The Watchtower, September 1, 1976

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The Watchtower — September 1, 1976

Source: jw.org

Contents

Self-Control—A Safeguard Against Disaster

Help Youths to ‘Become Examples to the Faithful Ones’

Insight on the News

“A Large Door” Opens in Portugal

Training Our Conscience to Do More for Us

‘No Galley Fleet Will Succeed’

Titus: Fine Counsel to ‘Keep Healthy in the Faith’

Philemon: Christian Brotherly Love—Not a “Social Gospel”

Identifying the Bible’s Jerusalems

They ‘See Good Because of Their Hard Work’

Do You Remember?

Annual Meeting October 1, 1976

Questions From Readers

What About Those “Ape-Men”?

Self-Control—A Safeguard Against Disaster

Self-Control​—A Safeguard Against Disaster

THE man and woman were together. He was working for a few days on a repair job on her house. Both were members of a Christian congregation. The woman was unhappy in her marriage. She began to pour out her feelings and problems to the man. He felt sympathetic and, in the process of trying to counsel and comfort her, put his arm across her shoulders. Further intimacy followed, and before long they found themselves involved in adultery.

This couple had not planned or schemed to commit such a sin. Up to this point they both had lived good moral lives and were walking according to the way for Christians. Was it lack of love of God’s Word or of proper moral standards? Not primarily. It was a failure to exercise SELF-CONTROL.

Self-control is one of the fruits of God’s spirit. The Christian’s self-control is directed, not inherently, but by his knowledge of God and his Word. That is why the apostle Peter admonishes, ‘Add to your knowledge self-control.’​—2 Pet. 1:5, 6.

In a listing of nine of the fruits of the spirit, love is put first, ahead of self-control. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Of course, if love always operated perfectly and constantly in the Christian, he would exercise self-control also at all times. But because all, including Christians, are imperfect, self-control is a facet of the Christian personality that needs ever-vigilant attention.

Lack of self-control can lead to disaster. A person may have joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith and mildness. He may have practiced these all along. But, losing self-control, he may temporarily lose all these other qualities as well. During that interval he may do irreparable damage to his own life and to the lives of others.

Christians therefore pray for self-control. Otherwise they can fall into a trap. Everyone has sin working in his flesh, so that ‘what he wishes he does not always practice; but what he hates is often what he does.’ (Rom. 7:15) Because of this sad condition, the apostle Paul said: “I pummel my body and lead it as a slave, that, after I have preached to others, I myself should not become disapproved somehow.”​—1 Cor. 9:27.

That is why Jesus included in the prayer that he taught his disciples the plea: “Do not bring us into temptation.” (Matt. 6:13) God does not tempt anyone to do bad. But He knows that when a Christian does wrong it is rarely a case of being completely ignorant of the wrongness of his actions. Usually the person knows that what he is doing is displeasing to God. When tempted to sin, he will likely think, How will God feel about this? What effect will it have on my relationship with God? with the Christian congregation? How will it affect my family? Will my action bring reproach on the name of God and of Christ? on myself as a Christian? on the congregation? He will either heed these warning thoughts or cast them aside and go headlong into a sin.

Therefore, when the Christian prays, “Do not bring us into temptation,” he is asking God to remember him in time of trial and to call to his mind the strong warnings of the Bible​—to put clear, unmistakable “stop signs” along the road. He asks God, if he should begin to weaken, to bring him to his senses and call him to a halt. God is not going to stop him forcibly and thereby interfere with his freedom of choice, but by fortifying the person’s mind with the right thinking that comes from divine wisdom Jehovah ‘makes the way out in order for him to be able to endure the temptation.’​—1 Cor. 10:13.

If the Christian fails to look to God with the substance of this prayerful appeal in his heart, the principle will go into operation: “Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin.” (Jas. 1:14, 15) The tempted person will be irresistibly enticed to the point where he throws all caution and principle to the wind and goes right into the sinful action ‘like a bull that comes to the slaughter.’ (Prov. 7:22) This is just what the Devil wants. (1 Pet. 5:8) But God will stand by the Christian who prays in time of stress, infusing into him the power of self-control.

On one occasion God spared David from a great calamity by restoring David’s self-control. In this case God used a human agency, a woman, to appeal to David to turn from taking a headlong course. This woman was Abigail. David and his men, outlawed by wicked King Saul, had guarded the shepherds and flocks of Abigail’s husband Nabal, a rich man. When David sent a delegation requesting food supplies, Nabal screamed abuses at them. Because of Nabal’s senseless, vicious action, David, greatly aroused, was on the way to wipe out Nabal’s household, but Abigail met him and pleaded with him to leave matters to Jehovah instead of taking vengeance into his own hands.

David saw the disaster into which his anger was about to throw him, and replied: “Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel, who has sent you this day to meet me! And blessed be your sensibleness, and blessed be you who have restrained me this day from entering into bloodguilt.”​—1 Sam. 25:2-35.

Think of the disaster David would have brought upon himself if God had not helped him to regain self-control in his hurry to massacre the men of Nabal’s household! And in these corrupt times self-control is equally vital to the Christian. Young people who are trying to live according to Christian standards are constantly thrown into association with those among whom bad practices are the everyday thing. These people without self-control exert strong pressure on the young Christian to induce him to use drugs or to engage in immorality, insubordination, vandalism or violence. Yes, young or old, a Christian’s loss of self-control could lead to an act that would ruin his life and seriously harm others. In one moment of time he could make a blot on his Christian record and a scar on his conscience.

As with other fruits of the spirit, self-control has to be developed by study of God’s Word and application of his commands. Self-control maintains balance and enhances the other Christian qualities. Through “the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life,” this world strongly appeals to “the old personality which conforms to [our] former course of conduct and which is being corrupted according to his [the old personality’s] deceptive desires.” (1 John 2:16; Eph. 4:22) For this reason true Christians realize the great importance of developing the reliable safeguard​—self-control.

Help Youths to ‘Become Examples to the Faithful Ones’

Help Youths to ‘Become Examples to the Faithful Ones’

“Let no man ever look down on your youth. On the contrary, become an example to the faithful ones in speaking, in conduct, in love, in faith, in chasteness.”​—1 Tim. 4:12.

