellen White, Review & Herald, August 26, 1890, also in Reflecting Christ, page 21)
See Also:
The Comforter which is the Holy Spirit
The Third Person of the Godhead
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