The Watchtower, July 15, 1990

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The Watchtower — July 15, 1990

Source: jw.org

Contents

Soon—A World Without Pain!

Because He Prayed

The Battle of Jericho—Myth or Fact?

An Argument Erupts

Diffusing the Fragrance of the Knowledge of God

Our Treasure, a Modern-Day Ministry of Glory

‘Against Knowledge—Falsely So Called’

Malta’s Hospitality Brings Blessings

Do We Really Need the Originals?

Insight on the News

A Wise Step Before Calamity

Would You Welcome a Visit?

Soon—A World Without Pain!

Soon​—A World Without Pain!

A WORLD without pain coming soon? What welcome news that would be to chronic sufferers​—whether their pain is physical, mental, or emotional! For instance, millions would be overjoyed at the removal of the intense physical pain caused by some types of cancer, the affliction tic douloureux, and the heart disease angina pectoris. Those afflicted with severe mental problems would welcome relief from their often indescribable sufferings. And millions more would rejoice if only their emotional pain caused by such feelings as fear, grief, guilt, worry, and frustration were to end. But do we really want to see the end of all pain?

“Not to have pain at all is a disaster,” states anatomist Allan Basbaum of the University of California at San Francisco. He made this statement with good reason. As an alarm factor, physical pain lets us know that something harmful is happening.

Inability to feel physical pain can really be disastrous. This is illustrated in this Time magazine report: “The twelve-year-old boy’s sweet smile makes a poignant contrast to his otherwise pitiful appearance. His arms and legs are deformed and bent, as though he had suffered from rickets. Several fingers are missing. A large open wound covers one knee, and the smiling lips are bitten raw. He looks for all the world like a battered child . . . He was born with an extremely rare genetic defect that makes him insensitive to pain. His fingers were either crushed or burned because he did not pull his hand away from things that were hot or dangerous. His bones and joints are misshapen because he pounded them too hard when he walked or ran. His knee had ulcerated from crawling over sharp objects that he could not feel. Should he break a bone or dislocate a hip, he would not feel enough to cry out for help.”

Some people are quick to hold God responsible for such afflictions and for the misery experienced by millions. However, can we rightly blame God for mankind’s painful sufferings?

Is God to Blame?

For some 6,000 years now, mankind has been in bondage to physical, mental, and emotional pain. In fact, some 19 centuries ago, the Christian apostle Paul correctly observed: “All creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now.” (Romans 8:22) Despite the many painkillers obtainable at drugstores and the efforts of physicians and psychiatrists, widespread bondage to pain of all kinds continues. Why, some have cursed God because of their sufferings, even as the wife of the man Job urged him to do many centuries ago! As he himself realized, however, such a spirit is foolish and improper.​—Job 2:9, 10.

Present human bondage to pain cannot rightly be blamed on God. Rather, the blame rests with an invisible liar and with our first parents. How so?

The Scriptures indicate that although originally righteous, a spirit creature became greedy for power and prominence. At the dawn of human life on earth, he envisioned a race of mankind on a paradise earth, all giving full devotion to Almighty God, Jehovah. Driven by a heart that had become malicious, this spirit creature rebelled against the Creator, wanting human worship and devotion for himself. His wicked intentions manifested themselves when he cunningly lied. This, in turn, brought sin into the world.

Jehovah God told the first man, Adam, that eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad would result in death. (Genesis 2:15-17) But Adam’s wife, Eve, was induced to disobey. Using the serpent as a mouthpiece, the spirit Deceiver told her: “You positively will not die. For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes [those of Eve and of her husband] are bound to be opened and [both of] you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.” (Genesis 3:1-5) That was the first lie, and it branded this wicked spirit creature as ‘the father of lies.’ (John 8:44) His use of the serpent on that occasion in the garden of Eden finds a parallel in his Scriptural identification as “the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan.”​—Revelation 12:9.

Sin brought groaning and bondage to pain upon mankind. True to God’s word, on the very day of Adam’s sinning, God pronounced the sentence of death on the transgressors. Judicially, from Jehovah’s standpoint, Adam and Eve died that day. (Compare Luke 20:37, 38.) In Eden, Jehovah told the then sinful first woman: “I shall greatly increase the pain of your pregnancy; in birth pangs you will bring forth children.” (Genesis 3:16) Adam would eke out a painful existence outside the garden of Eden in an earth far from paradisaic in nature. Said Jehovah: “In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:17-19) Bondage to pain thus had its start for the human race.

So, then, bondage to pain is linked with imperfection, sin, and death inherited from Adam. As the apostle Paul put matters: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.” (Romans 5:12) But God’s Word helps us to bear pain, for it tells us why Jehovah has permitted it and assures us that it will soon end. God permitted the serpentine ‘father of lies,’ Satan the Devil, to afflict righteous Job and thus test his integrity. The Devil’s contention was that Job served God out of selfishness, not love. (Job 1:8-12) But Job remained faithful to God, proving that imperfect humans can serve Him out of love and can loyally uphold His sovereignty despite severe tests of their faith. Job’s endurance as an integrity keeper contributed to the sanctification of Jehovah’s name, proved that Satan is a liar, and brought rich rewards to that exemplary patriarch. (Job 42:12-17; James 5:11) From Job’s experience, we can conclude that when God’s purpose has been served, mankind’s bondage to pain will end. But how can we be sure about that?

How Pain Will End

Actually, Jehovah has provided a completely effective means to end human bondage to pain. This he has done on the basis of the ransom sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) He came to the earth, “not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul [his perfect human life] a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Through disobedience, Adam lost perfect human life, with all its rights and prospects. And that is exactly what is redeemed by means of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. (1 Timothy 2:5, 6; Hebrews 7:26) Indeed, “God loved the world [of mankind] so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.”​—John 3:16.

God has also specifically promised that bondage to pain will end. Foretelling a time when pain associated with sin will be no more, the Christian apostle John was divinely inspired to write:

“I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. . . . I heard a loud voice from the throne say: ‘Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.’ And the One seated on the throne [Jehovah God] said: ‘Look! I am making all things new.’ Also, he says: ‘Write, because these words are faithful and true.’”​—Revelation 21:1-5.