1-3. (a) Why are many parents proud of their young people? (b) Give examples of youthful integrity to Christian principles, including any in your locality. (c) How are the Scriptures proved true in such cases?

AS NEVER before in history, the eyes of the world are upon young people. They are a center of attention. Many parents think highly of their children. As a group, Jehovah’s Witnesses in particular are proud of their youths, and for good reasons. For the most part their children have proved themselves outstanding examples for good, and this at a time when moral integrity is on a steep decline.

2 For example, there is Richard, a young Witness, who said: “My schoolteacher wanted me to support evolution in class. I told him that I was a Christian and that I could not conscientiously do so.” For standing firm for his belief in creation, he was given a failing mark. However, the youth felt rewarded at heart for remaining steadfast to what he believed to be true. Randy, another Witness, in his senior year, refused to cheat during a French examination. “I was the only one in class who didn’t pass,” he said. When the teacher asked, “Why didn’t you look in the book?” which was made conveniently available, he simply said: “I couldn’t cheat.” Even though the teacher and the other children frowned at such honesty, Randy still felt that he did the right thing. Integrity to principle meant more to him than a passing grade. And there was Debbie, a teen-age Witness, who worked in an ice-cream parlor. Her supervisor demanded that she wear shorter skirts to work or be fired. Debbie went to the manager and explained that she was a Christian witness of Jehovah who believed in dressing modestly. She was not fired, because she was a good worker. However, to Debbie it was a moral victory. She remained true to herself and to her God-given principles.

3 Multiply these cases of faith, of honesty, of chasteness and of integrity to principle and conscience a thousand times over and you can see why the parents among Jehovah’s Witnesses have reason to be proud of their young people. Concerning the parents of such children the proverb says: “Your father and your mother will rejoice, and she that gave birth to you will be joyful.”​—Prov. 23:25; 1 Pet. 2:12.

PARENTAL EXAMPLE

4. (a) What is involved in building moral integrity in children? (b) What benefits result to children when parents live exemplary lives?

4 Children, however, do not just happen to be good in an immoral world​—no more so than “do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles.” (Matt. 7:16-18) If parents want their children to ‘become examples to the faithful ones in speaking, in conduct, in love, in faith, in chasteness,’ then they themselves must set the pattern for their children to follow. (1 Tim. 4:12) It is not enough just to want children to be morally good. Effort is required. Children are not born with moral integrity. Goodness and morality are learned by direct instruction and observation. The father who lives by the moral code of the Bible and the wife who is an example of moral integrity teach by word and example. (Deut. 6:4-9) This method of teaching comes from the highest authority, for Jehovah God himself uses it. Speaking of his heavenly Father, Jesus said: “The Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he beholds the Father doing. For whatever things that One does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father has affection for the Son and shows him all the things he himself does.” (John 5:19, 20) So by their own exemplary lives “in speaking, in conduct, in love, in faith, in chasteness,” affectionate parents may show their children how they want them to conduct their lives.

5, 6. (a) What may happen if parents do not practice what they teach? Illustrate. (b) Why is the proper exercise of authority important?

5 Recently, ten-year-old Lisa lied to her mother and to the school’s principal about returning a book to the library. Her mother wondered: “Why has Lisa lied?” And, perhaps even more important: “How has she learned to lie in such detail and so stubbornly?” The mother took her daughter into her arms. “Lisa,” she said, “don’t you know that you must never lie?” Lisa felt cornered and struck back: “You and Daddy tell lies. Lots and lots of times. Why shouldn’t I?” Lisa’s mother could have easily said: “Who do you think you are speaking to in that way? I’m your mother!” That might have silenced Lisa, but would it have solved anything? Lisa meant no disrespect by what she said. Lisa’s mother quietly talked things over with her daughter, admitted and corrected flaws that Lisa called to her attention, and so gained Lisa’s confidence.

6 Child-parent controversies often focus on the use of parental authority. True, parents have the God-given right of authority, but the apostle Paul cautions them not to abuse it, saying: “And you, fathers, do not be irritating your children, but go on bringing them up in the discipline and mental-regulating of Jehovah.” (Eph. 6:4) Authority can deter and even punish those who offend the law, but what authority alone does not and cannot do is to teach young people how to want to be good.

7. How may parents motivate children toward righteousness and what is good?

7 What is additionally required is that parents reach children’s hearts and help them to make their minds over, not merely to change their behavior. (Rom. 12:1, 2) The will to do good must come from within the child, if there is to be an effective and meaningful change for the better. Children must come to sense within themselves a higher need for being morally good. This they may do by imitating parents who look to Jehovah God as their Example of goodness. (1 Pet. 1:15, 16) In this way children also develop the desire to please Jehovah. It is by the parents’ example of morality that children come to believe that God sees what they do, and that he cares. (1 Pet. 3:12; 5:7) Fortified with both Bible teaching and fine adult examples, young minds and hearts are thus motivated toward “righteousness and judgment and uprightness, the entire course of what is good.”​—Prov. 2:9.

COPING WITH MATERIALISM

8. Why is materialism a threat to youth, and how do the Scriptures warn against it?

8 Youths growing up in Christian homes should know that one of the greatest threats to their spirituality is materialism. Why? Because to have many fine things, like houses, cars, boats, televisions, and so forth, is equated with success, and youths want desperately to be successful. While there is nothing wrong with possessions in themselves, the Bible warns against “the love of money” and the ‘determination to be rich.’ (1 Tim. 6:9, 10, 17; Luke 12:15-21) It shows wealth to be deceptive, because it can neither deliver from death nor give health and life. Riches can lead one away from the faith, even cause one to forget Jehovah. (Deut. 8:10-14; Prov. 11:4) Therefore, the Bible wisely counsels: “Let your manner of life be free of the love of money, while you are content with the present things. For he [God] has said: ‘I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you.’” (Heb. 13:5; 1 Tim. 6:8) Youth must come to appreciate and trust this promise of God, that he will not forsake them. Then they will know that it is “the blessing of Jehovah​—that is what makes rich, and he adds no pain with it.”​—Prov. 10:22.

