A Word Of Explanation
When plans were laid for the volumes of the Spirit of Prophecy
Series it was thought that the books should contain approximately four
hundred pages and that one volume could be devoted to Old Testament
history, one to New Testament history, and a third completing the
controversy story by carrying through reformation history to the end
of the controversy. The plans for the Old Testament history were
successfully met in Spirit of Prophecy, Volume I. But Mrs. White
found it impossible to hold even the life of Christ to the one four-
hundred-page book, so Volume II closes with Christ’s triumphant
entry into Jerusalem, leaving the final scenes of Christ’s life and the
work of the apostles for Volume III. Here, too, there proved to be more
material than could be included in a four-hundred-page book, so it cut
off at page 392 with the chapter “Opposition at Thessalonica.”
It had been Mrs. White’s intent to pick up the closing scenes of
the lives and work of the apostles in the early chapters of Volume
IV. However, as she moved toward publication she was instructed in
vision that this volume should open with the account of the destruction
of Jerusalem. The reason for this soon became apparent, as Volume
IV early became a work sold by our colporteurs. It would have been
awkward to have such a book open with the closing years of the
ministry of Paul and Peter.
This change in plan left the readers with a break in the story and
Mrs. White with several unused chapters. In the next printing of
Volume III these were added at the close. Consequently there are two
printings, one with 392 pages and the other with 442.
Since page VIII of the first printing was full, the table of contents
was not changed in the second printing. As will be observed, the added
chapters are:
Chapter XXXII Paul at Berea and Athens ___________ 393
Chapter XXXIII Paul at Corinth ____________________ 404
Chapter XXXIV Paul at Ephesus ___________________ 415
Chapter XXXV Trials and Victories of Paul ________ 427
iv