"Among Thorns “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” COL 50"
"He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful."
EGW directly quotes Matthew 13:22.
"discipleship will save any soul. We do not belong to Christ unless we are His wholly. It is by halfheartedness in the Christian life that men become feeble in purpose and changeable in desire. The effort to serve both self and Christ makes one a stony-ground hearer, and he will not endure when the test comes upon him. COL 50.1"
"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."
The EGW passage explicitly condemns halfheartedness in the Christian life and the attempt to serve both self and Christ. This is a direct echo of Matthew 6:24, which states that no one can serve two masters. The principle of undivided loyalty to God is central to both passages.
"The gospel seed often falls among thorns and noxious weeds; and if there is not a moral transformation in the human heart, if old habits and practices and the former life of sin are not left behind, if the attributes of Satan are not expelled from the soul, the wheat crop will be choked. The thorns will come to be the crop, and will kill out the wheat. COL 50.3"
"And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:"
EGW is directly referencing the parable of the sower, specifically the part where the seed falls among thorns. She explicitly mentions the thorns choking the wheat, which is a key element of the parable in Matthew 13:7.
"Grace can thrive only in the heart that is being constantly prepared for the precious seeds of truth. The thorns of sin will grow in any soil; they need no cultivation; but grace must be carefully cultivated. The briers and thorns are always ready to spring up, and the work of purification must advance continually. If the heart is not kept under the control of God, if the Holy Spirit does not work unceasingly to refine and ennoble the character, the old habits will reveal themselves in the life. Men may profess to believe the gospel; but unless they are sanctified by the gospel their profession is of no avail. If they do not gain the victory over sin, then sin is gaining the victory over them. The thorns that have been cut off but not uprooted grow apace, until the soul is overspread with them. COL 50.4"
"For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned."
Both passages discuss the idea of thorns and briers representing negative spiritual influences that can choke out positive growth. EGW expands on the metaphor, but the core imagery and concept are clearly linked to Hebrews 6:7-8.