p. 296 | MUSTN'T INSULT THE DOCTORS

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Tuesday, May 12, 1885

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 62, No. 19

MUSTN'T INSULT THE DOCTORS.

THE apostles of our Lord faithfully warn men against being wise in their own eyes, being puffed up with vain conceit, thinking more highly of themselves than they ought to think, leaning to their own understanding, and choosing the wisdom of this world instead of that which cometh from above. And Paul plainly intimates that those who do this are very likely to make fools of themselves.

In view of these scriptures, what must we think of ministers who seem to consider that they have a monopoly of divine truth, and regard it as an insult to them if the Lord sees fit to bring out new light from his word through other agencies? for there are some who betray themselves as occupying this very position. Sr. E. P. N. sends us the following sketch of her experience while learning the truth as presented by some of our brethren in a tent-meeting at Mt. Vernon, Illinois:—

“As I read the query of D. M. C. in the REVIEW of Feb. 24, 1885, in regard to the meaning of 1 Cor. 1: 27, 28, it at once reminded me of a similar query which was actually addressed to me by a minister while I was investigating the present truth. Anxious to know if the S. D. A. doctrines were true, especially their position upon the commandments of God, I attended some meetings, held at the time of which I speak, in a tent in Mt. Vernon, Ill. In order, I suppose, to disabuse my poor, befogged mind of the ideas I was then drinking in, two good men, Presbyterian ministers, one an evangelist from Scotland, made me a visit.

“When I saw them at the gate, I knew instinctively their errand, and being very desirous of being delivered from my doubts and fears by knowing the truth, but without intending to argue for or against it, I put up an earnest petition to the Lord to so entirely confound the one in error that he could say nothing. I awaited the opening of the interview with much interest, believing that God would vindicate his cause, and that I would have reason to abide the issue of that afternoon.

“After talking for nearly two hours and a half, the Lord, as I believe, putting scriptures into my mind, so that they were obliged to shift constantly from one position to another, the Scotch D. D. finally said to me: ‘Well, now, Mrs. ——, do you candidly think that the Almighty would insult his learned doctors and divines, by picking up such ignorant men as those at the tent to preach that which he had concealed from them in their profound research after his truth?’

“Instantly—and the thought at once decided me— these words came to my mind, and I answered: ‘Aside from being able, or caring, to prove, prove your statement in regard to their being ignorant, by which you doubtless mean uneducated, you should say that God might and would, if he saw the necessity, do again as he has done in the past. You will acknowledge that the Jewish priests and learned divines of Christ’s day, must have thought themselves insulted, when, after they had rejected him, he went and picked up some unlettered fishermen from the Sea of Galilee to preach the truth for to-day. Yes, I certainly believe God would do so again, if there was the same necessity for it. We know he says that he will “confound the wise and prudent,” and that out of the mouths of “babes and sucklings” he has “perfected praise.”’

“‘And they answered never a word.’ So 1 Cor. 1: 27, 28, is literally true, themselves being judges.”