The Watchtower, October 15, 1947
Download: PDF — The Watchtower, October 15, 1947
fHeWATCHTOWEK
Published Semimonthly By
WATCH TOWER BIBLE 6 TRACT SOCIETY 117 Adams Street • • Brooklyn 1, N.Y., U.S A.
Officers
N. H. Knobb, President Grant Suiter, Secretary
“And all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” - Isaiah 54:13.
THE BIBLE CLEARLY TEACHES
THAT JEHOVAH is the only true God, from everlasting to everlasting, and Is the Maker of heaven and earth and Giver of life to his creatures; that the Word or Logos was the beginning of his creation and his active agent in creating all other things ; and that the creature Lucifer rebelled against Jehovah and raised the issue of His universal sovereignty;
THAT GOD created the earth for man, made perfect man for the earth and placed him upon It; that man yielded to unfaithful Lucifer, or Satan, and willfully disobeyed God’s law and was sentenced to death; that by reason of Adam’s wrong act all men are born sinners and without the right to life;
THAT THE LOGOS was made human as the man Jesus and suffered death In order to produce the ransom or redemptive price for obedient men; that God raised up Christ Jesus divine and exalted him to heaven above every other creature and-clothed him with all power and authority as head of God’s new capital organization;
THAT GOD’S CAPITAL ORGANIZATION is a Theocracy called Zion, and that Christ Jesus is the Chief Officer thereof and is the rightful King of the new world; that the faithful anointed followers of Christ Jesus are Zion’s children, members of Jehovah’s organization, and are His witnesses whose duty and privilege it is to testify to Jehovah’s supremacy and declare his purposes toward mankind as expressed in the Bible;
THAT THE OLD WORLD, or Satan's uninterrupted rule, ended AD. 1914, and Christ Jesus has been placed by Jehovah upon the throne, has ousted Satan from heaven, and now proceeds to vindicate His name and establish the “new earth”;
THAT THE RELIEF and blessings of the peoples can come only by Jehovah’s kingdom under Christ, which has begun; that His next great act is to destroy Satan's organization and establish righteousness completely in the earth; and that under the Kingdom the people of good-will surviving Armageddon will carry out the divine mandate to “fill the earth” with righteous offspring, and that the human dead in the graves will be raised to opportunities of life on earth.
ITS MISSION
HIS Journal Is published for the purpose of enabling the people to know Jehovah God and his purposes as expressed in the Bible. It publishes Bible Instruction specifically designed to aid Jehovah’s witnesses and all people of good-wllL
It arranges systematic Bible study for Its readers and the Society supplies other literature to aid in such studies. It publishes suitable material for radio broadcasting and for other means of public instruction in the Scriptures.
It adheres strictly to the Bible as authority for its utterances. It is entirely free and separate from all religion, parties, sects or other worldly organizations. It is wholly and without reservation for the kingdom of Jehovah God under Christ his beloved King. It is not dogmatic, but Invites careful and critical examination of Its contents in the light of the Scriptures. It does not indulge in controversy, and Its columns are not open to personalities.
Nottoe to Subscribers: Remittances should be sent to office in your Country in compliance with regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international money order only. Subscription rates in different countries are stated below in local currency. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old as well as new address.
Please address the Watch Tower Society in every case.
Offices Yearly Subscription Bate
America (U.S.), 117 Adams St, Brooklyn 1, N.Y.
Australia, 7 Beresford R<L, Stratbfleld, N. 8. W.
British West Indies, 21 Taylor St, Port of Spain, Trinidad *1.25
Canada, 40 Irwin Ave., Toronto 5, Ontario
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2
India, 167 Love Lane, Bombay 27 Ba. 3/8
Jamaica, 161 Wing st, Kingston
New Zealand, G. P. O. Box 30, Wellington, C. 1
Philippine Islands, 2621 Int 2 Henan, Santa Ana, Manila 2 pesos
South Africa, 623 Boston House, Cape Town
Translations of this journal appear in many languages.
ALL SINCERE STUDENTS OF THE BIBLE who by reason of infirmity, poverty or adversity are unable to pay the subscription price may have The Watchtower free upon written application to the publishers, made once each year, stating the reason for so requesting it We are gad to thus aid the needy, out the written application once each year required by the postal regulations.
Printed In the United States of America
Entered as second-class matter at the post office at Brooklyn, N. T., under the Act of March S, 1879.
“BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHICH DIE”
Many of the earlier readers of The Watchtower will be interested to learn of the passing of a faithful servant of the Lord who till recently was quite prominent in the work of the Watch Tower Society. At 6 a.m. Thursday, September 25, 1947, Charles A. Wise finished his life work upon earth at the age of 84 years, dying at the Brooklyn Hospital not a great distance from the Brooklyn Bethel home. He was baptized as one of Jehovah’s witnesses March 18, 1890, and was one of the two hundred “ministers” that attended the Memorial assembly in Allegheny, Pa., April 3 of that same year. On January 4, 1919, he was elected vice-president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, in which capacity he acted continuously until October 1, 1941, his 79th year. He came to the Bethel home October 1, 1918, and remained a member thereof until the time of his death. One of his last joyful privileges was to attend the “All Nations Expansion Assembly” at Los Angeles in August of this year. In view of his course of constant faithfulness we have reason to believe him one of the “blessed” ones whose grand privilege of immediately entering into the Lord’s presence at death was foretold at Revelation 14:13.
“FEARLESS AGAINST CONSPIRACY” TESTIMONY PERIOD
October is annually a special testimony-period month, and this year it is designated “Fearless Against Conspiracy” Testimony Period. The fact today of world conspiracy against Jehovah God and his kingdom by Christ cannot be denied, and it falls not amiss that during this special testimony His fearless publishers will offer the challenging book “Let God Be True”, making it their initial offer on a contribution of 35c, American, or the equivalent of this in foreign lands.
