The Watchtower, July 15, 1971

Download: PDF — The Watchtower, July 15, 1971

The Watchtower — July 15, 1971

Source: jw.org

Contents

What Kind of Bread for a Hungry World?

How the True Church Helps

The Apostle Who Became a Thief

Deliverance from the Authority of Darkness

God’s Children Imitate What Is Good

Circumcised in Heart and Ears

Questions From Readers

Announcements

What Kind of Bread for a Hungry World?

What Kind of Bread for a Hungry World?

“CHRISTIANS are plundering Christians” is the title of a speech by Helder Câmara, the Catholic archbishop of Recife in Brazil.

Very similarly, German theologian Helmut Gollwitzer in the book The Rich Christians and the Poor Lazarus writes that “baptized ones are plundering unbaptized ones.”

What do these churchmen mean?

English Methodist minister Colin Morris explains his view of the matter in this way: “The Church bears unlimited responsibility [toward the world’s poor], for has she not for centuries trumpeted her guardianship of the little people of the earth?” Referring to “the small white Christian and Western minority” as the rich 20 percent of the world’s population, while the remaining 80 percent are subject to famine and poverty, he writes:

“Compared with those hungry millions, the Church is as rich as Croesus and as money-conscious as Midas. We are a rich Church in a hungry world. That is why our message rings hollow and our influence declines.”a

Have you personally heard churchmen voice such criticism? More and more persons today have. They are hearing sermons saying that ‘it is time the churches stop debating and start to act.’ “It is deeds that are wanted,” says minister Morris; the poor and hungry ‘cannot eat our words,’ so give them bread. Yes, more and more churchmen are saying that this is the primary way ‘to follow Jesus in our day.’

Is it? What would you say? Surely you long to see poverty and hunger erased from the earth, do you not? But could there be a better, more effective way to help the world’s poor and hungry than the way these churchmen urge?

If you want to be a true follower of Jesus Christ, you need to know. What can you do, what should you do as a real Christian? Consider first some of the methods that those calling themselves “revolutionary theologians” or “secular theologians” are advocating today.

METHODS OF MODERN THEOLOGIANS

Often they refer to German theologian Bonhoeffer, who, before he was executed by the Nazis in 1945, suggested “that the first step is for the Church to dispose of all its property for the benefit of those in dire need.” Ordinary church charity, called “caritas,” will not do anymore, they say. “Caritas in the traditional sense, that is, relief of distress by means of charity, is not sufficient . . . because the distress is far too big.”​—The Rich Christians and the Poor Lazarus.

Is that all? No, something else is needed, they say, and that is political effort. Writes Catholic Archbishop Helder Câmara: “If we Latin-American Christians would accept our responsibility for the underdevelopment in this continent, then we can and must work to promote radical change everywhere in the community, especially in politics and education.” At the conference of the World Council of Churches in Uppsala, Sweden, in July 1968, the same signal was heard.

The aim is to change the unjust society. Archbishop Câmara prefers nonviolent actions, such as those of the movement for racial integration of which Martin Luther King was a leader. Other ministers and theologians, however, say violent revolution may be necessary. German theologian Gollwitzer writes in his book that “the normal and most obvious attitude for the Christian is absolute pacifism.” But as a secondary alternative he states: “Out of responsible love to those that suffer, he will in a given situation decide to use revolutionary violence.”

How do they try to support such methods as being Christian? By asserting that Jesus Christ was a revolutionary! Methodist clergyman Morris states that the Church is ‘on the wrong side of the barricade in the revolution of our time,’ by not taking a stand for the underprivileged classes. He claims that ‘Jesus is on the opposite side of that barricade, there can be no doubt about it, for he is a revolutionary.’

Are these conclusions and the methods based on them sound? Or is it a case of mixing truth with error? The Bible shows that Christians must love, not just with words, but “in deed and truth.” (1 John 3:18) But what kind of deeds? Changing an unjust society by political action or even by “revolutionary violence”? Was Jesus a ‘revolutionary’ principally concerned with providing material food for people or did he do an even more vital work with a nobler purpose? What are the facts?

SEPARATING TRUTH FROM ERROR

That “plundering” has been done and that Christendom’s churches bear a responsibility cannot honestly be denied. History shows that in many lands Christendom’s churches and church leaders leagued with and favored the wealthy over the poor. It shows that often the churches themselves became very wealthy. In Mexico, for example, the Catholic Church at one time owned by far the majority of the land in the entire country. Perhaps you have read in the newspapers reports on the great wealth of certain church organizations in your own land. Now some churchmen are confessing the responsibility that lies at the door of their churches and on the shoulders of their church members for much of the world’s poverty. They feel guilty and rightly so.

But, even though such plunderers can be counted among the “baptized,” are these churchmen right in calling them “Christians”? Do genuine Christians share their guilt? And is the distribution of ‘bread instead of words’ what will correct the ‘hollowness of the churches’ message’ and the worldwide ‘decline of their influence’ that these churchmen are so worried about? Is that the example Christ Jesus set?

A WRONG INTERPRETATION

It is only by drastically twisting the content of many Biblical passages that these theologians can give this impression of Jesus’ purpose and example. For instance, they often (as at the world conference in Uppsala), refer to Jesus’ words at Matthew 25:40: “To the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

They interpret those words to mean that the ‘least of Jesus’ brothers’ are all the people in the world who suffer distress. And so, they believe, the Christian is obligated to give them food, drink, clothes, medical help and so forth. The best way to do this, some believe, is through a political effort, through help to the developing countries and the like. They say Jesus is to be identified with every needy person that one might happen to meet, even if such a distressed person is “prone to say and do what by any Biblical standard is plain evil.”b

But who does Jesus say his brothers are? At Matthew 12:50 he says: “Whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother.” Jesus’ “brothers,” including even the “least” ones, are, of course, his disciples; consequently they are the Christian congregation.