Obedient humans will soon receive the full benefit of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. This will occur under the rule of the Kingdom for which the upright have long prayed, saying: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matthew 6:9, 10) In the heavenly Kingdom, Jesus Christ will reign until he has put all enemies under his feet, including bondage to pain and the last enemy, death.​—1 Corinthians 15:25, 26.

Yes, as far as obedient humans are concerned, soon God ‘will wipe out every tear, and neither death, mourning, outcry nor pain will be anymore.’ (Revelation 21:4) Then the following prophetic words that now have a spiritual application will also have a literal fulfillment: “Bless Jehovah, O my soul, . . . him who is forgiving all your error, who is healing all your maladies.” “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’”​—Psalm 103:1-3; Isaiah 33:24.

When an End of Pain?

The end of bondage to pain is imminent. Yes, it will occur in our day, and this very generation will see it. Fulfillment of Bible prophecy shows that we are living at the end of this wicked system of things. The unparalleled wars, famines, and earthquakes, as well as the earth-wide preaching of the good news by Jehovah’s Witnesses, are part of a composite “sign” of Jesus’ invisible “presence” in heavenly Kingdom glory.​—Matthew 24:3-14, 21, 34.

Soon, “the former heaven and the former earth,” Satan the Devil’s organized system of things with its governmental structure, will pass away. The turbulent “sea” of wicked mankind will cease to exist. We therefore stand at the very threshold of a divinely blessed governmental “new heaven” over “a new earth,” a righteous human society. In these “righteousness is to dwell.”​—Revelation 21:1; 2 Peter 3:13.

With such blessings under a new government​—God’s Kingdom—​so close at hand, take heart. Seek further knowledge of the new world without pain and death. Indeed, look forward to the blessed day now so near when all who love and obey Jehovah God will live in a world without pain.

Because He Prayed

Because He Prayed

AT 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18, the apostle Paul said: “Pray incessantly. In connection with everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in union with Christ Jesus respecting you.” However, do you sometimes find yourself reluctant to give thanks when enjoying a meal in a public place, such as a restaurant? In view of Jesus’ caution against ostentatious prayer, it is understandable that one may wish to avoid attracting undue attention to oneself. (Matthew 6:5, 6) Nevertheless, a discreetly offered prayer may well attract favorable notice.

This was the experience of one young minister serving at Brooklyn Bethel, the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He was eating breakfast at a restaurant, planning to go to his local congregation and meet with a group that would be participating in Kingdom-preaching activity. When his breakfast arrived, he offered a prayer in his usual manner. Upon opening his eyes, he looked up to find a waitress standing there staring at him.

“You’re praying, aren’t you?” she asked. When he answered in the affirmative, she said: “You must be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. My parents are too. I never really got involved in their religion, but I know I should. Maybe I should get a subscription to The Watchtower and Awake! Can I get them from you?”

“I nearly choked on my food,” the young brother recalls. Nevertheless, he was able to place two subscriptions and the latest two magazines with her and to arrange for a return visit​—all because he prayed.

The Battle of Jericho—Myth or Fact?

The Battle of Jericho​—Myth or Fact?

FOR decades, archaeologists have tried to cast doubt on the Bible’s account of Joshua and the battle of Jericho. According to the Bible, Joshua and the Israelite army marched around Jericho for seven days, until God made the city’s formidable walls fall down. This allowed the Israelites to enter and ‘burn the city with fire and everything that was in it.’​—Joshua 6:1-24.

But many archaeologists, swayed by the highly esteemed work of Kathleen Kenyon in the 1950’s, were convinced that Jericho did not even exist during the time of the Israelite invasion. Why, they held that the city had been destroyed well over a century earlier! Thus, the Biblical account of Joshua and the Israelites was widely dismissed. Recently, though, Dr. Bryant G. Wood, an archaeologist from the University of Toronto, Canada, has taken a fresh look at the evidence from Jericho. According to The New York Times, he has concluded that Dr. Kenyon “had been looking for the wrong kind of pottery, and in the wrong places,” and that the evidence is actually in “remarkable agreement” with the Bible.

Dr. Wood cites a three-foot-thick [1 m] layer of ash laden with pottery sherds, fragments of bricks from a fallen wall, and timbers, all blackened as if by a citywide fire. The ceramic fragments have been dated (with the admittedly inexact methods available) at 1410 before our Common Era, give or take 40 years​—not at all far from 1473 B.C.E., the date for the battle of Jericho derived from the Bible.

Excavators have found that the houses in ancient Jericho had abundant supplies of stored grain. This is interesting, since the Bible indicates that Jericho fell shortly after the spring harvest and without a drawn-out starvation siege. (Joshua 3:14-16) Both are good reasons why Jericho’s houses would have been well-stocked with grain when the city was destroyed.

Scientists are rather grudging when it comes to admitting the accuracy of the Bible. Thus, the Times quotes one eminent scholar as saying in response to Wood’s findings: “There is no doubt that a good deal of information found in the Bible has a grain of truth in it.” Yet, as more and more Scriptural accounts are supported by modern scientific and archaeological discoveries, it is clear to the unbiased that the Bible is far from a collection of falsehoods interspersed with occasional grains of truth. As the Bible itself says: “Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar.”​—Romans 3:4.

While current interpretations of archaeological excavations at Jericho are of interest, true Christians ‘walk by faith, not by sight.’ (2 Corinthians 5:7) Their faith does not depend on archaeology. With or without archaeological evidence, the Bible repeatedly proves to be a reliable source of information regarding the past, the present, and the future.​—Psalm 119:105; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

[Picture on page 7]

The ruins of Jericho, where Jehovah granted the Israelites victory

[Credit Line]

Pictorial archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

An Argument Erupts

Jesus’ Life and Ministry

An Argument Erupts

EARLIER in the evening, Jesus taught a beautiful lesson in humble service by washing his apostles’ feet. Afterward, he introduced the Memorial of his approaching death. Now, especially in view of what has just taken place, a surprising incident occurs. His apostles become involved in a heated argument over which one of them seems to be the greatest! Apparently, this is part of an ongoing dispute.

Recall that after Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, the apostles argued over who among them was the greatest. Moreover, James and John requested prominent positions in the Kingdom, resulting in further contention among the apostles. Now, on his last night with them, how saddened Jesus must be to see them bickering again! What does he do?

