"There was a hush in the assembly, and conviction came to students and teachers. Men who had looked upon themselves as wise and strong saw that they were weak and lacking in the knowledge of that Book which concerns the eternal destiny of the human soul. CT 458.2"
"Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise."
Both passages address the idea of perceived wisdom versus true wisdom, and the need to recognize one's lack of understanding, particularly in spiritual matters. The EGW passage describes a moment of conviction where individuals realize their weakness and lack of knowledge of the Bible, while the verse from 1 Corinthians encourages those who seem wise to become fools in order to gain true wisdom. The connection is thematic, focusing on humility and the pursuit of genuine understanding.
"The Speaker then took from the hands of the teachers books which they had been making their study, some of which had been written by infidel authors and contained infidel sentiments, and laid them on the floor. Then He placed the Bible in their hands, saying, “You have little knowledge of this Book. You know not the Scriptures nor the power of God. When you have taken your students through the course of study you have followed in the past, they will have to unlearn much that they have learned, and this they will find very difficult to do. Objectionable ideas have taken root in their minds, like weeds in a garden, and some will never be able to distinguish between right and wrong. The good and the evil have been intermingled in your work. Doctrines containing a little truth, but with which are woven the opinions and sayings and doings of men, are repeated. The youth will never know the way of life so long as they depend on such instruction.” CT 458.3"
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
Both passages address the issue of mixing human teachings with divine truth. The EGW passage describes a scenario where teachers are relying on books containing infidel sentiments and mixing them with truth, leading to confusion and hindering the students' understanding of the way of life. Similarly, Matthew 15:9 condemns the practice of teaching human commandments as doctrines, rendering worship vain. The connection lies in the shared concern about the corruption of true doctrine with human ideas.