Based on my search of Ellen White's writings, I can provide you with her clear teaching on the inspiration of Scripture, including the specific concept you asked about regarding biblical authors being "God's penmen, not His pen." ## Ellen White's Teaching on Biblical Inspiration Ellen White explicitly addressed this concept in her writings. She stated: **"The writers of the Bible were God's penmen, not His pen."** (1SM 21.1) This statement is part of a more comprehensive explanation of how inspiration works: **"It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man's words or his expressions but on the man himself, who, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts. But the words and thoughts receive the impress of the individual mind. The divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and will; thus the utterances of the man are the word of God."** (1SM 21.2) ## Key Principles of Ellen White's View of Inspiration: ### 1. **Human and Divine Elements Combined** **"The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by human hands; and in the varied style of its different books it presents the characteristics of the several writers. The truths revealed are all 'given by inspiration of God' (2 Timothy 3:16); yet they are expressed in the words of men."** (1SM 25.1) ### 2. **Inspiration Acts on the Person, Not Just the Words** Ellen White emphasized that **"God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible."** (1SM 21.1) ### 3. **Individual Characteristics Preserved** **"Through the inspiration of His Spirit the Lord gave His apostles truth, to be expressed according to the development of their minds by the Holy Spirit. But the mind is not cramped, as if forced into a certain mold."** (1SM 22.2) ### 4. **Complete Divine Authority Despite Human Element** She strongly warned against human judgment about what is inspired: **"God sets no man to pronounce judgment on His Word, selecting some things as inspired and discrediting others as uninspired."** (1SM 23) ## The "Penmen, Not Pen" Concept Explained This phrase captures Ellen White's understanding that: - Biblical writers were **instruments** used by God, but not passive mechanical tools - They retained their individual personalities, writing styles, and human characteristics - God worked **through** their minds and personalities rather than **bypassing** them - The result is genuinely God's word expressed through human language and thought patterns Ellen White viewed this human-divine cooperation as essential to making Scripture relatable: **"Had our good Bible been written by uninspired persons, it would have presented quite a different appearance and would have been a discouraging study to erring mortals... But as it is, we have a correct record of the religious experiences of marked characters in Bible history."** (4T 10.2) This understanding preserves both the complete divine authority of Scripture while acknowledging the genuine human element in its composition.