What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "The disciples of Jesus argued about which of them was the greatest. Please present the course of their dispute and the content of their conversations systematically, and cite the corresponding Bible passages. You may also consult the writings of Ellen G. White. Remain faithful to the Chinese Union Version of the Bible and the Adventist understanding; do not invent any content."
Answer
The sources first describe a dispute on the way through Galilee, after Jesus foretold His suffering: the disciples did not understand Him, were afraid to ask, and argued about who was the greatest. When Jesus asked them about it, they fell silent. Jesus taught them that the one who would be first must be the servant of all; later, a dispute over rank also arose at the Passover meal. The relevant passages can be identified from their content as Mark 9:30–37 and Luke 22:24–27. However, the documents provided do not explicitly give these references or the wording of the Chinese Union Version, so I will not reproduce CUV wording.
Course and content of the dispute
- Context and dispute: While Jesus was foretelling His death and resurrection, the disciples did not understand His words. As they traveled through Galilee, they argued about who would be the greatest in the kingdom (Mark 9:30–34).
- Jesus asks them: In Capernaum, Jesus asked the disciples what they had been arguing about on the way. They were silent because they had been discussing who was the greatest (Mark 9:33–34).
- Jesus’ response: Jesus set the principle of service against their preoccupation with rank: whoever wants to be first must be last and servant of all (Mark 9:35).
- A renewed dispute: At the Passover meal, they also argued about which of them should be considered the greatest (Luke 22:24–27). The provided source gives no further details about that conversation.
The disciples argued on the way
»After their return to Capernaum, Jesus quietly entered the house that was to be His temporary home. Christ had again told them that He would be killed and rise again. He added that He would be delivered into the hands of His enemies. Even now the disciples did not understand His words. Although a shadow of deep sorrow came over them, they argued among themselves about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. They tried to hide this dispute from Jesus. He read their thoughts and longed to counsel them; yet He waited for a quiet time when their hearts would be open to receive His words.«
Jesus asks them in Capernaum
»Here Jesus made a second attempt to prepare His disciples for the decisive events connected with His impending trial and crucifixion; but again they did not understand what He was saying. […] He came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” They were silent, because on the way they had argued among themselves about who would be the greatest.«
Jesus’ principle: serve rather than seek rank
»This spirit of self-exaltation caused strife among the apostles, even while Christ was with them. They argued about which of them was the greatest. Jesus sat down, called the Twelve to Him, and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”«
Dispute at the Passover meal
»Even in the Passover chamber, at that solemn hour when their Master was already entering the shadows of Gethsemane, there was “a dispute among them as to which of them should be considered the greatest.”«
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.
