Gifts Are Self-Authenticating

Spiritual gifts are their own best evidence. All prophets have had to stand back and let their ministry speak for itself. In other words, rather than argue their own authenticity, they ignored critics and went about the work assigned to them. Jesus directed His hearers to observe His work: “If I do not the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him” (John 10:37, 38).MOL 469.4

While returning from Australia on the high seas late in 1900, Ellen White received a vision warning her of the danger of private interviews. Apparently some were using such interviews to advance their own agendas. The message was: “Enter into no controversy.... I have a message for you to bear, and as this message is given to the people, it is not for you to try to make them believe it. This is not your work.’” ^{7Ms 29, 1901, cited in Sermons and Talks, 151.}MOL 469.5

During the 1904 pantheism crisis when subtle error had been endorsed by many church leaders, Mrs. White wrote: “Last night I woke at ten o’clock.... During that time the whole matter was laid open before me, and I was instructed that I must bear the testimony given me, and then leave matters with the Lord. It is not my work to try to make people believe the message given me. When the assertion is made, ‘Someone has told her,’ I am to make no response. On that point, the conflict is over for me.” ^{8Manuscript 46, 1904, cited in Sermons and Talks, 348.}MOL 469.6

On some questions Ellen White was not to “answer Yes or No.” Why? Because people would misconstrue her statements. She explained: They were “endangering their souls at times by listening to deceptive representations regarding the message that God has given me. Through many twistings and turnings and false reasonings on what I have written, they try to vindicate their personal unbelief.... They do not see clearly. Therefore I dare not communicate with them.” ^{9Selected Messages 1:29, 30.}MOL 470.1