Ellen G. White in Europe 1885-1887

Presenting the Truth in Love

In her second devotional talk on Thursday, Mrs. White returned to a theme she had developed during the Swiss Conference, the necessity of presenting the truth in love. She pointed to Paul's example. When he labored for the Jews, he did not first make prominent the important aspects of Christ's life and death. He began with the Old Testament Scriptures, showing his hearers that the promise of a Saviour was predicted, and then he presented the fact that the Saviour had already come. “This was the ‘guile’ with which Paul caught souls,” she remarked. EGWE 68.4

“When you are laboring in a place where souls are just beginning to get the scales from their eyes, and to see men as trees walking, be very careful not to present the truth in such a way as to arouse prejudice, and to close the door of the heart to the truth. Agree with the people on every point where you can consistently do so. Let them see that you love their souls, and want to be in harmony with them so far as possible.”—Ibid., 122. EGWE 69.1

Then she added, with a touch of sadness, EGWE 69.2

“Oh that I could impress upon all the necessity of laboring in the spirit of Jesus; for I have been shown that souls here in Europe have been turned away from the truth because of a lack of tact and skill in presenting it.”—Ibid. EGWE 69.3

In the latter part of her Thursday morning address she dealt with a specific problem: EGWE 69.4

“Do not encourage a class who center their religion in dress.... Talk of the love and humility of Jesus; but do not encourage the brethren and sisters to engage in picking flaws in the dress or appearance of one another. Some take delight of this work.”—Ibid. EGWE 69.5

She concluded frankly: EGWE 69.6

“There are few of my brethren and sisters who maintain the plainness of dress as I do. My writings are pointed on this subject;^* but I do not carry it in the front. It is not to be made of greater importance than the solemn, testing truths for this time.”—Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 123. EGWE 69.7