Now, read for yourself Jesus’ words at Matthew 25:31-46. Who are the ones gathered in front of the throne of the king, to be separated into two flocks, the “goats” and the “sheep”? Yes, who are those being judged according to the help they gave Christ’s brothers? Not Christ’s congregation but the nations of the earth, persons outside the Christian congregation, who are judged by the way they act toward the congregation, formed of Christ’s brothers.

That this is the correct understanding of Jesus’ words is very clearly shown by what he said on another occasion, as related at Matthew 10:40-42: “He that receives you receives me also, and he that receives me receives him also that sent me forth. . . . whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water to drink because he is a disciple, I tell you truly, he will by no means lose his reward.” So, it is not simply a matter of helping a poor person because he is poor, but is one of helping a Christian disciple “because he is a disciple.” It is, then, a matter of recognizing the disciple for what he is, accepting his message, taking sides with him by also becoming Christ’s disciple.

So rather than describe the Christians as “the rich” who are to help the poor people in the world in a material way, Jesus’ words at Matthew 25, on the contrary, show it is the people in the world who have an opportunity to help Christ’s spiritual brothers who are in need. In this way these non-Christians can show they are on the side of the true Christian message.

People who are not Christ’s spiritual brothers, then, can, in other words, help these Christian witnesses in a quite literal way with food, drink, clothes, and medical aid and by visiting them in prisons. For true Christians will very often be in situations where such help is highly welcome, especially in countries where they are persecuted and imprisoned. Jesus’ words cannot be used to prove that the Christian ministry should aim primarily at supplying the material needs of the poor people of the world.

WRONG VIEW OF CHRISTIAN CONGREGATION

Why do the theologians interpret these words of Jesus incorrectly? Is it not because they assume that “the small white . . . and Western minority” made up of the rich in the world are the true Christian congregation? Is the error not that they believe that the churches of Christendom and all their members are true Christians? Some of these theologians can see that there has been a turning away from true Christianity, but apparently they do not draw the full consequence of this knowledge.

One of them, Methodist Colin Morris, understands that such turning away possibly took place back in history when “whole communities [could] be baptized into the name of Jesus.” Then the Church became “a powerful institution, instead of remaining a small minority of personal witnesses in whom word and act were perfectly joined.” But he does not accept the consequence of this train of thought, namely: that the churches of Christendom are not identical with the Christian congregation.

The attempt by these theologians to renew and awaken the churches of Christendom thus rests on a wrong foundation. The large passive laity they are trying to activate are not true Christians. So the job is not merely one of making them active. It is to make them real Christians.

NOT WITH BREAD

Previously, the churches of Christendom made entire nations “Christian” by political means. But they did not make the individuals true Christians, for real Bible knowledge and genuine appreciation of what Christianity really means was usually missing. These people became Christians only in name. Many people today are church members because they have been christened as babies and not because they have taken a personal stand for the teachings of the Bible. They are Christians in name only. Some have become church members because of the social advantages connected with it. They too are Christians only in name.

When the efforts of Christendom’s missionaries consisted of giving medical help, distributing food and giving advice with regard to agriculture, their converts often became “rice Christians,” that is, people who have pretended interest in Christianity in order to get rice or other help. A well-known religious weekly, The Christian Century, wrote in 1960: “New Roman Catholic churches which were built in places [in Formosa (Taiwan)] where there was no Catholic population were equipped for storage and distribution of relief supplies. . . . Priests used the U.S. surplus commodities that came to them so cheaply as come-ons for converts and stay-ons for the come-ons.”

The same religious weekly wrote on February 20, 1960, that there were, at that time, no more “rice Christians” on the Chinese mainland. Judging from this information, you can conclude that since it is now Mao Tse-tung who gives people rice, they now believe in him. “Rice Christians” are not real Christians. These or similar methods do not produce true Christians.

JESUS’ EXAMPLE

Only by following Jesus’ example can Christians help others to become true Christians. Jesus was primarily a preacher and a teacher. He said: “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37) His miracles, his healing the sick, his feeding the hungry and resurrecting dead ones, were to serve as signs that he was the Messiah, the One who was sent by God and whose words people should listen to. The miracles were at the same time evidence of what he as King in God’s kingdom in due time will do, to the everlasting good of mankind.

But apart from his offering his life as a ransom, the most important part of Jesus’ ministry nineteen hundred years ago was what he said, the words he spoke. He spoke life-giving words that he had heard from God, words, which, if heeded, could lead one, not simply to bread for a meal or two, but to the greatest of goals​—everlasting life. To some, to whom he had miraculously given bread on the previous day, Jesus said: “Work, not for the food that perishes, but for the food that remains for life everlasting.”​—John 6:27.

When Jesus sent out his disciples, he did not send them out with material bread but with spiritual food, the word of life. He said: “The sayings that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63) It would become known that they were the true Christian congregation because they followed Jesus’ example. Jesus’ congregation of true disciples still exists and still consists of “a minority of personal witnesses.” As regards the world of mankind, its task, its assignment, is this: “In all the nations the good news has to be preached first,” and “make disciples of people of all the nations . . . teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you.”​—Mark 13:10; Matt. 28:19, 20.

Only this congregation can make genuine Christians out of people, and only it can make them active in the true Christian ministry. Only in cooperation with this congregation will the individual be able to do proper acts of love, in harmony with God’s will and to the eternal good of the needy of the world. The most important thing for each individual is to find the true Christian congregation, to take a personal stand for true Christianity and to associate with this congregation.

[Footnotes]

Include Me Out!, Confessions of an Ecclesiastical Coward, by Colin Morris (London; 1968), pp. 57, 67, 89, 90.

Include Me Out!, p. 81.

How the True Church Helps

How the True Church Helps

TRUE Christianity has survived in a “minority of personal witnesses,” a true Christian congregation that has kept in mind what its commission of work means. Thereby it has been able to make true disciples of Christ out of people instead of merely making them “rice Christians” or Christians in name only.