“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES
Week of November 23: “God’s Ministers of Good News,” fll-20 inclusive, The Watchtower October 15, 1947.
Week of November 30: “God’s Ministers of Good News,” fl 21-41 inclusive, The Watchtower October 15, 1947.
EASTERN SEABOARD CONVENTION
For the benefit particularly of the brethren living east of the Mississippi river a late autumn convention has been arranged for November 21, 22, 23, in the eastern seaboard city of Philadelphia, Pa. The spacious Convention Hall at 34th Street near Spruce, in that city, has now been engaged for the three-day assembly. At this convention the president of the Watch Tower Society and other official members will be present to serve on the platform as part of a specially prepared program. The public address will be upon the subject, “Permanent Governor of All Nations.” Brethren that can manage their affairs so as to attend should at once get in touch with the Watchtower Convention Committee, at 1343 W. Venango Street, Philadelphia 40, Pa., for rooming assignments or other information. Kingdom publishers may also consult the October issue of the Informant for additional details.
ffieW/WCHTOWER
ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH’S KINGDOM
Vol. LXVIII October 15, 1947 No. 20
GOD’S MINISTERS OF GOOD NEWS
"Jehovah hath established his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure."—Ps. 103:19, 21, Am.Stan.Ver.
TEHOVAH observed his own appointed times and I seasons when he set up his kingdom A.D. 1914, J in order to renew his special control over our earth. In that year the “seven times" which he had appointed for permitting the uninterrupted Gentile control of the earth came to their end, 2,520 years from when they began at the overturning of Judah’s kingdom at Jerusalem in 607 B.C. (Dan. 4:16, 23; Ezek. 21: 25-27) The due season then arrived for him to give the kingdom of a new world of righteousness to his chosen One whose right it is to rule as Jehovah’s representative, namely, the One pictured in prophecy as “the Son of man”. (Dan. 7:13,14) That is good news, the best news in more than five thousand years of human history. It brings close to realization the divine promise, namely, that the Seed of God’s woman should bruise the head of the Serpent and should bring deliverance to groaning mankind and vindicate the name of the Ruler over all, Jehovah God. (Gen. 3:14, 15) Now, since 1914, is therefore the time for all of his hosts to bless him, and particularly all the ministers of God who would now do His pleasure on earth. They bless him by telling of his glorious works, and showing forth his praises, and commending his Theocratic rule to all persons of good-will who love righteousness.
2 Persons that are disposed toward righteousness, and who hunger and thirst for a righteous rule over a united world, should look around to detect who are the ones really performing the part of minister of God. These are the ones fulfilling the foretold qualification : “All thy works shall give thanks unto thee, 0 Jehovah; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.” (Ps. 145:10-12, Am. Stan. Ver.) Solely through such genuine ministers of Jehovah God will the hungry seekers of truth and of righteousness hear the message of the Kingdom that will safeguard them against the great deceptions of this critical century.
s Who are the ministers of God? is a question that
1. Why, since 1914, should God’s ministers bless him. and how? 2. Why look around tor those doing the part of minister of God? 3. How have true ones made the proof of their ministry stronger? was thrust to the fore particularly when the nations of Christendom were girding themselves for World War K The deciding of the question was left mainly to human courts and boards of jurisdiction under the passions of war. Many that were parading around as ministers of God were exempted from the wartime demands of the embattled nations, whereas thousands of others whom the sacred Scriptures certify to be God’s approved ministers were contradicted, their true position was discounted and ignored, and their rights and proper exemptions were denied them to the extreme point of imprisonment. But by the faithful endurance of such injustices and by keeping on with their ministerial work to whatever extent possible they have made the proof only stronger that they are the ministers of God.
* By an appeal to the inspired sacred Scriptures as the suprahuman authority and the final say on the matter, we must agree that a faithful minister of God serves the One whose minister he is, that is, God. (Rom. 6:16) He does not serve this world, because the service and friendship of this world are declared, at James 4:4, to be outright enemyship toward God. He does not serve the nations of this world, nor of Christendom, neither the political governments of this world. He could not do so and at the same time hold his ministerial rank with the Lord God, because the prophecy foretold that the nations and their kings and rulers would be angry and enraged when the Lord God Almighty would take his great power to himself and would begin to reign. They would not bless him and give him thanks for making this move to bring in the new world of righteousness for “men of good will”.—Rev. 11:15-18.
6 A minister of God is necessarily a servant on His side of the great dispute over universal sovereignty, that is to say, over the question, Who shall rule the world? The ministers of the religions of Christendom do not act as His servants, but conduct themselves as lords of the common people and mix in with the political bosses of this world, of which Christendom is the dominant part. Their adulterous conduct with the
4. Whom does a faithful minister serve, and whom not serve’ 5. What belles the religious clergy's claim to be His ministers?
crooked, unclean powers of this world belies their claim to be God’s official representatives, but just so long as they have the man-created and man-bestowed titles of “Doctor of Divinity”, “Reverend,” “Pope,” etc., they think they are the real thing beyond denial or dispute. In this manner they deceive both themselves and the mass of mankind.
6 In itself, the very word minister emphasizes the thought of service, because it shows the subordinate place of the person that ministers. The word, which is of Latin origin, is drawn from the term minus meaning less and the comparative ending ter; just as the word of opposite meaning, magister or master, is drawn from the term magis meaning more and the comparative ending ter. In the Hebrew Scriptures of the Bible the term generally translated “minister” is also and just as well translated “servant” and “servitor”, thus revealing the real duty of the person having this position. In the Greek Scriptures of the Bible the word in question is diakonos; and it is made up from two words, did meaning through and kdnis meaning dust, thus pointing to one who is dusty from hastening or running in the service of another.
