6:41 Timothy 6:4

The verse describes one who rejects the sound words of Christ and the teaching that leads to godliness as proud and knowing nothing, sick with a craving for controversy and disputes over words, out of which come envy, strife, insults and evil suspicions.1T 540.2+2 To know nothing is to be without true knowledge and ignorant of true godliness, and to dote is to be fixed in an unhealthy, profitless obsession with questions that stir contention.Ms 82, 1898, par. 2–6+2 At its root is a proud, selfish heart where self is cherished and exalted because the Holy Spirit does not rule, refusing to yield so that Jesus may dwell within.ST May 6, 1880+2 Evil surmising is cherishing false, untruthful suspicions against a brother who has done no injury, seizing careless words, magnifying and repeating them until what was meant is distorted, jealousy and envy are fostered, and good can no longer be seen.5T 95.1+4 Its fruit is tale-bearing, fault-finding and murmuring that destroy unity, drive away helpers, hinder the work and keep the Spirit from acting, and unless envy and evil surmising are repented of and overcome they make a person unfit to endure the light of God's presence and shut him out of His kingdom.ST Oct 13, 1898+4 Freedom comes only when grace is received in the heart to subdue enmity, fill the soul with love and peace, and leave no room for envy and evil suspicion, with more of Jesus and less of self, bridled lips, repentance and confession, and the shunning and putting away of faultfinding.GW 302.1+3

The one Paul describes is a person who turns away from the wholesome words of Christ and from the doctrine that leads to godliness, and that turning itself marks him as proud and knowing nothing.1T 540.2+4 Instead of sound teaching he dotes about questions and disputes over words, absorbed and fixated in controversy over words.1T 540.2+4 From that disputing come envy, strife or conflict, railings or insults and abusive speech, and evil surmisings or evil suspicions.1T 540.2+4

To know nothing is to be without true knowledge and ignorant of true godliness, and to dote is to be caught in an unhealthy, obsessive preoccupation with controversial questions and battles over words.Ms 82, 1898, par. 2–6+2 Such bickering brings no profit, and places those who indulge it on the enemy's side, while what all need is practical knowledge of God and Jesus Christ.Ms 12a, 1901, par. 7 Evil suspicions and criticism grow out of that unconsecrated, perverted state of mind, and among those who claim to believe the truth they foster jealousy, disaffection, disunity and injury to Christian experience.Lt 15, 1888, par. 10

The immediate context joins this contentious spirit to supposing that financial gain is godliness, becoming entangled in worldly business and the love of money.1T 540.2+2 The words and conduct circulating among the Wessels family answer to this description, and the appeal to them is to turn from worldly interests and be faithful to God.Lt 109, 1899, par. 12–15+1 The condition shows the leaven of truth is not hidden in the heart to mold the affections, transform and sanctify the heart, and make the soul holy.Ms 82, 1898, par. 2–6+1 In its place are rivalry, love of ambition and desire to be first, abuse of God-given abilities, and scheming for earthly possessions that have no value with God, while the bread of life is neglected and the meek and quiet spirit precious in God's sight is wanting, instead of purity of heart, love and unity.ST Oct 13, 1898 These traits of envy and evil surmising appear even in households professing to be Christian, as part of the corruption accompanying rejection of obedience to God's requirements.ST Oct 11, 1905+1

The root is a proud, selfish and unjust heart in which love of self has grown until self-exaltation rules because the Holy Spirit is not in control.Lt 208, 1907, par. 6 It cherishes self and refuses to yield, unwilling to dethrone self so that Jesus can be enshrined in the heart, and from that refusal comes a jumble of inconsistencies that becomes a root of bitterness by which many are defiled.ST May 6, 1880 In such a heart the peace of Christ is not found, for a selfish heart filled with love of self is discontented and unhappy, sees defects in everything, and brings discord into the most heavenly music.5T 488.1 No jealousy and evil surmising will dwell in a sanctified heart, but unless the self-exalted humble their hearts before God and are converted, this spirit will continue to live and will finally destroy the love of Christ out of the heart.Lt 208, 1907, par. 6