9. (a) How can parents help youths to guard against materialism? (b) What fine Scriptural examples and admonition are cited in this connection?

9 How can Christian youths be guarded against the subtle snares of materialism? First, parents can help greatly by seeing to it that their own lives are free from the “love of money,” that they reflect a contentment with the things that they have, and that they set a strong spiritual tone in the home. Parents can also direct attention to the Scriptural examples of Jesus and his apostles. Jesus said: “The Son of man has nowhere to lay down his head.” (Matt. 8:20; Phil. 2:7, 8) Peter declared: “Look! We have left all things and followed you.” (Matt. 19:27) Paul wrote: “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) Not that Christian youths are forced into an austere way of life. Not by any means! Jesus promised them that if they put God’s service first in life, then God would, in turn, add the needed material things. But to combat materialism, it is essential to deny oneself unnecessary luxuries. (Matt. 16:24) Emphasis must be placed on spiritual things. (Matt. 5:3; Gal. 5:16) The apostle Paul counseled: “Pursue righteousness, godly devotion, faith, love, endurance, mildness of temper. Fight the fine fight of the faith, get a firm hold on the everlasting life.” (1 Tim. 6:11, 12) Then materialism will prove to be no major problem.

ACTIVITY CONQUERS BOREDOM

10. What may give rise to boredom, but how may this be combated?

10 Young people sometimes complain about being bored with life. Boredom usually strikes when the mind and hands are idle of worthwhile things to do. In times past, rural life demanded that everyone work. Even little hands were used to feed chickens, milk cows and harvest crops. Children were needed, and they knew it. Youths still want that sense of being needed, of belonging. At heart, they usually want to be doers and givers, not just observers and receivers. This desire is fine, for Jesus said: “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.” (Acts 20:35) Paul wrote: “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:7) Young people of today who are bored often need to give more of themselves. But how? Well, Christian youths could do shopping for the aged in the congregation, visit the sick or help the infirm with house chores. And what joy there can be in reading to those whose eyesight is failing!

11. What can children and parents do to overcome youthful boredom?

11 Sometimes physical activity will help to relieve the mind of boredom. Young girls may try their hand at making a dress, or at cooking or baking. Young boys can learn how to make home repairs, learn simple mechanics or carpentry. Learning a new language, even the “sign” language, has a way of beating boredom. Parents may help by teaching children how to be real homemakers​—how to make their beds properly, fold their clothes neatly, dust, sweep and polish, and, occasionally, even sew buttons on father’s shirts. Young people who become cheerful givers and doers find themselves too much in demand to be bored with life. Besides, what fine examples they will be setting for other faithful ones!​—1 Cor. 15:58; 13:5; Eccl. 5:18-20.

DATING CAN BE DAMAGING

12. (a) What shows the worldly view of dating to be unsound? (b) What dangers may attend unwise boy-girl relationships?

12 Where there are growing children in the family, sooner or later the problem of dating will come up. How can parents help? Those not guided by Bible principles can easily give misguided counsel. Kathy, who refers to her parents as ‘good Protestants,’ says: “I started dating in the ninth grade, when I was fourteen.” She admits that her father did not like it, but her mother soon settled the debate by assuring the father that Kathy was “old enough.” Old enough for what? By Kathy’s own admission, she was not ready for marriage even when seventeen, not to speak of fourteen. And most girls of her age are not ready physically, emotionally and mentally to accept the problems and responsibilities that marriage thrusts upon them. Then why date? Girls like Kathy view dating as fun or recreation. They say, ‘Petting and necking are natural as long as you do not go all the way.’ But Kathy admits that a number of girls of her age did “get into trouble,” which means that they went all the way, became pregnant and had abortions or babies. In contrast, Christian parents should teach and convince their children that, by Bible standards, views like Kathy’s are wrong, and that God condemns loose conduct. A young Christian who behaves unchastely could be disfellowshiped from the congregation.​—Gal. 5:19, 21; 1 Pet. 4:3.

13. (a) How does Jehovah want youths to live and behave? (b) Why is dating a serious matter?

13 Jehovah is a happy God, and he wants youths to be happy with life too​—not on a debased, corrupt level, but on a high moral plane. (1 Tim. 1:11) Therefore, he says: “Rejoice, young man, in your youth, . . . and walk in the ways of your heart and in the things seen by your eyes. But know that on account of all these the true God will bring you into judgment. So remove vexation from your heart, and ward off calamity from your flesh.” (Eccl. 11:9, 10) God wants youth to be happy in a responsible way. For they are accountable to Him for their actions. That is why dating or “going together” is so serious. Dating may serve properly to bring couples together, not for the purpose of petting or necking or sex play, but to acquaint themselves with each other on a social level before marriage. Outside of marriage, sexual arousal can lead to vexation, to emotional upsets and even to calamities such as abortions and suicides. Even couples who are engaged to be married have not the right to toy with sex. Single persons who engage in sexual activities​—an exclusive right of married persons—​will incur God’s disapproval and inevitably suffer for it.​—1 Cor. 6:9, 10.

14. (a) How can parents foster in their children a wholesome attitude toward dating and marriage? (b) What can children do to occupy their growing years profitably?

14 Parents can help children to appreciate God’s laws by being frank and open with their children in discussing the subjects of dating and marriage. In this way children may gain wholesome knowledge and feel the concern and love that God and their parents have for them. (Prov. 15:3; 1 Pet. 3:12) Children can be reminded that their youthful years provide grand opportunities for developing into real men and women, and then if later they want the responsibilities of marriage, they will be well equipped to take them on. They may also grow to spiritual maturity by ‘becoming examples’ in involving themselves in the activities of the Christian congregation.

FINDING FAITHFUL FRIENDS

15. What does friendship call for, and how may we gain true friends?

15 Having faithful friends in youth may help in surmounting many obstacles. But true friends are not easy to find. Friendship in itself is a two-way street, which involves each person’s being friendly​—a drawing near to each other. Friendship calls for loyalty, concern for each other and an interest in each other’s welfare. Friendship is rooted in loving rather than in being loved. “A true companion is loving all the time,” wrote the wise man. (Prov. 17:17) If we want real friends we must let others know what we are thinking. We must let others in and see us as we really are, sharing openly what we have learned.​—John 15:15.

