Here,
"The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. They are one in purpose, in mind, in character, but not in person. It is thus that God and Christ are one." {8T 269.4}
That's Ellen White saying that the Disciples are as much ONE with God as Jesus is one with God? You wouldn't say that the Disciples were ONE with God like Jesus - or would you?
White is making the distinction (as scripture does) between the Persons/Beings of the Father and the Son. See Daniel for instance, The Person of the Father is identified as "the Ancient of Days", and the Son, is identified, "Son of Man". The same in the NT, as in Hebrews, the Person of the Father is identified as "the Majesty", while the Son is identified as "express image of his (the Father's) person". This happens all through scripture, even when using words like "God", for instance, see
Eph_1:17 That the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
As for Christ and His disciples being "one", Christ is not the disciples and the disciples are not Christ, He is their 'Head', and they His 'body', in this way they are "one".
The scripture does not teach Roman Catholicisms' "trinity" error. "One" in scripture, especially in relation to God, does not deal with Person/Being. It deals with unity of purpose, or nature, or character.
Jesus and the Father are not "one" in their Person/Being. In their Persons/Beings they are two, and the Holy Spirit makes three. They are a perfect 'chord', a trio (three working together in unison and purpose, and are thus in total harmony, one accord).
Jesus, was speaking about character, not Person, see John 5:37, 14:9-14.
Otherwise what you run into is either Roman Catholicism's false 'trinity' (Rome def.
*) doctrine or oneness Pentacostalism.
*there are other definitions
Now, consider the definition of “one” in regards JEHOVAH Elohiym (LORD God), the disciples, marriage, covenant and atonement:
Deuteronomy 6:4 KJB - Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God
is one LORD:
Deuteronomy 6:4 HOT [read from Right to Left] - שׁמע ישׂראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה
אחד׃
Side note:
The Hebrew word
[H259] “אחד”, “'echâd” is
not,
[H905] “בּד”, “bad”
nor,
[H3173] “יחיד”, “yâchı̂yd”.
Side note, in the so-called LXX [
*Septuagint, the work of Origen in his Hexapla, not the work of 70 or 72 Jewish scholars from the twelve tribes, and definitely not written before AD 100]
Deuteronomy 6:4 LXX
* - “... Ἄκουε, Ισραηλ· κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν κύριος
εἷς ἐστιν·”
The Deuteronomy 6:4 KJB passage is quoted in the New Testament itself:
Mark 12:29 KJB - And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments
is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is
one Lord:
Mark 12:29 GNT - ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ ὅτι πρώτη πάντων ἐντολὴ·
ἄκουε, ᾿Ισραήλ, Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν Κύριος εἷς ἐστι·
This is clearly explained in more detail in 1 John 5:7,8 KJB, the
"are one" is defined by the next verse,
"agree in one", meaning they three are one in purpose, etc, not person:
1 John 5:7 KJB - For there are
three that bear record in heaven,
the Father,
the Word, and
the Holy Ghost: and these
three are one.
1 John 5:7 GNT - ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὁ Πατήρ, ὁ Λόγος και τὸ ῞Αγιον Πνεύμα, καὶ οὗτοι οι τρεῖς
ἕν εἰσι·
1 John 5:8 KJB - And there are
three that bear witness in earth,
the Spirit, and
the water, and
the blood: and these
three agree in one.
1 John 5:8 GNT - καὶ τρεῖς εἰσιν οι μαρτυροῦντες ἐν τῇ γῇ, τὸ Πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸ αἷμα, καὶ οἱ τρεῖς εἰς τὸ
ἕν εἰσιν.
Marriage, in the King James Bible, uses these very same words to describe the at-one-ment of two persons of man-kind, a male and female in covenant relationship with God:
Genesis 2:24 KJB - Therefore shall
a man leave his father and his mother, and shall
cleave unto his wife: and
they shall be
one flesh.
Genesis 2:24 HOT - על־כן יעזב־אישׁ את־אביו ואת־אמו ודבק באשׁתו והיו לבשׂר
אחד׃
Side note, in the so-called LXX [
*Septuagint, the work of Origen in his Hexapla, not the work of 70 or 72 Jewish scholars from the twelve tribes, and definitely not written before AD 100]
Genesis 2:24 LXX
* - ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο
εἰς σάρκα
μίαν.
See how “they”, being before “twain”, that is to say two persons, one male and one female, are to be after the marriage covenant, “one”:
Matthew 19:5 KJB - And said, For this cause shall
a man leave father and mother, and shall
cleave to his wife: and
they twain shall be
one flesh?
Matthew 19:5 GNT TR - καὶ εἶπεν, ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ κολληθήσεται τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο
εἰς σάρκα
μίαν;
Matthew 19:6 KJB - Wherefore
they are no more
twain, but
one flesh. What therefore God hath
joined together, let not man put
asunder.
Matthew 19:6 GNT TR - ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶ δύο, ἀλλὰ σὰρξ
μία. ὃ οὖν ὁ Θεὸς συνέζευξεν, ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω.
Mark 10:6 KJB - But from the beginning of the creation God made
them male and female.
Mark 10:6 GNT TR- ἀπὸ δὲ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς ὁ Θεός·
Mark 10:7 KJB - For this cause shall
a man leave his father and mother, and
cleave to his wife;
Mark 10:7 GNT TR - ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ,
Mark 10:8 KJB - And
they twain shall be
one flesh: so then
they are no more
twain, but
one flesh.
Mark 10:8 GNT TR - καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο
εἰς σάρκα
μίαν. ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶ δύο, ἀλλὰ
μία σάρξ·
Mark 10:9 KJB - What therefore God hath
joined together, let not man put
asunder.
Mark 10:9 GNT TR - ὃ οὖν ὁ Θεὸς συνέζευξεν ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω.
1 Corinthians 6:16 KJB - What? know ye not that
he which is
joined to an
harlot is
one body? for
two, saith he, shall be
one flesh.
1 Corinthians 6:16 GNT TR - ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ὁ κολλώμενος τῇ πόρνῃ
ἓν σῶμά ἐστιν; ἔσονται γάρ, φησίν, οἱ δύο
εἰς σάρκα
μίαν·
1 Corinthians 6:17 KJB - But
he that is
joined unto the
Lord is
one spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:17 GNT TR - ὁ δὲ κολλώμενος τῷ Κυρίῳ
ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστι.
Ephesians 5:31 KJB - For this cause shall
a man leave his father and mother, and shall be
joined unto his wife, and
they two shall be
one flesh.
Ephesians 5:31 GNT TR - ἀντὶ τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο
εἰς σάρκα
μίαν.