Rather than scold the apostles for their behavior, once again Jesus patiently reasons with them: “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those having authority over them are called Benefactors. You, though, are not to be that way. . . . For which one is greater, the one reclining at the table or the one ministering? Is it not the one reclining at the table?” Then, reminding them of his example, he says: “But I am in your midst as the one ministering.”

Despite their imperfections, the apostles have stuck with Jesus during his trials. So he says: “I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom.” This personal covenant between Jesus and his loyal followers joins them to him to share his royal dominion. Only a limited number of 144,000 are finally taken into this covenant for a Kingdom.

Although the apostles are presented with this marvelous prospect of sharing with Christ in Kingdom rule, they are at present spiritually weak. “All of you will be stumbled in connection with me on this night,” says Jesus. Telling Peter that He has prayed in his behalf, Jesus urges: “When once you have returned, strengthen your brothers.”

“Little children,” Jesus explains, “I am with you a little longer. You will look for me; and just as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ I say also to you at present. I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.”

“Lord, where are you going?” Peter asks.

“Where I am going you cannot follow me now,” Jesus responds, “but you will follow afterwards.”

“Lord, why is it I cannot follow you at present?” Peter wants to know. “I will surrender my soul in your behalf.”

“Will you surrender your soul in my behalf?” Jesus asks. “Truly I say to you, You today, yes, this night, before a cock crows twice, even you will disown me three times.”

“Even if I should have to die with you,” Peter protests, “I will by no means disown you.” And while the other apostles join in saying the same thing, Peter boasts: “Although all the others are stumbled in connection with you, never will I be stumbled!”

Referring to the time when he sent the apostles out on a preaching tour of Galilee without purse and food pouch, Jesus asks: “You did not want for anything, did you?”

“No!” they reply.

“But now let the one that has a purse take it up, likewise also a food pouch,” he says, “and let the one having no sword sell his outer garment and buy one. For I tell you that this which is written must be accomplished in me, namely, ‘And he was reckoned with lawless ones.’ For that which concerns me is having an accomplishment.”

Jesus is pointing to the time when he will be impaled with evildoers, or lawless ones. He is also indicating that his followers will thereafter face severe persecution. “Lord, look! here are two swords,” they say.

“It is enough,” he answers. As we will see, having the swords with them will soon permit Jesus to teach another vital lesson. Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:24-38; John 13:31-38; Revelation 14:1-3.

◆ Why is the apostles’ argument so surprising?

◆ How does Jesus handle the argument?

◆ What is accomplished by the covenant Jesus makes with his disciples?

◆ What new commandment does Jesus give, and how important is it?

◆ What overconfidence does Peter display, and what does Jesus say?

◆ Why are Jesus’ instructions about carrying a purse and a food pouch different from those he gave earlier?

Diffusing the Fragrance of the Knowledge of God

Diffusing the Fragrance of the Knowledge of God

“Thanks be to God who always leads us in a triumphal procession in company with the Christ and makes the odor of the knowledge of him perceptible through us in every place!”​—2 CORINTHIANS 2:14.

1. What fragrance are we here discussing, and how is the privilege of diffusing it to be viewed?

SNIFF, sniff! M-m-m-m! Do you smell the sweet fragrance? We do not here refer to the fragrance of blossoming flowers but, instead, to a figurative fragrance emanating from the choicest writings on earth. These writings are not those originating with mere men but are the figurative bouquet inspired by the One who also created the fragrant flowers that adorn the earth. The privilege of diffusing this fragrance of the knowledge of God is a great treasure. Yes, it is a service that is especially valuable​—not possessed by all, not shared by mankind in general.

2. When did the disciples of Christ begin to diffuse a figurative fragrance, and with what result?

2 This precious treasure was conferred upon the disciples of Christ when they were introduced to an active service to Jehovah God on the day of Pentecost in the year 33 of our Common Era. Filled with holy spirit, they began to diffuse a figurative fragrance, expounding “the magnificent things of God.” (Acts 2:1-4, 11) Through them the fragrance of the knowledge of God would go to others, not only to natural circumcised Jews but also to uncircumcised nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. (Acts 10:34, 35) The true disciples looked upon this service as more valuable than all the material wealth that men heap up for themselves.

3. To what extent is the work of diffusing the fragrance of the knowledge of God being carried on, and what question do we need to ask ourselves?

3 Today, the grand work of diffusing the fragrance of the knowledge of God is being carried on earth wide​—on a scale greater than ever before in human history. It involves witnessing to all mankind about the now established Kingdom of God under his appointed King, Jesus Christ. (Matthew 6:10; Acts 1:8) Do you look upon the service of advertising the King and his Kingdom as a priceless treasure? Jesus Christ, who spearheaded the preaching of the good news of that Kingdom, appreciated it that way, setting the pattern.​—Matthew 4:17; 6:19-21.

Perfuming the Way of the Triumphal Procession

4. According to 2 Corinthians 2:14, how is God now leading his servants on earth, and to what ancient practice do Paul’s words allude?

4 Why is serving God something to be treasured? One reason is that even now those who serve Jehovah have the remarkable privilege of being led by God in a grand triumphal procession. According to the New International Version, 2 Corinthians 2:14 says: “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him [“makes our knowledge of him spread throughout the world like a lovely perfume!” Phillips].” Those words of the apostle Paul appear to allude to an ancient practice of having victory processions.a

5, 6. (a) What took place during ancient Roman triumphal processions, and what did the sweet fragrance signify to various ones? (b) What is the spiritual application of the illustration at 2 Corinthians 2:14-16?

5 In the days of the Roman republic, one of the highest honors the Senate could bestow upon a conquering general was to allow him to celebrate his victory with a costly procession of triumph. The Roman procession moved slowly along Via Triumphalis and up the winding ascent to the temple of Jupiter atop Capitoline Hill. The kings, princes, and generals taken captive in the war, with their children and attendants, were led along in chains, often stripped naked, to their humiliation and shame.

