Conversational Manner
149
an important decision. Who is there when this truth is being presented?
Somebody besides you. The devil and his angels are there to catch
away the seeds of truth. Are these all? Angels of God and Jesus Christ
are on the ground. Then what? When you seek to impress the truth
upon the heart, you will be a co-laborer with Jesus Christ.—
Manuscript
11, 1891
.
Not Sermonizing, but Instructing—People are suffering for
want of the knowledge of truth. They do not understand what they
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must do to be saved. Unless the gospel is preached clearly, simply,
over and over again, line upon line, precept upon precept, Satan will
cast his shadow between the sinner and God. God will be represented
as a stern, unforgiving Judge. Christ did not sermonize. He gave
instruction as a divine Teacher. He taught in simplicity, and thus His
ambassadors are to present the truth, making everything connected
with the salvation of the soul plain and easy to be understood. The
message must be given to the world that the way of repentance and
faith is now made plain through Him who had power to lay down His
life and to take it again. “He that believeth on Me,” Christ declared,
“though he were dead, yet shall he live.”—
Manuscript 147, 1897
.
Conversational Bible Study at Camp Meetings—[
This im-
promptu dialogue between Ellen White and her son, W. C. White,
took place while she was giving a talk to the General Conference Com-
mittee at Lake Goguac, near Battle Creek, Michigan, July 14, 1890.
]
Elder White: “I have heard you say, Mother, that we should have
more teaching and less preaching; less preaching and more teaching.
Speaking of the matter of getting the people together and having Bible
readings.”
Ellen White: “That was the way in Christ’s day. He would speak
to the people, and they would call out a question as to what that meant.
He was a teacher of the people.”
[235]
Elder White: “Then at one time I remember very distinctly about
your saying that, ‘as we approach nearer the end I have seen our camp
meetings with less preaching and more Bible study; little groups all
over the ground with their Bibles in their hands, and different ones
leading out in a free, conversational study of the Scriptures.”
Ellen White: “That is the work that has been shown me, that our
camp meetings would increase in success and interest. There are those
that want more definite light. There are some that take [a] longer time