The Watchtower, June 1, 1975

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The Watchtower — June 1, 1975

Source: jw.org

Contents

Millions Have Left the Churches—Should You?

Insight on the News

How Valuable Is Your Life?

Are You Willing to Suffer Hardship?

Rejoicing in “the Fine Fight” of the Faith

Cultivate Intense Love for One Another

Love Covers a Multitude of Sins

Be Sure to Attend the “Divine Sovereignty” Assembly!

An Unexpected Blessing

Questions From Readers

“Who Made the Pretty Flowers?”

Millions Have Left the Churches—Should You?

THE churches of Christendom involve nearly a thousand million persons. In recent years certain churches have grown rapidly. The publication Religion in America 1975 shows that now 31 percent of the people think that religion is gaining in influence. In 1970 only 14 percent felt that way.

“At the same time, however, a majority (56 percent) currently say religion is losing influence,” notes the same publication. A brief consideration of the attitudes and conduct of most members of Christendom’s churches will reveal an interesting fact: Millions of church members do not take part in religious services or other church activities. Though their names may remain on church membership rolls, they have virtually, if not formally, left the churches. Consider:

MEMBERSHIP, ATTENDANCE DWINDLE

In the United States the United Methodist Church has lost some 150,000 members each year for the past five years. Certain other Protestant bodies in this country have lost from tens to hundreds of thousands of adherents during the 1970’s. The same trend exists throughout the world. In some West German cities registrars report that they are kept busy by veritable lines of people who want to cancel their church membership. A comparison of figures in the 1975 Britannica Book of the Year with the volumes for 1974 and 1973 reveals a drop of 80,041,050 in the combined membership of Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant Churches throughout the world in just two years.

Besides direct losses, Christendom’s churches have gained fewer and fewer new members in recent years. Church attendance, too, is very low. Polls taken in France show that, while more than 80 percent of French citizens are baptized Catholics, only about 20 percent attend church with any degree of regularity. A 1972 Canadian survey reveals that only 30 percent of Montreal’s Catholics attend Mass and receive sacraments. In the United States the church attendance figure is just 40 percent for adult members.

Why have so many millions of persons turned their backs on the churches of Christendom?

WHY DO THEY LEAVE?

The reasons that people give for abandoning the churches are many and varied. Some in West Germany do it in order to be relieved of paying the church tax. More often, however, the reason involves changes in Roman Catholic teaching in recent years. These have confused many persons who thought that they had the true apostolic religion. As one Catholic priest in the United States put it: “If the things the Church has said in the last ten years are true, then everything it said for the last 2,000 years is false.”

Some clergymen have tried to retain young people in their churches by conforming to popular fancies. For example, folk and rock music were incorporated into religious services. But these efforts have been largely unsuccessful. “It doesn’t seem to work,” commented Catholic priest Andrew M. Greeley. “Somehow, the young are not attracted by clerics who act like drug freaks and churches that try to substitute for the local coffee shop or to do the Woodstock thing.”

Open approval by many clergymen of the loose moral standards prevalent today has brought about further reverses for many churches. Even youths disapprove of this, as noted in the newspaper column “Youth Attitudes”:

“There’s an old saying that you don’t pull yourself up by dragging the other person down. Just the opposite should be the case. That’s why, in our opinion, the churches have erred in not standing firm behind high moral standards and in being equally firm in teaching what is morally right and wrong. Young people need and want guidance. . . . There is no compromise with what is morally wrong.”

Catholic priest and psychologist Martin Pable cited another principal reason why people are discouraged with the churches. “People have real religious hungers, and one of the few chances they have to satisfy this hunger is during the Sunday service. And when the priest (or minister) doesn’t nourish spiritual hungers, there’s a real disappointment.”

What are conditions like in your church? Do you receive sound, Bible-based counsel that builds spirituality? Or are you among the hundreds of thousands that have been disappointed when hearing repeated pleas for money, discussions of politics and approval from the pulpit of moral laxity? If that has been your experience, does it make sense to remain a member of such a church? Millions have decided that it does not, and so have left the churches. Should you?

This is a serious question for you to consider. While you are doing so, be sure to weigh carefully what God himself says in the Bible at 2 Corinthians 6:14-17: “Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? . . . ‘Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing.’”

If you decide to follow that Scriptural advice and leave your church, where can you turn to satisfy your spiritual need?

IS “PERSONAL” RELIGION THE ANSWER?

Most persons who have left the churches still believe in God and feel a need for spirituality. How do they seek to satisfy this? According to U.S. News & World Report, there has been “a renewed interest in the more personal and emotional aspects of religion.”

A considerable number of persons in recent years have reported having “mystical” experiences. But this is really nothing new. In the recent article “Are We a Nation of Mystics?” priest Andrew M. Greeley and William C. McCready comment:

“Such extraordinary experiences . . . are recorded at every time in history and in every place on the globe. . . . Easterner and Westerner, saint and sinner, man and woman, young person and old, all seem to report a virtually identical experience—intense, overpowering joy which seemed literally to lift them out of themselves.”

Have you ever had such a personal religious experience? If not, perhaps you know someone who has. Such experiences make a deep impression on people. But there is a need for caution. Why so? Because, as noted above, they have been widespread throughout history in pagandom as well as Christendom. Experiences of ecstasy do not in themselves help people to know the true God, his requirements for acceptable worship and his purpose for the earth and mankind. Ecstatic experiences may even hinder a person from seeking this important information. How so?

Interestingly, the above-mentioned survey by Greeley and McCready noted that 48 percent of six hundred persons who reported having such experiences felt “a certainty that all things would work out for the good.” When asked what he thought about human survival after death, one person whom they interviewed stated:

“All I know is that, once you have experiences like I’ve had . . . , the question doesn’t seem very important. You know things will be all right, and you don’t bother yourself worrying about details.”

The Scriptures, however, direct people to “keep seeking” knowledge of God as if digging for hidden treasures. (Prov. 2:3-5) Jesus urged his disciples to ‘exert themselves vigorously’ to gain eternal life. (Luke 13:24) And, although they had already been “sanctified in union with Christ Jesus, called to be holy ones,” the apostle Paul cautioned certain Christians of the first century C.E.: “Let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.” (1 Cor. 1:2; 10:12; compare Philippians 2:12; Matthew 24:13.) Any experience, therefore, that would tend to make a person complacent and cocksure of salvation could not be from God.