16. Why is it wise to be selective in choosing friends?

16 While making friends, however, it is wise to be selective. Why? Because, when we associate with others long enough we tend to become like them. If we are not careful, we may find our useful habits being spoiled. (1 Cor. 15:33) It is very beneficial to choose friends with fine Christian qualities. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Young people should select as friends those who are wholesome in every respect.

WHY GO TO SCHOOL?

17. (a) How can parents help children who are distressed by school morals? (b) How can children protect themselves from unprincipled persons?

17 Many Christian youths are distressed by the low morals at school. What can parents do to protect them from this bad influence? Parents can instill in young minds the privilege that they, as witnesses of Jehovah, have to stand up and be examples for truth and righteousness. Children, as much as adults, have the power of Jesus’ prayer in their behalf that God “watch over them.” (John 17:15) Although contact with unwholesome persons cannot be avoided entirely, yet such contacts can be limited usually to those occasions having to do with schoolwork. And if youths pay attention to their studies, and work at being successful in them, that course can automatically limit their association with unprincipled persons. It is also good for youths who are Jehovah’s Witnesses to let others know as quickly as possible that they are true Christians and that they intend to apply themselves diligently while at school. A good example “in speaking, in conduct, in love, in faith, in chasteness” will not go unnoticed.

18. (a) What is education, and why is it important to living? (b) What advice is offered to children now in school?

18 Despite the many difficulties, school is important to life. Its primary function is to train young minds to think, to be creative and to explore. Education has been defined in this way: “The process by which persons grow and are enabled to live significantly.” It can give training to the mind, actively develop the personality, and provide practical preparation for life. School should prepare youths to accept adult responsibilities. So what you do in school can have a great bearing on what kind of person you will be as an adult. Therefore, apply yourself. (Gal. 6:7) During your school years you may learn abilities and skills that will soon be useful in your adult life, and also later in God’s new system of things. (Isa. 65:22) Learn to read and to write well. It is profitable to pay attention to correct spelling, the basic rules of grammar, and to take an interest in historical events and dates. Learn to use your mind, for the more you use it the better it will serve you now and forever.​—Prov. 2:10-13; 3:21-23.

19. (a) How can parents care lovingly for their children? (b) Why are children of principle and integrity a credit to their parents?

19 Children of moral integrity are indeed a reward to the parents that raised them. They are also fine examples to other faithful ones. Show love for them by spending some time with them each day in exploring and learning, stimulating new ideas, looking at pictures or just talking about the Bible or other upbuilding things. This direct interest shown by parents can be an outstanding influence in the child’s life. Your expressions of endearment and gratitude can be more important to them than praise from anyone else. They will become a credit to you. And in a large way it will be your love, your faith, your conduct, your chasteness that they will reflect in ‘becoming examples to the faithful ones.’​—1 Pet. 1:22.

[Pictures on page 520]

Many fine and needed activities are open to Christian youths, such as doing house chores, shopping for the aged in the congregation, reading to those whose eyesight is failing.​—1 Cor. 13:4, 5

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By deeply involving themselves with congregation activities and in sharing the good news​—not just giving token service—​youths ‘become examples to the faithful ones’

Insight on the News

Insight on the News

New Army “Hymn”

● Military installations world wide are receiving the new “Book of Worship for the U.S. Armed Forces.” Until its removal was ordered on July 9, a “hymn” that many observers labeled “blasphemous” was included. In it one of the wrongdoers impaled next to Jesus supposedly says: “It’s God they ought to crucify instead of you and me, I said to the carpenter ahanging on the tree. To hell with Jehovah, to the carpenter I said, I wish that a carpenter had made the world instead.” Congressman John Myers of Indiana protested: “This hymn is in fact blasphemous in its references to God and has no place in a book of worship.”

Yet, the Armed Forces Chaplains Board had vigorously defended the hymn, saying that “the questions asked by the thief are ones many of our people still ask when confronted with the crucifixion.” But if such basic questions are still being asked by ‘their people,’ is it the purpose of clergymen to perpetuate their spiritual ignorance with blasphemy? In fact, do not such questions expose the failure of these religious leaders to provide satisfying answers?

Contrary to the blasphemous “hymn,” the Bible shows that the “carpenter” Jesus had indeed “made the world” in collaboration with his Father Jehovah during his prehuman existence. (John 1:1-3) And rather than blaming God for his impalement and for world distress, Jesus put the blame where it belongs, on Satan and his supporters.​—John 8:44-47.

Bible History Supported

● Two recent archaeological finds add interesting support to the Bible’s historical record. An ancient Judean fortress discovered in the Sinai desert had Hebrew and Phoenician inscriptions, reports the New York “Times,” that are “considered doubly significant because several refer to ‘Jehovah,’ the traditional name of God.”

Additionally, about 15,000 clay tablets were found at the site of the ancient Canaanite city of Ebla, now in northern Syria. They are conjectured to date from over 2,000 years B.C.E. The tablets contain many contemporary Biblical names and locations, including “Urusalima” (Jerusalem), which are said to predate other references to Jerusalem by hundreds of years. Investigators are amazed at the tablet’s similarities to ancient Hebrew.

Scholars also hope that the records will reveal something about why Israel’s religion was so drastically different from surrounding immoral polytheistic religions. University of Michigan archaeologist David Freedman notes that Hebrew worship was a “major mutation on all religions that had gone before it.” The explanation, however, does not lie in probing the history of polytheistic Canaanites. Israel’s was not just another acquired folk religion. Only a religion from an outside source could be so completely different. The Bible shows that source was God.​—Josh. 24:14, 15.

Marriage Without Divorce

● After noting that “there was almost one divorce for every two marriages last year” in the U.S., the New York “Times” recently observed: “Put another way, the number of divorces last year was twice as great as in 1966 and almost triple the number in 1950.”