The true Christian congregation is not a “rich Church.” And since its members, each and every one, are witnesses who serve personally by going directly to the people in their homes, as Jesus and his apostles did, they are able to reach people’s hearts with their message, even those who are afflicted with hunger and poverty.

The Christian witnesses usually share the circumstances of the people among whom they serve. Yet they expend their very limited funds to bring God’s Word to the common people. The popular claim: “One cannot preach to a hungry man; he wants bread, not words,” is not universally true. Jesus Christ himself declared: “Everyone that is on the side of the truth listens to my voice.”​—John 18:37.

In any emergency situation, of course, the Christian witness will help if he is personally able to do so, as Jesus taught in the parable of the neighborly Samaritan. (Luke 10:29-37) But the true Christian will not forget that he has a commission to preach God’s kingdom.

THE REAL SOLUTION

So, then, what should you do if you want to follow the example of God’s Son? You must be merciful and compassionate, true. But how can you best show that mercy and compassion? Would you, for example, throw a matchstick to a man drowning in the middle of a stormy sea? Hardly. Yet the efforts of churchmen to solve the problems of the world of mankind by concentrating on material giving are very much like that. They only scratch the surface as to bringing true relief. For, as long as selfishness and greed continue, poverty and hunger will follow.

Yes, an entire world system needs to be changed. But how? Political action may change governmental structures. But can it change the hearts of men? Is that not where the problem lies?

Churchmen who urge their parishioners to join in political activity and reform movements are simply trying to sew patches on an old worn-out garment. But Jesus showed that true Christianity is not a case of patching up an old garment. (Matt. 9:16, 17) And, instead of patching up this present world system with all its injustices, its inequalities, its greed and oppression, God is going to discard it as no good, worthy to be destroyed. In its place he will bring in a new system, founded on righteousness and justice. Of his Son, who will head that righteous rule over earth, the prophecy says: “And with righteousness he must judge the lowly ones, and with uprightness he must give reproof in behalf of the meek ones of the earth. . . . and with the spirit of his lips he will put the wicked one to death.” Then and then only will poverty and hunger disappear from the earth.​—Isa. 11:4, 5; 2 Pet. 3:13.

SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL ASSISTANCE

The help that the Christian is able to give, then, is not just of a temporary nature, but is of more lasting value, since it is true that “man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.”​—Matt. 4:4.

The one who receives the word of life brought to him by a Christian witness will gain something to live for. He gets a hope. He sees meaning in life. He understands that he himself can be of some value and that he can be used to help others. This gives him the desire to live a decent life. He gains self-respect. Before hopelessness may have made him apathetic, made him neglect his family, disregard his duties or perhaps even caused him to give himself up to self-destroying vices​—a situation that material help alone cannot remedy—​but he now gets a purpose in life.

He may still be poor, but he will not be miserable. He has started a completely new life where spiritual values are the most important thing and ‘the seeking of God’s kingdom and of his righteousness’ comes first. (Matt. 6:33) He will associate with the Christian congregation and he will get friends there. He will learn the importance of industriousness and cleanliness. He will learn moderation, and instead of wasting his money, he will learn to do good with it.

If he should find himself in real need, the congregation will help. (Jas. 2:15, 16) Yes, even if their brothers in a whole country come into need the Christian witnesses in other lands will do all they can to help them. In this way the Christians in Macedonia and Achaia in the first century helped the needy Christians in Judea, where there was a famine. (Acts 11:28, 29; Rom. 15:26) And after the same pattern Jehovah’s Christian witnesses, for example, in the United States in 1945 sent large quantities of clothes and food to their fellow believers in Germany who had been freed from the concentration camps.

In like manner, on numerous occasions the Christian witnesses of Jehovah have given physical and humane help when catastrophes and disasters have struck, as when they supplied aid for their Christian brothers in Peru after the earthquake in May 1970.

Giving such material help, however, is not the main commission of the congregation. The main commission of the congregation is to be a light to the world of mankind, by the lives they live and by preaching God’s kingdom and helping those who seek that kingdom to become true Christians.

CORRECT VIEW OF DISTRESS IN WORLD

The true Christian congregation thus keeps clearly in mind its main commission and maintains the right view of the distress in the world. It does not close its eyes to the misery and does not act deaf toward the cry for merciful help, but with confidence in God it gives the help that it is able and is commissioned to give.

Christians must serve lovingly in the world and help where they can. Trusting in God, they must, however, keep their commission clearly in mind. If they take on a task other than the one they have been given, they will fall short in two ways: In the first place, they will not be able to fulfill the task they have taken on themselves, since their work will not be blessed by Jehovah. (Ps. 127:1) And in the second place, they will neglect the work that they should have been doing and thereby prove to be false Christians. No, to be true Christians they must never lose from sight the fact that the good news about God’s kingdom is the most vital provision they can give the people.

True, they see much distress and misery that they are not able to do anything about. How can they stand the sight of all this? The same question was asked by the late news editor Niels Jørgensen, writing about Jehovah’s Christian witnesses whom he met in the German concentration camps. He said:

“Without losing courage and without compromising their conviction, these men had lived for years in German concentration camps. . . . The Bible Students who were generally respected in the concentration camps . . . submitted to their trials patiently and with a peculiar gladness of heart because they had been found worthy of walking in the footsteps of Christ and of bearing the same sufferings as their Lord and Master had once borne in a wicked world. There is only one thing about the attitude of these people that I cannot understand​—and even less today than at the time when I first met them in deep respect for their mental strength. That is how they could bear to see others suffer so terribly without being weighed down to the ground with the burden of sympathy.”

The answer is: They have confidence that someday very soon now Jehovah will intervene and in a perfect way do away with all misery and distress. Millions who have died in our time and in years past, “both the righteous and the unrighteous,” will come to life again and get the opportunity during Christ’s thousand-year reign to show their attitude toward Christ and his Messianic kingdom.​—Acts 24:15.