But if neither the churches of Christendom nor personal religious experiences provide the foundation for worshiping God correctly, where can people turn?

THEY FOUND TRUE CHRISTIANITY

Jesus said of the way to distinguish his true followers from persons who merely profess Christianity: “Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men.” (Matt. 7:20) By what “fruits”? Let us consider two of them.

The true Christian congregation, according to the Bible, would be “a people for [God’s] name.” (Acts 15:14) They would obviously use the name of God, the Father of Jesus Christ, in their worship. Does your church do that? Do you personally know and use the name of God in worship? A young man from West Germany explains how this very thing helped him to find true Christians:

“I had been living in a commune, taking drugs and stealing to get food. Soon, though, I realized how unreasonable such a life was and so I began to search for a meaning to life. But no goal seemed worth putting all my efforts into. Usually I gave up trying before I had even begun.

“When I returned to the commune one evening, I noticed that the others were having a discussion about God. What I heard there stimulated my interest to read the Bible. I then began searching, for I was confident that somewhere there must be a true Christian congregation.

“Then my sister gave me a copy of the New World Translation of the Bible. For the first time in my life I was confronted with the name Jehovah. A few days later I asked one of Jehovah’s witnesses: ‘Why the name Jehovah?’ His answer was precise, but I was skeptical and just let him talk, thinking that in this way I might catch him in his own words.

“I maintained this skeptical attitude during weeks of Bible discussions. But finally I realized that I had found the very thing for which I had so often prayed. Here was a truly Christian organization. Soon I began to make changes to harmonize my life with Bible principles. Now I have the privilege of spending a large part of my time in sharing Bible truth with others.”

Jesus set forth another identifying mark of true Christians when he said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35) A young woman found that this helped her to identify true Christianity. She relates:

“I left home at eighteen, began using drugs and living in a commune. There were often as many as twenty people living in the two rooms, so it looked like a garbage dump. There I gained experience at how bad and mentally cruel people can be.

“I was convinced that somewhere there must be people who truly practice love. Then I came in contact with the ‘Jesus People’ and joined them. Soon, however, I realized that this was not for me. The day’s routine was taken up merely with singing, praying and dancing. While these young persons did not take drugs, I noticed that a person could ‘get high’ in their presence.

“I read the Bible daily and prayed that God would lead me to a group of real Christians. Then [a friend] visited me and told me that God’s name was Jehovah and other things that he had learned from Jehovah’s witnesses. But this did not interest me at the time. I said that I was seeking Christ. ‘If it’s Christians you want to see,’ [he] replied, ‘then come with me.’”

This young woman attended a meeting at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Here she was surprised to meet people who truly demonstrate love for one another and for strangers. She relates: “I was very much impressed by the people I met there.” Six months later she was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses. She married the individual who had introduced her to Jehovah’s witnesses and now spends her full time sharing Bible truth with her neighbors. Summing up her feelings, she said: “I am thankful to Jehovah from the bottom of my heart that he saved me from this crooked world system and has brought me into his wonderful light.”

Have you been troubled by the failure of your church to meet the spiritual needs of its members? Has your church replaced sound Bible instruction with “social action” and involvement in politics? Then you have an important choice to make. Does church membership mean more to you than does having an approved relationship with God? Will you continue to be part of an organization that is Christian in name only? Or will you leave it?

If you would like to learn more about the Word of God without any obligation to join a church, Jehovah’s witnesses will be glad to help you. They will conduct a free Bible study with you in your home or at any other convenient location. Acting on this invitation will aid you to learn the form of worship taught by the Bible itself. Is not that what you have been looking for?

[Graph on page 324]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

The Drop in U.S. Church Attendance

Percentage that attended church

50 1955

40 1975

In 1974, out of 131,424,564 members of Christendom’s churches, only 40 percent attended church in a typical week. Attendance figures for other countries are much lower.

Insight on the News

End of an Era?

● “The era of the general church magazine . . . has passed,” says an editorial in “The Christian Century” magazine. This expression was prompted by the announcement that “United Methodists Today” would cease its publication in June 1975. Beginning back in 1956 under the name of “Together,” this general church magazine reached a peak circulation in 1959 of one million (there are some 10 million Methodists). But then it began to slide, and since its beginning it has run up a sustained net loss of over $6,000,000.

It was not just the demise of this one publication, however, that led to “The Christian Century’s” gloomy statement. This is but one portion of the overall picture. In 1968 U.S. Protestant and Orthodox Church publications claimed a combined circulation of 23,008,185. By 1975 the figure had dropped to little more than 16,000,000. Commenting on the cause, “The Christian Century” says: “Possibly it is wrong to assume that the average reader . . . is a deeply committed Christian longing for in-depth information about the church. Then, too, there is the lingering suspicion that church periodicals reflect the establishment and are inclined to use public relations gimmicks to push programs.”

Back in 1956 when “Together” magazine began, “The Watchtower” had a worldwide circulation of 2,550,000. Why not look on the inside cover of this issue and see what it is today?

Smoking and Teeth

● Medical evidence has linked the smoking of tobacco with a long list of ailments—lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease and numerous others. Now yet another ailment comes into focus. Dr. Edward R. Loftus, a dental professor at Harvard University, says that “smoking is one of the biggest factors in teeth loss.” In a research survey of “259 smokers and 376 nonsmokers [results showed] that the smokers suffered a greater incidence of bone loss and loose teeth,” he said. “They also had a greater buildup of plaque and tartar, which collect on the teeth and contribute to gum disease and decay. The incidence of all these conditions in the nonsmokers was significantly lower.” Dr. Richard C. Graves, of the University of Michigan found similar evidence and offers this explanation: “Smoking causes constriction of the blood vessels in the gum tissue, thus reducing the circulation and speeding up the disease process.”