Why the rapid increase? “There is no shortage of theories about why divorce is now so prevalent,” says the “Times” editorial. “They range from views stressing the decline of religious belief and the rise of new sexual mores to . . . excessively high and unrealistic anticipations of what marriage can and cannot provide.”

On the other hand, over half a million Americans are not caught up in this trend to divorce. News columnist George R. Plagenz notes in the Cleveland “Press” that “Jehovah’s Witnesses are another religious group which has a fine record of stable marriages.” Why? “Witnesses are Bible-believers. One of the most interesting wedding ceremonies I have ever attended was at a Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall recently. The service was made up largely of Bible passages and admonitions about how to achieve marital bliss which the minister . . . read to the young couple getting married.”

The Bible’s advice succeeds because it comes from the One who originated the marriage arrangement.​—Gen. 2:21-24.

“A Large Door” Opens in Portugal

“A Large Door” Opens in Portugal

ON April 25, 1974, “a large door that leads to activity” suddenly opened wide for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Portugal. Overnight, a completely unexpected military revolution toppled a forty-eight-year-old dictatorship. Freedom of worship was proclaimed, as well as the restoration of all other civil liberties. What a welcome change for these faithful Christians! For years their work had been banned and they had been persecuted as a minority religion. Big things have been happening for them in Portugal since then.

Motivated by love for God and neighbor, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Portugal have seized the opportunity to preach this “good news of the kingdom” vigorously as never before. And in so short a time, they have found many people who have seen the futility of believing that any human system can solve the problems of mankind. These honest-hearted persons have recognized the basic difficulties that remain, in spite of history’s long experiments with so many ‘isms,’ such as feudalism, fascism, communism, socialism and imperialism. Happily, they have found the only answer to humankind’s problems. “Where?” you may ask. In the oldest historical document existing, the Holy Bible. Man’s only hope is government by God, yes, God’s kingdom.

To grasp what is taking place in Portugal, consider this: The twenty-year period from 1950 to 1969 saw the number of active witnesses of Jehovah grow from 58 to a peak of 6,037. But in just twenty months from April 1974 over 6,270 people were baptized as Jehovah’s Christian witnesses! On an average, more than ten new disciples have been made each day! For many, this has meant making big changes in their lives. Now they are more than ‘traditional’ believers in God. They have a living faith that moves them to action. Joyfully they are worshiping God “with spirit and truth.”​—John 4:24.

BRANCH OFFICE OPENED

A big forward step toward reorganizing the work came on February 14, 1975. On this date a contract was signed to rent fine facilities that would serve as headquarters for the local Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses. A modern, well-designed building having twenty rooms and ideally suited for overseeing the expansion of the Witnesses’ work in Portugal has since been in use in Estoril, a town near Lisbon.

Within a two-month period, four large containers of Bible literature totaling some sixty tons were received from the Watchtower Society’s factory in Brooklyn, New York. In addition, a total of 333,700 books were printed commercially by the Association in Portugal during 1975. The desire for Bible literature is so great that it is common for congregation overseers to come to Estoril, with their own trucks, anxious to pick up 500 or even 1,000 books!

The opening of this branch Bethel home (“Bethel” meaning “House of God”) has brought blessings in more than one way. It is located on property that has a fine lawn as well as a vegetable garden in the rear, and it so happens that a Witness whose husband is a professional gardener of the municipality attends a nearby congregation. Her husband is a friendly man who enjoys associating with Jehovah’s Witnesses. He even allowed his home to be used for meetings in the days of the ban, although at the time he himself did not manifest a personal desire to study the Bible. Since the gardens at Bethel needed a professional touch, this man was asked whether he would like to help. He happily accepted and spent several days working there in the spring of 1975. His association with the Bethel family made a deep impression on his mind and heart. When one of the family offered to study the Bible with him, he was reluctant, but finally agreed. All he needed was ‘to start,’ for he then made rapid progress and was baptized in early December 1975.

This gardener, though, had been busy sowing a different kind of “seed” even before his baptism. Being a persuasive talker, he had already interested a municipal fiscal (inspector) in God’s kingdom. This food inspector quickly grasped the sense of the message, refused henceforth to engage in dishonest practices and started attending Bible study meetings. The fiscal spoke with a neighbor who also started attending the weekly Bible study in his own home, as well as congregation meetings. As a result, on the day of the gardener’s baptism, four interested people with whom he studies were present. What a splendid way to show how speaking the truth had produced an active disciple of Jesus Christ! Although the gardener still enjoys planting and tending gardens, he is even happier in cultivating, as fruitage, the “word of the kingdom” by speaking it out to others.​—Matt. 13:18-23.

KINGDOM HALLS MULTIPLY

On January 9, 1975, word went out to the congregations that they could open Kingdom Halls. This ‘open door’ really thrilled the Witnesses! Since then a total of seventy-two fine halls have been rented, decorated and inaugurated with dedication programs. Another forty halls are presently being readied for dedication. Rents in large cities are high, so three or four congregations use the same hall in order to meet these expenses. To obtain sufficient funds for establishing clean and dignified Kingdom Halls, some of Jehovah’s Witnesses have sold personal belongings such as radios, tape recorders, gold rings, bracelets and brooches. Children have brought their entire savings to the congregation, turning over their “piggy banks”! In one congregation, the womenfolk gathered together all their jewelry as a donation.

An unusual experience took place at Funchal, Madeira. The only location suitable for a Kingdom Hall was a warehouse that would require much rebuilding. The owner agreed to the alterations, and members of the local congregations started to work. As a truckload of lumber was being unloaded one Friday afternoon, the Witness in charge of construction remarked to the owner, who happened to be present, that they were going to put up the ceiling that weekend. The owner could hardly believe his ears. Thinking such a task impossible, he was moved by curiosity to visit the premises on Monday morning. To his amazement, his eyes beheld a beautiful wood ceiling. He remarked: “Even if I paid a contractor to get the job done, it would take at least a couple of weeks, and here you people did it on a single weekend!” This incident, plus the spirit of brotherly love so visibly evident among the three congregations working on the hall, greatly impressed the owner. Just before the meeting for dedication of the Kingdom Hall, he surprised the local Witnesses by telling them that use of the hall would be free of charge for eleven months. He also made a large monetary contribution and sent refreshments for the workers.