Now, if you are not convinced that God will and is able to intervene, your only trust will be man’s own groping efforts. Then everything will, indeed, look purposeless and hopeless. But that need not be the case. Avail yourself of the help God’s Christian witnesses give. Learn the truths of God’s Word, the Bible, and you will have a firm foundation for a strong faith.

God’s true church or congregation will remain a minority of personal witnesses. It does not have a passive laity. All are active, absorbed in serving others in a loving way. This congregation is keeping free of this world, in accordance with Jesus’ words: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” (John 17:16) Its Christianity is not “of the world,” worldly or “secular.” Therefore, it will not take on political tasks. It will not allow itself to be sidetracked or employed with other tasks than the one with which it has been entrusted. It must all the time hold the true hope of God’s kingdom before people of the world.

The most important thing for you, for every individual​—including the poor and afflicted—​is to enter into a right relationship with God and Christ. To that end the Christian witnesses of Jehovah are sent into the world, not with material bread, which would be only a temporary help, but with spiritual food, the word of life. These words from God will open the way to peace with Him, and at the same time the way to eternal life in God’s new order, when there will be plenty for all.

The Apostle Who Became a Thief

The Apostle Who Became a Thief

An article specially designed for parents to read with their children

HAS anyone ever stolen anything from you? How did you feel about it? Whoever stole it was a thief, and nobody likes a thief.

Did you know that one of Jesus’ apostles became a thief? His name was Judas Iscariot.

Judas knew the things it was right to do. Even when he was a small boy he had heard the law of God. He knew that once God had even spoken from heaven with a big voice and told his people: “You must not steal.” Judas knew that God’s law was right.​—Ex. 20:15.

When he grew up he met the Great Teacher. Judas liked the things that Jesus said. Judas became a disciple of Jesus. Later, Jesus even picked Judas to be one of his twelve apostles.

Jesus and his apostles spent much time together. They traveled together. They ate together. And money for the group was kept together in a box. Jesus gave that box to Judas to take care of.

Of course, the money did not belong to Judas. Jesus was the one who would tell him how to use it. But do you know what Judas did after a while? He started to take money from the box when he wasn’t supposed to. He would take it when the others were not looking. He became a thief. Now he began to think about money all the time. He tried to find ways to get more of it.

One day a woman took some very fine oil and used it on Jesus’ feet to make him feel good. But Judas complained. He said that the oil should have been sold so they would have more money to give to poor people. Really he wanted to get more money in the box so he could steal it. What do you think of a person like that?​—John 12:1-6.

Jesus did not tell Judas right then that he was a thief. But he did tell him not to make trouble for the woman who had been so kind. Judas did not like that. What would he do?

He should have felt sorry. He should have told Jesus that he had been stealing, and he should have put the money back. But, instead, he did something terrible.

He went to the chief priests, who were enemies of Jesus. They wanted to arrest Jesus. But they wanted to do it at night so people would not see them. Judas told them: ‘I will tell you how you can get Jesus, if you give me money. How much will you give me?’ The priests said: ‘We will give you thirty pieces of silver!’ That was a lot of money.​—Matt. 26:14-16.

Wicked Judas took the money. It was just as if he was selling the Great Teacher to those men. Can you imagine anyone doing such a terrible thing? Well, that is the kind of thing that happens when a person becomes a thief. He loves money more than he loves God.

Now, let’s be sure that we understand this matter clearly. To understand what a thief is, we need to know what it means to own something. People own things because they have worked for them. Or they bought them with money. Or maybe they were given to them as gifts.

When your father works he gets paid money for it. Does he own that money? Yes, because he worked for it. It is not yours; it is his.

With that money he buys the things in your home. He owns them. Because he owns them, he has the right to say who may use them. He tells you if you can play with them or not. And he probably lets your mother tell you this too.

Sometimes you go to play with other children in their house, don’t you? The things in their house belong to their father. Would it be all right to take something from their house and carry it to your house? Not unless their father or mother tells you that you can. If you carry something home without asking them, that would be stealing.

Why does a person steal? Well, he may see something that belongs to another person. Perhaps it is a bicycle. The more he looks at that bicycle and thinks about it, the more he likes it. If he is not a loving person, he does not care how the other person feels. So he may hit the other person and try to take the bicycle away from him. Or he may wait until the other person is not looking. Then he takes the bicycle away. What is he really doing? He is stealing.

Maybe the other person doesn’t see him steal the bicycle. But someone sees him do it. Do you know who? Jehovah God sees him do it. God sees that he is a thief.

It does not make any difference if the other person has many things or just a few. Some people go to a store and see lots of things there. They see something that they want very much. They may tell themselves that nobody will miss just one. So they take it, but they do not pay for it. Is that right? No, it is stealing.

When people do that, they are being like Judas. Because Judas was a thief! Let’s be sure that we are never like him.

Deliverance from the Authority of Darkness

Deliverance from the Authority of Darkness

“He delivered us from the authority of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.”​—Col. 1:13.

1. What kind of surroundings and influences are we up against?

MOST people, whether aware of it or not, are very much affected by the surroundings and influences of their childhood, including all their inherited traits. Because of the prevailing spirit of independence and rebellion against established authority and those in control, many young people today feel that they can kick over the traces and successfully resist all such influences. But this is not true. Besides our immediate family background, in the wider sense we are all members of the human family, and naturally tend to go along with the crowd, or some particular section to which we are attached, and imitate them in their attitudes and behavior. More and more this is marked by selfishness, and by indifference to what are considered old-fashioned standards of decency and morality, including the Bible and its standards.

2. (a) How have some tried to change things, and with what result? (b) Is there a basis for hope, and of what kind?

2 Thus, by nature and through birth, we are all children of the one large family and, humanly speaking, it seems impossible either to avoid or to overcome its many bad influences. Some have tried to start a new way of life, one that is entirely good, only to find themselves copying and falling in line with one or another of the prevailing patterns of thinking and of conduct. So you might well ask: “Is there no hope? Is there nothing I can do to change things, at least for myself?” Yes, there is hope. There is something you can do. Strange as it may seem, you can transfer to a different family. You have the choice of a different parent. Instead of brushing this aside as fanciful and incredible, we invite you to consider with us the reasons given as a basis for making these statements. At the outset, however, we can truly and sincerely say that many hundreds of thousands from all nationalities and walks of life have already done just that. They have transferred to a new family, and chosen a new parent, with tremendous benefit to themselves. How have they done this?

