Ellen White on the Humanity of Christ

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Appendix C

The Recently Discovered Kellogg Letter of 1903

This letter was found recently in the document files at the Ellen G. White Estate in Silver Spring. At the time of its original typing in 1903 it was given a reference number, as was done with Ellen White's letters, but evidently it never was actually entered into her letter file, because another letter in that file bears the same number. This may account for the fact that it has been overlooked for so long: anyone finding the letter in the document file would assume it was also in the letter file. Only when a White Estate staff member actually cross-checked recently was the discovery made that it was not included in the letter file.

The statement that has attracted the most interest is on page 5, just below the middle of the page. The typewritten sentence reads "Coming, as He [Jesus] did, as a man, with all the evil tendencies to which man is heir, He made it possible for Himself to be buffeted by human agencies inspired by Satan, the rebel who had been expelled from heaven" (italics mine). In my own first reading I felt that here finally was a statement in which Ellen White unambiguously ascribed all of the characteristics of

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"fallen human nature" to Jesus (without, of course, saying that He ever committed sin). Since this matter has been the subject of substantial controversy in the church, I felt we now had a basis for resolving the controversy. But I had not paid attention to Ellen White's own handwritten additions. Just before the phrase in question, a caret (^) indicates that the words written above were to be inserted. The statement then would read "Coming, as He did, as a man, to meet and be subjected to with [Fagal edited out "with"] all the evil tendencies to which man is heir, He made it possible for Himself to be buffeted by human agencies inspired by Satan, the rebel who had been expelled from heaven" (italics mine). (Another handwritten addition, "working in every conceivable manner to destroy his faith," also needs to go into this sentence. By its position it appears to go after "heir.") Unlike my first reading, this reading is open to the interpretation that the evil tendencies are external to Christ in the Satan inspired people who will oppose, buffet, and oppress Him. Though many will still read the statement in harmony with my first reading, others will come to the alternative interpretation. I now think that this statement will not resolve the controversy in the church.

Arrangements are being made to publish at least the portions of the letter that relate to this discussion, and the White Estate is preparing a document that will include the whole letter, in its original form and in an easier-to-read new typing, along with other information about it. [These documents are now available from the White Estate.]