THE FIFTH BOOK OF THE NEW TESTAMENT HAS BEEN KNOWN FROM ANCIENT TIMES AS THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES; BUT THIS TITLE CANNOT BE FOUND IN THE BOOK ITSELF. ONE OF THE EARLIEST MANUSCRIPTS, THE CODEX SINAITICUS, GIVES AS THE TITLE THE SIMPLE WORD ACTS, WITH NO MENTION OF THE APOSTLES. THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS. ACTS WAS INTENDED TO BE MORE THAN A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SERVICE RENDERED BY THE TWELVE DISCIPLES, MUCH MORE THAN THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN THE LIFEWORK OF ITS FOUR LEADING CHARACTERS, PETER, JAMES, JOHN, AND PAUL.
Steps to Christ
THE AUTHOR OF THIS WORK, ELLEN G. WHITE (1827-1915), WAS A RELIGIOUS SPEAKER AND WRITER, WELL KNOWN ON THREE CONTINENTS. BORN NEAR PORTLAND, MAINE, SHE SPENT HER EARLY LIFE IN THE NEW ENGLAND STATES, AND THEN HER TRAVELS AND LABORS LED HER TO THE RAPIDLY EXPANDING CENTRAL AND WESTERN AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE YEARS 1885 TO 1887 SHE DEVOTED TO WORK IN THE LEADING COUNTRIES OF EUROPE, WHERE SHE OFTEN ADDRESSED LARGE AUDIENCES, AND CONTINUED HER WRITING. SUBSEQUENTLY SHE SPENT NINE ACTIVE YEARS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. FROM HER PEN HAVE COME FORTY-FIVE VOLUMES, LARGE AND SMALL, IN THE FIELDS OF THEOLOGY, EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND THE HOME, AND PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY, SEVERAL WITH A DISTRIBUTION EXCEEDING THE MILLION-COPY MARK. OF THESE, STEPS TO CHRIST IS THE MOST POPULAR AND WIDELY READ.
The Desire of Ages
IN THE HEARTS OF ALL MANKIND, OF WHATEVER RACE OR STATION IN LIFE, THERE ARE INEXPRESSIBLE LONGINGS FOR SOMETHING THEY DO NOT NOW POSSESS. THIS LONGING IS IMPLANTED IN THE VERY CONSTITUTION OF MAN BY A MERCIFUL GOD, THAT MAN MAY NOT BE SATISFIED WITH HIS PRESENT CONDITIONS OR ATTAINMENTS, WHETHER BAD, OR GOOD, OR BETTER. GOD DESIRES THAT THE HUMAN SHALL SEEK THE BEST, AND FIND IT TO THE ETERNAL BLESSING OF HIS SOUL.
The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan
THIS BOOK, READER, IS NOT PUBLISHED TO TELL US THAT THERE IS SIN AND WOE AND MISERY IN THIS WORLD. WE KNOW IT ALL TOO WELL. THIS BOOK IS NOT PUBLISHED TO TELL US THAT THERE IS AN IRRECONCILABLE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN DARKNESS AND LIGHT, SIN AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, WRONG AND RIGHT, DEATH AND LIFE. IN OUR HEART OF HEARTS WE KNOW IT, AND KNOW THAT WE ARE PARTICIPATORS, ACTORS, IN THE CONFLICT.