3. (a) What vital truth is of primary importance? (b) The denial of this truth leads to what results?

3 You may, or may not, be familiar with the Bible. Perhaps your only contact has been through one of Christendom’s churches, and you have viewed the Bible through the teachings of that church. In any case, we appeal to you to let the Bible speak for itself, and listen to what it has to say. Right now we invite your attention to the apostle Paul’s argument in his letter to the Romans. Early on, he establishes a fundamental truth, namely, the existence of a personal Creator, whose “invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship.” Unless this is acknowledged, there can be no transfer as above mentioned. This vital truth is often disputed and denied today, as Paul warned. Speaking of God, he tells of those who “did not glorify him as God nor did they thank him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings and their unintelligent heart became darkened . . . who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and venerated and rendered sacred service to the creation rather than the One who created.” Paul then tells of the outcome: “That is why God gave them up to disgraceful sexual appetites . . . And just as they did not approve of holding God in accurate knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting.” How true those words are today! Surely all of such are under the authority of darkness.​—Rom. 1:20-28.

4. What provision has God made for those seeking him, and how should it be viewed?

4 The apostle stressed the same truth when speaking to the Athenians on Mars Hill, but notice the hope he gave us in these words: “He [God] made out of one man every nation of men, . . . and he decreed the appointed times and the set limits of the dwelling of men, for them to seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us.” (Acts 17:26, 27) To help us in our groping, God has given us his Word, the Bible, as a ‘lamp to our feet, and a light to our roadway.’ (Ps. 119:105) The Bible is not just a collection of good books by good men. It is of divine authorship in its entirety. It is the Word of the personal, living Creator. Yes, God is alive, and “the word of God is alive.” It will guide and protect us, lest we “should fall in the same pattern of disobedience,” as described at Romans 1:21-28. With these things in mind, let us follow the argument further in the letter to the Romans.​—Heb. 4:11-13.

5. (a) Why is the human family in desperate need? (b) What free gift has been provided, and how does it work out?

5 As members of the human family, we are all imperfect, due to our first parent, Adam. Created in the image of God, and recognized as his earthly son, he lost that happy relationship for himself and his offspring by his willful disobedience. (Gen. 1:26; Luke 3:38) As Paul says: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.” (Rom. 5:12) But, as just reminded, we have grounds for hope. Is it possible that God has made the way open for a restoration, or transfer, back to a peaceful relationship with him, as children of his family? We are encouraged to entertain this hope when Paul next tells of God’s “free gift.” He makes a series of fine contrasts, and commences by saying: “But it is not with the gift as it was with the trespass. For if by one man’s trespass many died, the undeserved kindness of God and his free gift with the undeserved kindness by the one man Jesus Christ abounded much more to many.” (Rom. 5:15-21) How this works out is explained earlier at Romans 3:23-25: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and it is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus. God set him forth as an offering for propitiation through faith in his blood.”​—See also 1 Timothy 2:5, 6.

6. Why was Paul disturbed over the Israelites, and was their rejection total?

6 To whom is this “free gift” made available? Who are these who are “declared righteous . . . through faith in his [Christ’s] blood”? To appreciate this, we must keep in mind that Paul, in his letters, was writing to Christians, who collectively made up the “congregation of God.” (1 Cor. 11:22) He knew that for centuries his own kinsmen, the Israelites, “my relatives according to the flesh,” had been God’s chosen people, and had been brought into covenant relationship with God. With the advent of their Messiah, Jesus Christ, they could expect to enter into still closer relationship, as Paul intimated when he said of them: “To whom belong the adoption as sons.” But this very thing gave Paul “great grief and unceasing pain.” (Rom. 9:2-5) This was because, as a nation, they “stumbled on the ‘stone of stumbling,’” Christ Jesus. (Rom. 9:32; see also 1 Peter 2:7-10.) They violently rejected God’s beloved Son as their Messiah, causing him to be impaled on the torture stake, and put to open shame. Hence God cast them off, but not with a total rejection. “God did not reject his people, whom he first recognized.” After Paul refers to Elijah, at the time when God reminded Elijah, saying: “I have left seven thousand men over for myself, men who have not bent the knee to Baal,” then Paul continues: “In this way, therefore, at the present season also a remnant has turned up according to a choosing due to undeserved kindness.”​—Rom. 11:2-5.

THE TRUE ISRAEL

7. To aid in identifying the true Israel, what deep truth did Paul disclose?

7 Was God’s purpose to fail because the great majority of the Jews were so lacking in faith, and so bitterly opposed to God’s means of salvation through Christ Jesus? “Never may that happen!” (Rom. 3:3, 4) Paul gives the vital key as to who actually comprise God’s chosen people, and the conditions that must be met in order to be recognized as his children, members of his family. He does this from both the individual and the national viewpoints. First, he explains that “he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision that which is on the outside upon the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit, and not by a written code.” (Rom. 2:28, 29) Paul later applies the same principle to the nation as a whole, saying: “For not all who spring from Israel are really ‘Israel.’ . . . That is, the children in the flesh are not really the children of God, but the children by the promise are counted as the seed,” as was illustrated in the case of Isaac. (Rom. 9:6-8) In other words, the time had come when being members of God’s chosen people, forming the true “Israel,” did not depend on fleshly descent in the normal course. Rather, God purposed to have a spiritual Israel, the members of which are transferred into his family by a special operation of his holy spirit, and on meeting certain requirements. Only a few, a remnant, of fleshly Israel showed faith in accepting Jesus as God’s anointed One. Therefore, as Paul shows, God turned to the “people of the nations,” the non-Jews, to give them the opportunity of making up the predetermined number of spiritual Israel, the Christian congregation.​—Rom. 11:12.