THE FIRST LARGE ASSEMBLIES

Legal recognition also meant that annual district assemblies could now be held in Portugal. This was an entirely new experience. What a challenge! Everything had to start from scratch, as there was no previous assembly organization or equipment​—not even a loudspeaker, or a pot for the cafeteria. During January 1975 plans for the summer district assemblies were outlined at a special meeting with all traveling overseers.

When assembly time came, everyone rose to the occasion in a wonderful way. The departments functioned well, serving their purpose to help the Witnesses to attend a four-day program, containing much sound counsel on how Christians may meet and overcome the challenges of these turbulent days. During July and August of 1975 a total of 34,529 persons attended the public meeting of the three district assemblies in Portugal, plus 410 for the Azores and 629 at Funchal, Madeira.

Events of such magnitude do not pass unnoticed. The Pôrto daily, Jornal de Notícias, of August 2, 1975, stated about the assembly in that city: “The atmosphere is peaceful and cordial, characteristic of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is the religious group, that, after the Catholics, is the largest in our country, already numbering more than 16,000 members.”

Commenting on the Kingdom songs, the O Comércio do Pôrto, of August 4, 1975, remarked: “The songs, with words and music both written and composed by members of Jehovah’s Witnesses, are based on the Bible and speak of the joy in waiting on Jehovah, the happiness of the meek and patient ones that God blesses and in the coming of a Kingdom that already has begun to rule.

“The songs are very beautiful, and without doubt are a form of participation in and of transmitting truths of the Holy Scriptures.”

A Lisbon newspaper, Tempo, gave outstanding coverage to the Lisbon assemblies held at the same football stadium during two successive weeks. This newspaper devoted a regular eight-page supplement entirely to Jehovah’s Witnesses, giving a total of 1,100 column centimeters (433 inches) of publicity. The August 7, 1975, issue of Tempo stated about the first Lisbon convention: “What most impressed our reporters about this assembly was the absence of policemen. A body of 1,100 volunteers took care of the entire organization of the assembly, including attendants for traffic, supervision of parking lots, cleaning personnel, first aid, transportation, the selling of refreshments and sandwiches at 6 booths placed around the stadium as well as the preparation and distribution of about 6,000 meals an hour in a canteen mounted in the Sports Gymnasium.”

There was no doubt about it. The “Divine Sovereignty” District Assemblies were a grand success in every way.

EXPANDING THROUGHOUT PORTUGAL

From October to December 1975 a special campaign was launched to preach the “good news” in towns, villages and rurals that had never yet heard the message of God’s kingdom. Fifty-eight special full-time workers were organized in car groups to work along every road and to call on every home. The results?

In the first month of the campaign one group of four Witnesses distributed a total of 2,241 Bibles and books. Public talks were given to groups of interested people. In one small hamlet, a very sincere and hospitable Catholic family offered free accommodations to the group. Every night when the Witnesses returned, the kind lady would have a meal prepared. She showed great interest in the Bible educational work these “pioneers” were doing and her first words each night were: “And how did your work go today? Did the people listen well?” This warmhearted lady was also in charge of the sacristy, being the principal supporter of the parish priest. But his visits had become few and far between. It was a pleasant surprise for the group when this lady gathered twenty-three people from that small hamlet to hear a Bible talk in her own home.

THE BIBLE COMES INTO ITS OWN!

All the years during the ban it had been difficult for congregations to receive sufficient copies of the Bible. In fact, commercial Bible stores refused even to sell them in bulk to Jehovah’s Witnesses. What a cause for rejoicing when 60,000 copies of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures were received from New York, to be used in the first door-to-door Bible campaign, held in the months of November and December 1975. Having the Portuguese Bible to offer to the people, the Witnesses were fired with great zeal. A new house-to-house worker in Braga, a very religious city in the north, enthusiastically distributed twenty-five Bibles in the first week of the campaign.

A rural congregation of some twenty Witnesses distributed 104 Bibles​—an average of over five each—​during the first month of the campaign.

BRIGHT PROSPECTS AHEAD

Although the greater Lisbon area alone now has over a hundred congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the city of Lisbon a ratio of one Witness to every 176 inhabitants, those persons that are “hungering and thirsting for righteousness” are still being found in great numbers.​—Matt. 5:6.

There are now more than 18,000 active witnesses of Jehovah in Portugal. Reports show that these are joined regularly by other thousands at their meetings at Kingdom Halls throughout the country. Then, when you consider that 45,221 persons assembled to observe the Memorial of Christ’s death in April 1976, it can readily be understood why Jehovah’s Witnesses in Portugal are happy that “a large door that leads to activity” has been opened before them. Joyfully and zealously, they have passed through that door and seized their service privileges as a great blessing. (1 Cor. 16:9) They are not slacking the hand. In recent months they have enjoyed so many blessings that they feel like David, when he said of his blessings: “They have become more numerous than I can recount.”​—Ps. 40:5.

[Picture on page 525]

Branch Office of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Estoril, Portugal

Training Our Conscience to Do More for Us

Training Our Conscience to Do More for Us

“Hold a good conscience, so that in the particular in which you are spoken against they may get ashamed who are speaking slightingly of your good conduct in connection with Christ.”​—1 Pet. 3:16.

1. What have we learned about the conscience in recent years?

IN RECENT years our understanding of the Bible-trained conscience, what it is and how it operates, has increased. We have come to appreciate that, far more than merely a mental activity, it is an inner moral sense that testifies for or against our thinking and conduct. Our conscience is a reflection of our basic moral nature due to our being created in the moral image of our God Jehovah. (Gen. 1:26, 27) A good conscience results from the cooperation of an intelligent mind with a heart having moral capacity.

2. (a) What part does the Bible play in improving the conscience? (b) What is the aim of a good conscience, and how is it realized?

