What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Distinction between public admonition and personal admonition in the writings of Ellen G. White and how to apply this balance to public criticism on social networks."
Answer
Ellen G. White strongly emphasizes the biblical principle that personal faults and grievances must be dealt with privately, face‑to‑face, in the spirit of Christ’s love, rather than exposing them before others. She calls publicly exposing private sins or spreading rumors a sin against God and a grave injustice toward those involved. Applied to public criticism on social networks, this requires maintaining restraint, not exposing faults on public platforms, but seeking a confidential, humble, and edifying personal conversation.
God’s Plan: Personal Resolution Instead of Public Exposure
»If your brother has sinned against you," Christ explained, "go and rebuke him between you and him alone." Tell no one else about the wrongdoing. It is told to one person, then another, and another; and the report constantly grows, and the evil increases until the whole congregation suffers. Settle the matter "between you and him alone." This is God's plan. [...] Do not tolerate sin in your brother; but do not expose him and thereby increase the difficulty so that the rebuke feels like revenge. Correct him in the manner laid out in God's word. [...] Whatever the nature of the transgression, this does not change the plan God has set for resolving misunderstandings and personal offenses. Speaking alone and in the spirit of Christ with the one who is in the wrong will often remove the difficulty.«
The Duty to Treat Private Faults Confidentially
»It has been the unpleasant duty assigned to me to rebuke private sins. If, to prevent suspicion and jealousy, I were to give a full explanation of my actions and make public what should be kept private, I would sin against God and do injustice to the individual. I must keep private rebukes of private faults to myself, enclosed within my own heart. Let others judge as they will; I will never abuse the trust that the erring and repentant have placed in me, nor reveal to others what should be brought only before the guilty.«
Exhortation in Love Instead of Hurtful Sharpness
»When attempting to correct or improve others, we should be careful with our words. [...] In delivering rebukes or advice, many resort to sharp, harsh words that are not suited to heal a wounded soul. These unwise utterances irritate the mind, and often incite the erring to rebellion. [...] Under all circumstances, a rebuke should be spoken in love. Then our words will correct, but not embitter. [...] Some take pride in being blunt, direct, and rough, calling it openness; but this is not rightly named, it is selfishness of the deepest kind. [...] They criticize, they wound, they say uncomfortable things.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
