What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Paul and Christ speak of the unity of the church. The twelve disciples were not a unity until Christ's death but quarreled. Unity therefore came at the end, when the church was cleansed, the earlier ones. Why does Christ speak of unity when there is weed among us? This seems at first a contradiction. Or should we already be striving to live together in unity?"
Answer
Although weed is found among the wheat, the unity of believers is Christ's declared goal and the most compelling testimony to the world. Jesus' disciples, despite their differing characters, were called to become one through their connection with Christ, which today applies equally to the church. True unity does not arise from human effort but as a natural result of personal sanctification and close fellowship with the living vine.
The Significance of Unity Despite the Weed
»The church needs freshness and the inspiration of people who breathe in the atmosphere of heaven to enliven the congregation, despite the weed among the wheat. ... There are unconverted people throughout the church, and if those who are so earnestly burning to show their zeal for the Lord would seek these poor souls and work with patience and perseverance to win them for Jesus, God would work with them.«
Unity as Christ's Goal for His Disciples
»In order to successfully advance the work to which they had been called, these disciples, who differed so greatly in their natural traits, education, and habits of life, had to achieve unity in feeling, thinking, and acting. Securing this unity was Christ's goal. To this end, He sought to bring them into unity with Himself.«
Caution in Separating Weed from Wheat
»In another parable ... Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a field where a man sowed good seed, but the enemy sowed weed in it. ... \"Let both grow together until the harvest.\" ... There is a danger of doing too much to resolve difficulties in the church that would often sort themselves out if left alone. ... Before taking steps that could even give the completely unworthy the slightest cause to complain about being excluded from the church, the matter should always be subject to the most careful consideration and earnest prayer.«
Unity as the Result of Sanctification
»Paul would not have appealed to them to do something impossible. Unity is the sure result of Christian perfection. ... If we strive for this unity as God desires, it will be granted to us. ... Through Christian love, one brother is bound to another.«
Responsibility of Each Individual for Harmony
»As members of the visible church and workers in the Lord's vineyard, all professing Christians should do their utmost to preserve peace, harmony, and love in the congregation. Remember Christ's prayer: \"That they may all be one...\" The unity of the church is the compelling proof that God sent Jesus as Savior into the world. This is an argument that the peoples of the world can neither resist nor contradict. Therefore Satan constantly works to prevent this unity and harmony.«
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.