’ The ministers of King Solomon, on all of whom the queen of Sheba gazed with wonderment, were in fact servants of him, carrying out certain assigned duties of a public kind or of an official kind. They attended upon the lung, and stood in his presence for this purpose. (1 Ki. 10:5) By loyally serving him they also served Jehovah God, because Solomon “sat on the throne of Jehovah as king instead of David his father”, something that absolutely cannot be said of Christendom’s kings and rulers. (1 Chron. 29: 23, Am. Stan. Ver.) The Levites that cheerfully ministered to the high priest of Israel, Aaron the brother of Moses, were simply his servants; but at the same time they were the servants of Jehovah God, because He had commanded Moses: “Bring thou near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron.” (Ex. 28:1, Am. Stan. Ver.) “And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.”—Num. 3:5-7, Am. Stan. Ver.
ANGELS AND MEN
8 The greatest official servant of the Most High God is his own firstborn Son, his only begotten Offspring now known as Christ Jesus. He holds this exalted place because he is one of “The Higher Powers” with Jehovah God. Every God-fearing soul should there
6. How does the word “minister” in itself point to service?
7. What were the ministers of King Solomon and of priest Aaron?
8. Who Is God's chief minister? Why higher than other spirits? fore be in subjection to him as well as to the Supreme Power Jehovah God, because God has ordained him to this place. He is the One of whom the apostle Paul wrote to the .Christian congregation at Rome, saying: “Wouldest thou have no fear of the power! do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same: for he is a minister [diakonos) of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger of wrath to him that doeth evil.” (Rom. 13:1-4, Am. Stan. Ver.) The great Minister Jesus Christ has at his disposal legions of holy angels; but these spirit creatures are, in a primary sense, ministers of Jehovah God, “who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire.” (Ps. 104:4) To prove from the Bible that Jesus Christ is one of the Higher Powers and loftier than the holy angels, the apostle quotes this verse and says: “And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire: but of the Son he saith, Thy throne is God for ever and ever; and the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”—Heb. 1: 7, 8, Am. Stan. Ver.; margin.
’It was altogether fitting, then, that after Jesus had been baptized and had resisted the Devil’s temptations forty days in the wilderness the following occurred to him, as reported at Matthew 4:11: “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” (Also Mark 1:13) Doubtless they, at God’s command, supplied the hungry Jesus with food which Jesus had refused to selfishly use his miraculous power to create when he said to the Devil: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”—See 1 Kings 19: 5-8.
10 When on earth as a man Jesus Christ was the model minister of God. Necessarily all who would be real ministers of God must follow the pattern that he cut. He declared that his main purpose in coming to earth was, not to be popishly glorified, but to render service for truth and righteousness. He said to his followers: ‘"Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:26-28) He cared for his followers who were in personal touch with him just as a shepherd cares for his sheep; and he served in defense of their eternal interests even to a martyr’s death. To fulfill prophecy, he confined his direct services almost wholly to the circumcised Jews of the house of Israel, saying: “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matt. 15:24) Those circumcised Israelites were the natural descendants of the fathers Abra-
9. Fittingly, what did the angels do to Jesus after temptation?
10. How was Jesus on earth a model minister of God? ham, Isaac and Jacob, to whom Jehovah God had made promises of blessings. With these facts in mind the apostle Paul said: “I say that Christ hath been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.”—Rom. 15: 8, 9, Am. Stan. Ver.
11 Thus the circumcised Israelites got the first benefits of Jesus’ earthly service, but Jesus was primarily God’s minister. Why so! Because he preached the gospel or good news of God’s kingdom, which God had anointed him with the spirit to preach. He quoted the prophecy, Isaiah 61:1, 2, and said: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; ... to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:17-21) By faithfully holding himself to carrying out this appointed service with the help of God’s spirit, Jesus proved himself to be a minister of the gospel of God. No politics, commercialism or militarism for him; but, we read, “he went throughout every city arid village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, and certain women, . . . which ministered unto him of their substance.” (Luke 8:1-3) His preaching the gospel with absolute neutrality toward the political controversies of this world did not spare him from persecution, but his religious adversaries had him impaled on a stake under this charge: “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a Kang. . . . He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.” (Luke 23:1,2,5) In suffering so to the death for persistently and uncompromisingly preaching the gospel Jesus set the example for gospel-preachers.
HOW TO BECOME ONE
12 How can a person become one of God’s ministers of the gospel, in imitation of his Son Jesus Christ! The religious clergy of Christendom will reply, By being ordained by the clergy or by being recognized and approved by their religious organization. But that much could not be said for Jesus Christ. He was not approved or ordained by the clergy and religious system of his day. No man ordained him, not even John the son of priest Zacharias, who baptized him in the Jordan river. He was not born of the priestly family of Aaron or tribe of Levi, but he consecrated himself to God, saying: “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, 0 God.” (Heb. 10:7; Ps. 40:7,8) To symbolize in a public confession that he thus dedicated himself to do God's will as set forth in the Book or Bible, Jesus insisted that John baptize him. Then Jehovah God his Father 11. How was he primarily God's minister, yet not free from what?
12. How did Jesus become God’s ordained minister of the gospel? ordained Jesus to be his minister of the gospel news by pouring out his spirit upon him, saying: “Thou art my Son the Beloved! On thee I have set the seal of my approval.” (Mark 1:11, Moulton’s Prol.) Thereafter Jesus, anointed with the spirit, declared that God had sent him to preach the gospel. By preaching God’s kingdom he was doing the will of God that he came to do, and he was serving or ministering to God.
