"There were others who did not seem to possess anxiety in regard to the amusement question. They felt such confidence that God would make all right that their peace of mind was not disturbed. They decided that a prescription for invalids was not for them, therefore they would not be troubled. Whatever others in the church or in the world might do was nothing to them; for, said they, whom have we to follow but Christ? He has left us a command to walk even as He walked. We must live as seeing Him who is invisible, and do what we do heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men. 2T 138.1"
"He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
EGW directly alludes to 1 John 2:6 with the phrase "walk even as He walked."
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;"
EGW directly alludes to Colossians 3:23 with the phrase "do what we do heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men."
"with earthly things. If such can pass along bearing the name of Christians, yet serving both God and mammon, they are satisfied. But things will occur to reveal the hearts of these, who are only a burden and a curse to the church. 2T 138.2"
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
EGW uses the phrase "serving both God and mammon," which is a direct allusion to Matthew 6:24's warning against serving both God and mammon.
"The spirit existing in the church is such as to lead away from God and the path of holiness. Many of the church have ascribed their state of spiritual blindness to the influence growing out of the principles taught at the Institute. This is not entirely correct. Had the church stood in the counsel of God, the Institute would have been controlled. The light of the church would have been diffused to that branch of the work, and the errors would not have existed there that did. It was the moral darkness of the church that had the greatest influence to create the moral darkness and spiritual death in the Institute. Had the church been in a healthy condition, she could have sent a vitalizing, healthful current to this arm of the body. But the church was sickly and did not enjoy the favor of God nor the light of His countenance. A sickly, deathly influence was circulated all through the living body until the disease was apparent everywhere. 2T 138.3"
"But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"
Both passages use the metaphor of light and darkness to describe spiritual health. The EGW passage speaks of the 'moral darkness of the church' and a 'sickly, deathly influence,' while Matthew 6:23 warns of the darkness that fills the whole body if the 'eye be evil.' The parallel is strong and meaningful.
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:"
Both passages contrast a state of darkness with a state of light in the Lord. EGW describes the church as being in 'moral darkness,' while Ephesians 5:8 speaks of being 'sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.' The thematic parallel is clear and relevant.