Such a heart stores away evil thoughts of brethren and speaks against God's instrumentalities, with passions kept warm and fierce becoming a bitter fountain sending forth bitter streams to poison the life of others.5T 488.1 Pride that will not yield produces envy and jealous feelings, evil thoughts about others, tale-bearing, fault-finding and murmuring against brethren, which destroy unity among brethren and keep the Spirit of God from working in a marked way.ST May 6, 1880 Even those professing to worship God and keep His commandments receive no lasting good while cherishing these evils, because their hearts are not purified and the soul-temple is not cleansed.ST May 6, 1880 Murmuring against brethren leads a step further to murmuring against God and to an unhappiness whose hindrance is in self alone.ST May 6, 1880 By contrast, a heart in harmony with God and at peace with God and fellow men is filled with holy fragrance and honors God by good thoughts toward others and good deeds to bless others, lifted above the annoyances and trials of this life so it cannot be made miserable by circumstances whether in cottage or palace, where envy will not be, evil surmising will find no room, and hatred cannot exist, and Christian politeness heals the strife and grief described.Lt 208, 1907, par. 6+1

It springs from a heart turned from love, for loss of first love opens the way to selfishness, evil speaking, jealousy and hard-heartedness, while neglected prayer leaves the tongue with little restraint and a Pharisaical righteousness brings spiritual deadness and blindness.ST2 43.1 It also springs from a root of bitterness left when receiving truth is only surface work, for without daily faith that works by love and purifies the soul the spirit of variance and bitterness and false imagination is only quiet for a while and then breaks forth again when temptation assails.Ms 1, 1895, par. 41–42 When circumstances awaken it, men cherish false thoughts connected with self and pour out cherished evil thoughts in rash words, murmurings and complainings while deceived that they speak truth and righteousness, and each indulgence lets the enemy gain control, dishonors truth, defiles others and works their ruin.Ms 1, 1895, par. 41–42

It is the condition of those who will not accept God's message of justification by faith and the righteousness of Christ, who are self-sufficient and too proud to submit and yield the will to God, keeping a religious outward form that whitens the sepulcher while the soul temple is not cleansed.Lt 57, 1889, par. 6–7 From that unclean heart proceed evil thoughts, jealousy, envy and evil surmisings, and instead of obeying they seek excuse and subterfuge to evade the issue, making a mountain of some minor question and seeking to stir controversy on minor points, becoming more puzzled and perplexed the longer they remain in resistance.Lt 57, 1889, par. 6–7 In the perils of the last days every mind not decidedly under the control of the Spirit of God comes under Satan's control.SPBC 145.1 This is seen in hatred cultivated against the men commissioned to bear a special message to the world beginning at Minneapolis, and hatred of the message itself even more after seeing and feeling the demonstration of the Holy Spirit testifying that the message was of God, because it is a testimony against them, yet they will not humble their hearts to repent, to give God the glory and to vindicate the right, but go on in their own spirit filled with envy, jealousy and evil surmisings as did the Jews, opening their hearts to the enemy of God and man even while holding positions of trust and molding the work after their own similitude as far as they possibly can.SPBC 145.1

Selfishness is the root of this evil among workers, where workers may exaggerate the importance of their own labor while judging the same work as inferior when someone else does it, revealing disunity that greatly hinders the work.Lt 113a, 1897, par. 9 In the office selfishness with unwillingness to share knowledge and pride in one's own ability produced envy and evil surmising, obstructing cooperation and harming the work.Ms 13a, 1891, par. 1–5 The same root appears when plans and methods bind mind and talent under human control and human judgment, placing one person's mind under another's and bringing other men's talents under absolute control.Ms 15, 1895, par. 6+1 Talents of influence belong to God alone, and for one finite agent to bring them under absolute control dishonors God even when the benefits are used to advantage the cause, ruling one man's mind by another man's mind, separating the human agent from God, exposing him to temptation, following Satan's method of making men slaves of men, and destroying faith in God and in the principles that control to purge from guile and every kind of selfishness and hypocrisy.Ms 15, 1895, par. 6+1 Its result is confusion and distrust with jealousies and evil surmisings.Ms 15, 1895, par. 6+1

