As I said, not really knowing what the message is, I have said nothing regarding it. It is the method used for delivering it (and for forming it?) that is my concern. IMO, this kind of prooftext approach comes just after the guy who introduces himself as "habitual lier" on a reliability scale (based on experience, almost every time I have taken time to look things up, original context tears whatever plot being pushed to shreads. Even if the plot itself is true and sound, it usually cannot be supported by this way in general and by the quotes used in particular).

Even if you were given the whole chapter or book to read, I am afraid you would find a excuse or dodge to reject what is a very clear message.......

I could find the books to read for myself. What I asked and what you still have declined to comment upon is wether you read those books and documents for yourself and thus can answer for their responcible quoting yourself.

Ah, these are all (bar one "letter") official compilations: the wider context may not be much bigger than the bit quoted here...: I'll check if my hardcopies include one or two of these books.

Thomas, don't you trust the White Estate? - or is the concentrated SOP as abbreviated in the thematic compilations just too direct a statement? Don't you take this compiled, quoted summary as clear enough a message? - do you require the entire context? - that may not be available in the referenced books: isn't the White Estate trying to save you some superfluous research, or don't you think the point made by these quotes is correct.

I'll definitely stop here!;:-)

I have quite a extensive selection of EGW books available and have read them, and can check to see if I am missing any that were published, but you can check http://www.whiteestate.org/ or other online resources if you want to validate.

The context is then not to be found in the books referenced but in the documents the original cutters and pasters stole it from. To compile books for me? No I dont.A direct statement it might look like but is it one that would get Ellens or Gods approval? Not until I am satisfied that it is a true message.Context makes miralces with arguments based on prooftexting. Just one month ago, someone wanted to use this quote:

Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.

to gain Ellens support for a works based teaching on righteousness. The problem centers on ignoring the previous definitions given:

There can be no growth or fruitfulness in the life that is centered in self. If you have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, you are to forget yourself, and try to help others. Talk of the love of Christ, tell of His goodness. Do every duty that presents itself. Carry the burden of souls upon your heart, and by every means in your power seek to save the lost. As you receive the Spirit of Christ--the Spirit of unselfish love and labor for others--you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely.

By itself the first passage is a tool for those who push selfmade righteousness through our efforts at keeping the law, but in its true context we learn that it has only one foundation and one goal, Jesus our Lord. If its not in the published books to begin with, even more care must by necessity be taken before any application should be attempted.In swedish I would call it a bears favour (after an old fable that goes like this. A man had a bear and the two were good friends. One night the man was sleaping and the bear was watching over him. At some time in the night, a fly came and sat on the mans face. The bear did not want the man to wake up unnececarily so he decided to help. The bear took his paw and swatted the fly, and in the process broke the neck of the man. The intention may be good but the results are non the less disasterous.)

As I said.. If there is any question on context, bring it up and we can all look at it together and agree on context and add a correction if applicable to anything that needs it...

Yes, that is a famous statement! How could it possibly be interpreted by anyone as arguing for self-righteous salvation?? "Christ is waiting" etc.: Christo-centric!...Oh, do you personally not think that this text is referring to the final fruit of Christ's Gospel ministry, in the heavenly day of atonement?

I listened to the whole weekend talks in Sweden (posted online, made available here recently) by Dr Daniel Duda: he doesn't think this quote is literally true, either, as it happens. Can't avoid its simple message, myself.

As for the 'prooftexting', I've got all the hardcopies - as should both of you two! You want all the contexts checked? The reliability of any compilation can be checked,...but you do know, don't you, that the task of assembling compilations was bequeathed to the White Estate with its existence. We must each check, so Richard may not do your homework for you - he isn't allowed to; but, you must be willing to examine it yourself.

Therefore, any concerns/questions with any excerpt: the onus is on you. Richard said at the very beginning that he has witnessed people doing whats described in these quotes, so he's happy they're true and accurate in context: that does leave you to examine in detail with us any queries you have.

As I said, Ellen tells us throughout the chapter what she means in these two sentences. With the whole context of the chapter, I think its a good word. But used without its context, cutting it out for its "simple message" by itself, then no. If the later is how you want to use this text, please keep it to yourself.

So I guess you would have us use whole chapters, somehow I doubt it will make any difference..