Ellen White, Waggoner, Jones and the 1888 Trinity Debate

No, Ellen White did not rebuke or correct E. J. Waggoner for his specific teachings regarding Christ being literally begotten of the Father in the distant past; rather, she identified the message brought by him and Elder Jones as a heavenly invitation that was shamefully resisted by many at the Minneapolis meeting15MR 83.1+1.

The Nature of Christ's Origin

While E. J. Waggoner taught that there was a time in the days of eternity when Christ proceeded forth from the Father, being begotten and not created, Ellen White focused her testimony on the absolute divinity and pre-existence of the SaviourDD 10.1+3. She emphasized that in Christ is life that is original, unborrowed, and underived, affirming that He was equal with the Father from the beginning7ABC 441.8+2. Waggoner similarly argued for the perfect equality of the Father and the Son, stating that Christ possesses by birth all the attributes of God and is of the very substance of the FatherPTUK December 18, 1890, page 409.4+2.

Ellen White's Support of the 1888 Message

Instead of issuing a rebuke for Waggoner's views on Christ's origin, she expressed profound gratitude that the trial of that period came upon men who truly loved and feared God and who would receive the warning and reproof of God1888 1243.1.

• She stated that the Spirit of God was insulted by those who opposed the points of truth brought out by these messengers15MR 83.1.

• She warned against those who sought to make it appear that Jones and Waggoner were not in harmony with the truth or were unsafe men15MR 83.1.

• She affirmed that the truth of heavenly origin converts the soul and that the message of Christ's righteousness was the "light of truth" designed to reach all parts of the world1SAT 204.2+1.

The Evolution of Understanding

While the pioneers initially struggled with the definition of the Trinity as understood by other denominations, the light given through the Spirit of Prophecy led to a clearer realization of the three co-eternal persons of the GodheadULe 20.5+1.

• The Godhead: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave themselves to the working out of the plan of redemptionPH148 5.3.

• Unity of Essence: Christ is the express image of the invisible God, having been in the presence of the Father from the beginning9MR 126.1.

• Divine Authority: The Holy Spirit was sent as a token that Christ had received all authority in heaven and on earthTT 22.5.

Rebukes for Other Matters

Ellen White was faithful in giving reproof when necessary, such as when she corrected the fanatical "Holy Flesh" movement in Indiana or when she rebuked leaders for manifesting a censorious spirit5MR 107.3+1. However, regarding the specific doctrinal presentations of Waggoner in 1888 and 1889, she maintained that they brought "precious meat" to the people and that their work was characterized by the influence of the Spirit of God15MR 83.1+1.

"The Word, who was with God, and who was God, had this life" John 1:45BC 1130.3. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" John 17:3ST February 13, 1912, par. 3. "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever" Hebrews 1:8SITI March 25, 1889, page 167.57.

Both A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner were firmly opposed to the doctrine of the trinity as they understood it prior to 1906, specifically arguing that it degraded the atonement and was pagan in originAERS 164.3+1. Rather than promoting the doctrine, they identified it as a human invention and a central pillar of the papacy that obscured the true divinity and sacrifice of the Son of GodARSH November 3, 1863, page 181.25+1.

The Rejection of the Trinity Doctrine

Neither A. T. Jones nor E. J. Waggoner viewed the trinity as a scriptural doctrine, instead classifying it with the errors of the "dark ages"TOB 141.1+1.

• Degradation of the Atonement: They argued that trinitarian theology necessitates the idea that only a human nature died on the cross, as they believed trinitarians taught that the divine "second person" could not suffer or dieAERS 164.2+1.

• Socinianism: By claiming that only a human body died, they asserted that trinitarians actually met with the lowest Unitarians in reducing the sacrifice of Christ to a mere human offeringAERS 164.2+1.

• Pagan Origins: The doctrine was traced back to post-flood paganism, specifically the deification of Noah and his three sons as a "triad of principal gods," which they claimed was the foundation of the trinity in the churchARSH January 29, 1857, page 97.16.

• Lack of Biblical Support: They maintained that the term "trinity" nowhere occurs in the Scriptures and that the primary text used to support it, 1 John 5:7 was a known interpolationARSH November 5, 1861, page 184.8.

Perspectives on the Nature of God and Christ

While rejecting the trinity, both men strongly emphasized the full divinity and pre-existence of Jesus Christ, making a sharp distinction between their view and that of trinitariansAERS 164.3.

• Distinct Personalities: They taught that the Scriptures clearly bring to view the distinct personality and individuality of the Father and the Son rather than them being "three persons in one person"ARSH March 12, 1857, page 146.18+1.

• Divine Origin: Waggoner emphasized that Christ is of the very substance of the Father, possessing all the attributes of God by birthright, which he believed provided a more dignified basis for the atonement than trinitarianismATO 149.1+1.

• Opposition to National Religion: Jones specifically identified the legal requirement to believe in the doctrine of the trinity as a mark of the "image of the beast" and a repudiation of the United States ConstitutionUCS 33.3+1.

The Trinity and the Papacy

A major theme in their writings was the identification of the trinity doctrine as an essential element of the papacy and ecclesiastical despotismAUSSC 30.6+1.

• Council of Nice: They taught that the Council of Nice established trinitarianism as the "true Catholic doctrine" through human power rather than the Word of GodARSH August 9, 1892, page 499.12.

• Papal Decrees: They noted that the papacy required belief in the "one deity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" and that the Jesuit oath of secrecy was sworn by the "blessed Trinity"HBS 468.5+1.

• Ecclesiastical Conflict: They pointed to historical instances where the trinity was used as a "pretext for the invasion of neighboring territory" and the persecution of dissentersECE 256.1+1.

"The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool" Psalms 110:1. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" John 17:3. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" 1 Timothy 2:5.