Articles
Latest Articles
New articles, extracts and shorter studies will be added here progressively.
New Article Coming Soon
Selected studies and shorter articles drawn from more than 300 biblical study booklets are being prepared for publication.
In preparationSelected Writings Coming Soon
Carefully selected extracts will be presented with particular attention to their relevance to present truth.
In preparationPioneer Writings Coming Soon
Historical studies and extracts from early Adventist writers will be added progressively.
In preparationAbout This Section
The Articles section of The Branch – The Ensign brings together shorter studies, reflections, extracts and selected writings intended to encourage serious engagement with Scripture and the truths particularly relevant to our time.
The material presented here will come from several sources. It will include articles drawn from the study and writing of Sister Celestine Lowe, a prolific Bible student and writer who has produced more than 300 study booklets on biblical topics. It will also feature carefully selected excerpts from the writings of Ellen G. White, the Adventist pioneers, and other inspired and biblical writers whose words illuminate the subjects being considered.
The purpose is not simply to assemble interesting religious writings. Material will be selected because it contributes to the continuing search for present truth—truth that helps us understand God's Word, recognise His work, discern the times in which we live and prepare for what Scripture reveals lies ahead.
A Rich Heritage of Biblical Study
The Advent movement was born in an atmosphere of earnest Bible investigation. Its pioneers searched Scripture, compared passage with passage, examined prophecy and were prepared to reconsider established interpretations when they believed the biblical evidence required it.
That spirit of investigation remains important.
The writings of Ellen G. White and the early Adventist pioneers contain a substantial body of counsel, biblical exposition, historical reflection and prophetic insight. Rather than treating these writings merely as historical documents, this section will draw attention to passages that speak with particular relevance to questions confronting God's people today.
At the same time, every human writing must remain subordinate to Scripture. The Bible is the standard by which teaching and interpretation are to be examined.
More Than 300 Study Booklets
A significant part of the material available to The Ensign comes from the work of Sister Celestine Lowe.
Over many years of Bible study she has written more than 300 study booklets, addressing a wide range of biblical subjects. Her work reflects sustained attention to Scripture, prophecy, doctrine and questions concerning the experience and preparation of God's people.
Not all of that material can be placed online at once. Some studies will eventually appear as complete publications; others will provide the foundation for shorter articles dealing with particular passages, arguments or themes.
This allows the Articles section to make a much larger body of study progressively accessible to readers.
Present Truth
The principle connecting these different sources is present truth.
We do not believe that truth changes from generation to generation. But Scripture demonstrates that particular truths may acquire special urgency because of the circumstances in which God's people find themselves and the stage reached in the fulfilment of His purposes.
For that reason, an article may draw upon a biblical prophet, the words of Christ, an apostolic writing, Ellen G. White, an Adventist pioneer, or a contemporary study.
The question we want to ask is not merely:
Who wrote this, and when?
but alsoWhat truth does it contain, how does Scripture establish that truth, and what does it mean for God's people now?
An Invitation to Examine
The articles will cover subjects including Scripture, prophecy, doctrine, the sanctuary, God's law and appointed times, the work of Christ, the Holy Spirit, Christian living, Adventist history and the preparation of God's people for the events ahead .
Some material will reinforce familiar truths. Other articles may revisit assumptions, recover neglected insights or present interpretations that differ from commonly held positions.
We do not ask readers to accept a conclusion merely because it comes from a respected writer, an Adventist pioneer, Sister Celestine, or The Ensign.
The invitation remains:
Read. Compare. Examine. Test everything by the Word of God.
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:21