final2

STUDY ARTICLES FOR THE WEEKS OF:

December 26–January 1“Do Not Lean Upon

Your Own Understanding”PAGE 6 SONGS TO BE USED: 133, 23

January 2-8For Life and Peace,Walk in Accord With the Spirit

PAGE 10 SONGS TO BE USED: 83, 120

January 9-15“Temporary Residents”

in a Wicked WorldPAGE 16 SONGS TO BE USED: 40, 85

January 16-22Help Men to Progress SpirituallyPAGE 24 SONGS TO BE USED: 123, 95

January 23-29Train Others to Reach OutPAGE 28 SONGS TO BE USED: 45, 10

34567NOVEMBER 15, 2011

S T U D Y E D I T I O N

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MAGAZINE, The Watchtower, is to honor Jehovah God, the Supreme Ruler ofthe universe. Just as watchtowers in ancient times enabled a person to observe developments from afar,so this magazine shows us the significance of world events in the light of Bible prophecies. It comfortspeople with the good news that God’s Kingdom, which is a real government in heaven, will soon bringan end to all wickedness and transform the earth into a paradise. It promotes faith in Jesus Christ, whodied so that we might gain everlasting life and who is now ruling as King of God’s Kingdom. Thismagazine has been published by Jehovah’s Witnesses continuously since 1879 and is nonpolitical. Itadheres to the Bible as its authority.This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwide Bible educational work supported by voluntary donations. Unless otherwise indicated,Scripture quotations are from the modern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References.

34567�

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

PURPOSE OF STUDY ARTICLES

STUDY ARTICLE 1 PAGES 6-10

Are you fully benefiting from God’s provisionof prayer? Learn how prayer can assist you asyou face distressing situations, make impor-tant decisions, or struggle to resist tempta-tions.


The apostle Paul told Christians in Romewhat to set their minds on so as to reap lifeand peace. Learn how you can benefit fromthe counsel he gave them.


As shown in this article, faithful men of oldlived as “temporary residents.” So did Jesus’early followers. But what about true Chris-tians today? Learn what it means to live astemporary residents in this wicked world.

STUDY ARTICLES 4, 5 PAGES 24-32

There is a need for menwho can take the leadin spiritual matters. Jesus helped many mento accept the good news and then qualify forprivileges of service. By studying his meth-

ods, we will learn how we can help the menwe meet in the ministry and how we can as-sist baptized men in the congregation toreach out for responsibility in Jehovah’s orga-nization.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

3 Jehu ChampionsPure Worship

15 “Disabled Nowbut Not Forever!”

21 Questions From Readers

22 Do You Find Joyin “the Privilege ofKindly Giving”?

The Watchtower (ISSN 0043-1087) is published semimonthly by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.; M. H. Larson, President; G. F. Simonis,Secretary-Treasurer; 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483, and by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada, PO Box 4100, Georgetown,ON L7G 4Y4. Periodicals Postage Paid at Brooklyn, NY, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Watchtower, 1000 Red MillsRoad, Wallkill, NY 12589-3299. � 2011 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada.Vol. 132, No. 22 Semimonthly ENGLISH

THE WATCHTOWER ˙ NOVEMBER 15, 2011 3

JEHU was a champion of pure worship. Incarrying out this role, he was energetic,

prompt, relentless, zealous, and courageous.Jehu manifested qualities that we would dowell to imitate.

Jehu received a commissionwhen the na-tion of Israel was in a bad state. The countrywas under the wicked influence of Jezebel,widow of Ahab and mother of the rulingking, Jehoram. She promoted the Baal cultat the expense of Jehovah’s worship, killedGod’s prophets, and corrupted the peo-ple with her “fornications” and “sorceries.”(2 Ki. 9:22; 1 Ki. 18:4, 13) Jehovah de-creed the eliminationof thewhole house ofAhab, including Jehoram and Jezebel. Jehuwas to spearhead that action.