6 As the procession passed through the city of Rome, the populace threw flowers before the victor’s chariot, and burning incense perfumed the entire route. This sweet fragrance signified honors and a more secure life for the victorious soldiers. But it signified death to the unpardoned captives who would be executed at the end of the procession. This throws light on Paul’s spiritual application of the illustration at 2 Corinthians 2:14-16. That picture presents Paul and fellow Christians as devoted subjects of God, “in company with the Christ,” all following in God’s victorious train and being led by Him in a grand triumphal procession along a perfumed route.

Fragrance of Life or the Smell of Death

7, 8. (a) How are Jehovah’s Witnesses diffusing the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of God? (b) As the Witnesses diffuse the figurative fragrance, what is the reaction of those who are being saved? (c) What reaction is there from those who are perishing?

7 By spreading abroad everywhere the truths of the Bible concerning God’s Kingdom under Christ, Jehovah’s Witnesses are diffusing, displaying, and making manifest everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of the gracious God whose truth has set them free from false religion. They march triumphantly along in Jehovah’s service. Their offerings of service as Witnesses of him and his King are like pleasing incense to Jehovah. Thus, we can appreciate what the apostle meant when he said: “To God we are a sweet odor of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the latter ones an odor issuing from death to death, to the former ones an odor issuing from life to life [“a vital fragrance that brings life,” The New English Bible; “the refreshing fragrance of life itself,” Phillips].”​—2 Corinthians 2:15, 16.

8 Honest people of sheeplike disposition sense the sweetness of the knowledge of Jehovah as diffused by his Witnesses. To such people the witness work has the smell of health and life, of living, life-giving truth. They render thanks to Jehovah and his King, whose triumphal procession they join, and loudly cry out: “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:10) They breathe in the atmosphere of Kingdom truth, which is a refreshing fragrance of life that leads to life. But Satan and his demons have perverted the smelling powers of those hanging on to false religion, so that they hold their noses and disdainfully refuse the truth. To “those who are perishing,” the truth and its faithful bearers diffuse an odor of death that leads to death. Or as the New International Version puts it: “To the one we are the smell of death.” Phillips translation renders it: “To the latter it seems like the deathly smell of doom.”

9. What question does Paul now ask, and how would you answer, and why?

9 “And who is adequately qualified for these things?” the apostle then asks. (2 Corinthians 2:16) That is to say, “and who could be qualified for work like this?” (The Jerusalem Bible) “And for such service as this who is competent?” (Weymouth) The Scriptural answer is: Jehovah’s Witnesses! Why? Because only dedicated ones who are honest, sincere, and seeking no selfish gain and who speak forth truth, plainly and without compromise with false religion, are qualified for this work of spreading the fragrance of the knowledge of God.​—Colossians 1:3-6, 13; 2 Timothy 2:15.

10. Why do the clergy not qualify for the work of diffusing the fragrance of the knowledge of God?

10 Christendom’s clergy, who seek a good standing with this world, fail to be qualified and competent for this unselfish service. Why? Because they fail to meet the requirement indicated by Paul’s statement: “We are not peddlers of the word of God as many men are, but as out of sincerity, yes, as sent from God, under God’s view, in company with Christ, we are speaking.” (2 Corinthians 2:17) Or as the New International Version puts it: “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.”

11, 12. (a) Why are the Witnesses not “peddlers of the word of God” because of accepting donations? (b) In contrast with the adulterated version of Christianity purchased by many, what do Jehovah’s Witnesses present?

11 Jehovah’s Witnesses are sent from God, and they are doing their witnessing work under God’s view. While they provide interested persons with valuable books and other publications that explain God’s Word and accept voluntary donations for the worldwide Kingdom-preaching work, such practice is not peddling or adulterating the Word of God. In fact, such donations are simply an aid toward the spreading of the knowledge of God to still others.

12 A great many today, knowingly or unknowingly, have purchased an adulterated version of Christianity, for it suits their selfish desires and does not cramp their life-style. They believe that God accepts them because of their claim that they have love for him in their hearts. However, when God’s Word is shown to conflict with their beliefs and conduct, they twist the Scriptures so as to elevate personal opinions above the proper Biblical understanding. (Matthew 15:8, 9; 2 Peter 3:16) But Jehovah’s Witnesses present the pure, unadulterated truth from the Bible, thus producing a sweet fragrance acceptable to God and to his true worshipers. Thereby they drive away all the religious traditions and impediments to having the true knowledge of God.

13. Who, besides the anointed Christians, are in God’s triumphal procession, and what are they doing everywhere they go?

13 Truly, being in God’s triumphal procession in company with the Christ is an incomparable privilege enjoyed by not only the anointed Christians but also the “great crowd” of “other sheep” even now, for the Kingdom’s triumph is at hand. (Revelation 7:4, 9; John 10:16) As we anticipate further triumphs of our conquering King, everywhere we go we diffuse the life-giving knowledge of God like perfume, or precious incense, to those whose hearts are yearning for truth and righteousness. What a privilege for those qualified for this remarkable work!​—John 17:3; Colossians 3:16, 17.

Authorized to Be Human Perfumers

14. Why do those who diffuse the fragrance of the knowledge of God not need a certificate of authorization from men?

14 But do those who diffuse the fragrance of the knowledge of God and of his Kingdom need a diploma or a certificate of authorization from men? No! We are already commissioned, or appointed, as Witnesses for the Supreme One of the universe. Hence, we need not hesitate to go forth into the field spreading the fragrance of the good news of God’s Kingdom. Keep in mind that Jehovah leads us. Jesus’ ministry was carried out in the face of “contrary talk by sinners.” (Hebrews 12:3) Yet, Jesus’ record of field activity, as found in the Bible, still stands true, and his work in the field speaks in commendation of him and argues in support of his being a true minister of Jehovah God.

15. How did the apostle Paul show that true Christians do not need “letters of recommendation”?

15 The apostle Paul met a similar challenging situation in his day by submitting this argument: “Are we starting again to recommend ourselves? Or do we, perhaps, like some men, need letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts and known and being read by all mankind. For you are shown to be a letter of Christ written by us as ministers, inscribed not with ink but with spirit of a living God, not on stone tablets, but on fleshly tablets, on hearts.”​—2 Corinthians 3:1-3.

