Many who have lived so long in one place are spending their time criticizing those who are working in Christ’s lines to convict and convert sinners. They criticize the motives and intentions of others, as if it were not possible for anyone else to do the unselfish work they themselves refuse to do. They are stumbling blocks. If they would go to places where there are no believers, and work to win souls to Christ, they would soon be so busy proclaiming the truth and helping the suffering that they would have no time to dissect character, no time to surmise evil and then report the results of their supposed keenness in seeing beneath the surface. {8T 82.3}

Mange, der har opholdt sig længe på samme sted, bruger deres tid på at kritisere dem, der følger Kristi fremgangsmåde i arbejdet for at overbevise og omvende syndere. De kritiserer andres motiver og hensigter, som om det ikke var muligt for andre at gøre det uselviske arbejde, de selv nægter at udføre. De er anstødsstene. Hvis de ville rejse til steder, hvor der ikke er nogen troende og arbejde for at vinde sjæle for Kristus, ville de snart få så travlt med at fremholde sandheden og hjælpe (83) de lidende, at de ikke ville have tid til at dissekere andres karakter eller tænke onde tanker og derpå videregive resultaterne af deres formodede evner til at se under overfladen.