13 Having the all-important and all-necessary ordination from the Most High God, Jesus did not have to apply to the theological schools of rhe Jews’ religion of his day conducted by Rabbi Gamaliel or other prominent rabbis. His failure and refusal to attend such recognized theological schools was well known, for we read: “Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How know-eth this man letters [or, learning], having never learned!” He therefore did not have man’s doctrine to teach, but the doctrine of the One ordaining him, for which reason Jesus said: “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.” (John 7:14-16) If not at the religious theological schools, where, then, did Jesus study! Why, while he was a carpenter till thirty years of age, and also during the forty days that he fasted in the wilderness after he was baptized in water and was anointed with God’s spirit.
14 How did Peter and John become God’s ministers of the gospel! It was well known concerning them also that they had not attended religious theological schools but had until recently been fishers on the sea of Galilee. Their speech showed them to be uneducated men, so that when they appeared before the theologically schooled members of the Jewish Supreme Court for trial, we read: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13) All the same, Peter and John were ordained ministers of the gospel of God, whereas those educated, cultured justices of law were not such.
15 How did Peter and John become such! This way: They heard John the Baptist preaching repentance toward Jehovah God, and they repented and were baptized with John’s baptism for the Jews, and they became John’s disciples. Through John they got introduced to the baptized and anointed Jesus after his return from forty days spent in the wilderness. Jesus did not require them to go to any religious theological school, but he called them to follow him and keep in his company, and he taught them doctrine and demonstrated to them how to serve God and he gave them practical training in preaching the 13. Where did Jesus study and acquire learning for this ministry?
14. What do we know about Peter and John’s early education?
15. How did they get practical training for the ministry? true gospel. (John 1:35-51; 2:1-12; Matt. 4:17-22) As his heavenly Father sent him to preach, so Jesus sent his disciples out to preach, saying to them after his resurrection from the dead: “All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”—Matt. 28:18-20, Am. Stan. Ver.
18 Ten days after Jesus ascended and returned to heaven, Jehovah God fully ordained Peter and John and all the other believing remnant of the Jews by pouring out his holy spirit or active force upon them while the feast of Pentecost was going on among the Jews. Because Christ is His chief minister to whom he has given all needed authority in heaven and on earth, Jehovah God ordained them through Jesus Christ as their Head and Leader. God used him to pour out the holy spirit or invisible energy upon the disciples. Hence Peter, filled with this spirit at Pentecost, said to the wondering multitude: “This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses. Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the holy spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear.” (Acts 2:32,33, Am. Stan. Ver.) In this manner they received ordination and power to be God's ministers of the gospel, as Jesus had told them just before his ascension: “Ye shall be baptized in the holy spirit not many days hence.... ye shall receive power, when the holy spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1: 5, 8, Am. St an. Ver.) Religious theological schools and organized religious denominations are thus seen to perform no part in the valid ordination of the true ministers of the gospel of God.
NOT ORDAINED BY MAN
" However, from then on was not the apostle Peter, and so-called “successors” of him, necessary for the ordaining of others to be Jehovah’s official servants and gospel representatives'? The record in the Acts of the Apostles answers No! At Pentecost there were about 119 besides Peter that received the holy spirit of ordination, not from or through Peter, but from Jehovah God through his glorified Son Jesus. All of them, and not just Peter alone, preached by the impelling force of that spirit. As for the multitude that heard all of them preach, we read, “they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren [not merely, Brother Peter], what shall we do?” (Acts 2:4,37, Am. Stan. Ver.)
16. Why and how were they fully ordained to be gospel ministers? 17. How do we know whether Peter was necessary to ordaining others? The record further tells us that, following their repentance and baptism, “they devoted themselves to the instruction given by the apostles [not by just Peter alone] and to fellowship, breaking bread and praying together.”—Acts 2:42, Moffatt.
18 Paul, the former Saul of Tarsus the persecutor, raised a question for the sake of arguing it out, and said: “Are they Hebrews ? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ?” To this last question Paul confidently answered: “I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft.... The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lie not.” (2 Cor. 11: 22-31, Am. Stan. Ver.) Well, if Paul was a minister of Christ, had he been ordained by or through Peter? The facts on record reply with a decisive No! Peter and his fellow apostles were carrying on underground in Jerusalem because of the persecutions, whereas Paul, or Saul of Tarsus, was at or near Damascus, over 250 miles distant from Jerusalem, when he repented and became converted and was ordained as a minister of Christ. By a miraculous vision the Lord Jesus appeared to him in the way to Damascus and smote him with blindness at the glorious sight and told him to go on to Damascus to learn what to do. Then the Lord Jesus sent, not Peter, but a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias, who said: “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the holy spirit.”—Acts 9:17, Am. Stan. Ver.
19 Paul tells us what else Ananias said to him, namely: “The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:14-16, Am. Stan. Ver.) Note that Ananias said God appointed or ordained the converted Saul to be his minister and witness to all men. It was God who, through Jesus Christ the Righteous One, filled him with the holy spirit, thus ordaining him. He did not go up to Jerusalem to Peter to get ordained, and Peter did not send Ananias as “apostolic delegate”, so called. The record says concerning the converted and spirit-filled Saul: “He was certain days with the disciples that were at Damascus. And straightway in the synagogues [or, among the Jews, not Gentiles] he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God. And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him.” (Acts 9:19, 20, 23,
18. What led up to Paul’s becoming a 'minister of Cbrist’?
19, 20. What facts of record further show that neither Peter nor any other man ordained Paul to be a minister?
