Ellen G. White and the Principles of Biblical Hermeneutics: A Historical-Theological Study

Abstract

The writings of Ellen G. White occupy a distinctive place within Seventh-day Adventist theology and practice. Her extensive engagement with Scripture raises an important hermeneutical question: What principles governed her interpretation and application of the Bible, and how should those principles inform contemporary Adventist biblical interpretation? This study examines Ellen G. White’s understanding and use of Scripture through a historical-theological analysis of her published writings and selected Adventist scholarship on biblical hermeneutics. The study argues that White’s hermeneutical approach was fundamentally Scripture-centered, holistic, contextual, canonical, Christological, practical, and spiritually oriented. She consistently presented Scripture as the supreme standard of faith and practice and rejected the notion that her writings should replace or supplement the biblical canon. At the same time, her interpretation of Scripture cannot be reduced to a modern technical exegetical method. She frequently employed Scripture devotionally, homiletically, typologically, intertextually, and pastorally. Her approach therefore demonstrates both significant strengths and important methodological tensions. Her insistence that Scripture interprets Scripture, her concern for the totality of biblical teaching, her resistance to speculative interpretation, and her emphasis on the practical transformation of the believer remain significant for contemporary Adventist hermeneutics. However, responsible use of her writings requires attention to literary context, historical setting, genre, development of thought, and the distinction between inspired application and the original meaning of biblical texts. The study concludes that White’s hermeneutical legacy is best understood not as a substitute for biblical exegesis but as a prophetic contribution that calls interpreters back to Scripture, Christ, and the transforming purposes of God’s Word.