Some years ago Jehovah’s witnesses who had anything to do with the production and promotion of tobacco, separated themselves from such employment, often at a considerable financial loss to themselves.

“The Evil Eye?”

● In contrast with the above stand of Jehovah’s witnesses is an article in the Louisville “Times” under the headline “The Evil Eye?” It reports on a large Indiana television-manufacturing plant employing 5,000 workers. A large portion of these are members of the Pentecostal religion. When interviewed, many said that their religion views television as ‘the work of the devil.’ “I am certain God would condemn me if I had a television set in my home,” said one woman employee. Asked why she produced the sets, one young Pentecostal answered that “they pay good,” and added, “The Lord doesn’t care if we make TV sets. He just doesn’t want us to watch television.” Few would deny that, along with some harmless and even worthwhile programs, there is much that is bad and undesirable on today’s television. Yet one wonders how anyone who rejects it totally could still conscientiously contribute to its use.

Lack of Natural Affection

● The Bible foretold a lack of “natural affection” as one of the conditions marking the “last days” of the present system. In sad illustration of this, the London “Daily Mail” reports that, on the average, “two children die every day in Britain as a result of savage assaults by their parents.” The more than 64,000 cases reported in one year of small children with blackened eyes and battered bodies does not make pleasant reading. But what a comfort to know that a new order nears in which “righteousness is to dwell,” with none being allowed to “do any harm or cause any ruin”!—2 Pet. 3:13; Isa. 11:9.

How Valuable Is Your Life?

TO MOST people life is a treasure. Without it, there is nothing. To others, life is not so important. They are willing to take great risks for fleeting fame or for pleasure. Yet most of these people who appear to count life cheap try to pack all the pleasure or fame that they can into a short time. They reveal by their course that they would actually love long life if they felt that it could be lived under proper conditions. But because of the present bad circumstances they do not see any possibility that life can be a long and happy one.

How does the Creator regard the life that he has given humans? He views it as most precious, a treasure. He has life in the fullest sense and knows what it is and what it can be. Therefore he holds out, through his Son Jesus Christ, the opportunity for everlasting life to mankind, and does not want anyone to lose out on this marvelous gift.—John 6:51.

How valuable is your life to you? Do you want to prolong it? To those who take hold of his provision for obtaining life he gives assurance of deliverance from extinction. Oh, they may die now from sickness or other causes, but they can be fully confident of receiving a resurrection back to this earth during the coming thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ. (John 5:28, 29) God is going to deliver and preserve many, even millions of people, into that righteous “new earth,” for it is near at hand.—2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 20:4, 6; 7:9-17.

It cannot be said that every individual among those serving God has the guarantee of being carried alive down to and through the destruction of this system of things, which has to precede Christ’s thousand-year reign of peace. (2 Pet. 3:10-13; Rev. 19:19-21; 20:1-4) But God assures us in his written Word (and God cannot lie) that, as a body, his people will be protected and delivered into that righteous “new earth.” (Titus 1:2) He wants them to LIVE, not die, and to enjoy fullness of life forever.—Ezek. 18:23, 32.

TAKING UP “THE CUP OF GRAND SALVATION”

The God who has such love for his people inspired one of his psalmists to write about his experience. (Actually, the psalmist seemed to be writing of himself as representing the entire nation of Israel.) He underwent a situation in which his life was on the verge of extinction at the hands of the enemies of God and His people. Then God delivered him from death. The apostle Paul quoted the psalmist’s words at Psalm 116:10 and applied the words to himself and fellow Christians. (2 Cor. 4:13) In appreciation the psalmist said, exultingly:

“What shall I repay to Jehovah for all his benefits to me? The cup of grand salvation I shall take up, and on the name of Jehovah I shall call. My vows I shall pay to Jehovah, yes, in front of all his people.”—Ps. 116:12-14.

This beautiful psalm, Psalm 116, applies in modern times to the remnant of anointed disciples of Christ from 1919 onward, after they emerged from the hardships and dangers of World War I. But there is a greater deliverance ahead for them and also for the “great crowd” of Christ’s “other sheep,” at the “great tribulation.” And so, when they are delivered from danger by God’s ridding the earth of wicked ones in the “great tribulation,” they will have peace. (Prov. 21:18) There can then follow a preservation of loyal ones all during the thousand years of God’s Messianic kingdom, the loyal ones of the “great crowd” of Revelation 7:9-17 being the ones that will forever keep living upon the cleansed earth.

The psalmist spoke of a “cup.” A cup contains something to drink or even to pour out as a “drink offering” to Jehovah, as was done in the psalmist’s day. (Num. 28:7; Phil. 2:17) Jehovah offers to his people “the cup of grand salvation” by preserving them through the “great tribulation.” (Rev. 7:14) During the thousand years of earth-wide rule by the Messiah they will drink the “grand salvation” provided to them, enjoying life “in the lands of those living.” (Ps. 116:9) As they do so, they will call upon the name of Jehovah through his Messiah to bless and guide them in all their efforts.

PAYING VOWS TO JEHOVAH

What are the “vows” that the delivered ones have to pay to Jehovah? During their danger of imminent death at the hands of God’s enemies, did they make any vows, any solemn promises to God in desire for deliverance on God’s part? If so, then they will pay such “vows” to Jehovah because he acted in harmony with their vows and preserved them. They will do what they vowed to do “in front of all his people,” thereby praising his name publicly.

Continuing to speak in appreciation of Jehovah’s preservation, the psalmist emphasizes the value that Jehovah places on the lives of those who live according to his righteous principles: “Precious in the eyes of Jehovah is the death of his loyal ones. Ah, now, O Jehovah, for I am your servant. I am your servant, the son of your slave girl. You have loosened my bands.” (Ps. 116:15, 16) The psalmist appreciatively knew that Jehovah had considered him loyal by preserving him. He had been in dire danger of death, but Jehovah had loosened the bands with which he appeared to be tied to death. He called himself “the son of [Jehovah’s] slave girl,” which would simply indicate that he was one of Jehovah’s people. He recognized that Jehovah considered him one of His loyal servants.

