"“I was shown some things in regard to you. I saw that the living, pointed testimony had been crushed in the church. You have not been in harmony with the straight testimony. You have shunned to lay your hand decidedly upon wrong, and you have been tried with those who felt compelled to do so. Disaffected ones have had your sympathy. This has had a tendency to make you a weak man. You have not been in union with pointed, cutting testimony which has been sent home to the individual. 1T 214.1"
"Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:"
Both passages deal with the rejection of direct, pointed prophetic messages in favor of more comfortable or deceptive ones. The EGW passage speaks of crushing 'pointed testimony,' while Isaiah speaks of telling seers to 'see not' and prophets to 'prophesy not right things.'
“God's servants are not excused if they shun pointed testimony. They must reprove and rebuke wrong, and not suffer sin upon a brother. You have often stretched out your hands to shield persons from the censure which they deserved, and the correction which the Lord designed they should have. If these persons fail to reform, their lack is set to your account. Instead of watching for their danger, and warning them of it, you have cast your influence against those who have followed the convictions of duty, and reproved and warned the erring. 1T 214.2 “These are perilous times for the church of God, and the greatest danger now is that of self-deception. Individuals professing to believe the truth are blind to their own danger and wrongs. They reach the standard of piety which has been set up by their friends and themselves, they are fellowshiped by their brethren, and are satisfied, while they entirely fail to reach the gospel standard set up by our divine Lord. If they regard iniquity in t…
"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."
The EGW passage directly echoes the principle of Leviticus 19:17, emphasizing the importance of rebuking wrong and not allowing sin to remain unaddressed within the community. The phrase 'not suffer sin upon a brother' is a clear parallel.
"“I was pointed back to ——. Your feelings were wrong there. You should have stood side by side with Elder D and made straight work, taken hold of and reproved individual wrongs. The burden you cast upon Elder D you deserved yourself, for your lack of moral courage to lay your hand upon wrong. You influenced others. The good work which God designed should be accomplished for certain ones was not accomplished, and they have been puffed up by Satan. If you had stood in the counsel of God at that time, an influence would have been cast which would have told upon the cause of God. The Spirit of the Lord was grieved. And this lack of union discourages those upon whom God lays the burden of reproof. 1T 214.4"
"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
The EGW passage describes a situation where someone failed to reprove wrongdoers and instead placed the burden on another. This aligns with the principle in Galatians 6:1 of restoring those overtaken in a fault with meekness, suggesting a responsibility to address wrongs directly and personally.
"Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety."
The EGW passage speaks of the importance of standing in the counsel of God, and the negative consequences of lacking union and proper guidance. Proverbs 11:14 highlights the importance of counsel for safety and avoiding failure. The connection lies in the shared emphasis on the value of wise counsel and its impact on outcomes.