"Thus through faith they come to know God by an experimental knowledge. They have proved for themselves the reality of His word, the truth of His promises. They have tasted, and they know that the Lord is good. MH 461.1"
"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."
EGW directly alludes to Psalm 34:8, using the phrase 'tasted, and they know that the Lord is good,' which is a clear echo of the verse.
"And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,"
Both passages use the metaphor of 'tasting' to describe experiencing something good from God. While Hebrews 6:5 refers to tasting the 'good word of God,' EGW connects it to knowing God through experimental knowledge.
"“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3 . MH 461.3"
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."
Ellen White directly references 1 John 1:1-3 in this passage.
"So everyone may be able, through his own experience, to “set his seal to this, that God is true.” John 3:33 , A.R.V. He can bear witness to that which he himself has seen and heard and felt of the power of Christ. He can testify: MH 461.4"
"He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true."
Ellen White directly references John 3:33 in this passage.
"“I needed help, and I found it in Jesus. Every want was supplied, the hunger of my soul was satisfied; the Bible is to me the revelation of Christ. I believe in Jesus because He is to me a divine Saviour. I believe the Bible because I have found it to be the voice of God to my soul.” MH 461.5"
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
Both passages connect Jesus with satisfying spiritual hunger. EGW uses the metaphor of finding help and satisfaction in Jesus, while John 6:35 explicitly states Jesus is the bread of life who satisfies hunger. The connection is more than just thematic, it's a direct application of the biblical concept.
He who has gained a knowledge of God and His word through personal experience is prepared to engage in the study of natural science. Of Christ it is written, “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4 . Before the entrance of sin, Adam and Eve in Eden were surrounded with a clear and beautiful light, the light of God. This light illuminated everything which they approached. There was nothing to obscure their perception of the character or the works of God. But when they yielded to the tempter, the light departed from them. In losing the garments of holiness, they lost the light that had illuminated nature. No longer could they read it aright. They could not discern the character of God in His works. So today man cannot of himself read aright the teaching of nature. Unless guided by divine wisdom, he exalts nature and the laws of nature above nature's God. This is why mere human ideas in regard to science so often contradict the teaching of God's word. But for those …
"In him was life; and the life was the light of men."
Ellen White directly references John 1:4 in this passage.
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"
Both passages discuss how creation reveals God's character. Romans 1:20 states that God's invisible attributes are understood through creation, while EGW explains how sin obscures this understanding, requiring divine guidance to interpret nature correctly. The connection is thematic and supports EGW's argument about the relationship between science and faith.