DEATH OF LOYAL ONES “PRECIOUS”

How is the death of his loyal ones “precious in the eyes of Jehovah”? Well, just as the psalmist was, they are precious slaves to Jehovah. God’s loving-kindness toward his servant moved him to preserve his servant’s life. A person’s life is particularly valuable in Jehovah’s eyes if the person uses it in the right way, as a true worshiper of Him. Jehovah counts the death of the entire body of his loyal ones too costly to let occur. Of course, the loyal ones will express appreciation and thanksgiving for this, because life is exceedingly precious to them. It is a marvelous quality on Jehovah’s part that he is deeply concerned with his servants’ lives. He considers their death as being too high a price to pay, and so does not let the death occur.—Rom. 8:35-39.

Not only is Jehovah’s great love here manifested, but also his regard for justice and righteousness in the universe is shown, for the benefit of all his creatures. For him to let his enemies triumph over his loyal people and wipe all of them from the face of the earth would be a blot upon his universal sovereignty, his rulership over heaven and earth. He is the Creator of the earth and he created it for those loyal to him. (Isa. 45:18) If he cannot preserve his group of loyal ones on earth even under the heaviest, most dastardly attack by anti-God enemies, it would be as if his enemies were more powerful than he is and had the right to say who shall live permanently on earth. He will not have his rulership of earth, in fact, his whole universal sovereignty as well as his name reproached, impugned by such a thing.

Furthermore, if Jehovah let his whole body of loyal ones be effaced from the earth, there would be no one left in the courtyards of his great spiritual temple, which are located here on earth. There would be on earth no basis or foundation for the “new earth” or righteous human society to dwell under the “new heaven.” (Rev. 21:1) How, then, could the thousand-year reign of the Messiah begin, with no earthly subjects? No! The death of the entire group of God’s loyal ones on earth would be too precious, too costly, for Jehovah. Out of respect for Himself, it is too costly to allow.

SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING

For Jehovah’s saving the “great crowd” of “other sheep” to live on earth, for maintaining his purpose and his promises to have the earth a place where righteousness dwells, the “tribulation” survivors render heartfelt praise and appreciation. Jehovah wants them to live as much as they themselves want to live and enjoy life. They, in addition to the remnant of spiritual Israelites, will say, as did the psalmist:

“To you I shall offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and on the name of Jehovah I shall call. My vows I shall pay to Jehovah, yes, in front of all his people, in the courtyards of the house of Jehovah, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise Jah, you people!”—Ps. 116:17-19.

The survivors of the “great tribulation,” the anointed remnant and the “great crowd,” will offer up sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise to Jehovah for their deliverance, in the same spirit that Noah and his family offered a grand sacrifice of thanksgiving after being preserved through the global deluge. (Gen. 8:20, 21) Then the “great crowd” on earth will experience even greater delight in seeing billions of persons resurrected on earth for opportunity to take hold upon the desirable prize of life also.—Rev. 20:11-15.

How do you value your own life? Do you think it worth while to live on a peaceful, beautified earth, in perfection of health and with no fear of death, ever? Life, in some instances, may be difficult now, but Jehovah, who knows how marvelous life can be under good circumstances, purposes to provide these circumstances. He desires you and all others to grasp hold of the opportunity he offers through his Word the Bible.

Knowing what Jehovah purposes for us, we can come to know and love him and become his loyal subjects, with the happiest prospects in view. He is the only source of life, real life that can be enjoyed as he created mankind to enjoy it. For this reason the psalmist’s exclamation, “Praise Jah, you people!” can be recognized by us as wholly appropriate. This expression, in Hebrew, is “Hallelujah!” and appears many times in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Greek form it is found toward the closing part of the Bible’s last book, Revelation or Apocalypse. (Rev. 19:1-6) Those proclaiming God’s name are witnesses to Jehovah’s majesty, loving-kindness and magnificence.

Christians today render up this praise through their great High Priest, Jesus Christ, at Jehovah’s spiritual temple. This is no earthly building. However, they meet for Bible study and worship in buildings that they call “Kingdom Halls.” They also conduct free home Bible studies with interested persons. All those who love life can now join them in searching into God’s Word, learning more about his purpose and his promises, and can unite with them in true worship. Grand prospects of survival and life forever will be their happy lot!

Are You Willing to Suffer Hardship?

IT IS a delightful thing to come to appreciate the majesty of God, his love, his mercy and his fine way of dealing with his people. It is also a heartwarming pleasure to become acquainted with God’s people.

But in this world Christianity is not the easy way. After realizing this, if you have set out on a course of serving Jehovah God, you may find it profitable to examine yourself by asking certain questions, such as: What is my attitude when I encounter unpleasant things? Do I persevere when there is hardship? Am I determined to remain true to God if severe persecution strikes? How do I feel about facing opposition, economic difficulties, sickness, prison or other trials?

We have to be honest with ourselves: Nobody wants to suffer hardships. Suffering ‘goes against the grain’ for anyone. It is normal to have some fear. And Christians are certainly not looking for trouble or seeking to be persecuted or put to death.

Nevertheless, persecutions and other hardships will come. Jesus Christ foretold this. But he also foretold that, along with hardships, God would give his servants so much more in good things that the trouble would be light in comparison. He said to his disciples:

“Everyone that has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive many times more and will inherit everlasting life.”—Matt. 19:29.

The apostle Paul, who personally experienced much hardship, expressed agreement, writing to fellow Christians:

“Though the tribulation is momentary and light, it works out for us a glory that is of more and more surpassing weight and is everlasting; while we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.”—2 Cor. 4:17, 18.

It may be that you possess many material things. Do you count these as assets only as they can help you to render better service to God? Would you be willing to give them up without regret if an issue of integrity arose? Again, the apostle Paul wrote:

“On account of him [Jesus Christ] I have taken the loss of all things and I consider them as a lot of refuse, that I may gain Christ.”—Phil. 3:8; Luke 14:26.

True Christians in Germany during Hitler’s regime and, in more recent times, in Malawi, demonstrated this fine attitude, sacrificing everything to maintain their loyalty to God.

