"Many of the Gentiles had been interested listeners to the preaching of Peter and the other apostles, and many of the Greek Jews had become believers in Christ, but the conversion of Cornelius was to be the first of importance among the Gentiles. AA 136.1"
"And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Both passages discuss the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles and the astonishment of the Jewish believers. EGW amplifies the significance of Cornelius' conversion as a pivotal moment.
"The time had come for an entirely new phase of work to be entered upon by the church of Christ. The door that many of the Jewish converts had closed against the Gentiles was now to be thrown open. And the Gentiles who accepted the gospel were to be regarded as on an equality with the Jewish disciples, without the necessity of observing the rite of circumcision. AA 136.2"
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
EGW directly echoes the principle of equality between Jews and Gentiles in Christ, as stated in Galatians 3:28. The passage in Acts emphasizes the removal of barriers and the acceptance of Gentiles without requiring circumcision, aligning with the core message of Galatians 3:28.
"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;"
Both passages discuss the breaking down of barriers between Jews and Gentiles. Ephesians 2:14 speaks of Christ breaking down the 'middle wall of partition,' while the EGW passage speaks of opening the door that Jewish converts had closed against the Gentiles.
"How carefully the Lord worked to overcome the prejudice against the Gentiles that had been so firmly fixed in Peter's mind by his Jewish training! By the vision of the sheet and its contents He sought to divest the apostle's mind of this prejudice and to teach the important truth that in heaven there is no respect of persons; that Jew and Gentile are alike precious in God's sight; that through Christ the heathen may be made partakers of the blessings and privileges of the gospel. AA 136.3"
"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:"
Both passages directly address the principle that God is no respecter of persons, particularly in the context of Peter's interaction with Gentiles. The EGW passage explicitly connects Peter's vision to this principle, as stated in Acts 10:34.
"While Peter was meditating on the meaning of the vision, the men sent from Cornelius arrived in Joppa and stood before the gate of his lodginghouse. Then the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.” AA 136.4"
"While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them."
The EGW passage directly quotes Acts 10:19-20, making it a clear and explicit allusion.