Am. Stan. Ver.) It was first after three years of such preaching and ministerial activity that Paul went south to Jerusalem and met the apostle Peter and James. (Acts 9:26-29) To show no human ordination was given him, Paul said:
20 “But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles; straightway I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them that were apostles before me: but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and tarried with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother. Now touching the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Then after the space of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.”—Gal. 1:15-20 and 2:1, Am. Stan.Ver.
21 In the first letter that Paul wrote, that to the church which he established at Thessalonica in Macedonia, he speaks of “Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God”. (1 Thess. 3: 2) How did Timothy become such, so that Paul could write to Timothy himself and say to him: “If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus”? (1 Tim. 4:6, Am. Stan.Ver.) Did Timothy become such by being ordained by Paul or other elder brethren of the Christian congregation ? A third time the answer is No! How, though, about this? Paul said to Timothy: “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” “Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of my hands.” (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1: 6, Am. Stan. Ver.) How about this? Well, this does not refer to being ordained to preach or be minister of God. It refers to “the gift”, “the gift of God,” which gift was bestowed upon the believers consecrating when the apostles laid their hands upon them. It was the gift of the spirit, whereby miraculous ability was conferred upon the Christian receiving it, so that he could prophesy, or talk with a foreign language, or interpret, or perform cures. On Paul’s first missionary visit to Lystra, in Asia Minor, he met up with Timothy’s Jewish mother Eunice and grandmother Lois, and they became disciples of Christianity. Both of them taught the child Timothy, inasmuch as his father was an unconverted Greek. There Paul and his fellow missionary Barnabas appointed a “presbytery” or body of elder brethren to serve in responsible positions in the church.—Acts 14:6-23.
22 Sometime after a special conference of the
21, 22. (a) Was Timothy ordained by Paul or a “presbytery”? (b) What did prophecy and laying on of hands accomplish for Timothy? church’s governing body in Jerusalem, Paul made a return visit to Lystra, accompanied this time by Silas. In the meantime Timothy was giving great promise as a Christian worker. Possibly some Christian with the gift of prophecy had made some predictions concerning Timothy’s future service as a “minister of God”; or else the “presbytery” or body of elder brethren in the Lystra company, noting Timothy’s progress, had sent advance information (prophecy) to Paul about him and recommended him for some appointment. The elder brethren in office in Lystra could not themselves alone bestow any “gift of the spirit” upon Timothy, no more than the evangelist Philip could bestow it upon the believing, baptized Samaritans or than the man that had proclaimed John’s baptism to the twelve believers at Ephesus could bestow it upon them. But Paul could. (Acts 8:12-18; 19:1-7) So when Paul returned to Lystra, he laid his hands in the customary manner upon Timothy, and then Timothy received the “gift of the spirit” which was from God. Likely the presbytery or body of elders joined Paul in laying the hand upon Timothy, or possibly the elder brethren laid the hand upon Timothy in commending him to the apostle Paul for this consideration. So we read: “And he came ... to Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess that believed; but his father was a Greek. The same was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium [likely such good report being the ‘prophecy’ on account of which Timothy was given the special gift]. Him would Paul have to go. forth with him.”—Acts 16:1-3, Am.Stan.Ver.
23 Because of Paul’s part in connection with Timothy’s faith and service, he spoke of him as “Timothy, my own son in the faith”, and said: “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee [or, predictions made long ago about thee], that thou by them mightest war a good warfare.” (1 Tim. 1: 2,18; An Amer. Trans.) Since the death of the twelve apostles the bestowing of gifts of the spirit by them stopped of necessity, as foretold by Paul at 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Hence the practice of laying on of hands would cease with them. Thereafter any laying on of hands by any persons would, at most, be symbolic of appointing someone to a responsible position or work, but not of ordaining that one to be a “minister of God”. It would accomplish no bestowal of the “gift of God” or “gift of the spirit” upon such one upon whom hands might be laid in symbol.
24 It therefore remains clear that ordination to be a “minister of God” is not by man or through man, but is by Jehovah God and through Jesus Christ his Prime Minister. “And he ordained twelve, that 23. Since the apostles, what does laying on of hands do or mean? 24. For one to be ordained, what procedure must there be? they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.” (Mark 3:14) As God’s Minister he said to his faithful disciples: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit.” (John 15:16) To ordain signifies simply to appoint, place or set down in a position of service or responsibility. To be ordained one must, as is shown by the cases examined above, believe in Jehovah God and in his appointed King and Savior, Jesus Christ. One must prove this belief to be vital in his life by repenting of his former sinful worldly course, and then converting or turning from this world under Satan’s rule, and devoting himself fully and completely to God through the Savior Jesus Christ, with the declared purpose of doing God’s will henceforth. God ordains such consecrated one to be his minister. When? When He accepts that one’s consecration through Christ and then appoints or assigns him to His service in company with all other consecrated ones, namely, to preach the gospel. In order to give effect to such ordination or appointment, God puts his spirit or energetic force upon the consecrated one.
25 In the case of the person whom God chooses to be associated with Christ Jesus in the heavenly kingdom, God begets that consecrated one by His spirit to become a spiritual son like Jesus Christ and anoints him, baptizing him with the holy spirit. In the case of a person of good-will of today whom God receives into his service but reserves for eternal life on our earth under the heavenly kingdom, God puts his holy spirit upon him. He does so, just as he did upon the faithful men before Christ, including John the Baptist, respecting whom the angel Gabriel said: “He shall be filled with the holy spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” (Luke 1:13-15, Am. Stan. Ver.) Peter, anointed with the spirit, said concerning the faithful men before Christ: “Men spake from God, being moved by the holy spirit.” (2 Peter 1: 21, Am. Stan.Ver.) In this way the anointed Christian remnant today and their companions, the spirit-filled consecrated ones of good-will, are together “ministers of God”. They have their ordination from Him through Jesus Christ, to fulfill the special foretold assignment of service: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”—Matt. 24:14.