The Scriptures introduce Jehu as he satwithmilitary chiefswhen the Israeliteswerefighting the Syrians at Ramoth-gilead. Jehuwas a high-ranking officer, if not the com-mander of Israel’s army. The prophet Elishasent one of the sons of the prophets to

anoint Jehu as king and to instruct him tokill every male of the apostate house ofAhab.—2 Ki. 8:28; 9:1-10.

When Jehu’s fellow officers asked aboutthe purpose of this visit, Jehu was reluctantto say. But when pressed, he told them thetruth, and he and his companions began toconspire against Jehoram. (2 Ki. 9:11-14)Likely, there had been underlying resent-ment and resistance to the policies of theruling house and to Jezebel’s influence. Inany case, Jehu made a studied effort to findthe best way to carryout his commission.

King Jehoram had been wounded in bat-tle and had withdrawn to the city of Jezreel,hoping to recuperate. Jehu knew that if hisplan was going to succeed, no word of itmust reach Jezreel. “Do not let anyone goout in escape from the city to go and makereport in Jezreel,” said Jehu. (2 Ki. 9:14, 15)Perhaps he anticipated at least some resis-tance from troops loyal to Jehoram. Jehuwanted to rule out the possibility of such re-sistance.

A FURIOUS DRIVE!Touse the elementof surprise, Jehu drove

in his chariot from Ramoth-gilead to Jezre-el, a distance of 45 miles (72 km). As hesped toward his destination, awatchman ona tower saw “the heaving mass of Jehu’smen.” (2 Ki. 9:17) Very likely, Jehu took aconsiderable force with him in order to besure of accomplishing his purpose.

JEHUCHAMPIONSPURE WORSHIP

4 THE WATCHTOWER ˙ NOVEMBER 15, 2011

Perceiving that courageous Jehu was inone of the chariots, the watchman ex-claimed: “It is withmadness that he drives.”(2 Ki. 9:20) If Jehu normally drove in a simi-lar way, his haste on this particular missionmust have made it a furious drive indeed.

After refusing to say anything to two mes-sengers sent to him, Jehu met King Jehoramandhis ally Ahaziah, the kingof Judah, eachin his own chariot. Jehoram’s question, “Is

there peace, Jehu?” was met by the retort:“What peace could there be as long as thereare the fornications of Jezebel your motherand her many sorceries?” Alarmed by thisresponse, Jehoram turned to flee. But Jehuwas too fast forhim!Drawing a bow, he shotan arrow through Jehoram’s heart, and theking fell dead in his chariot. Although Aha-ziah managed to escape, Jehu later trackedhim down and had him killed too.—2 Ki. 9:22-24, 27.

The next member of Ahab’s house to beeliminated was wicked Queen Jezebel. Jehurightly referred to her as “this accursedone.” As Jehu drove into Jezreel, he saw herlooking down from a palace window. With-out wasting words, Jehu commanded thecourt officials to throw Jezebel down fromthe window. Jehu then had his horses tram-ple this corrupter of all Israel. Thereafter,Jehuproceeded to eliminatedozensofothermembers of the house of wicked Ahab.—2 Ki. 9:30-34; 10:1-14.

Though the thought of violence is un-pleasant, we should realize that in thosedays, Jehovah used his servants to carry outhis judgments. The Scriptures state: “It wasfrom God that the downfall of Ahaziah oc-curred by his coming to Jehoram; and whenhe came, he went out with Jehoram toJehu the grandson of Nimshi, whom Jeho-vah had anointed to cut off the house ofAhab.” (2 Chron. 22:7) As he threw Jeho-ram’s body from his chariot, Jehu recog-nized that this act fulfilled Jehovah’s prom-ise to exact punishment for Ahab’s murderof Naboth. Moreover, Jehu had been com-manded to “avenge the bloodof [God’s] ser-vants” shed by Jezebel.—2 Ki. 9:7, 25, 26;1 Ki. 21:17-19.

Today, no servant of Jehovah uses physi-cal force against opponents of pureworship.“Vengeance ismine,”God says. (Heb.10:30)

Critics have often questioned whethercharacters mentioned in the Scriptures ac-tually existed. So is there any extra-Biblicalevidence regarding Jehu?