16. What kind of letter do Jehovah’s Witnesses present as testimonial evidence that their ministry is from God?

16 Worldly authorities do not acknowledge our commission as Jehovah’s Witnesses. But let our work of diffusing the fragrance of the knowledge of Jehovah speak for itself! This work cannot be erased, though some men refuse to read this testimonial evidence of our ministry. Clergymen present their documents of certification from clerical ruling bodies. Such, however, are scraps of paper, man’s word. Jehovah’s Witnesses, besides quoting support from God’s Word, stand as testimonials in flesh and blood. The great crowd of other sheep who have been reached by the good news of the Kingdom have also been gathered to the right side of Jehovah’s King. (Matthew 25:33, 34) All of these are our letter of recommendation, a letter that we as Jehovah’s Witnesses carry everywhere on our hearts and minds and can display with confidence. Those who take a stand for God’s universal sovereignty and take part in serving God in company with Jehovah’s Witnesses are themselves a document of recommendation that cannot escape being read and known by all men.

17. How is our “letter of Christ” written, and why does Paul say that it is inscribed on hearts?

17 Of course, this makes the false religionists angry and envious when they read it. Nevertheless, the increasing great crowd of other sheep are a letter of recommendation from Jesus Christ, the Fine Shepherd, who is using all of Jehovah’s Witnesses in his pastoral work. We are the pen, or human instrument, that he uses to write this letter. The letter is not written in ink that can be rubbed out, but it is inscribed by and with the active force, or spirit, of God, which works in us. It is not as in the case of Moses when the law of the Ten Commandments was written with the finger of God on two tablets of stone. Our letter is written on the fleshly tablets of human hearts, since our spiritual ministry produces a change of mind and heart in the recipients of the fragrant good news.

18. What result makes the recipients of the good news a letter of recommendation?

18 Our work with God’s Word has made an impression upon appreciative recipients of the good news and has brought about remarkable changes. Their decision to serve God has proved to be no mere spur-of-the-moment stand due to some fervor stirred up in them by an emotional evangelist. Rather, it represents a permanent transformation of their lives based upon the crystal-clear truths of the Holy Bible. Love for the true God, Jehovah, motivates them to ‘strip off their old personality with its deceptive desires and put on the new personality,’ which displays “the fruitage of the spirit.” (Ephesians 4:20-24; Galatians 5:22, 23) The result, therefore, makes them a letter of recommendation. It speaks more plainly than any handwritten letter by us or by any visible organization that could send us.

19. How does Paul describe the qualifications of the “ministers of a new covenant,” and what effect has their work had on the great crowd?

19 At 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 Paul continues: “Now through the Christ we have this sort of confidence toward God. Not that we of ourselves are adequately qualified to reckon anything as issuing from ourselves, but our being adequately qualified issues from God, who has indeed adequately qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant.” Though only those of the anointed remnant are “ministers of a new covenant,” their work has had an effect upon the great crowd of other sheep, and it will yet affect countless numbers of such other sheep still to be gathered. This is the confidence that all of Jehovah’s Witnesses have through Christ Jesus toward Jehovah God. The remnant gratefully encourage the great crowd of other sheep to participate wholeheartedly in the ‘letter-writing’ ministry that Jesus Christ foretold at Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19, 20.

20. (a) What does the Yearbook report indicate about those diffusing the fragrance of the knowledge of God? (b) What can all of us say about our qualifications for the letter-writing ministry?

20 That is what they have done, as is evident from the 1990 Yearbook report in which Jehovah’s Witnesses are shown to be diffusing the fragrance of the knowledge of God in 212 countries. They number more than 3,787,000 active publishers, and last year alone they put in about 835,000,000 hours in preaching this good news of the Kingdom. At the Lord’s Evening Meal last year, 9,479,064 were in attendance. Both the anointed remnant and the members of the great crowd of other sheep can say: “Our being adequately qualified issues from God.” Or as The Jerusalem Bible words it: “All our qualifications come from God.”

21. What should all of us be doing, and why?

21 Therefore, spread the sweet, life-giving fragrance of God’s knowledge in every place! Make the atmosphere of your congregation’s territory heavy with fragrance of the knowledge of Jehovah. Then, as a triumphant theocratic General, he will lead you in his victorious procession as all of his Witnesses press forward in this modern-day ministry of glory!

[Footnotes]

For more details, see Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2, pages 1128-9, published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

How Would You Answer?

□ What illustration does Paul use at 2 Corinthians 2:14-16?

□ What is the effect on others of diffusing the fragrance of the knowledge of God?

□ Who only are qualified for this work, and why?

□ Why do the human perfumers not need handwritten letters of recommendation for their work?

Our Treasure, a Modern-Day Ministry of Glory

Our Treasure, a Modern-Day Ministry of Glory

“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not that out of ourselves.”​—2 CORINTHIANS 4:7.

1. (a) What glorious treasure may we have, and why? (b) How does the Bible describe the delivery of the Mosaic Law?

THE ministry of preaching “this good news of the kingdom” during the conclusion of the system of things is indeed a treasure, a possession most valuable. Because Jehovah is a God of glory, the service to God is a ministry of glory, thus a treasure. (Matthew 24:14; 2 Corinthians 3:18–4:1) Concerning the glorious delivery of the Mosaic Law, it is written at Exodus 34:29, 30: “Now it came about when Moses came down from Mount Sinai that the two tablets of the Testimony were in the hand of Moses when he came down from the mountain, and Moses did not know that the skin of his face emitted rays because of his having spoken with [Jehovah]. When Aaron and all the sons of Israel got to see Moses, why, look! the skin of his face emitted rays and they grew afraid of coming near to him.”

2. What was foreshadowed by the service of the Mosaic Law, and why is the latter ministry more glorious?

2 Ex 34 Verses 32 to 34 add: “After that all the sons of Israel came near to him, and he began commanding them all that Jehovah had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses would finish speaking with them, he would put a veil over his face. But when Moses would go in before Jehovah to speak with him, he would take away the veil until his going out.” The service of the Mosaic Law foreshadowed the ministry of the new covenant by the Mediator, Jesus Christ. Hence, if the former ministry was glorious, how much more must the latter, “the administering of the spirit,” exceed it in glory! (2 Corinthians 3:7-11) It is more glorious because it has a glory that remains, and the followers of Jesus Christ share in it.​—Romans 12:11.

3. (a) What must be true about the ministry of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but why is this not apparent to many people? (b) What proved that Moses had been in the glorious presence of Jehovah?