AT WHAT AGE?
28 How old must one be to become an ordained “minister of God”? Aaron, the great grandson of Levi, was 83 years old when he was ordained to be Jehovah's high priest for the nation of Israel. His brother Moses was 80 years old when he was specially 25. In ordaining the remnant of Christ’s body and their good*will companions, how does the holy spirit figure in?
26. How old were Aaron, Moses and Jesus when ordained to serve? ordained or appointed to be Jehovah’s prophet and mediator who specially foreshadowed Christ Jesus. (Ex. 7:7; 28:1-4) Jesus, however, was 30 years old when he was ordained with the holy spirit to be the great High Priest, Prophet and Mediator typified by Aaron and Moses. (Luke 3:21-23) As to the male Levites that acted as Aaron’s assistants at the tabernacle, they actively entered upon their duties at the age of twenty-five to serve therein up to fifty years of age, after which they continued to be serviceable in an advisory way. (Num. 8:23-26) However, as respects the Levite Samuel the son of Elkanah, he was specially dedicated to God from before his birth, and he was put to service at the tabernacle right after he was weaned from the breast of his mother Hannah.
27 Was this young boy indeed a minister of God at so early an age? Listen to this quotation from the record: “And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto Jehovah before Eli the priest. . . . Samuel ministered before Jehovah, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.” And the chapter telling about his first prophecy begins by saying: “And the child Samuel ministered unto Jehovah before Eli.” And after the delivery of the prophecy it says: “And Samuel grew, and Jehovah was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Jehovah.”—1 Sam. 2:11,18; 3:1,19, 20, Am. Stan. Ver.
28 That was, indeed, a case before Christ and his apostles; but Timothy is a case since. At 1 Thessalonians 3:1, 2 the apostle Paul calls Timothy a “minister of God”, when he says: “Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; and sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith.” Timothy was still a very young man when Paul wrote that of him, likely yet in his teens. Paul wrote this letter one year after he left Lystra taking the young Timothy with him in his missionary work. When he was obliged to leave Thessalonica, and then Berea, he left Silas and Timothy at Berea, and came down alone to Athens. While at Athens, and before moving on to Corinth from where he wrote his letter, he sent word to Timothy at Berea to make a visit to Thessalonica and find out how the brethren there were faring under the persecution. In his letter (1 Thess. 3:6) he tells of Timothy’s finally coming to him at Corinth with the report and how comforting it was. (Acts 17:13-16; 18:1, 5) That was in the year 50 (A.D.). More than ten years later, about A.D. 60-64, Paul
27. What shows Samuel was God’s minister although a young boy? 28. What shows Timothy was a tender youth when ordained? still speaks of Timothy as being a youth, for then he wrote and said to him: “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Tim. 4:12) Timothy’s case is a concrete one to prove that a young man or woman can still be under twenty years of age and yet be an ordained “minister of God”, without having attended a theological seminary.
WOMEN
” Women, too, can be “ministers of God”, even though the apostle Paul gave out the organization instructions: “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” That set of instructions to Timothy applied to women as teachers within the organized congregation of consecrated believers. (1 Tim. 2:11,12) This is apparent from instructions to the congregation at Corinth, to whom Paul wrote this: “God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, let the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law. ... it is shameful for a woman to speak [as teacher] in the church.”—1 Cor. 14: 33-35, Am. Stan. Ver.
30 Nevertheless, the apostle demonstrated that women can be gospel ministers and ministers of God. How so? Paul used concerning Phebe a Christian woman the same expression (didkonos) meaning minister as he used concerning himself and Timothy and Christ Jesus. Cenchrea was the eastern port of ancient Corinth; and from Corinth Paul wrote to the Romans: “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister [didkonos] of the circumcision for the truth of God, . . . I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant [didkonos] of the church which is at Cenchrea: that ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus.”—Rom. 15: 8‘ 16:1-3.
31 Phebe as a minister or didkonos may have minis-tered in somewhat the same way that the women did to Jesus. Regarding Jesus when engaged in his ministry of preaching we read of the assistance given by women: “He-went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, and certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, 29. Why can women, ruled against as teachers, yet be ordained?
30. How did Paul demonstrate women can be "ministers of God”?
31. How may Phebe have ministered as servant of the church?
Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.” —Luke 8:1-3; Matt. 27:55; Mark 15: 40,41.
33 Likely Priscilla ministered to Paul in a manner like that, but she did more than that, for Paul says of her and her husband Aquila: “Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.” Then Paul mentions other women, saying: “Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us. Salute Try-phena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord.” (Rom. 16:4, 6,12) Doubtless, the service of these women as ministers of God, and that of Phebe as a servant in the church at Cenchrea, included more than such helpful items as doing washing, laundering, preparing meals, etc., for the male ministers of God. It included giving verbal witness concerning God’s kingdom to those outside the church. The prophecy of Joel 2:28-32, which Peter declared had gone into fulfillment since Pentecost onward and which applies now particularly since A.D. 1919, said, to quote Peter’s words: “It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit; and they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:16-18) Prophesy here means to publicly tell forth the things stated in the prophecies of God’s Word, the Bible, although, by the spirit of God which was poured out at Pentecost, the gift of prophecy in the sense of foretelling things was also bestowed upon some.
