The following report is from Mt. Dale concerning the Apocrypha. May you be blessed.
For those who insist that the understanding of the Apocrypha is of vital importance to us now— before the kingdom, we should consider the following facts:
1. God is in control of the Scriptures, and if the Apocrypha was vital for our Salvation NOW, before the kingdom, would He not have included it in the Inspired Canons? Would not have Sis. White and/or Bro. Houteff emphasized the importance of it in their writings?
Of course, James White quoted from it in “A Word to the Little Flock.” Yes Sis. White pointed out “that the wise in these last days should understand it.” But why did neither her or Bro. Houteff explain or expound on it, if it was so important for us TODAY—before the kingdom?
THE FACT IS THAT THEY DID NOT EXPOUND ON IT, IS PROOF THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE LIGHT ON THE APOCRYPHA, and that God did not see it as crucial for our Salvation at the present time—before the kingdom.
“We may not, in this life, be able to explain the meaning of every passage of Scripture; but there are no vital points of practical truth that will be clouded in mystery. . . Every fact which immediately concerns the salvation of souls will be made so clear that none need err or walk in darkness.” 2T 692.
2. It is known fact by scholars and average Bible students alike, that the Apocrypha was rejected as inspired for the following reasons:
They abound in historical and geographical inaccuracies.
They teach doctrines that are at variance with the accepted inspired text. Their styling and literary type is out of keeping with that of the standard inspired text.
3. Inspiration, states that “Upon the death of Sister White, in 1915, the gift of Inspiration,the active Spirit of prophecy, became quiescent, no longer manifesting itself for a time. With the church thus cut off from the very source of its life, as was the Jewish church from the death of the prophet Malachi to the rise of John the Baptist, how could it maintain its vitality and growth?” 3 Ans 60.
The Apocrypha was written AFTER the Old Testament canon was closed-after Malachi. Therefore, the Apocrypha was written during the period Inspiration says the “gift of Inspiration, the active Spirit of Prophecy, became quiescent, no longer manifesting itself for a time” —the time God DID NOT endow anyone with the gift of Inspiration.
How then can it be reliable? How could it be inspired?
4. Since it has ERRORS, but Sis. White does say that it is the hidden book, and that the wise should understand it, then obviously it has value, but parts of it is erroneous. THEN HOW ARE WE TO AUTHORITATIVELY KNOW WHICH PART IS GOOD AND WHICH IS ERRONEOUS?
Some parts are obviously erroneous—this is already well established. But what we may think is good, is bad! So we must have Inspiration to help us to authoritatively determine the sections that are good. So we will have to wait until the Kingdom when the “gift of Inspiration” will be again manifested. It cannot be now! To do otherwise–to insist that it
is a salvation issue is to run where we have not been sent, and destroy souls, perhaps even our own.
Education Department
Davidic Levitical Institute
Mt. Carmel Center
Mountain Dale, New York 12763
Godsloveandlaw's Blog 
July 25, 2020 at 7:07 pm |
I will agree that we shouldn’t say that reading and/or understanding of it is a salvational issue, however I know that my sister was reading it and sharing some portions of it and she has been blessed by it.
Although I am not saying that it doesn’t have errors, I would probably make it a project of mine to read it at least once for general understanding.
July 25, 2020 at 8:10 pm |
I would say that for a “historical” understanding, it would be interesting. But would never claim it as “inspired”. I know you don’t but I hope your sister doesn’t get that idea.