The Adventist Theological Society is considered by many SDAs to be one of the top “Conservative” “Scholarly” groups. It’s Journal is seen as one of the most authoritative voices in the Conservative SDA camp.
According to its constitution, “The centrist focus of the Society places it against all forms of theological extremism, avoiding theological liberalism and legalistic or literalistic interpretations of the Scriptures.”
To denigrate the “literalistic interpretation of the Scriptures” is to denigrate the Scriptures themselves, and of course the Holy Spirit who gave those Scriptures.
The inspired writers did not testify to falsehoods, fearing that the pages of Sacred History would be clouded by the record of human frailties and faults. The scribes of God wrote as they were dictated by the Holy Spirit, having no control of the work themselves. They penned the literal truth, and stern, forbidding facts are revealed for reasons that our finite minds cannot fully comprehend.
By Ellen White in Testimony for the Church, Number 26.
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I saw it was a small thing to speak against the instrument, but it was dangerous to slight the words of God.
By Ellen White in Broadside #2.
ATS members, I call on you to repent of denigrating the Holy words of God, and resolve to believe in his words.