33 It may be with reference to this latter gift of prophecy that Luke writes, to say: “We that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea; and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven [named at Acts 6:5]; and abode with him. And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.” (Acts 21:8,9) But, certainly, if anointed with the outpoured spirit, the other women such as Phebe, Mary, Priscilla, Tryphena and Tryphosa, prophesied in the sense of telling out to others not yet of the church the things contained in God’s prophecies or occurring in fulfillment of such prophecies. In thus prophesying they were, in the highest sense, ministers of God. Hence it is altogether Scriptural that consecrated women today, young and old, virgins and married, who have God’s spirit upon them and who go from house to house spreading God’s message by word and by printed page, be considered and treated and classified as “ministers of God”. It is also Scriptural that all of Jehovah’s consecrated witnesses of today, women and men alike, be viewed and dealt with as
32. What did the ministry of the women Paul mentions include? 33. From their prophesying what conclusions do we draw for today? God’s ministers of the gospel; and that they recognize and confess themselves as such.
SOCIETY OF MINISTERS
84 In Volume 8, Opinion No. 14 (amended), issued from National Headquarters by the then director of the Selective Service System on November 2, 1942, it declared under the subject, “Ministerial Status of Jehovah’s Witnesses," to wit: “Jehovah’s Witnesses claim exemption from training and service and classification in Class IV-D as duly ordained ministers of religion under . . . section 622.44, Selective Service Regulations, Second Edition, which read as follows: . . . Section 622.44: . . . ‘(b) A “regular minister of religion" is a man who customarily preaches and teaches the principles of religion of a recognized church, religious sect, or religious organization of which he is a member, without having been formally ordained as a minister of religion; and who is recognized by such church, sect, or organization as a minister.’ ”*
35 Take note of these last words: “Who is recognized by such church, sect, or organization as a minister.” Jehovah’s witnesses are fully consecrated to the Most High God, whose name alone is Jehovah, and they co-operate with the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society as an instrument which He has been pleased to use since its legal incorporation in 1884. This Society has always recognized all its adherents, men and women alike, who are consecrated to Jehovah God through Christ Jesus, as being ministers of God and of His gospel. It has regularly so spoken through its official publication The Watchtower, which began to be published in July, 1879. Relative to a convention of such consecrated ones, namely, the Memorial assembly at Allegheny, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, April 3, 1890, which was attended by about 75 persons from outside the city, The Watchtower said in its issue of April, 1890, in paragraph 5:
36 “About two hundred of God’s ministers were in attendance, all told—for all are ministers, servants of the truth, from our standpoint and from the standpoint of god’s word ; in which all are recognized as priests—of the royal priesthood—who, justified by the precious blood, have offered themselves living sacrifices to God and his truth. Among these two hundred were some who had been public pastors in various human organizations and who had been formerly accustomed to the title of Reverend, etc., but here all of God’s priests stood on a common footing and recognized the one Chief Priest of our order, Christ Jesus, and each other as brethren. Among these ex-Reverends were some who had served the
• See Consolation No. 611, of February 17, 1943, pages 13-15.
34. During World War II, what exemptions did Jehovah’s witnesses In the United States claim, and under what ruling?
35, 36. (a) W’hat has the Watch Tower Society recognized as respects its consecrated adherents? (b) How did The Watchtower show this? Lutherans, Presbyterians, United Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Protestant Methodists and United Brethren. It was a glorious sight to see these all confessing only the one Church, whose names are written in heaven, and the one creed, God’s Word, and the one Lord and Teacher, Christ Jesus, and the one title of brethren, and the one holy order, the Royal Priesthood. ...”
37 To this day The Watchtower and the legal corporation of which it is the official organ have not moved away from this position. It maintains that all those consecrated to Jehovah God through Christ Jesus and upon whom God has put his spirit are “ministers of God”, both those of the anointed remnant and those of the far greater number of persons of goodwill who are the “other sheep” that the Good Shepherd has gathered to his fold. In fact, the unincorporated society of Jehovah’s consecrated witnesses all over the earth is a Society of ordained “ministers of God”. Does this confuse you, as it has confused many judges, draft-board officials, police officers and religious clergymen? Are you asking, as they asked, If all of Jehovah’s witnesses are gospel ministers and there is no clergy class and laity class among them, then where is the congregation of each such ordained minister of the gospel? The answer is simple.
33 Ask yourself, Where was the congregation of Jesus Christ, who bears the title “the faithful and true witness”? and where was the congregation of his twelve apostles? None of them built religious buildings, settling themselves in them and organizing a congregation over which to set up themselves as a clergy class, spiritual bosses. For this were they any less the ministers of God? Not at all! God put his spirit upon them as his true ministers; and the clergy of the religious nation of that day went without it, in proof that they were not God’s ministers, but those of Satan the Devil. Well, then, where was the congregation of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles and of the seventy other evangelists that he sent forth? Why, their congregation was made up of the persons with hearing ears among all the lost “sheep” of the house of Israel. Jesus was sent to these lost “sheep”. He indicated that they were the congregation of his disciples when he said to them: “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 10:5-7; Luke 10:1-5) Later, after his resurrection, Christ Jesus said: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them.” “That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Matt. 28:19; Luke 24: 47) By saying that, Jesus widened
37. What kind of Society are Jehovah’s witnesses?
33. Where was the congregation of Jesus and of his apostles? out the congregation to include all the persons of receptive mind and love of truth in all Gentile nations.
