"In the divine plan of education as adapted to man's condition after the Fall, Christ stands as the representative of the Father, the connecting link between God and man; He is the great teacher of mankind. And He ordained that men and women should be His representatives. The family was the school, and the parents were the teachers. Ed 33.2"
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
The EGW passage builds upon the principle that Christ is the mediator between God and man, as stated in John 14:6. It extends this concept to Christ's role in education and the establishment of the family as a school.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Both passages discuss teaching and discipleship. EGW expands on the idea of Christ's representatives, while Matthew focuses on the Great Commission. The connection is thematic, not a direct principle.
"The education centering in the family was that which prevailed in the days of the patriarchs. For the schools thus established, God provided the conditions most favorable for the development of character. The people who were under His direction still pursued the plan of life that He had appointed in the beginning. Those who departed from God built for themselves cities, and, congregating in them, gloried in the splendor, the luxury, and the vice that make the cities of today the world's pride and its curse. But the men who held fast God's principles of life dwelt among the fields and hills. They were tillers of the soil and keepers of flocks and herds, and in this free, independent life, with its opportunities for labor and study and meditation, they learned of God and taught their children of His works and ways. Ed 33.3"
"For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."
EGW's statement about patriarchal education directly reflects the principle in Genesis 18:19, where God knows Abraham will instruct his children. EGW uses this as a model for education.
"And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch."
EGW contrasts those who follow God's principles with those who build cities and embrace vice. This echoes the story of Cain building a city after departing from God's presence. The connection is thematic, highlighting the consequences of straying from God.