At least three documents from ancientAssyria mention this king of Israel by name.One of these purports to show Jehu, or per-haps one of his emissaries, bowing beforeAssyrian King Shalmaneser III and offeringtribute. The accompanying inscriptionreads: “The tribute of Jehu (Ia-u-a), son ofOmri (Hu-um-ri); I received from him silver,gold, a golden saplu-bowl, a golden vasewith pointed bottom, golden tumblers,golden buckets, tin, a staff for a king, (and)wooden puruhtu [the meaning of the latterword being unknown].” Jehu was not a di-rect “son of Omri,” but this expression wasused to designate successive kings of Israel,likely because of Omri’s fame and his build-ing of Israel’s capital, Samaria.

The Assyrian king’s claim regarding thetribute Jehu supposedly paid cannot becorroborated. Even so, he mentions Jehuthree times—on a stela, on a statue of Shal-maneser, and in the Assyrian royal annals.These references leave little doubt as to thehistorical reality of this Bible character.

Jehu in Secular History


But to rid the congregation of potentiallycorrupting influences, Christian elders mayhave to act with courage similar to that ofJehu. (1 Cor. 5:9-13) And all members ofthe congregation need to be determined toavoid the company of disfellowshipped in-dividuals.—2 John 9-11.

JEHU TOLERATED NORIVALRY TOWARD JEHOVAH

Jehu’s motive for carrying out his com-mission is evident from his subsequentwords to faithful Jehonadab: “Do go alongwith me and look upon my toleration of norivalry toward Jehovah.” Jehonadab accept-ed that invitation, got into Jehu’s chariot,and rode with him to Samaria. There, Jehu“acted slyly, for the purpose of destroyingtheworshipers of Baal.”—2 Ki.10:15-17,19.

Jehu announced that he intended to hold“a great sacrifice” for Baal. (2 Ki. 10:18, 19)“This is a clever playonwords on the part ofJehu,” says one scholar. While the term em-ployedhere “generallymeans ‘sacrifice,’ it isalso usedof the ‘slaughter’ of apostates.” Be-cause Jehu did not want any Baal worship-pers to miss this event, he assembled all ofthem in the house of Baal and had themdress in distinctive attire. “As soon as he fin-ished rendering up the burnt offering,”Jehu had 80 armed men slaughter Baal’sdevotees. He then had the house of Baal de-molished and its site set aside for privies,making it unfit for worship.—2 Ki. 10:20-27.

It is true that Jehu spilled much blood.Yet, the Scriptures present him as a coura-geous man who freed Israel from the op-pressive dominationof Jezebel and her fam-ily. If any leader of Israel was to succeed indoing this, he had to be a man of cour-age, determination, and zeal. “It was roughwork and was executed with relentless thor-oughness,” comments one Bible dictionary.

“Gentler measures probably would havefailed to eradicate Baalworship from Israel.”

No doubt you can see that circumstanc-es faced by Christians today require thatthey manifest certain qualities possessed byJehu. For instance, how should we react iftempted to engage in any activity that Jeho-vah condemns? We should be prompt, cou-rageous, and dynamic in rejecting it. Whenit comes to our godly devotion, we cannottolerate any rivalry toward Jehovah.

TAKE CARE TOWALK IN JEHOVAH’S LAW

The end of this story provides a warning.Jehu ‘did not turn aside from following thegolden calves in Bethel and Dan.’ (2 Ki. 10:29) How is tolerance of idolatry possible inthe case of one who seemed so zealous forpureworship?

Jehu may have believed that the indepen-dence of the kingdom of Israel from Judahrequired the religious separation of the twokingdoms. Hence, like former kings of Isra-el, he attempted to keep them separate byperpetuating calf worship. But this wouldshow a lack of faith in Jehovah, who hadmade him king.