2 By studying God’s Word, we can properly nourish our heart and mind, due primarily to the Bible’s ability and potential for encouraging a higher morality. The Bible is unique in its power to arouse and stimulate good, because it acquaints man with the personality of his Creator, Jehovah, whose personality man was designed to reflect. Therefore, the aim of a good conscience should be a warm, personal relationship with God, having holiness and everlasting life in view. This is what the Christian apostle Peter encouraged, saying: “In accord with the Holy One who called you, do you also become holy yourselves in all your conduct, because it is written: ‘You must be holy, because I am holy.’” (1 Pet. 1:15, 16; Lev. 11:44) The man who cultivates such a holy relationship will be rewarded with true peace and happiness.

3. What is the relation of the heart to one’s conscience, and how do its reasonings serve as a monitor?

3 The heart is vitally involved with this higher conception of moral duty, namely, the conscience. Hence, the need for what the Bible calls “a pure heart,” or ‘a clean heart.’ (Pss. 51:10; 73:1; Matt. 5:8) This is a heart whose only motive and desire is to serve Jehovah exclusively and to hallow his name. The reasonings of the heart deeply affect one’s conscience for good or for bad. So, if we examine our conscience and the way it operates we may also discern the heart’s desires and motives. We will see whether we have a good heart or a bad one. Also, as we become aware of our moral obligations, we will be able to look into the workings of our heart and mind, and see the kind of person we truly are within, as God sees us.​—1 Sam. 16:7.

4. Why is it important to know what is in our heart?

4 We must know what is in our heart if we want to train the conscience properly. This can be most revealing, as Jesus Christ observed: “Out of the heart come wicked reasonings, murders, adulteries, fornications, thieveries, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things defiling a man.” (Matt. 15:18-20) Not only wicked reasonings that defile spring from the heart, but also virtues that purify. For Jesus said: “A good man brings forth good out of the good treasure of his heart, but a wicked man brings forth what is wicked out of his wicked treasure; for out of the heart’s abundance his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) To improve our conscience we must know and understand our heart.

5. What can an examination of the conscience further do for us?

5 An examination of the conscience can reveal whether our service to God and man springs from motives higher than those originating from mere obedience to a detailed code of laws. In other words, it will reveal whether we are motivated to a course of morality just because certain laws require us to be moral, or whether we strive to be moral because we truly want to please God, coming to realize more fully what his good pleasure is as a result of our relationship with him. (Rom. 12:2) An examination will force us to ask and answer the question: Would we be moral persons even if there were no Bible commandments saying we must be moral?

6. Where must morality find its source, and how did Jesus Christ make this fact plain?

6 Morality is God’s way. Unquestionably, it is the better course because it promotes true peace and happiness. Jesus taught that morality must find its source in God, saying: “You heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ However, I say to you: 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, since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous. For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have? Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? And if you greet your brothers only, what extraordinary thing are you doing? Are not also the people of the nations doing the same thing? You must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:43-48) Therefore, a good conscience must find its primary example in Jehovah, the heavenly Father. As Jesus said: ‘You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

7. (a) What is the best mirror of the conscience? (b) Why are we morally responsible to reflect what we know about God?

7 Jesus, who was a master at sensitizing the conscience, revealed that the love of God, reflected in everyday deeds of life, is the best mirror of a good conscience. All duties performed by man should be acts of love. “Love is the law’s fulfillment.” (Rom. 13:10) Morality is not born of force. It must be voluntary, prompted by love. For “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) And since Christians are no longer under a detailed law code but under the ‘kingly law of love,’ we today become morally responsible for everything we know about Jehovah​—his personality, standards and purposes. (Jas. 2:8) Love should motivate us to use our increased understanding of the nature and operation of the conscience, not only so that we can improve its effectiveness in ourselves, but so that we may assist others in this respect also. A sensitive and effective conscience is necessary to us in safely guiding our lives in these increasingly complex and hazardous times, so that we may stay pleasing to Jehovah.

WHY KNOWLEDGE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH

8. Why is increased Bible knowledge in itself not enough to improve the conscience?

8 How, then, can we improve our conscience? Knowledge alone of Jehovah’s personality, his standards and purposes is not enough. Increased Bible knowledge by itself will not improve the working of our conscience, even though it may have a profound effect on the mind and heart. The psalmist wrote: “The law of Jehovah is perfect, bringing back the soul. The reminder of Jehovah is trustworthy, making the inexperienced one wise. The orders from Jehovah are upright, causing the heart to rejoice; the commandment of Jehovah is clean, making the eyes shine. . . . Also, your own servant has been warned by them; in the keeping of them there is a large reward.” (Ps. 19:7-11) Yet, despite the rewarding goodness that flows from God’s Word, it must be remembered that the conscience is not simply a mental activity but a reflection of the moral nature of the whole person. The conscience must do more than tell us what we ought to be; it must identify what we are in real life.

9. What shows that harmony with Jehovah’s personality is the focal point around which to build a good conscience?

9 Therefore, with strong reason the Bible associates a good conscience with faith and the quality of love, not just with knowledge. At 1 Timothy 1:5 we read: “Really the objective of this mandate is love out of a clean heart and out of a good conscience and out of faith without hypocrisy.” Thus we see that faith, love and a good conscience go hand in hand. To reject any one of these is to reject the other two. To reject the conscience is to make shipwreck of faith. Also, to say that love is not needed is to deny the paramount quality of God, because God is love. Thus God’s personality, revealed in his Word and in his dealings with his servants, is brought to the fore as the focal point around which a good conscience is to be developed.

10. How did Paul show that love is the all-important quality?

10 The young man Saul of Tarsus, known later as the apostle Paul, had to learn this fact. He was well versed in the law of Moses, and had been trained in Jewish schools and in their methods. But after becoming a Christian he expressed this conclusion: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become a sounding piece of brass or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophesying and am acquainted with all the sacred secrets and all knowledge, and if I have all the faith so as to transplant mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:1, 2) From these words of Paul it is evident that just adding fact to fact, or even just learning more Bible laws and principles, could fall short of improving the effectiveness of the conscience. One could end up with a head full of accumulated information, without the heart’s ever being touched.