8. Is membership limited in the spiritual Israel, and what is the evidence of membership?

8 Membership in the Christian congregation is strictly limited in number. Jesus spoke of them as a “little flock,” and three times in the book of Revelation the actual number is given as 144,000. (Luke 12:32; Rev. 7:4; 14:1, 3) Are these the only ones who make up God’s family? Are no others spoken of in the Bible as God’s children? If so, there would not seem to be much purpose in further discussing this comparatively small body of people, unless one had definite evidence of one’s membership therein. Paul, at Romans 8:14-17, tells of this evidence, saying that “all who are led by God’s spirit, these are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery causing fear again, but you received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which spirit we cry out: ‘Abba, Father!’” He then goes on to tell of their heavenly hope of being “joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer together that we may also be glorified together.”​—See also Revelation 20:6.

9. (a) Is there any hope for the rest of the human family? If so, what? (b) Whom did Paul refer to when speaking of “creation” at Romans 8:19-23?

9 Happily, however, Paul does not leave the matter there. The calling and selection of those who make up the true church, and leaving all the rest of the human family to be written off as lost, if not also as consigned to eternal torment, as taught by many of Christendom’s creeds​—this is certainly not the Bible teaching. In proof of this, notice what Paul goes on to say after mentioning the above-mentioned heavenly hope. He says that “the eager expectation of the creation is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God . . . [and] that the creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Showing that by the word “creation” he has the entire human family in mind, as distinct from the Christian congregation, Paul next says: “For we know that all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now. Not only that, but we ourselves also who have the first fruits, namely, the spirit, yes, we ourselves groan within ourselves, while we are earnestly waiting for [the final] adoption as sons, the release from our bodies by ransom.”​—Rom. 8:19-23.

10. What “eager expectation” is about to be fulfilled? By what events since 1914?

10 What a glorious conception and description of the outworking of God’s purpose! At the same time, it recognizes the pressures and sufferings that cause all of us to groan. In addition, what makes this a matter of intense interest is the fact that this “eager expectation” is about to be fulfilled! In 1914 the great change in the sovereignty of this world took place. “Loud voices occurred in heaven, saying: ‘The kingdom of the world did become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will rule as king forever and ever.’” Next, there was announced the arrival of “the appointed time for the dead to be judged.” (Rev. 11:15, 18) As other scriptures show that judgment starts with the house of God, this meant the resurrection from the sleep of death for those of the Christian congregation who had ‘proved faithful even to death.’ Shortly, these will be closely associated with Christ Jesus in heaven in bruising the head of the serpent, Satan the Devil, after God’s war at Armageddon. Thus these “sons of God,” with Christ Jesus, the foremost “Son of God,” will be revealed.​—1 Pet. 4:17; 1 Thess. 4:16; 2 Thess. 1:7, 10; Rev. 2:10; 16:14-16; 19:11–20:3; Rom. 16:20; John 1:34.

11. (a) What freedom from enslavement will mankind enjoy during Christ’s reign? (b) How will Christ Jesus prove to be the “Eternal Father”?

11 Following that, during the thousand-year reign of Christ, and his “bride” (the 144,000) sharing with him, all mankind will be “set free from enslavement” of every kind, including even death. They will realize that they have been restored to a family relationship with God, as John heard announced: “The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them.” (Rom. 8:21; Rev. 21:1-4) At the same time, they will realize that the immediate rulership of the kingdom is in the hands of Christ Jesus, and that their release from the domination of Satan, the ruler of ‘the authority of darkness,’ and from sin and death, has been made possible “through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:2; Col. 1:13; John 1:29; Rom. 3:24) Instead of inheriting death from their first parent, Adam, they will receive perfect human life from “the last Adam,” Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 15:45) He will be their life-giver, their father. As foretold: “The princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called . . . Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” All of this will be accomplished by the “very zeal of Jehovah of armies.” This is a thrilling prospect indeed, but you do not have to wait.​—Isa. 9:6, 7.

A PRESENT DELIVERANCE

12. (a) What events have already led to an identifying of the sons of God? (b) Who have recognized this, resulting in what blessings?

12 In reply to the disciples’ question: “What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” Jesus foretold certain activities that would take place under his direction, following his enthronement in 1914. Since that time there has been a remnant of the Christian congregation still on earth, who, through the ministry of the angels, and a trumpetlike call, have been gathered into a close unity. This has led to the clear identification of “the faithful and discreet slave” class, appointed over all Christ’s Kingdom interests. Also, since his enthronement, attended by “all the angels with him,” he has, through the Kingdom message given as a witness to all the nations, caused a separation of the people “one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” (Matt. 24:3, 14, 31, 45-47; 25:31, 32) In other words, there has already occurred an identifying “of the sons of God,” those with the heavenly hope. So growing numbers of “all creation” have gladly recognized these spiritual “brothers” of Christ Jesus, and have ministered and done good things to them, as Jesus foretold at Matthew 25:34-40. These growing numbers constitute a “great crowd . . . out of all nations,” pictured as “before the throne of God,” enjoying his favor, and “rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple,” that is, at the spiritual temple that God pitched, and in close unity with the “temple” class of Christ’s “brothers.” This is the happy experience of Jehovah’s witnesses, and is in full harmony with Jesus’ words at John 10:16: “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold [of the “little flock”]; those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, [under] one shepherd.”​—Rom. 8:19, 22; Heb. 8:2; 9:11; Rev. 7:9, 15; Eph. 2:21, 22.

