Below are quotations from our pioneers on the Holy Spirit.
J H WAGGONER – 1877
“The Spirit of God is that awful and mysterious power which proceeds from the throne of the universe, and which is the efficient actor in the work of creation and of redemption.” The Spirit of God: Its Offices and Manifestations, 1877.
URIAH SMITH – 1890
“But respecting the Spirit, the Bible uses expressions which cannot be harmonized with the idea that it is a person like the Father and the Son. Rather it is shown to be a divine influence from them both, the medium which represents their presence and by which they have knowledge and power through all the universe, when not personally present.” The Review and Herald, Oct. 25, 1890.
M C WILCOX – 1898
“God is everywhere present by His Spirit…The presence of God is therefore His Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is therefore the life of God.” Signs of the Times. June 2. 1898.
SIGNS OF THE TIMES QUESTIONS – 1911
“The Holy Spirit is the mighty energy of the Godhead, the life and power of God flowing out from Him to all parts of the creation…Thus the Spirit is personified in Christ and God, but never revealed as a separate person. Never are we told to pray to the Spirit; but to God for the Spirit.”Questions and Answers gathered from ‘The Question Corner Department’ of the Signs of the Times, Pacific Press, 1911,p. 181-182.
W.W. PRESCOTT IN A RADIO BROADCAST -- 1928
“Plainly, the coming of the Comforter is the coming of Jesus in the Spirit…We have a Comforter or Advocate in Heaven, Jesus Christ the righteous, there present in a bodily form, just as he ascended from this earth, and we have in our hearts the same Jesus in the Spirit, the other Comforter who is just Jesus’ other self.” W W Prescott, 1928 Radio Broadcast.
WILLIE WHITE
Br White Jnr. somewhat perplexed about the new concepts of the Holy Spirit. In a conversation between H. W. Carr and Willie White they discuss this issue. H.W. Carr used to use Ms. White’s quotes on the ‘third person’ to combat the trinity. However in 1935 there was a change.
"It is urged by some of our leaders now that the Holy Spirit is a third person of the same nature of the Father and Son, a member of the heavenly trio, cooperative in creation and personally active with the Father and Son. For many years I have used statements of Sr. White in combating false teachings relative to defining the Holy Spirit." Letter by H. W. Carr to Willie White, January 24, 1935.
A letter to Bro Carr from Willie White’s states. "In your letter you request me to tell you what I understand to be my mother’s position in reference to the personality of the Holy Spirit… This I cannot do because I never clearly understood her teachings on the matter. There always was in my mind some perplexity regarding the meaning of her utterances which to my superficial manner of thinking seemed to be somewhat confusing....
The statements and the arguments of some of our ministers in their effort to prove that the Holy Spirit was an individual as are God the Father and Christ, the eternal Son, have perplexed me and sometimes they have made me sad. One popular teacher said ‘We may regard Him, (the Holy Spirit) as the fellow who is down here running things.’
My perplexities were lessened a little when I learned from the dictionary that one of the meanings of personality, was characteristics. It is stated in such a way that I concluded that there might be personality without bodily form which is possessed by the Father and the Son.
There are many Scriptures which speak of the Father and the Son and the absence of Scripture making similar reference to the united work of the Father and the Holy Spirit or of Christ and the Holy Spirit, has led me to believe that the Spirit without individuality was the representative of the Father and the Son throughout the universe, and it was through the Holy Spirit that they dwell in our hearts and make us one with the Father and with the Son...." Letter by Willie White, April 30, 1935.
Our prophet has made it totally clear that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ and our pioneers accepted.
Will you accept it?
Pioneers on the Holy Spirit?