3 It follows, therefore, that the ministry of Jehovah’s Witnesses is a glorious one. This, however, is not apparent to the many people who have been blinded by false religion. Though many have the Bible and may read it, they do not have ‘seeing eyes.’ (2 Peter 1:5-9) To get the veil removed from before their eyes, they must turn to Jehovah God in faith, for when Moses went before the presence of Jehovah, he removed the veil that hid his face from the Jews. (2 Corinthians 3:16) The Israelites were fearful of seeing God’s glory in the face of their mediator and asked that it be veiled from their eyes. Just as a phosphorescent substance that has been exposed to light emits an afterglow in the dark, so Moses, their go-between, reflected Jehovah’s glory, proving that he had been before Jehovah.

4. How do unbelieving people today imitate the Jews of old, but what do the followers of the Greater Moses not fear?

4 Moses foreshadowed God’s great Prophet, Jesus Christ. Like his prototype, this Greater Moses is not afraid to behold Jehovah’s glory directly. To this day, however, unbelieving people blinded by the Devil and his Babylonish religion imitate those Jews of old and refuse to see, or discern, the glory of the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:12-15) Yet, his true followers do not fear to look at the reflection of Jehovah’s glory as shed forth from the face of Jesus Christ. Freed from Babylonish influence, they are emboldened to show forth God’s glory. “Therefore,” wrote Paul, “as we have such a hope, we are using great freeness of speech.”​—2 Corinthians 3:12.

Reflectors of God’s Glory

5. How can we reflect God’s glory and be like Moses on the mountaintop in Jehovah’s presence?

5 Jesus Christ has taken away the veil by revealing and declaring Jehovah God to us. (John 1:14, 17, 18) So we must shine, and thus God’s glory shines through “the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God,” which we must proclaim. Its radiance is “the glorious knowledge of God by the face of Christ.” We must reflect this glory by speaking of the glory of Jehovah and the glory of his Kingdom by his Son. (2 Corinthians 4:4-6) Like Moses on the mountaintop in Jehovah’s presence, His Witnesses on earth do not veil their hearts from Jehovah’s glory. They admire the glory reflected in the face of Jehovah’s Son and King, Jesus Christ. Thus, they must shed forth to others the light concerning God’s glory.

6. How does Paul describe our ministry of glory at 2 Corinthians 3:18, and in what ways are we thus “transformed”?

6 To all fellow witnesses of Jehovah’s glory, the apostle Paul describes it in these words: “And all of us, while we with unveiled faces reflect like mirrors the glory of Jehovah, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, exactly as done by Jehovah the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) The more of the glory of this light we receive, the more thereof we must radiate forth, and thus the more we are transformed. Minds are renewed and renovated, although no bodily or facial changes may be discernible. It is the light of the glorious message that we shed forth that produces the difference in us. Our lives are transformed to be like Christ, as we set ourselves to carry out the privileged service of spreading this glorious light abroad to others.​—Hebrews 13:15.

7. From what source is genuine glory, and how may we express such glory?

7 All such transformation is due to the spirit, or active force, of God. Christendom’s clergy do not reflect the glory of Jehovah God but have to resort to a put-on show so as to create a spectacle. The glory is not our glory, and we need not adorn ourselves in gorgeous ecclesiastical vestments of silk, gold, and glittering jewelry. Genuine glory is derived from God’s spirit and is expressed in giving forth the glorious witness concerning Jehovah the Spirit.

All Privileged Light-Bearers

8, 9. What encouragement does Paul give us at 2 Corinthians 4:1, 2, and what determination on our part does it call for?

8 At 2 Corinthians 4:1, 2, we read: “That is why, since we have this ministry according to the mercy that was shown us, we do not give up; but we have renounced the underhanded things of which to be ashamed, not walking with cunning, neither adulterating the word of God, but by making the truth manifest recommending ourselves to every human conscience in the sight of God.” God has had mercy upon us to assign us this ministry. This is an exhortation to encourage us to keep on courageously, and this we shall do! Since we have been favored with light from God’s Word, we are obligated to beam it out to others.​—Compare Matthew 5:14-16.

9 Things that men are ashamed of, such as fraud, they hide by deceit and trickery. But we have no cause for shame because our message and work are not fraudulent but are righteous and true. Hence, we may beam forth the full glory of the light. We do not handle God’s Word deceitfully. To do so would mean handling it selfishly for personal gain, glory, advantage, and worldly power and to escape opposition and persecution from the world. Those who do not fear to come to Jehovah with unveiled faces and to gaze into the glorious light of truth will likewise not fear to face their responsibility. They will let the light be reflected from them.

10. Why is it not the fault of Jehovah’s Witnesses if the Kingdom good news is veiled from the sight of some people?

10 If any have the Kingdom good news veiled from their sight, it is not the fault of Jehovah’s Witnesses but their own fault. The good news of the Kingdom is not being hidden. The worldwide preaching work of Jehovah’s Witnesses is well-known. Thus, they can say as did the apostle Paul: “This thing has not been done in a corner.” Indeed, as he wrote, the good news has been “preached in all creation that is under heaven.”​—Acts 26:26; Colossians 1:23.

11. Why is the glorious good news veiled among so many of mankind?

11 The ones to whom the good news of God’s Kingdom is hidden are opposers, those blinded by the Devil. (Compare Matthew 12:30.) Unless they break free from false religion and the Devil’s snares, they are in line for destruction. Under demonic influence, such persons draw a veil before their very own eyes, for the apostle Paul says at 2 Corinthians 4:3-5: “If, now, the good news we declare is in fact veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through. For we are preaching, not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.”

12. In contrast with the mentally blinded ones, how do Jehovah’s people respond to the words at 2 Corinthians 4:6?

12 Mentally blinded ones do not want to believe. Their unbelief opens up their mind to invasion by the demons. (1 Timothy 4:1) They cannot see Jehovah’s glory or its reflection from the countenance of Jesus, the Greater Moses. Jehovah’s people catch the glorious light from the Bible and radiate it to others. So all of God’s servants are light-bearers, and God commands the light to shine. The light must reflect from God’s people and flash upon others who are in darkness and in danger of destruction. This is just as 2 Corinthians 4:6 puts it: “For God is he who said: ‘Let the light shine out of darkness,’ and he has shone on our hearts to illuminate them with the glorious knowledge of God by the face of Christ.” In view of this, Jehovah’s Witnesses obey the divine command and let their light shine forth to others, to God’s glory.