Jehovah commended Jehu because ‘heacted well in doing what was right in God’seyes.’ Nevertheless, Jehu “did not take careto walk in the law of Jehovah the God of Is-rael with all his heart.” (2 Ki.10:30, 31) Con-sidering everything else that Jehu did earli-er, you might find this surprising and sad.Yet, it does provide a lesson for us. We cannever take our relationship with Jehovahfor granted. Every day, we need to cultivateloyalty to God through study of his Word,meditation on it, and heartfelt prayer to ourheavenly Father. Let us, therefore, exerciseutmost care to keep onwalking in Jehovah’slaw with all ourheart.—1 Cor.10:12.


CYNTHIA’S� employer has already shutdown portions of his company and has

laid off several employees. Cynthia feels thatshewill be thenext tobe let go.Whatwill shedo if she loses her job? How will she pay herbills? A Christian sister named Pamela wantsto move where the need for Kingdom pro-claimers is greater, but should she? A youngman named Samuel has a concern of anoth-er sort. He was exposed to pornography at anearly age. Now in his 20’s, Samuel has astrong temptation to go back to that habit.Howcan he resist the pull?

2 Whom do you lean upon when facingdistressing situations, making important de-cisions, or resisting temptations? Doyou relysolely on yourself, or do you “throw yourburden upon Jehovah”? (Ps. 55:22) “Theeyes of Jehovah are toward the righteousones,” states the Bible, “and his ears are to-ward their cry for help.” (Ps. 34:15) How im-portant it is, then, that we trust in Jehovahwith all our heart and that we do not leanupon our own understanding!—Prov. 3:5.

3 Trusting in Jehovah with a completeheart involves doing things his way, accord-ing to his will. Central to doing so is our

� Names have been changed.

1, 2. (a) What situations may confront us?(b) When dealing with distress, making a decision,or resisting a temptation, whom should we leanupon, and why?3. (a) What does trusting in Jehovah involve?(b) Why may some be inclined to lean upon theirown understanding?

continually approaching him in prayer andmaking heartfelt requests for his guidance.However, leaning completely upon Jehovahpresents a challenge for many. For example, aChristian sister named Lynn admits, “Learn-ing to put my complete confidence in Jeho-vah has been an ongoing struggle for me.”Why? “I have no relationship with my fa-ther,” she says, “and I have a mother whodidnot care for me emotionally or physically. SoI very quickly learned to look after myself.”Lynn’s background made it difficult for herto trust anyone fully. Personal ability andsuccess can also cause a person to be self-reliant. Relying on his experience, an eldermay begin to care for matters involving thecongregation without first approaching Godinprayer.

4 Jehovah expects us to make a sincere ef-fort to live up to our prayers and to act in har-mony with his will. How, then, can webalance throwing our cares on himwith put-ting forth personal effort to resolve difficultproblems? When it comes to making deci-sions,what cautionmustwe exercise?Why isprayer important whenwe are trying to resisttemptations? We will consider these ques-tions by reflecting on Scriptural examples.

When in Distress5 Concerning King Hezekiahof Judah, the

Bible says: “He kept sticking to Jehovah. He

4. What will be discussed in this article?5, 6. How did Hezekiah respond when he wasthreatened by the king of Assyria?

“DO NOT LEAN UPON YOUROWN UNDERSTANDING”

“Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not leanupon your own understanding.”—PROV. 3:5.


did not turn aside from following him, buthe continued keeping his commandmentsthat Jehovah had commanded Moses.” Yes,“in Jehovah the God of Israel he trust-ed.” (2 Ki. 18:5, 6) How did Hezekiah re-spond when King Sennacherib of Assyriasent his representatives—including Rabsha-keh—to Jerusalem along with a heavy mili-tary force? The powerful Assyrian army hadalready seized a number of fortified cities ofJudah, andSennacheribhadnow set his eyeson Jerusalem.Hezekiahwent to thehouse ofJehovah and began praying: “O Jehovah ourGod, save us, please, out of his hand, thatall the kingdoms of the earth may knowthat you, O Jehovah, are God alone.”—2 Ki.19:14-19.

