"This was the happiest year of my life. My heart was full of glad expectation, but I felt great pity and anxiety for those who were in discouragement and had no hope in Jesus. We united, as a people, in earnest prayer for a true experience and the unmistakable evidence of our acceptance with God. 1T 54.1"
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
Both passages emphasize prayer and its importance within a community of believers. However, the EGW passage focuses on a specific historical context and a desire for assurance, while James 5:16 speaks more broadly about confession and healing. The connection is thematic rather than a direct principle.
"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."
The EGW passage expresses both joy ('happiest year') and concern for others ('pity and anxiety'). This aligns with the Romans verse about rejoicing and weeping with others. The connection is valid, though not a direct quote or explicit allusion.
"We needed great patience, for the scoffers were many. We were frequently greeted by scornful references to our former disappointment. “You have not gone up yet; when do you expect to go up?” and similar taunts were often vented upon us by our worldly acquaintances, and even by some professed Christians who accepted the Bible, yet failed to learn its great and important truths. Their blinded eyes seemed to see but a vague and distant meaning in the solemn warning, God “hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world,” and in the assurance that the saints will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. 1T 54.2"
"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
This is a duplicate of pair 1. EGW directly references the concept of being 'caught up' to meet the Lord in the air, which is the core idea of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The context of scoffers also strengthens the connection.
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,"
Both passages discuss scoffers and their presence in the last days. EGW describes scoffers ridiculing the belief in Christ's return, while 2 Peter 3:3 generally speaks of scoffers in the last days. The thematic connection is strong.
"The orthodox churches used every means to prevent the belief in Christ's soon coming from spreading. No liberty was granted in their meetings to those who dared mention a hope of the soon coming of Christ. Professed lovers of Jesus scornfully rejected the tidings that He whom they claimed as their best friend was soon to visit them. They were excited and angered against those who proclaimed the news of His coming, and who rejoiced that they should speedily behold Him in His glory. 1T 54.3"
"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."
Both passages address the theme of being hated or rejected for one's beliefs. John 15:18 states that the world will hate Jesus' followers because it hated Him first. The EGW passage describes how those who proclaimed the news of Christ's coming were hated. The confidence is adjusted slightly upwards because the EGW passage provides a specific example of the general principle stated in John 15:18.
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
The EGW passage describes the rejection of the message of Christ's soon coming, while John 14:3 is a promise of Christ's return. The parallel lies in the contrast between the promise and the rejection of that promise. The confidence is adjusted slightly upwards because the EGW passage directly addresses the *rejection* of the idea of Christ's coming, which is a specific response to the promise in John 14:3.
"And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter."
Both passages describe a negative reaction to a religious message. In Acts 17:32, some mocked Paul's message about the resurrection. In the EGW passage, some rejected the message of Christ's soon coming. The confidence is adjusted slightly upwards because both passages describe a specific form of rejection (mocking/scornful rejection) rather than a general disagreement.