Glorious Treasure in Frail Vessels

13. Bestowing the blessed service of being light-bearers upon creatures of flesh results in what?

13 In this unspeakably grand privilege of service, it is of prime importance that the light-bearers prove worthy of having the light by keeping their integrity to God. To perform this wondrous privilege of service, God has not used the holy angels, who desire to peer into these things, but he has bestowed this blessed service upon creatures of flesh. (1 Peter 1:12) This he has done to the magnifying of his own power amid human weakness. As 2 Corinthians 4:7 states: “However, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not that out of ourselves.”

14. (a) What is “this treasure in earthen vessels”? (b) Why are Moses and Jesus Christ wise examples for us with regard to treasure?

14 Vessels in ancient times were often used as receptacles for valuables. What is this glorious treasure that Jehovah’s Witnesses possess in frail, earthen vessels​—themselves, as weakling creatures from the dust of the earth? This treasure is not merely the light that has shone into their hearts. It is the ministry of that light, which ministry, or service, must be performed in their earthly bodies. The ministry is the sending out of the light that God has shed upon their hearts. This ministry is a good treasure inasmuch as it is a valuable privilege of service shared in today not only by the anointed remnant of the “little flock” but also by the “great crowd” of “other sheep” of the Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ. (Luke 12:32; John 10:14-16; Revelation 7:9) Moses and his antitype, Jesus Christ, are wise examples for us, to fix our hearts on this treasure of divine service, “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”​—Matthew 6:19-21; Hebrews 11:26.

15, 16. (a) How is the power beyond what is normal shown to be from God and not that out of ourselves? (b) Why will all the world’s opposition fail to break God’s earthen vessels?

15 How, then, is the power beyond what is normal shown to be from God and not that out of ourselves? In this way: Such frail, earthen vessels as we who hold this treasured service and commission are unworthy and could never bear such honor of ourselves. Moreover, we Witnesses of Jehovah are subjected to all kinds of enemy pressure to try to crack us and make us burst so as to make us unfit to bear the commission from God. Hence, it must be the power of the Great Commissioner that helps us withstand the great mishandling by this world and to hold fast the commission and prove worthy of being retained in his service. Thus, all the world’s opposition will fail to break God’s earthen vessels and rob them of their precious treasure, for it is written at 2 Corinthians 4:8-12:

16 “We are pressed in every way, but not cramped beyond movement; we are perplexed, but not absolutely with no way out; we are persecuted, but not left in the lurch; we are thrown down, but not destroyed. Always we endure everywhere in our body the death-dealing treatment given to Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be made manifest in our body. For we who live are ever being brought face to face with death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus may also be made manifest in our mortal flesh. Consequently death is at work in us, but life [through the preaching of the Kingdom good news] in you.”

Great Crowd Highly Prize “This Treasure”

17. How do the great crowd evaluate “this treasure” of the ministry of glory?

17 “Death is at work in us, but life in you.” This statement applies to spirit-anointed Christians. Yet, it may well make us think about the relationship of God’s anointed remnant with the great crowd of other sheep. The anointed know they must eventually finish their earthly course in death as Jesus did, but they have companions to share with them the glorious treasure of service, to help them by doing the bulk of the work of the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom. Like the anointed remnant, the great crowd of other sheep today appreciate that the only treasure that will survive the fiery battle of Armageddon and continue unsinged and unconsumed into the new world is this treasure of the blessed ministry, the service unto Jehovah God and his glorious King, Jesus Christ. The great crowd will hold it fast, “rendering [God] sacred service day and night in his temple.”​—Revelation 7:15.

18. (a) What will soon happen to the false glory of this world? (b) What “glory” did Jesus refuse, and by doing what did he gain a superior glory?

18 Shortly, God will put an end to the false glory of this present evil system of things​—a “glory” that has continued since Satan the Devil took Jesus up into the high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and “the glory of them.” (Luke 4:5, 6) Jesus refused the offer of glory from such a source as that and kept pursuing the course of action on earth that God approved. For doing so, he would be crowned with a glory superior even to the glory that he, the only-begotten Son of God, had enjoyed in heaven before undertaking his earthly assignment as outlined by Jehovah.​—John 5:36; 17:5; Philippians 2:9-11.

19. What honorable privilege of service is nearing its full accomplishment, and what is our determination in this regard?

19 The predicted end of this diabolic system of things will not come before the Kingdom witness has been given in all the earth as a grand finale to the activity of the followers of Jesus Christ, the Witnesses of Jehovah. (Matthew 24:14) The Kingdom witness has been given now for three quarters of a century, and as indicated by the world developments of our times, that foretold end must be near. Consequently, the honorable privilege of sharing in the ministry of the royal, holy government should be nearing its full accomplishment. (Matthew, chapters 24, 25; Mark, chapter 13; Luke, chapter 21) Our privilege of participating in giving the earth-wide witness to the established Kingdom is indeed a glorious treasure that the Witnesses of Jehovah, as followers of his enthroned Son, Jesus Christ, highly prize. They earnestly desire to hold on to it until the Kingdom witness is completed and Almighty God, Jehovah, crowns the universal situation with his own personal witness to his universal sovereignty.​—Zephaniah 3:8.

What Are Your Answers?

□ Why is the ministry of Jehovah’s Witnesses a glorious one?

□ Why is the good news veiled among so many today?

□ What is “this treasure in earthen vessels”?

□ Why has God used frail, earthen vessels for his treasured service?

□ How do Jehovah’s people evaluate “this treasure,” and why?

[Picture on page 17]

God’s glory is reflected from the countenance of Jesus Christ, the Greater Moses. Jehovah’s Witnesses are privileged to catch God’s glorious light from the Bible and reflect it to others

‘Against Knowledge—Falsely So Called’

‘Against Knowledge​—Falsely So Called’

HOW important is truth to you? Does it disturb you that falsehood has distorted, even concealed, the truth about the Creator of heaven and earth? This greatly disturbed Irenaeus, a professed Christian of the second century of our Common Era. He endeavored to expose the dangerous inaccuracies of Gnosticism, an apostate form of Christianity. Earlier, the apostle Paul warned Timothy to turn away from such ‘falsely called knowledge.’​—1 Timothy 6:20, 21.