Evil surmising in 1 Timothy 6:4 means evil suspicions and untruthful suspicions held against others.16MR 305.2+1 It includes imaginings and hatred cherished against a brother who has not tried to injure by word or action, as when one falsely says he spoke to prejudice another when he in fact treated the person like a brother and the truth is exactly the opposite.21MR 162.4 Done by a minister, a professed representative of Christ, such surmising goes far in its influence to demoralize others.21MR 162.4 It is suggested by Satan through a person yielded to him and controlled by demons, used to separate a believer from God, to enslave liberty and manhood to caprice, and to break up the harmony and confidence that should exist in perfect union between fellow workers.16MR 305.2 Those who cherish untruthful suspicions make fellowship unendurable and break peace, creating in an institution an atmosphere that invites evil influences, and one professing to teach Bible truth while indulging this spirit is not accepted but must be decidedly changed in heart and soul and character.Lt 14, 1908, par. 1–2

It grows by seizing on careless words, magnifying them, and repeating them as grounds for suspicion and blame.5T 95.1 Such accusations distort what the speaker truly meant and can cause serious harm, while repeated unkind words enlarge a false report, injure others, damage the speaker's spiritual life, and sow discord in the church, with every thought, word and action to be brought into judgment.5T 95.1+1 These unfounded thoughts foster jealousy and envy and can lead to hatred.Lt 73, 1894, par. 10 Such suspicions also obscure vision so a person cannot see the good in the work.STGC 74.1

It includes holding fast to distorted, false reports about a fellow laborer and clinging to them as too precious to give up although there is not one vestige of evidence.16MR 214.2–215.1 It prefers the falsehood even after hearing the truth from her own lips and having years of evidence of the character of her labor.16MR 214.2–215.1 It remains in deception rather than confessing mistake, as though the false impressions were truth.16MR 214.2–215.1

It is whisperings instigated by Satan that must be stopped, ending when God is sought until love fills heart and soul.16MR 305.2+1 It is suspicions suggested by Satan through a yielded person and suspicions planted by Satan that lead people to say and do unjust things.16MR 305.2+1 It stains good and worthy actions with evil and criticizes others without recognizing that good intentions may have been misunderstood or that the critic committed the same faults.Ms 68, 1904, par. 5–6

Calling such suspicions discernment does not make them true.1T 332.1 They help distract and confuse people and draw them away from the truth.1T 332.1 Those who condemn others by this magnifying of careless words may themselves be guilty of greater errors.5T 95.1

It belongs with dissension, enmity, misjudging of brethren, and the spirit of intolerance, and is to be carefully shunned.GW 302.1 It belongs with envy and jealous feelings, evil thoughts about others, tale-bearing, fault-finding and murmuring against brethren, which destroy unity and keep the Spirit from working in a marked way while hearts remain unpurified and the soul-temple uncleansed.ST May 6, 1880 Evil-speaking, tale-bearing and surmising evil spread dissension and strife and bring deadly fruits to the speaker's own soul, harming the speaker more than the hearer and leaving him a stranger to true happiness.5T 176.2 Envy brings evil surmisings along with deception, pride, accusations and enmity from contentiousness, which unless repented of and removed shut a person out of God's kingdom.ST Feb 5, 1894 Evil suspicions and criticism arise from an unconsecrated, perverted state of mind joined to pride and ignorance and unhealthy preoccupation with questions and word disputes, fostering among professed believers jealousy, disaffection, disunity and damaged Christian experience.Lt 15, 1888, par. 10 They can persist as a fault to be overcome alongside spiritual pride, selfishness, a hasty spirit and jealousy even under favorable circumstances.2T 76.1