DEVELOPING THE QUALITY

Obedience to God is the key to developing endurance. How quick are you to obey the things God’s Word commands? As you carry out God’s will, there are obstacles that you are overcoming practically every day. Do you willingly obey, nevertheless? This can be of great aid to you in meeting situations that require more than the usual endurance. Jesus’ half brother James counseled:

“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, knowing as you do that this tested quality [or proof] of your faith works out endurance. But let endurance have its work complete, that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything.”—Jas. 1:2-4; Kingdom Interlinear Translation.

Therefore, if you have started on the course of obedience to God you will certainly want to avoid giving in to any trial now, however small. Temptations due to desires of the flesh can bring great pressure upon Christians, both from within themselves and from the bad “atmosphere” and associations in this world. Sexual immorality, excessive drinking and the use of drugs, including tobacco, are among these things. Persecution can also bring strong pressure to sin by compromising and breaking integrity. The apostle Peter expressed the attitude and determination that the Christian should have when he wrote:

“Therefore since Christ suffered in the flesh, you too arm yourselves with the same mental disposition; because the person that has suffered in the flesh has desisted from sins, to the end that he may live the remainder of his time in the flesh, no more for the desires of men, but for God’s will.”—1 Pet. 4:1, 2.

So, if you have accepted the Christian way of life, which you know includes suffering for the truth’s sake, and perhaps have already suffered to an extent for righteousness’ sake, now is no time to turn back.—Luke 9:62.

TESTING YOURSELF

To test yourself as to whether you are developing endurance, look at what you are doing at the present time. Are you maintaining faithfulness now? Are you regularly studying God’s Word now? Do you get, not merely the “milk” of the word, the primary doctrines, but also “accurate knowledge and full discernment; that you may make sure of the more important things”?—Phil. 1:9, 10; Eph. 5:16.

Are you at the present time ‘putting yourself out’ to help others? Or do you hesitate to inconvenience yourself? (Gal. 6:10) One who is willing to undergo some difficulty in behalf of others in the interests of true Christianity is developing the quality of endurance.—Jas. 1:27.

Another essential factor is emphasized by this question, Do you recognize that your success in enduring trials is due, not to any good in yourself, but to the strength that God supplies? (1 Pet. 4:11) Do you confidently look to God for wisdom and ability, and do you recognize that all you have comes from him?—Phil. 4:13; Jas. 1:5.

THINGS TO AVOID

In our obedience to God, and in things that we have endured, we should not relax, feeling that we have reached our goal. Neither should we develop a boastful spirit, feeling that, when we have endured some trial, we are “heroes,” entitled to special consideration, or that we are more advanced toward the goal than our brothers are. It is ‘he that endures to the end that will be saved.’ (Matt. 24:13) To avoid a wrong attitude, call to mind that some of those who had endured years of suffering in Nazi concentration camps later fell prey to materialism or immorality. There is only one cause for boasting, and that is in knowing Jehovah.—Jer. 9:23, 24.

Some persons worry about specific physical abuse that they may have to endure. This is unwise. We do not know what hardships we, individually, may encounter. Not all will meet the same trials. The vital thing is to trust in Jehovah. “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out in order for you to be able to endure it.”—1 Cor. 10:13.

Jehovah wants his people to be happy. He takes no pleasure in seeing his people suffer. But he does make even those enduring hardship happy because they have the opportunity now to make an everlasting record of integrity to the Universal Sovereign Jehovah God.—Matt. 5:11, 12.

Rejoicing in “the Fine Fight” of the Faith

As told by Väinö Pallari

I GREW up in Finland, a land that is 92 percent Lutheran. When I became one of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses in 1930, my employment as a schoolteacher was threatened.

This was because the Bible Students, as the Witnesses were then known, were viewed as being Communists and were told that they would be sent to Russia. The school board threatened me with this if I did not leave the school district voluntarily.

But I refused to leave my job. The school board then tried to get me to promise not to go from house to house, preaching a “new doctrine” that the community could not tolerate. I could not, of course, give such a promise; in fact, it was my goal someday to preach the good news of God’s kingdom full time.

Next, the school board evidently worked on the parents of my pupils. They tried to get the pupils to go on strike. But not one stayed away from school.

Finally, frustrated in their attempts to get me removed, the school board simply abolished the position I held. However, the outcome of such a procedure was that I would be entitled to a considerable income. I did not raise any objection, as the financial assistance would simply help me to get started in the full-time preaching work—my ultimate goal. The opportunity that I had waited for presented itself, and I seized it, rejoicing that at last I could devote all my energies to “the fine fight” of the faith, as the apostle Paul did.—2 Tim. 4:7.

Also, about that time I received a letter from the Watch Tower Society, asking me to help to organize the house-to-house preaching work. This was a very happy time. I was in the preaching work with my Christian brothers every day and held meetings in the evening—yet it did not seem too tiring.

THE WAR YEARS

In 1939 the threatening clouds of war gathered on the horizon. The people in Finland were in a very anxious frame of mind. As Jehovah’s Christian witnesses were neutral in political affairs, they were looked on with disfavor and were no longer able to work freely. The first court case against the Witnesses began before the war actually broke out. On one occasion, while I was distributing the Bible booklet Government and Peace in Turku, I was surrounded by the police and charged with “unlawful peddling,” which resulted in legal proceedings.

During the war we had continual court cases and our preaching work was officially banned. We were viewed as Communists, which, at that time, was considered to be the worst thing imaginable. Since the Watch Tower Society had been banned, it could not arrange meetings, but they were held, nonetheless, in the name of a private Christian. This was possible because the law on freedom of religion was still in force, in spite of the war.

I have always had poor health and because of this I was exempted from military service. So I was able to continue my full-time preaching work, for which I was profoundly grateful to Jehovah.

Working as a circuit overseer during the war was not without its anxious moments. Since The Watchtower and Consolation (now Awake!) were banned, we had to take all the mimeographed spiritual food along in a suitcase. This was dangerous, since the military police often examined bags of travelers to see if they had butter (all food was rationed) or other “forbidden luggage.”

On one occasion I had many mimeographed Watchtower magazines in my bag, and a military policeman asked what they were. I replied that it was Bible literature that is given to people to read. Fortunately he was in a hurry, so he did not take the time to look further into the matter. If he had examined the literature I was carrying, he would surely have arrested me.