Irenaeus boldly spoke out against erroneous doctrine. For instance, consider what he said in the introduction to his extensive literary work entitled “The Refutation and Overthrow of the Knowledge Falsely So Called.” He wrote: “Certain men, rejecting the truth, are introducing among us false stories and vain genealogies, which serve rather to controversies, as the apostle said [1 Timothy 1:3, 4], than to God’s work of building up in the faith. By their craftily constructed rhetoric they lead astray the minds of the inexperienced, and take them captive, corrupting the oracles of the Lord, and being evil expounders of what was well spoken.”

The Gnostics (from the Greek word gnoʹsis, meaning “knowledge”) claimed superior knowledge through secret revelation and boasted that they were the “correctors of the apostles.” Gnosticism intertwined philosophy, speculation, and pagan mysticism with apostate Christianity. Irenaeus refused to share in any of this. Rather, he embarked on a life-long struggle against heretical teachings. No doubt he was well aware of the need to apply the apostle Paul’s warning: “Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ.”​—Colossians 2:8; 1 Timothy 4:7.

Early Life and Ministry

Little is known of the early life and personal history of Irenaeus. It is generally supposed that he was a native of Asia Minor, born between 120 C.E. and 140 C.E. in or near the city of Smyrna. Irenaeus personally testifies that in his early youth, he was acquainted with Polycarp, an overseer in the Smyrna congregation.

While learning under the tutelage of Polycarp, Irenaeus apparently befriended Florinus. Polycarp was a living link to the apostles. He expounded copiously on the Scriptures and strongly recommended adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ and His apostles. In spite of this fine Scriptural training, however, Florinus later lapsed into the teachings of Valentinus, the most prominent leader of the Gnostic movement!

Irenaeus wanted his friend and former associate Florinus to be restored to sound Scriptural teaching and rescued from Valentinianism. Therefore, Irenaeus was moved to write a letter to Florinus, saying: “These doctrines, Florinus, . . . are not of sound understanding; these doctrines are not consistent with the church, and involve those who follow them in the greatest impiety; . . . these doctrines those presbyters who were before us, and who were conversant with the apostles, did not hand down to thee.”

Endeavoring to remind Florinus of the fine training received at the feet of the distinguished Polycarp, Irenaeus continued: “I remember the events of those times . . . so that I am able to tell even the place in which the blessed Polycarp was accustomed to sit and discourse . . . Also how he would speak of his familiar intercourse with John, and with the rest of those who had seen the Lord; how also he used to recount their words.”

Florinus was reminded that Polycarp taught what he had received “from the eye-witnesses of the Word of life, [and had] related all in harmony with the Scriptures. These things, through the mercy of God vouchsafed to me, I then heard, noting them down, not upon paper but in my heart; and continually by the grace of God I recall these things accurately to my mind. And [regarding Valentinianism] I am able to bear witness in the sight of God that if that blessed and apostolic presbyter [Polycarp] had heard such a thing, he would have cried out and stopped his ears . . . He would have fled from the place in which, sitting or standing, he had heard such words.”

There is no record that Florinus ever responded to the touching and forceful letter of Irenaeus. But the words of Irenaeus reveal his genuine concern for a dear friend who had left the way of truth and succumbed to apostasy.​—Compare 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 7-12.

It is not known when Irenaeus took up residence in Gaul (France). In the year 177 C.E., he was serving as an overseer in the congregation at Lyons. It is reported that his ministry there was very fruitful. In fact, historian Gregory of Tours reported that Irenaeus had in a short time succeeded in converting all Lyons to Christianity. Doubtless, this was an overstatement.

Against Heresies

Irenaeus’ principal work, “The Refutation and Overthrow of the Knowledge Falsely So Called,” was commonly referred to by the name “Against Heresies.” It is divided into five books. The first two contain a critical description of the beliefs of various heretical sects, particularly the Valentinian heresy. In the remaining three books, Irenaeus attempts to set forth “arguments from the Scriptures.”

In the introduction to his third book “Against Heresies,” Irenaeus writes: “Keep in mind therefore what I have said in the two previous books; and by adding this to them you will have from me a full reply against all heretics, and will be able to resist them faithfully and boldly on behalf of the one true and life-giving faith, which the Church has received from the apostles and imparts to her children. For the Lord of all gave to his apostles the power of the gospel, and by them we also have learned the truth, that is, the teaching of the Son of God​—as the Lord said to them, ‘He who hears you hears me, and he who despises you despises me, and him who sent me.’”

Although Irenaeus admitted that he was not a good writer, he was determined to expose all aspects of the “evil teachings” of Gnosticism. He quotes and comments on many scriptures and argues masterfully against the “false teachers” of the “destructive sects.” (2 Peter 2:1-3) It appears that Irenaeus had difficulty compiling his work into a satisfactory form. Why? Because he had amassed material of enormous proportions.

Irenaeus’ exposé was manifestly brought to birth after great pains and much study. His lengthy arguments supply a wealth of information on the sources and phenomena of Gnosticism. The writings of Irenaeus are also an invaluable index of at least some of the Scriptural views still held by professed adherents to God’s Word at the end of the second century C.E.

Irenaeus repeatedly reaffirms belief in “one God, the Father Almighty, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the seas, and all that is in them, and in one Christ Jesus, the son of God, who was made flesh for our salvation.” These facts the Gnostics denied!

Speaking against Gnostic Docetism (the teaching that Christ never came in human form), Irenaeus wrote: “Christ must be a man, like us, if he would redeem us from corruption and make us perfect. As sin and death came into the world by a man, so they could be blotted out legitimately and to our advantage only by a man; though, of course, not by one who should be a mere descendant of Adam, and thus himself stand in need of redemption, but by a second Adam, supernaturally begotten, a new progenitor of our race.” (1 Corinthians 15:45) On the other hand, the Gnostics were Dualists, believing that spiritual things were good but that all matter and flesh were evil. Consequently, they rejected the man Jesus Christ.

…