“As in the days of the apostles men tried by tradition and philosophy to destroy faith in the Scriptures, so today, by the pleasing sentiments of higher criticism, evolution, spiritualism, theosophy, and pantheism, the enemy of righteousness is seeking to lead souls into forbidden paths. To many the Bible is as a lamp without oil, because they have turned their minds into channels of speculative belief that bring misunderstanding and confusion. The work of higher criticism, in dissecting, conjecturing, reconstructing, is destroying faith in the Bible as a divine revelation. It is robbing God’s word of power to control, uplift, and inspire human lives. By spiritualism, multitudes are taught to believe that desire is the highest law, that license is liberty, and that man is accountable only to himself.
“The follower of Christ will meet with the ‘enticing words’ against which the apostle warned the Colossian believers. He will meet with spiritualistic interpretations of the Scriptures, but he is not to accept them. His voice is to be heard in clear affirmation of the eternal truths of the Scriptures. Keeping his eyes fixed on Christ, he is to move steadily forward in the path marked out, discarding all ideas that are not in harmony with His teaching. The truth of God is to be the subject for his contemplation and meditation. He is to regard the Bible as the voice of God speaking directly to him. Thus he will find the wisdom which is divine.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 474, 475.
Discussion Questions:
What does it mean that in Christ “dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,” and that He “is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:9, 10, NKJV)? See also John 1:1, Hebrews 1:3, and 1 Peter 3:22.
We’ve all probably heard Colossians 2:14–16 used as an argument against the seventh-day Sabbath. What other problems, besides what the lesson this week brought out, come with the use of these texts to argue that we no longer need to keep the fourth commandment?
How do you deal with those who insist that we must keep the ceremonial laws as well? Though, perhaps, one could find some spiritual or theological blessings in keeping them, what problems arise from insisting that they must be kept?
Ellen G. White wrote above that we should regard the Bible “as the voice of God speaking directly” to us. Why must we, then, guard ourselves diligently against anyone or anything that would weaken our faith in the authority and inspiration of all Scripture, even the parts that, in places, might make us uncomfortable?
Supplemental EGW Notes
God’s Amazing Grace, “Grieved by Our Doubts,” July 27, p. 216.
Sons and Daughters of God, “By Abiding in Christ, the Source of Power,” October 2, p. 282.\
The above quotations are taken from Ellen G. White Notes for the Sabbath School Lessons, published by Pacific Press Publishing Association. Used by permission.