The bombing raids on the cities were an experience. Often we had to interrupt a meeting to go to a bomb shelter. When we emerged from these bomb shelters, we would see fires blazing all around us, but the homes of the Witnesses were rarely damaged.

The most frightening event of my life occurred during the height of the war. I was returning home very late at night on the tram. Two slightly drunk soldiers happened to get on the same tram, and, seeing me in civilian clothes, they became very bitter. They talked about me between themselves and said that I should be in uniform. We got off at the same place, and the men ordered me to stop.

One of them asked me why I had stirred up a fuss on the tram, which, of course, I had not done. All of a sudden the other one took out a knife and said: “What would you say if we let the wind out of you?” I tried to explain the disagreeable consequences to them if they did it, but they replied that they had suffered so much at the front that they did not care anymore what happened to them. All of a sudden the soldier raised his knife, intending to strike me. Then, with my heart fluttering, I grabbed his hand, although I could not actually stand up against them.

I felt helpless in this situation, and I breathed a prayer to Jehovah, as I had been doing during this whole episode. As though by a miracle, the soldier loosened his grip and let me go. I continued on my way, weeping for joy and thanking Jehovah for saving my life. The Bible’s assurance came into my mind: “A hiding place is the God of ancient time, and underneath are the indefinitely lasting arms.”—Deut. 33:27.

REJOICING IN “THE FINE FIGHT” AT BETHEL

In 1942 I received an invitation to serve at Bethel, the Watch Tower Society’s branch office, where I have since had many privileges of service. During the war I had the task of procuring food for the Bethel family, which was really quite difficult as there was a serious shortage of everything. On many occasions we got what we needed in almost miraculous ways. It was as though manna fell from heaven to help us through the trying time of war.

I also had the privilege of handling legal affairs. For example, many Witnesses who had no close heirs wanted all their financial assets used to advance Jehovah’s work after their death. But in Finland there is a law requiring that after the death of the testator the beneficiary of the will has to contact all the deceased’s relatives. This necessitated my contacting all relatives of deceased Christian brothers who had made such wills, and this is no easy task.

We have also had a continual battle with the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation. Just about all the religious denominations have been allowed to broadcast over the radio, but we have not been allowed to do so. And not only that, but from time to time attacks have been made on our preaching work.

One commentator made up an unfavorable program about the Witnesses, and in it very coarse Finnish words were bandied back and forth. The program was taped in advance and we were permitted to hear it before the actual presentation. Another Witness and I wrestled with this problem for about a week, and we were successful in getting the producer to remove the worst insults, but it was still very bad. Right after this, as a result of the nervous tension, I had a stroke. I partially lost my eyesight and power of speech and completely lost the ability to read and count.

After a few weeks in the hospital, I recovered fairly well, but I have felt cold ever since. The doctor ordered me to “retire” and forbade me to put forth too much effort in anything. I had to get into a lower gear in order to continue my service, but I can assure you that I have not lost what the Finns call sisu or fortitude.

Thus at times I have worked perhaps harder than I should, but I have enjoyed it. Recently, I had another stroke, which was worse than the previous one. My speech, which returned quite soon, now seems to be at a standstill. Again I have had to slow down, but I still want to do my best to fight “the fine fight” of the faith.

Looking back on the forty-four years that I have spent my full time in the service of God, I can say that I could not have used my life in a better way. Such full-time service, which one learns to love more and more as the years go by, is so rich in blessings that no other work can compare with it. Although the work in Bethel, as well as in the field service, requires strength, it is a source of great joy.

[Picture on page 335]

The Watch Tower Society’s branch office in Finland

Cultivate Intense Love for One Another

“Love one another intensely from the heart.”—1 Pet. 1:22.

1, 2. (a) How important is love? (b) Why do even atheistic scientists recognize love to be vital?

LOVE is vital to the enjoyment of peace, happiness and contentment. Indeed, life is not worth living without love—a fact that even materialistic scientists recognize. “I want to affirm the unique importance of love . . . Love is indispensable,” wrote the well-known scientist Sir Julian Huxley.

2 Why do even those who refuse to acknowledge the existence of a Creator stress the importance of love? For one reason, scientific studies have documented our need for love. These studies indicate that, as hunger must be satisfied for a person to survive, so humans also need to love and to be loved. Scientist Ashley Montagu wrote: “We now know from the observations of a number of physicians and investigators that love is an essential part of the nourishment of every baby and that unless he is loved he will not develop as a healthy organism . . . Even though he is physically well nurtured, he may nevertheless waste away and die.”

WHY HUMANS POSSESS LOVE

3. (a) Why do children usually receive the love they need? (b) Where did humans receive this capacity and ability to love?

3 Happily, however, there is little danger that a child will fail to receive the tender, unselfish care it needs. This is because instinctively, as the Bible says, “a nursing mother cherishes her own children.” (1 Thess. 2:7) Where did mothers get this love for their offspring? It did not develop by chance. Is it not evident that it was implanted in them by a loving Creator? All of us have the ability and capacity to love and, with cultivation, this quality can be expressed in the most beautiful, heartwarming ways.

4. (a) Why do we know that Adam was endowed at creation with the quality of love? (b) What evidence is there that Adam had love for Eve, and that this capacity to love one of the opposite sex was passed on to his offspring?

4 Jehovah God bestowed this gift of love at the creation of the first human pair. We know this because Adam was created “in God’s image.” And since “God is love”—love being his dominant quality—the creature made in his image would also possess love. (Gen. 1:26, 27; 1 John 4:8) That the first man Adam was endowed with love for his beautiful new wife is evidenced by his joyful expression at seeing her: “This is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” (Gen. 2:23) Even though Adam sinned and lost perfection, he passed on to his offspring the ability to love, including the capacity humans have to find intriguing delight with one of the opposite sex. Indeed, an ancient wise man said that one of the four things too wonderful for him to understand was “the way of an able-bodied man with a maiden.”—Prov. 30:19; Gen. 24:67; 26:8.