11. Explain how knowledge alone or just outward acts could fall short of improving the conscience.

11 A real danger could develop. External observances could gain the ascendancy over true spirituality. External acts could be performed with or without a sincere spirit to supply the motivating force. Selfish considerations could lead one to live up to outward appearances of religious acceptability. Even acts of seeming love and self-denial could easily become mere outward acts with no inner reality or substance in the one performing them. A person could drift into a smug complacency, believing himself to have a good Christian conscience because of living up to a set pattern of rules and regulations. Life, even worship, could become routine, bookish, a calendar of events, impassively followed. Minor observances could easily be substituted for major responsibilities. Jesus pointed this fact out to the Pharisees, saying: “Hypocrites! . . . you give the tenth of the mint and the dill and the cummin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law, namely, justice and mercy and faithfulness.” (Matt. 23:23) These small duties can soothe the conscience that condones lovelessness. Small gestures can excuse failure in all the weightier matters of justice and human understanding.

12. To be effective, what must knowledge of Jehovah do?

12 That is why increased knowledge of Jehovah must go beyond improving the mind. The informed mind must act along with a morally sensitive heart. It must make you, a person, more sensitive to the standards and purposes of another Person, namely, Jehovah, whose personality we should try to reflect.

BECOME MORE ATTUNED TO JEHOVAH AS A PERSON

13. (a) To improve the conscience, why is it imperative that we study the Bible? (b) What should Bible knowledge do for us?

13 How can man on earth become more attuned to the person of Jehovah who is in heaven? In this way: The Bible is God’s revelation of himself to man. It reveals his personality, his standards and his purposes. To improve the conscience, therefore, it is imperative that we study the Bible. Knowledge gathered through Bible study should build the basis for an intimate acquaintance and relationship with its Author, Jehovah. It ought to acquaint us with his thinking, his personality, in the same way that visiting regularly with a friend might do. Since God is the wisest and most loving Personage in the universe, what we learn from him should touch our minds and hearts in a real and vital way.​—Col. 1:9, 10; Isa. 54:13.

14. Explain how knowledge gained from Bible study can be made to shape the conscience for good. Give examples.

14 For example, in the Genesis account we read of Jehovah’s loving provisions for mankind and that these did not cease even after the entry of sin. This should stir our hearts to show love toward our Creator. (Gen. 1:29, 30; 8:22) Later, we get a glimpse of God’s almightiness expressed in his miraculously giving Abraham a son. Abraham’s friendship with Jehovah caused him to believe that God was able to raise even the dead to life! (Heb. 11:17-19) The oppressed Israelites saved from Egyptian bondage saw Jehovah as “the One doing marvels.” (Ex. 15:11) Joshua saw Jehovah as a God of His word and promise, so that he could say to the people of Israel: “Not one word out of all the good words that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed.” (Josh. 23:14) The apostle Peter, when sent to the Gentile Cornelius, perceived that “God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34, 35) Jesus Christ declared: “I publicly praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intellectual ones and have revealed them to babes. Yes, O Father, because to do thus came to be the way approved by you.” (Matt. 11:25, 26) How beautifully the Bible reveals Jehovah’s personality and majesty to us! Its inspired message should reach our hearts, to awaken and shape our consciences.

15. What is needed to build into the conscience a moral sense of responsibility?

15 In our study of the Scriptures we should endeavor to capture a sense of God’s justice, love and righteousness and implant these deep into our hearts so that they become as much a part of us as eating and breathing. We should try to awaken more fully to a sense of moral responsibility by cultivating a keen awareness of what is right and what is wrong. More than this, we should make our conscience feel strongly its responsibility toward the perfect Law-Giver and Judge. (Isa. 33:22) So while learning things about God, we should be trying to imitate him in every aspect of life.

16. How can knowledge of God be transferred into daily acts of life?

16 We learn that God is forgiving. But are we? God does not oppress or defraud. But do we? God is kind to widows, orphans and strangers. Are we also? God is faithful and upright in everything. Are we trying to be like him in our daily life? We can be. A trained conscience will be satisfied with nothing less than developing a personality that reflects in all things the image of God.

17. (a) What should we have in mind to gain through our Bible study? (b) How did the Jewish religious leaders miss the point of the whole Law?

17 In pursuing our study of the Scriptures, we should have in mind to get the spirit and substance of the truth, rather than just the letter or technical framework. The Jewish religious leaders of the first century had detailed knowledge but missed the point of the whole Law. They failed to recognize Jesus, who personified truth. (John 14:6) How often they saw only the straw in their brother’s eye but not the rafter in their own! (Matt. 7:1-5) When Jesus’ disciples did not wash their hands before a meal, this disturbed the Pharisees greatly. But they were totally blind and insensitive to their breaking of God’s commands by their traditions. (Matt. 15:1-20) On another occasion they saw the hungry disciples of Jesus plucking grain and eating the kernels on the sabbath. This made them indignant. But they saw nothing wrong with murder, and so took counsel against Jesus “that they might destroy him.” (Matt. 12:1-14) These hypocrites felt no twinge of conscience in paying Judas with money from the temple treasury to betray Jesus, but after he had committed his foul deed, they would not put it back in the treasury. Apparently they now viewed that money as unclean. (Compare Deuteronomy 23:18.) But could they, the murderers, have a clean conscience?

OBTAINING THE MIND OF CHRIST

18, 19. (a) Why should an effort be made to obtain “the mind of Christ”? (b) What high standard of morality did Jesus set for mankind?

18 Since Jesus Christ always reflects Jehovah’s perfect personality, we should make every effort to get “the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16) This means that we should acquire the mental disposition of Christ that ensures our personality’s becoming in every respect like that of Jesus rather than our giving just a grudging conformity. The exemplary relationship that existed between Jesus and his heavenly Father is reflected in these words of Jesus: “Most truly I say to you, The Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he beholds the Father doing. For whatever things that One does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19, 20) We see the goodness of God mirrored in Jesus’ whole life pattern. As Jesus told Philip: “He that has seen me has seen the Father also.” (John 14:9) It is the example of Jesus that we are called upon to follow as Christians.​—1 Pet. 2:21; see also Psalm 40:8.

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