The proud fixation on controversial questions and battles over words produces envy, conflict, abusive speech and evil suspicions, revealing rivalry, love of ambition and desire to be first, abuse of God-given abilities, and scheming for earthly possessions of no value with God while neglecting the bread of life and the meek and quiet spirit precious in His sight.ST Oct 13, 1898 That same pride that will not yield and cherishes self brings jealous feelings, evil thoughts about others, tale-bearing, fault-finding and murmuring against brethren, which destroy unity and keep the Spirit of God from working in a marked way.ST May 6, 1880 Even those professing to worship God and keep His commandments receive no lasting good while cherishing these evils, because their hearts are not purified and the soul-temple is not cleansed, and murmuring against brethren leads on to murmuring against God and to an unhappiness whose hindrance is in self alone.ST May 6, 1880 Contentious disputation and evil suspicions produce envy and strife, and where jealousy, suspicion and disputing are allowed to dominate, an innocent and vulnerable man can be condemned instead of treated with fairness and sympathy.4T 324.2–325.2

Envy, evil surmisings and jealousy have driven helpful church members away.4T 330.1 Looking and listening for faults, spreading suspicions, and repeating unkind or false reports cause injustice and discord in the church.8T 83.2–3 Jealousy, suspicion and evil surmisings reveal disunity among God's workers and greatly hinder the work, rooted in selfishness that exaggerates the importance of one's own labor while judging the same work inferior when another does it.Lt 113a, 1897, par. 9 At the heart of God's work, as in the publishing house at Nashville, there must be perfect unity, perfect confidence and hearty cooperation, with the work in different departments viewed as one and workers bound together shoulder to shoulder, helping and strengthening one another in simplicity, meekness and lowliness with confidence and love, so that there are no evil surmisings, no envy and no strife.Lt 202, 1903, par. 13–15 Evil surmisings and jealousies are as cruel as the grave, magnifying difficulties such as financial embarrassment from working on borrowed capital, giving the enemy advantage, making the work hard, and leaving wrong impressions that endanger souls beyond recovery, producing disunion and efforts to tear down contrary to laboring in harmony to build up the interests of the cause.Lt 208, 1902, par. 16

Evil-speaking, tale-bearing and surmising evil spread dissension and strife and bring deadly fruits to the speaker's own soul, harming the speaker more than the hearer and leaving him a stranger to true happiness.5T 176.2 Repeated unkind words can enlarge a false report, injure others, damage the speaker's spiritual life, and sow discord in the church.STGC 43.2–3 Where the peace of Christ is absent, the selfish heart filled with love of self, discontent and unhappiness sees defects in everything and brings discord into the most heavenly music, storing away evil thoughts of brethren and speaking against God's instrumentalities until passions kept warm and fierce become a bitter fountain sending forth bitter streams to poison the life of others.5T 488.1 Jealousy and evil surmising do much harm to all brought in contact with the indulger, and in a minister's or missionary's wife they counteract her husband's testimony, stumble many, close hearts so his message does not reach them, and prove especially grievous before young persons who need to learn what it means to be a Christian.6MR 41.2–4

Envy and evil surmisings are corrupt traits that make a person unfit to endure the holy light of God's presence, and they must be overcome during probation before the Judgment, for an unpurified person could not enjoy or bear the glory of the holy city.RH Apr 12, 1870 Envy brings evil surmisings, deception, pride, accusations and enmity, and unless these are repented of and removed they shut a person out of God's kingdom.ST Feb 5, 1894 Every thought, word and action will be brought into judgment, when the full harm of looking for faults, spreading suspicions and repeating unkind or false reports will be known.8T 83.2–3+1 Unless the self-exalted humble their hearts before God and are converted, no jealousy-free sanctified heart is gained, and this spirit will continue to live until it finally destroys the love of Christ out of the heart.Lt 208, 1907, par. 6 Where determined self-will is kept at the helm and the heart is not yielded to be converted, as seen in the strife at Denver and Boulder, the condition increases for years until the Lord withdraws His Holy Spirit and leaves them to their own evil surmising, leaving the contending elements to destroy themselves while He puts His Spirit upon men who feel their weakness.Lt 261, 1907, par. 2

The warning falls on questioning and criticizing God's servants in ways that unsettle the confidence of others in them, for proud ignorance expressed through obsessive questioning and disputes over words produces envy, conflict, insults, and evil suspicions.5T 273.3+1 It falls on criticizing fellow workers and accepting and spreading hearsay, and on cherishing envy and evil surmising, which grieve the Holy Spirit and bring shame upon Christ and call for repentance and return to first love in kindness and tenderness.RH Jun 9, 1903+1 It falls on unfair investigation where jealousy, suspicion, and disputing are allowed to dominate, so that an innocent and vulnerable man is condemned instead of treated with fairness and sympathy.4T 324.2–325.2 It falls on workers who habitually question and oppose others, who must not let suspicion, jealousy, or division disrupt united work, since such a course aids the enemy even when presented as humble or devoted to God's work.5T 273.3+1

