"The sowers of the seed have a work to do in preparing hearts to receive the gospel. In the ministry of the word there is too much sermonizing, and too little of real heart-to-heart work. There is need of personal labor for the souls of the lost. In Christlike sympathy we should come close to men individually, and seek to awaken their interest in the great things of eternal life. Their hearts may be as hard as the beaten highway, and apparently it may be a useless effort to present the Saviour to them; but while logic may fail to move, and argument be powerless to convince, the love of Christ, revealed in personal ministry, may soften the stony heart, so that the seed of truth can take root. COL 57.1"
"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."
Both passages discuss the process of planting and nurturing spiritual growth, with God ultimately providing the increase. EGW's passage elaborates on the human element of preparing hearts, while 1 Corinthians 3:6 focuses on the roles of different individuals in the process.
"principles. He should be taught that he is not merely to be saved by Christ's sacrifice, but that he is to make the life of Christ his life and the character of Christ his character. Let all be taught that they are to bear burdens and to deny natural inclination. Let them learn the blessedness of working for Christ, following Him in self-denial, and enduring hardness as good soldiers. Let them learn to trust His love and to cast on Him their cares. Let them taste the joy of winning souls for Him. In their love and interest for the lost, they will lose sight of self. The pleasures of the world will lose their power to attract and its burdens to dishearten. The plowshare of truth will do its work. It will break up the fallow ground. It will not merely cut off the tops of the thorns, but will take them out by the roots. COL 57.2"
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
The phrase 'enduring hardness as good soldiers' is a direct echo of 2 Timothy 2:3. EGW uses this phrase in the context of Christian living and service, aligning with the verse's meaning.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
The EGW passage echoes the sentiment of Galatians 2:20, emphasizing a life lived in Christ and reflecting His character. The idea of Christ living in the believer is central to both passages.