13. How can one become one of Christ’s “other sheep,” leading to what new relationship?

13 How can you become one of these “other sheep”? First, as Jesus said, you must listen responsively to his voice, and become one of his disciples. The big step, as far as you are concerned, is that of whole-souled dedication to Jehovah God, following Jesus’ example. (Ps. 40:8; Rom. 12:1) You are encouraged, but not forced or pressured, to take this step. It must be your choice, your freewill expression of faith in the provision of the ransom sacrifice, and of your gratitude and devotion to Jehovah. In this way you are transferred to a new family, and become one of God’s children. It might be said that you have chosen a new parent, for with deep appreciation you can join with others of God’s “sheep” in addressing him as “Our Father.” (Matt. 6:9) The clergy and people of Christendom regularly repeat the Lord’s Prayer, and talk about the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men, but it is largely a formality, and a mockery in view of the prevailing conditions and spirit throughout Christendom.

14. (a) How might a negative view be taken of Paul’s words at Romans 7:18-23? (b) How does the context help to give a more balanced view?

14 As to freedom from enslavement, it is important to appreciate the true position in this regard. Sometimes Paul’s words are quoted as being the Christian’s actual experience in hard fact, when he said: “I really delight in the law of God according to the man I am within, but I behold in my members another law warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to sin’s law that is in my members.” (Rom. 7:22, 23) If this is the last word on the subject, then the position is indeed negative and frustrating. Let us, however, take a look at the context. Though Paul is writing to Christians with the heavenly hope, the same principles hold true for all Jehovah’s dedicated people. At Romans 5:21 Paul says: “Just as sin ruled as king with death, likewise also undeserved kindness might rule as king through righteousness with everlasting life in view through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Paul then shows that our present life is closely linked with Christ in heaven, and that “just as Christ was raised up from the dead through the glory of the Father, we also should likewise walk in a newness of life,” here and now. Paul later speaks of the “fruit that you used to have [as slaves of sin] . . . things of which you are now ashamed,” and then Paul adds: “However, now, because you were set free from sin but became slaves to God, you are having your fruit [not mere wishful intentions] in the way of holiness, and the end everlasting life.”​—Rom. 6:4, 20-22.

15. From whose viewpoint does Paul argue in Romans, chapter 7, and elsewhere?

15 Then, with empathy, Paul puts himself in the position of those Jewish Christians who argued that God’s favor, for themselves and for Gentiles, finally depended on meeting the requirements of the Law given through Moses, including circumcision. Paul argues very strongly here and elsewhere, to show the hopelessness of such a position, and he cries out: “Who will rescue me from the body undergoing this death?” Is there a rescuer? Yes! “Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”​—Rom. 3:20; 7:1, 18-21, 24, 25; Gal. 3:10-14.

16. (a) How does Paul describe the Christian’s true position, and with what emphasis? (b) In what way, and to what extent, can we take a positive outlook and course of action?

16 Now notice how Paul goes on to describe the Christian’s true position, with great emphasis on life, saying: “For the law of that spirit which gives life in union with Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death . . . the minding of the flesh means death, but the minding of the spirit means life and peace . . . If, now, the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his spirit that resides in you.” (Rom. 8:2, 6, 11) What a strong and positive position! Though God’s spirit can operate in a special way, giving some the hope of life in heaven, yet that same active force can and does operate on behalf of all of Jehovah’s dedicated witnesses. It sustains and strengthens the “other sheep” today to share in the ministry with the anointed remnant who are in the new covenant, “making the truth manifest” to all peoples, invigorating even their mortal bodies with the “power beyond what is normal.” (2 Cor. 3:6; 4:2, 7) Granted, it is a daily battle with the flesh, but it need not be and should not be a losing battle. (Rom. 8:13) Granted, we are imperfect and daily need to ask for forgiveness of our shortcomings, but Jehovah has kindly made ample provision so that we can all maintain a clean standing before him. It is so effectual that it will “cleanse our consciences from dead works that we may render sacred service to the living God.” (Heb. 9:14; see also Revelation 7:14; 14:5.) These are among the benefits enjoyed by the many hundreds of thousands of Jehovah’s witnesses, who, by dedication and water baptism, have come into God’s family and, in a preliminary way, are enjoying the “glorious freedom of the children of God.” All of these can truly join with the apostle Paul in his cry of exultation, that nothing “will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”!​—Rom. 8:21, 39.

17. From what other servant of Jehovah can we expect guidance and encouragement?

17 It surely has been a great help and encouragement to pay heed to Paul and follow his line of reasoning, inspired by God’s spirit. There was, however, another faithful servant who also enjoyed a unique relationship with Jesus, though with a different background and personality, and we will look forward to receiving further upbuilding counsel by paying attention to the apostle John and what he wrote under inspiration.

God’s Children Imitate What Is Good

God’s Children Imitate What Is Good

“Be an imitator, not of what is bad, but of what is good. He that does good originates with God.”​—3 John 11.

1. In what particular thing do old and young take keen interest, and why?

WHAT child is there who does not love to get a seed of some kind, and put it in a jar, and watch the start of a new life? Every day the child will peer into it, viewing attentively the signs of growth. Grown-up people also take the keenest interest in learning all they can about how a new life gets started. The initial germ, or cell, is microscopic, yet it contains a complex code, or pattern, governing its future development. As the Bible says of each form of life, it produces “according to its kind.” (Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, 24) The tremendous amount of energy stored up in that minute cell, with its potential of being endlessly renewed, also excites wonderment. Though much has been discovered, giving evidence of purpose and design, life is still a mystery. No wonder we love to peer at the beginning of a new life, whether human, or animal, or in plants. If it comes from good stock, it will follow the same pattern, and will imitate what is good.

2. Did the angels show a similar interest? How is this indicated?

2 The Bible reveals a similar attitude on the part of the angels. We can imagine their intense interest in what Jehovah, the Creator, was causing to be done on our tiny planet, microscopic compared with the universe, when it was being prepared to sustain life in endless variety and beauty. It is recorded that, at that time, they “joyfully cried out together, and all the sons of God began shouting in applause.” And what a thrill when they saw the climax of it all, the creation of man, “in God’s image”!​—Job 38:7; Gen. 1:27.