The same warning reaches workers in God's institutions, where envy, strife, and evil surmisings must not be cultivated at the heart of the work.Lt 202, 1903, par. 13–15 At the publishing house at Nashville there should be perfect unity, perfect confidence, and hearty cooperation, with the work in different departments viewed as one, and with workers bound together shoulder to shoulder, helping and strengthening one another in simplicity, meekness, lowliness, confidence, and love, so that there will be no evil surmisings, no envy, no strife.Lt 202, 1903, par. 13–15 Prejudice and evil surmising will be met with enough from outside and need not be cultivated inside, and in the office selfishness, unwillingness to share knowledge, and pride in one's own ability have produced envy and evil surmising that obstruct cooperation and harm the work.Lt 202, 1903, par. 13–15+1 Mechanical labor must not be allowed to crowd out spiritual needs, for evil surmising must be put aside together with faultfinding, with the Lord given first place in the heart as sanctification and righteousness and the love of God exercised toward one another to keep the atmosphere sweet and pleasant.Lt 26, 1907, par. 5–6 Efforts to bring the Pacific Press and its branches under other interests, threatening their independence, belong with jealousy, evil surmisings, and covetousness arising from contentious attitudes, and no hasty move from a post of responsibility should be made lest the suspicious and jealous and those given to evil surmising take it as proof that all their suspicions were correct.Lt 260, 1902, par. 3–5+1

Physicians and helpers in responsible positions must be free from envy and evil suspicions.CTBH 233.1 Freedom from evil surmisings is required of those entrusted with responsibility.1T 566.3 In the work of physicians and nurses every word and action must be carefully guarded so that such suspicions do not arise.Ms 89, 1900, par. 32–33

Parents should recognize their own susceptibility to a proud, unknowing spirit that breeds envy and evil suspicions, and deal gently with erring children.ST May 7, 1894 Even those who have received great light and have long experience can fall into envy and evil suspicions, and their own mistakes should teach them gentleness toward the erring.ST Aug 13, 1912 Church members should support teachers, commend what they do well, and avoid censuring their mistakes or becoming a source of evil suspicions and false accusations.Ms 22, 1904, par. 5 When a motherly, kind, courteous, sunny, joyful influence helps and encourages youth, it must not be interpreted as teaching rebellion or working against instructors, and even where children prefer that company it must not create envy or jealousy or evil surmisings, for cheerfulness and hope and joy belong in the school.Lt 19, 1886, par. 23–24

Workers pledged together for years of colonizing labor will not bear the test, for some will work selfishly for a time and then become dissatisfied and want a change, and their faultfinding and complaining sow evil surmising and spread distrust.CNA 121.1–122.1 Such unreliable souls who cannot be trusted prove to be tares among the wheat, though the Lord sees every heart, so families should go singly as self-supporting missionaries rather than in pledged companies.CNA 121.1–122.1 In a minister's or missionary's wife jealousy and evil surmising do much harm to all brought in contact with her, counteracting the testimony her husband must bear, proving a stumbling stone to many, and closing the way so his message does not reach hearts.6MR 41.2–4 It comes from following impulse, failing to keep her own spirit under control, being exacting and selfish even in responsibility among those urged to give themselves to the work, and failing to manifest the Spirit of Christ in daily life so that her influence and example give no force to her husband's preaching and labor for individual cases, and such exhibitions are grievous before the Lord especially before the young who need to learn what it means to be a Christian, bringing warning and reproof back upon her husband's head, so that when the bearer of truth sees this in his home he must deal with his own family kindly and tenderly but decidedly whatever the consequences.6MR 41.2–4