6 Hezekiah acted in harmony with hisprayer. Evenbefore going up to the temple topray, he instructed the people not to re-spond to Rabshakeh’s taunts. Hezekiah alsosent a delegation to Isaiah the prophet, seek-ing his advice. (2 Ki.18:36; 19:1, 2) Hezekiahtook steps that he could rightly take. On thisoccasion, he did not try to work out a solu-tion thatwasoutof harmonywith Jehovah’swill by seeking support from Egypt or fromneighboringnations. Rather than leanuponhis own understanding, Hezekiah trusted inJehovah. After Jehovah’s angel struck down185,000 of Sennacherib’s men, Sennacherib“pulled away” and returned to Nineveh.—2 Ki.19:35, 36.

7 Hannah, the wife of the Levite Elkanah,also leaned upon Jehovah when she was indistress over not being able to bear a child.(1 Sam. 1:9-11, 18) The prophet Jonah wasdelivered from the belly of a great fish afterhe prayed: “Out of my distress I called out toJehovah, and he proceeded to answer me.

7. What comfort can we derive from the prayers ofHannah and Jonah?

Out of the belly of Sheol I cried for help. Youheard my voice.” (Jonah 2:1, 2, 10) Howcomforting it is to know that no matter howdire our situation is, we can call out to Jeho-vahwith a “request for favor”!—Read Psalm55:1,16.

8 The examples of Hezekiah, Hannah, andJonah also teach us a vital lesson about whatwe should not fail to remember as we praywhile under duress. All three felt emotionalpain when they were in sore straits. Yet,their prayers show that they were not con-cerned about just themselves and getting re-lief from their problems. God’s name, hisworship, and the doing of his will were mat-ters of utmost importance to them. Hez-ekiah was pained that reproach was be-ing heaped upon Jehovah’s name. Hannahpromised to give in service at the tabernaclein Shiloh the very son she had so desired.And Jonah said: “What I have vowed, I willpay.”—Jonah 2:9.

9 When we pray for deliverance from atroublesome situation, it is wise to examineour motives. Are we concerned exclusivelywith getting relief from the problem, or dowe keep Jehovah and his purpose in mind?Personal suffering can easily cause us to getso caught up in our own situation that con-cern over spiritual matters fades into thebackground. When praying to God for help,let us keep our mind focused on Jehovah,the sanctification of his name, and the vin-dication of his sovereignty. Doing so canhelp us to maintain a positive outlook evenif the solution that we hope for fails to ma-terialize. The answer to our prayers may bethat we need to endure the situation withGod’s help.—Read Isaiah 40:29; Philippi-ans 4:13.

8, 9. What concerns were expressed in the prayersof Hezekiah, Hannah, and Jonah, and what do welearn from this?


When Making Decisions10 How do you make weighty decisions in

life? Do you perhaps decide first and thenpray to Jehovah to bless the decision youhave made? Consider what Jehoshaphat,king of Judah, did when the combinedforces of the Moabites and the Ammonitescameup against him towagewar. Judahwasin no position to take a stand against them.What actionwas Jehoshaphat to take?

11 “Jehoshaphat became afraid and set hisface to search for Jehovah,” says the Bible.He declared a fast for all Judah and collectedthe people together “to inquire of Jehovah.”Then he stood up in the congregation of Ju-dah and of Jerusalemandprayed. Inpart, hepleaded: “O our God, will you not executejudgment upon them? For in us there is nopowerbefore this large crowd that is comingagainst us; and we ourselves do not knowwhat we ought to do, but our eyes are to-ward you.” The true God heard Jehosha-phat’s prayer and provided a miraculousdeliverance. (2 Chron. 20:3-12, 17) Whenmaking decisions, especially those that mayaffect our spirituality, should we not rely onJehovah rather than lean upon our own un-derstanding?