3. Was God’s “master worker” likewise interested? Has this been maintained?

3 That creative work was carried out through the “master worker,” Jesus, in his prehuman existence, and he, too, found it to be of absorbing interest. God’s Word speaks of him as then saying: ‘I was glad at the productive land of his earth, and the things I was fond of were with the sons of men.’ He has never lost that interest in the human family. Likewise with the angels. Speaking of God’s purpose, centered in Christ and his footstep followers, Peter says that “into these very things angels are desiring to peer.”​—Prov. 8:30, 31; Heb. 13:8; 1 Pet. 1:12; see also Colossians 1:15, 16.

THE APOSTLE JOHN

4. (a) How did John express his interest in the “word of life”? (b) Why should we feel drawn to John?

4 Did the apostle John show a similar interest? Listen to the opening words of his first letter: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have viewed attentively and our hands felt, concerning the word of life . . . that which we have seen and heard we are reporting also to you, that you too may be having a sharing with us. Furthermore, this sharing of ours is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” There is no doubt of his interest, is there? And what a kindly invitation! He wants us, he wants you, to share with him. He desires that we should feel drawn to him, for he has worthwhile things to tell us, things that have warmed his heart, and will warm ours, and will help us in setting matters straight. As he says: “We are writing these things that our joy may be in full measure.” Surely it will help us to look at these good things through his eyes, that we may learn to evaluate properly, and imitate, what is good.​—1 John 1:1-4.

5. In what way do we expect to be helped by John’s first letter?

5 Will John’s letter help us to get a deeper appreciation of our relationship with Jehovah? Will it help us to maintain that relationship in the face of adverse pressures, and subtle enticements? Why, his introduction, just quoted, indicates that very thing. But, first, let us introduce the writer himself. This will aid us to get a better understanding of what he wrote, and why he wrote it.

6. (a) As indicated by his style of writing, what kind of man was John? (b) What was John’s relationship with Jesus, and what surname was given John, and why?

6 What kind of man was John? He is often called the apostle of love, and rightly so, for the theme of love permeates his writings. Does this mean, as is sometimes said, that he had a gentle, serene disposition, with never a hard word? If you have that idea, you are in for a surprise. John thought in accord with his heart, as well as with his mind. He held strong views, accompanied with strong feelings, and was not afraid to express himself. He did not mince his words, or put on the soft pedal. To impress the force of his argument, and drive the point home, he often made use of a strong contrast. The question is, Are you prepared to take it, and face up to it? He wrote his three letters somewhere about 98 C.E., when he was well advanced in years, and could write with authority as a mature Christian. As a background, he had enjoyed extremely close association with Jesus during Jesus’ entire ministry. John came closer to Jesus than anyone else. (Mark 1:19, 20; 5:37; John 13:23; 19:26, 27; 21:20) John was far from being gentle by natural disposition. Once, when the Samaritans refused to entertain Jesus, then John and his brother, James, asked him: “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and annihilate them?” Not for nothing did Jesus give those two brothers the surname “Boanérges, which means Sons of Thunder.” There is no contradiction in this. True love, besides being kind and long-suffering, is marked by loyalty. John was intensely loyal. He wrote his letters when, as foretold, there were many who were proving disloyal.​—Luke 9:54; Mark 3:17; Matt. 13:25; Acts 20:29, 30; 1 John 2:18.

GOD IS LIGHT

7. (a) What was the message John heard, and from what source? (b) How did Jesus relate light and darkness to the basis for judgment?

7 After his introduction, John comes straight to the point, saying: “This is the message which we have heard from him . . . that God is light and there is no darkness at all in union with him.” (1 John 1:5) How did John hear this message? In his Gospel, John testified regarding Jesus: “The light is shining in the darkness, but the darkness has not overpowered it,” and that Jesus gave authority to those exercising faith in him to become God’s children. These were not born again by human birth, but were born from God by his spirit. (John 1:5, 12, 13) John then recorded how Jesus himself had confirmed this when talking to Nicodemus, who came, unseen, to Jesus at night. Jesus spoke to him about being “born from the spirit,” and that “unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” He also spoke of the “basis for judgment, that the light has come into the world but men have loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were wicked,” and went on to contrast the one who hates and avoids the light with the one who “comes to the light, in order that his works may be made manifest as having been worked in harmony with God.” This would disturb Nicodemus, for, though he had a certain love for the truth, his loyalty to it was overshadowed by the fear of man.​—John 3:1-8, 19-21.

8. What can we learn from John’s Gospel respecting light and darkness, and our deliverance?

8 Thus we learn that light stands for truth and righteousness, in contrast with darkness, which stands for error and falsehood, and things wicked and unclean. We have also learned more about our deliverance from darkness, and being transferred into God’s kingdom, and into his family, this signifying the start of a new life.​—Col. 1:13.

9. (a) Regarding 1 John 1:5, how did John apply this to his day? (b) With what significance did John make references to lies and liars?

9 Following the principle laid down at 1 John 1:5, John proceeds to apply it as a direct challenge, saying: “If we make the statement: ‘We are having a sharing with him,’ and yet we go on walking in the darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.” He drives the point home, saying: “He that says: ‘I have come to know him,’ and yet is not observing his commandments, is a liar [Greek: pseústes], and the truth is not in this person.” (1 John 1:6; 2:4) These repeated expressions: “If we make the statement,” and “he that says,” as at 1 John 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, show that John was keenly aware of the worsening conditions within the Christian congregation. The enemy had lost no time in sowing “weeds in among the wheat,” men who “speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Matt. 13:25; Acts 20:30; see also James 4:1-4.) These ones claimed to be in the truth, but their actual deeds and course of action belied their claims, and proved them to be counterfeit, pseudo Christians, antichrists. John uses the words “lie” and “liar” a number of times, commencing at John 8:44, and on to Revelation 22:15. A liar is not one who, by mistake, utters a falsehood unintentionally. A liar is one who knowingly utters an untruth, designed to deceive and mislead. Lies and truth do not mix. John was intensely loyal to the truth. He knew that “no lie originates with the truth.”​—1 John 2:21.

…