Freedom comes when what is not understood is met by kneeling and asking God for help to take the right position, which brings right understanding and seeing eye to eye.GW 302.1 Seeking God until His love fills heart and soul ends the whisperings instigated by Satan that ministers must stop.17MR 65.3–4 The need is humbling of the heart, conversion, a breaking up of the fallow ground of the heart, and renovation of mind, soul, and spirit, for evil surmising is the condition of those who keep determined self-will with self at the helm and will not yield to be converted, as seen in strife at Denver and Boulder, a condition that increases for years until the Lord withdraws His Spirit and leaves them to their own evil surmising and leaves contending elements to destroy themselves, while He puts His Spirit upon those who feel their weakness and dare not rely on men strong in their own will and way.Lt 261, 1907, par. 2 Giving the Lord first place in the heart as sanctification and righteousness keeps spiritual needs from being crowded out and keeps the atmosphere sweet and pleasant by love toward one another.Lt 26, 1907, par. 5–6

The cure is grace received in the heart, which subdues enmity, allays strife, and fills the soul with love, so that one at peace with God and fellow men cannot be made miserable, has no envy, gives evil surmisings no room, has no hatred, but partakes of heaven's peace and diffuses its blessed influence like dew upon hearts weary and troubled with worldly strife. No jealousy and evil surmising will dwell in the sanctified heart, for they come from a proud, selfish, unjust heart where love of self has grown and self-exaltation rules because the Holy Spirit is not in control, and unless the self-exalted humble their hearts before God and are converted this spirit will live on and finally destroy the love of Christ out of the heart.Lt 208, 1907, par. 6 By contrast the selfish heart without Christ's peace, filled with love of self, discontent, and unhappiness, sees defects in everything, brings discord into the most heavenly music, stores away evil thoughts of brethren, talks against God's instrumentalities, and with passions kept warm and fierce becomes a bitter fountain sending forth bitter streams to poison the life of others, while the heart in harmony with God, filled with holy fragrance and honoring God by good thoughts toward others and good deeds to bless them, is lifted above life's annoyances and trials and cannot be made miserable by circumstances whether in cottage or palace.5T 488.1 The remedy is more of Jesus and less of self, thinking no evil, keeping the lips as with a bridle, repenting and confessing, letting the love of Jesus pervade the heart, exercising Christian politeness and kindness and tenderness which heal strife and grief, turning attention to Jesus instead of dwelling on others' mistakes and speaking critically of them, and remembering that sameness of mind is not needed.Lt 208, 1907, par. 6+3

Evil surmising belongs with dissension, enmity, misjudging of brethren, and intolerance, and is to be carefully shunned.GW 302.1 It is a trait of character to war against instead of warring against one another, for jealousy springs up at the least provocation and envy and evil surmising flourish and grow when cultivated by thinking and talking evil of others, by unbridled lips, by measuring others' experiences by one's own, and by wanting one's own way and will.11MR 263.2 It must be put aside with faultfinding, cut out of the church and corrected lest it recur, with believers becoming well-informed and not indulging or cultivating it, for it grows when cultivated and is as cruel as the grave.Lt 408, 1906, par. 7+2 Readiness to emphasize disagreements among brethren belongs to jealousy and evil surmising and to a spirit not from God.15MR 82.3

Evil surmising cannot be indulged without denying Christ, being incompatible with fidelity to truth and righteousness.Ms 67, 1897, par. 44–45 Those who cherish untruthful suspicions against others make fellowship unendurable and break peace, creating in an institution an atmosphere that invites evil influences, and one who professes to teach Bible truth while indulging this spirit is not accepted but must be decidedly changed in heart and soul and character.Lt 14, 1908, par. 1–2

Thoughts, words, and actions must be carefully guarded, for when criticism, jealousy, and evil surmising in the heart are left unguarded they undermine unity and weaken those needed for God's work.Lt 131, 1904, par. 15–18 Suspicion destroys confidence and prevents unity, encouraging faultfinding and jealousy in churches.Lt 8a, 1890, par. 44 Workers are to be right themselves, labor in faith and prayer, keep the atmosphere sweet by love toward one another, and train Christian youth to harmonize rather than to work with hearts like iron.Lt 202, 1903, par. 13–15