39 Today, then, all persons of hearing ears to whom they are sent to preach the gospel of good news of God’s established kingdom are the congregation of this society of ordained ministers of God, Jehovah’s consecrated witnesses. In their work from house to house every doorstep at which they introduce the Kingdom message becomes their pulpit, and the listening inmates become their congregation or part of it. Every home in which they institute and carry on private Bible studies becomes a place of meeting with their congregation. Every public location, to which they invite all persons hungering for Kingdom truth, becomes the unsectarian place to which the members of their congregation may come without regard to their previous religious beliefs and connections. What a congregation! It is not one just to preach to, but to make ministers of God out of, a great multitude of them, all praising Jehovah God and his King Christ Jesus, and serving God day and night in his temple.—Rev. 7: 9-15.
40 The ministerial status of Jehovah’s witnesses has been denied by their enemies who envy them for their position with God. They say Jehovah’s witnesses are peddlers, peddlers of books, because these preach not only by word of mouth but also by printed page and distribute books and booklets containing printed sermons, which they leave with the people free or at a nominal contribution of money to help in 59. Who are the congregation for Jehovah’s witnesses of today’ 40. How do enemies classify Jehovah’s witnesses, wrongfully? the expense of printing and distributing. They classify Jehovah’s witnesses, therefore, as book peddlers, and they try to have the courts misapply the commercial laws against them and to require a costly license of them and to tax them and their literature and printing establishments. They purposely overlook the rule set forth by the apostle Paul, namely: “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? . . . Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.”—1 Cor. 9:13,14.
41 Jehovah’s witnesses will therefore continue to recognize, confess and contend for their status as “ministers of God” in the true sense. Like them, Paul was accused of being a fraud, being in the preaching business for the purpose of making gain from his congregation. But Paul contended he was God’s minister and was qualified to be such. Said he: “Who is qualified for this task ? I am! For I am no peddler of God’s message, like most men, but like a man of sincerity, commissioned by God and in his presence, in union with Christ I utter his message.” (2 Cor. 2:16, 17, An Amer. Trans.) In the language of the apostle Paul, who tells us to follow him as he followed Christ, Jehovah’s witnesses boldly declare to their false accusers: “I am no peddler of God’s message.” Unabashed, they press forward in all nations, against mounting opposition, proving themselves to be God’s ministers by preaching his Kingdom message.
41. For what do Jehovah’s witnesses, like Paul, continue to contend, and with what practical proof?
FOLLOW THE BIBLE
NO MATTER where you are on earth, at no time follow the advice of men that is not in harmony with God’s Word. The Bible is His written Word. It is true, correct, and right. By a personal study of it make it your own. Remember its instruction in truth and righteousness. Then when difficulties, trials and temptations come, you will know the divine answer on what to do. You will not have to run to another person and ask: “Now what would you do under the circumstances?” Ask the Lord God direct by consulting his Word. Go to him in prayer; ask him to open your heart to the reception of pure instruction. Search his Word with whatever other helps He provides; get his advice. Then follow it.
Too often a person with his own selfish ideas makes up his mind as to what he wants to do, and then goes hunting around, presumably for advice, until he finds someone to agree with him. Such person then says: “Well, he said I can do it.” Thereafter, should anything go wrong, he points the finger at such adviser and says: “It is his fault.” Let advisers turn seekers to the Bible. Let seekers of guidance sincerely turn to God’s Word. Following its advice, they will not go wrong. Their course will have His approval and blessing.
CENTRAL EUROPE
rIE three Americans N. H. Knorr, president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, his secretary, M. G. Henschel, and H. C. Covington, legal adviser to the Society, were keenly looking forward to their arrival in Frankfort, the first and only stop the plane made in Germany. Since 1933 no Ampri pan official of the Society had visited the German brethren. The travelers had read much in the written reports that male them all the more eager to visit the German brethren and see them face to face. Also they had regretted the failure of Germany to be represented by delegates at the Glad Nations Theocratic Assembly in Cleveland in 1946. This was due to restrictions imposed by United States authorities that prevented Germans from traveling to America. So it was the plan of the president of the Society for many months to go to Germany and serve them in assemblies. In spite of rigid regulations that curtailed travel to Germany by Americans, the authorities gave permission to all these travelers to visit Germany. The permit was granted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the American Military Government for Germany. So all papers were in order for the visit to Germany.
Shortly after two o’clock in the afternoon of May 26, 1947, the three travelers were waving from their plane to the small crowd of greeters who had followed them to the airport. The plane roared down the runway of the Zurich airport. In a few seconds it was soaring northward to the German border. After reaching a safe flying altitude, the plane settled down on its course headed for Frankfort.
In spite of the overhanging low white clouds and the haziness of the atmosphere, a good view of the landscape below was afforded. The platted rectangular-shape cultivated plots, green fields and dark-green forest-covered hills girded with winding rivers passed beneath at a rapid gait. The ever-changing, beautiful landscape marked by thousands of roads and hundreds of small villages and towns was restful to the eye. As the plane approached Frankfort the silvery-appearing Rhine, with tall poplar trees on both banks standing like soldiers at attention, could be clearly seen. Soon the plane began to circle around the airport at Frankfort. From the sky bomb craters and the earth, scarred and scorched by war, could be clearly observed around the airport. Within one hour and twenty minutes after leaving Zurich the plane was smoothly running down the broad concrete runway of the army air force field at Frankfort. After taxiing about one mile to the passenger station, where the plane came to a stop, the travelers stepped out of the plane. Waiting at the entrance of the passenger station were several brethren who had driven from the Wiesbaden Branch office to greet the American brethren, the first of whom was Eric Frost, the Society’s Branch servant in charge of all the work in Germany. After taking care of certain formalities of registration with the military authorities, the three travelers were driven to near-by Wiesbaden, about twenty-five miles from Frankfort airport. In Wiesbaden is situated the Society’s Branch office for the American, British and French Zones, or the Western part of Germany.
…