12 What should we do when confrontedwith situations that may seem easier to re-solve—perhaps because past experience al-lows us to think of a solution quickly? Anaccount involving King David provides in-sight in this regard. When the Amalekitesraided the city of Ziklag, they carried off Da-vid’s wives and children as well as those ofhis men. David inquired of Jehovah, saying:“Shall I chase after this marauder band?” Je-

10, 11. What did Jehoshaphat do when confrontedwith a situation that he did not know how to han-dle?12, 13. What example did King David set in mak-ing decisions?

hovah replied: “Go in chase, for you willwithout fail overtake them, and you willwithout fail make a deliverance.” Davidcomplied, and he “got to deliver all thatthe Amalekites had taken.”—1 Sam. 30:7-9,18-20.

13 Sometime after the Amalekite raid, thePhilistines came up against Israel. Davidagain inquired of Jehovah and received aclear answer. God said: “Go up, for I shallwithout fail give the Philistines into yourhands.” (2 Sam. 5:18, 19) Shortly thereafter,the Philistines once more came up againstDavid. What would he do this time? Hecould have reasoned: ‘I have faced a similarsituation twice before. Let me go up againstGod’s enemies, as I did then.’ Or would Da-vid seek Jehovah’s direction? David did notrelyonhis past experience.He againwent toJehovah in prayer. How glad he must havebeen that he did! The instructions he re-ceived this timewere different. (2 Sam. 5:22,23) When faced with a familiar situation orproblem, we must exercise caution that wedo not rely solelyonpast experience.—ReadJeremiah 10:23.

14 Being imperfect, all of us—even experi-enced elders—need to be on guard againstfailing to look to Jehovah for directionwhen making decisions. Consider how Mo-ses’ successor, Joshua, and the older menof Israel responded when approached byshrewd Gibeonites who disguised them-selves and pretended to have come from adistant land. Without inquiring of Jehovah,Joshua and others went ahead and madepeace with the Gibeonites, concluding acovenant with them. Even though Jeho-vahultimately supported the agreement, he

14. What lesson can we draw from the way thatJoshua and the older men of Israel dealt with theGibeonites?


made sure that this failure to seek his direc-tion was recorded in the Scriptures for ourbenefit.—Josh. 9:3-6,14,15.

When Struggling to Resist Temptations15 Having “sin’s law” within our mem-

bers, we need to put up a strong fight againstsinful inclinations. (Rom. 7:21-25) This is afight that can be won. How? Jesus toldhis followers that prayer is vital in resist-ing temptation. (Read Luke 22:40.) Even ifwrong desires or thoughts persist after wehave prayed to God, we need to “keep onasking God” for wisdom to cope with thistrial.We are assured that “he gives generous-ly to all and without reproaching.” (Jas. 1:5)James alsowrites: “Is there anyone [spiritual-ly] sick among you? Let him call the oldermen of the congregation to him, and letthemprayoverhim, greasinghimwithoil inthenameof Jehovah. And the prayer of faithwill make the indisposed one well.”—Jas. 5:14,15.

16 Prayer is essential in resisting tempta-tion, but we must be cognizant of the needto pray at the right time. Consider the caseof a certain young man mentioned at Prov-erbs 7:6-23. During the twilight hours, he iswalking down a street where an immoralwoman is known to live. Misled by her per-suasiveness and seduced by the smoothnessof her lips, he goes after her, like a bull thatcomes to the slaughter. Why had this youngman gone there? Since he was “in want ofheart,” that is, inexperienced, he was likelystruggling with wrong desires. (Prov. 7:7)When would prayer have benefited him themost? Of course, praying to resist tempta-tion at any time during his encounter would

15. Explain why prayer is important in resistingtemptation.16, 17. When seeking help to resist temptation,when is the best time to pray?

have been valuable. But the best time forhim to pray would have been when he firsthad the idea of walking down that street.

17 Today, a man may be trying hard to re-sist viewing pornography.However, supposehe were to visit Internet sites where heknows there are provocative pictures or vid-eos. Would not his case be similar to that ofthe young man referred to in Proverbs chap-ter 7? What a dangerous path to begin walk-ing down! To resist temptation to view por-nography, a person needs to seek Jehovah’shelp inprayer before starting to godown thatroute on the Internet.

