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Verse:“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.” —John 5:39, NIV
Seventh-day Adventists consider themselves an end-time prophetic movement raised by God for the final restoration of Bible truth.
The great Millerite disappointment of October 1844 challenged the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to further study the Scriptures.
Ellen White explained, “There was diligent study of the Scriptures, point by point. Almost entire nights were devoted to earnest searching of the Word. We searched for the truth as for hidden treasures. The Lord revealed Himself to us. Light was shed on the prophecies, and we knew that we received divine instruction.” By the end of 1846, the core group of early Sabbath-keeping Adventist leaders —Joseph Bates, James White, and Ellen White— were already essentially united on the distinctive doctrines of their emerging movement. Soon they began to share their newly discovered truths with other former Millerites. Crucial in that process were seven weekend Bible conferences held in 1848 in different locations in the northeastern United States.
One of those occurred in Volney, New York, on August 18–19.
About thirty-five people, holding all kinds of conflicting views, attended the meetings. According to Ellen White, hardly two of them agreed. Another important conference was held on August 27–28, 1848, in Hiram Edson’s barn in Port Gibson, New York. This was the same place where Edson, O. R. L. Crosier, and Franklin B. Hahn had studied the biblical basis of the sanctuary doctrine. During that conference, Ellen White had a vision about the importance of the brethren laying aside their differences and uniting in Bible truth. Indeed, the 1848 Bible conferences brought doctrinal unity among believers.
We inherited from our pioneers a well-established and consistent doctrinal system. But today, we should also manifest the same spirit of untiring commitment to prayer and the study of Scripture. Spending time with God and His Word is the strict condition for every true revival and reformation.
So, rather than having only social-relational small groups, we should also establish study groups devoted to deepening our understanding of the Bible.