LOVE IS EXPANSIVE

5. Besides romantic love between men and women, what evidence is there of love existing between fleshly relatives?

5 But in addition to this romantic love that can exist between men and women, humans ordinarily have a natural, deep feeling of affection for their fleshly relatives. Thus when Joseph, after many years of separation, saw Benjamin, “his inward emotions were excited toward his brother.” Later, “he fell upon the neck of Benjamin his brother and gave way to weeping, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.” (Gen. 43:30; 45:14) This family love also moved Andrew, when he had found the Messiah, to look for his brother Peter to tell him this grand news.—John 1:40-42.

6. What Bible examples show that a person’s love can include others besides fleshly relatives?

6 Yet this quality of love is capable of reaching out and including persons other than one’s fleshly relatives. Jonathan, the Benjamite son of Israel’s King Saul, was so moved by the good qualities of David, a descendant of Judah, that his “very soul became bound up with the soul of David, and Jonathan began to love him as his own soul.” Later, when Jonathan was killed, David was moved to call him “brother,” and to say: “My brother Jonathan, very pleasant you were to me. More wonderful was your love to me than the love from women.” The Moabite Ruth’s love for her mother-in-law Naomi is another example of how love can include persons other than natural fleshly relatives.—1 Sam. 18:1; 2 Sam. 1:26; Ruth 1:16, 17.

7. How inclusive must a Christian’s love be?

7 Those who become true Christians must also have warm brotherly love for one another, regardless of the race, nationality, social position or economic status of their Christian brothers and sisters. Jesus showed this, saying: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35) And yet, a true Christian’s love cannot be limited to just fellow servants of God. It must reach out to include still others. In fact, Jesus commanded: “Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you; that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens.”—Matt. 5:44, 45.

THE LOVE THAT WE NEED TO CULTIVATE

8. Explain how love can be expressed in various degrees and senses.

8 Clearly, this quality of love with which God endowed humans can be expressed in various degrees and senses. How so? Because obviously the love a Christian has for an enemy who is persecuting him is not the same tender affection that a nursing mother has for her baby, that Joseph had for Benjamin, that Jonathan felt for David, or that a Christian feels for a fellow believer. God does not expect us to be fond of an enemy, or even necessarily to like him. Yet we are obligated to love him. Is this contradictory?

9, 10. (a) How does knowing the meaning of agápē, and Jehovah’s exercise of it, help us to appreciate that persons might be loved but not necessarily liked? (b) How can we show love for evil, immoral persons?

9 No, it is not, when once we understand the meaning of the principal Greek word translated “love” in the Christian Greek Scriptures, or so-called New Testament. The noun form of that word is agápē. Regarding God’s agápē for mankind, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by W. E. Vine says: “This is not the love of complacency, or affection, that is, it was not drawn out by any excellency in its objects.” And it is a fact: Humankind as a whole are not a very lovable lot. But this is not really their fault.—Eph. 4:17-19; Titus 3:3.

10 Due to inheritance from Adam, all humans were conceived in sin and brought forth with an inclination toward wrongdoing. (Ps. 51:5) God knows this. So he is moved to love mankind, not because of any merit or excellency on their part, but particularly because he realizes that, in time, many humans will respond to his love and bring their lives into harmony with his will. (Rom. 5:8-11) Agápē, therefore, carries the meaning of love that is distinguished by respect for principle. So, then, if we copy the example of our heavenly Father we will love even those who give no evidence of deserving our love. They may be cynical, selfish and even immoral or criminal. We will hate what they do and say, yet, at the same time, we will be concerned for their personal welfare. We will do all we can to encourage them to respond to God’s love. Are you cultivating such a love for humankind in general, one that is guided by principle?

11, 12. (a) Should a Christian’s love for his brothers be guided only by principle? (b) How does marital love and Jehovah’s love for his Son indicate that agápē includes more than just love guided by principle?

11 But it is not love guided only by principle, and lacking affection and warmth, that the apostle Peter had in mind when he wrote fellow Christians: “Love one another intensely from the heart.” (1 Pet. 1:22) While respect for principle is a distinctive feature of agápē, this love can also include affection and fondness. Thus we read: “Husbands ought to be loving [verb form agapáo] their wives.” (Eph. 5:28) Obviously this does not mean that Christian husbands should love their wives simply as they love their enemies! No; but, rather, the admonition “to be loving their wives” means that husbands should also have feelings of warmth, tenderness and affection for their wives, as the Creator purposed.

12 That the Greek word agápē may include very deep feelings of affection and fondness is also indicated in other Bible examples. For instance, we are told: “The Father loves the Son.” (John 3:35) The love of God for his Son, Jesus Christ, is not simply governed by respect for principle. Jehovah has tender affection and compassion for Jesus, as the Bible says: “The Father has affection for the Son and shows him all the things he himself does.” Jehovah God said: “This is my son, my beloved, whom I myself have approved.”—John 5:20; 2 Pet. 1:17.

13. (a) What degree of love should Christians have for one another? (b) How does the basic meaning of the Greek word for “intensely” indicate the proper degree of our love?

13 So, then, this is the degree of love that Christians need to cultivate for one another. It is not a halfhearted love, or love shown simply out of duty for persons whom they may not even like. But it is a warm, tender affection for others, comparable to the tender love that one has for a cherished relative, and which Jehovah has for his dearly beloved Son. The apostle Peter stressed that our love for one another should be of this kind or degree when he encouraged: “Love one another intensely,” or, as other translations put it, “fervently,” “with all your strength.” (1 Pet. 1:22; New American Standard Bible, The New English Bible) The original Greek word rendered “intensely” means, literally, “outstretchedly.” (Kingdom Interlinear Translation) Our love, therefore, must be exerting itself to the limit with intensity. Are you cultivating this kind of love?

14. (a) Why do we need to work on cultivating love? (b) How can we learn to love one another?