18 It is not easy to resist temptation or

18, 19. (a) Why can resisting temptation be chal-lenging, but how can you meet the challenge suc-cessfully? (b) What is your determination?

In resisting temptation,when is prayer most beneficial?


overcome bad habits. “The flesh is againstthe spirit in its desire,” wrote the apos-tle Paul, “and the spirit against the flesh.”Therefore, “the very things that [we] wouldlike to do [we] do not do.” (Gal. 5:17) Tomeet this challenge,weneed topray fervent-ly whenwrong thoughts or temptations firstcome tomind and thenact inharmony withour prayers. “No temptation has taken youexcept what is common to men,” and withJehovah’s help, we can remain faithful tohim.—1 Cor.10:13.

19 Whether we are dealing with a difficultsituation, making a weighty decision, ortrying to resist temptation, Jehovah has giv-en us a wonderful gift—the precious provi-sion of prayer. By means of it, we demon-

strate our reliance on him. We should alsokeepon askingGod forhis holy spirit, whichguides and strengthens us. (Luke 11:9-13)And by all means, let us trust in Jehovah andnot lean upon our own understanding.

Do You Recall?˙ What did you learn from Hezekiah,

Hannah, and Jonah about trustingin Jehovah?

˙ How do the examples of David andJoshua emphasize the need for cau-tion when making decisions?

˙ When especially should we prayabout temptations?

“DISTRACTED driving is an epidemic andit seems to be getting worse every

year.” That was the assessment of the U.S.secretary of transportation. Cell phones areamong the devices that can distract the mo-torist from the one thing he or she is sup-posed to be doing—driving. Over one third

1, 2. (a) What serious situation has resultedfrom a person’s being distracted while driving?(b) What danger can result from being distractedspiritually?

of the people interviewed in one survey saidthat they had been hit or nearly hit by a ve-hiclewith a driver using a cell phone.Multi-tasking while driving may seem to be expe-dient, but the result can be disastrous.

2 The same could be true of our spiritualwell-being. Just as a distracted driver oftenfails to notice signs of danger, a person whois distracted spiritually can easily fall intoharm’s way. If we allow ourselves to driftaway from our Christian course and theo-

FOR LIFE AND PEACE,WALK IN ACCORD WITH

THE SPIRIT“Walk, not in accord with the flesh, but in accord

with the spirit.”—ROM. 8:4.


cratic activities, the result could be the ship-wreck of our faith. (1 Tim. 1:18, 19) Theapostle Paul warned of this danger when hecautioned his fellow Christians in Rome:“Theminding of the flesh means death, butthe minding of the spirit means life andpeace.” (Rom. 8:6) What did Paul mean bythat?Howcanwe avoid “themindingof theflesh” and pursue “the minding of thespirit”?

They “Have No Condemnation”3 In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote

about a struggle he himself experienced—aconflict between his flesh and his mind.(Read Romans 7:21-23.) Paul was not in-dulging in self-justification or self-pity, asthough he were so heavily laden with sinthat he could not help himself. After all,he was a mature, spirit-anointed Christian,chosen to be “an apostle to the nations.”(Rom. 1:1; 11:13) Why, then, did Paul writeabout his personal struggle?

4 Paul was honestly acknowledging thaton his own, he was incapable of doingGod’s will to the extent that he himself de-sired. The reason? “All have sinned and fallshort of the glory of God,” he said. (Rom. 3:23) As a descendant of Adam, Paul was sub-ject to the effects of sin on the imperfectflesh. We can relate to him because all of usare imperfect and have to face similar strug-gles every day. Moreover, there are manydistractions that could divert our attentionand take us off ‘the cramped road leadinginto life.’ (Matt. 7:14)However, the situationwas not hopeless for Paul, and it is notfor us.

5 Paul wrote: “Who will rescue me . . . ?

3, 4. (a) What personal struggle did Paul writeabout? (b) Why should we be interested in Paul’s sit-uation?5. Where did Paul find help and relief?