14 We all need to work on doing so. This is because Adam’s disobedience about 6,000 years ago has sunk the human family deep into sin and imperfection, adversely affecting our capacity to reflect Jehovah’s dominant quality of love. Even the instinctive feelings of love that close relatives naturally have for one another are sometimes twisted and perverted, as in the ancient cases of Cain, Esau and Joseph’s half brothers. The Bible foretold that this would also be evident “in the last days” when people would have “no natural affection.” (2 Tim. 3:1-3) How vital it is, therefore, that we cultivate love so as to keep it alive in our hearts! But how can we who are living in this critical period of the “last days” learn to love one another? The apostle Paul explains: “With reference to brotherly love, you do not need us to be writing you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.” (1 Thess. 4:9) How does God teach us this?

HOW TAUGHT BY GOD TO LOVE

15. (a) In what way might it be said that Jehovah teaches us to love one another? (b) How much are Christians obligated to love one another?

15 He does so in a number of ways. We might say that by creating man in his image, endowing mankind with the capacity and ability to love, God has, in effect, inclined us, even though now sinful, to be loving. Then, too, God has taught us to love one another by repeatedly making the exercise of love a command. According to Jesus Christ, one of the two principal commandments of God’s law to Israel was: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” The disciple James called this “the kingly law.” (Matt. 22:39; Lev. 19:18; Jas. 2:8) However, speaking as God’s representative, Jesus revealed that Christians must have even superior love, loving one another just as he had loved his disciples. (John 13:34; 1 John 3:16) But in another especially appealing way Jehovah God has taught humankind to love one another.

16. (a) In what particularly fine way does Jehovah teach us to love one another? (b) What is the greatest manifestation of God’s love?

16 This is by example. The apostle Paul spoke to a crowd in the ancient Roman province of Galatia, Asia Minor, saying about God: “He did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts to the full with food and good cheer.” (Acts 14:17) Thus God not only commands us to love one another, but shows by example how we should do it. (Matt. 5:44, 45) His finest example of showing love is the provision of his most precious possession for our benefit. The Bible explains: “God sent forth his only-begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him. . . . Beloved ones, if this is how God loved us, then we are ourselves under obligation to love one another.”—1 John 4:9-11.

17. What should be the result of our learning the truth about Jehovah and his grand provisions for us?

17 So, as we consider the marvelous things Jehovah has done—providing us with bountiful material blessings, but especially with the gift of his Son that makes possible everlasting life in a new system of righteousness—we learn the truth about what a fine God and Creator Jehovah is. What should be the result of our acceptance of this grand truth regarding Jehovah’s provisions and then living in harmony with it? The apostle Peter spoke of “unhypocritical brotherly love as the result,” yes, a beautiful family relationship of brotherhood and love! And so in our appreciation, what is it vital that we do? Peter added: “Love one another intensely from the heart.”—1 Pet. 1:22.

WHY INTENSE LOVE VITAL THEN

18. When did Peter write his first letter, and what was then near?

18 To appreciate why intense love was vital in Peter’s day, we need to examine the circumstances then. Peter explains: “The end of all things has drawn close. Be sound in mind, therefore, and be vigilant with a view to prayers. Above all things, have intense love for one another.” (1 Pet. 4:7, 8) It is true, the end was then near. Peter wrote sometime between 62 to 64 C.E., and it was shortly after that, in the year 70, that the end finally came to the Jewish system of things. The Roman armies devastated the whole area of Judea, and especially Jerusalem. A prophecy of Jesus helps us to appreciate why Christians then needed “intense” love for one another.

19. (a) What sign did Jesus give so that Christians would know that the end was near, and how was this sign fulfilled? (b) How were Christians able to heed Jesus’ command to flee, and was it wise that they obey?

19 Jesus foretold: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near.” (Luke 21:20; Matt. 24:15) It was in November 66 C.E. that the Roman armies under Cestius Gallus did surround Jerusalem. They pushed right into the city, a place considered “holy” to the Jews, and made an attack on the temple wall, undermining it. Easily the Romans could have captured the entire city, but suddenly, without any apparent reason for doing so, General Gallus withdrew and retreated. This gave Christians opportunity to heed Jesus’ next admonition: “Then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains.” (Luke 21:21-24) Later the Roman armies under General Titus returned and ravaged the land, resulting in 1,100,000 reported deaths in Jerusalem alone, indeed a “great tribulation”!

20. What evidence is there that Christians heeded Jesus’ command?

20 But what about the Christians? The third-century historian Eusebius Pamphilus notes: “The whole body, however, of the church at Jerusalem, having been commanded by a divine revelation, given to men of approved piety there before the war, removed from the city, and dwelt at a certain town beyond the Jordan, called Pella.”a Yes, the Christians apparently heeded Christ’s instructions and, after Cestius Gallus and his armies withdrew, fled to the mountainous region around Pella, thus escaping with their lives. But they did not have it easy.

21. (a) Why did Jesus stress the urgency of immediate flight? (b) What circumstances may have been experienced by fleeing Christians?

21 Knowing that developments in connection with the return of the Roman soldiers—under General Titus—would soon make it nearly impossible to get out of the doomed city, Jesus had long before urged: “Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house; and let the man in the field not return to the house to pick up his outer garment.” (Matt. 24:17, 18) As a result, hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of obedient Christians left in haste as soon as Gallus and his armies withdrew, taking few possessions with them. It was good that they were not loaded down, for the journey was long, the terrain rugged and the weather conditions no doubt oppressive at that time of the year. Under such circumstances, arguments and other troubles between the fugitives could easily have occurred. Then, too, there was the question of where they would all live.

22. (a) What conditions then existed throughout the area? (b) Why was it vital that Christians then apply Peter’s admonition?

22 They may have eventually set up makeshift shelters around Pella, possibly establishing some sort of mountain refugee camp there. We do not know. But whatever the case, it was difficult for them. It was a time of shortages and hardship throughout the whole area. The end of that entire Jewish system was near! How appropriate, therefore, Peter’s inspired encouragement to readers of his letter, who were “temporary residents”: “The end of all things has drawn close. . . . Above all things, have intense love for one another.” (1 Pet. 1:1; 4:7, 8) With such love, Christians would not be selfish and exasperating to one another, but would share with one another and build up and strengthen one another to endure the trialsome circumstances they faced.

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The Watchtower, June 1, 1975