Thanks to God through Jesus Christ ourLord!” (Rom. 7:24, 25) Then, he addressedthose “in union with Christ Jesus”—anoint-ed Christians. (Read Romans 8:1, 2.) Bymeans of his holy spirit, Jehovah adoptsthemas sons, calling them to be “joint heirswith Christ.” (Rom. 8:14-17) God’s spirit,coupled with their faith in Christ’s ransomsacrifice, enables them to come off victori-ous in the struggle that Paul described andthus “have no condemnation.” They are setfree “from the lawof sin and of death.”

6 While Paul’s remarks were addressed toanointed Christians, what he said aboutGod’s spirit and Christ’s ransom sacrificecan benefit all servants of Jehovah regard-less of the hope they entertain. AlthoughPaul was inspired to offer such counsel toanointed Christians, it is vital that all ser-vants of God understand what he wrote andendeavor to benefit from it.

How God “CondemnedSin in the Flesh”

7 In the 7th chapter of Romans, Paul ac-knowledged the power of sin on the imper-fect flesh. In the 8th chapter, he comment-ed on the power of holy spirit. The apostleexplained how God’s spirit can help Chris-tians in their struggle against the power ofsin so that they can live in harmony with Je-hovah’s will and gain his approval. Paulpointed out that by means of God’s spiritand the ransom sacrifice of his Son,God hasaccomplished something that the MosaicLaw could not.

8 The Law, with its many command-ments, condemned sinners. Moreover,

6. Why should all of God’s servants take note ofPaul’s words?7, 8. (a) In what sense was the Law “weak throughthe flesh”? (b) What has God accomplished bymeans of his spirit and the ransom?


Israel’s high priests serving under the Lawwere imperfect and could not offer an ade-quate sacrifice for sin. Hence, the Law was“weak through the flesh.” But “by sendinghis own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh”and offering him as a ransom, God “con-demned sin in the flesh,” thus overcomingthe “incapability on the part of the Law.”Asa result, anointed Christians are countedrighteous on the basis of their faith in Jesus’ransom sacrifice. They are urged to “walk,not in accord with the flesh, but in accordwith the spirit.” (Read Romans 8:3, 4.) In-deed, they must do so faithfully to the endof their earthlycourse inorder to be granted“the crown of life.”—Rev. 2:10.

9 In addition to “the Law,” Paul men-tioned “the law of that spirit” and “the lawof sin and of death.” (Rom. 8:2) What arethese laws? Theword “law”here doesnot re-fer to certain rules, such as those in the Mo-saic Law. One reference work suggests: “TheGreek term for law here means an inwardprinciple of action—either good or evil—op-erating with the regularity of a law. The

9. What is the meaning of the word “law” as usedat Romans 8:2?

term also designates a standard for a per-son’s life.”

10 The apostle Paul wrote: “Through oneman sin entered into the world and deaththrough sin, and thus death spread to allmen because they had all sinned.” (Rom. 5:12) As descendants of Adam, all of us aresubject to the law of sin and of death. Oursinful flesh constantly urges us to do thingsthat are displeasing to God, with only deathin view. In his letter to the Galatians, Paulcalled such acts and traits “the works of theflesh.” Then he added: “Those who practicesuch things will not inherit God’s king-dom.” (Gal. 5:19-21) People of this kind arethe same as those who walk in accord withthe flesh. (Rom. 8:4) Their “inward princi-ple of action” and their ‘standard for life’are totally fleshly. But are those who com-mit fornication, engage in idolatry, practicespiritism, or get involved in other gross sinsthe only ones who walk in accord with theflesh? No, for the works of the flesh also in-clude what some might consider mere per-sonality flaws, such as jealousy, fits of anger,

10. How are we subject to the law of sin and ofdeath?

Do you walk in accord with the flesh or in accord with the spirit?


contentions, and envies. Who can say thathe has totally freed himself from walking inaccord with the flesh?

11 How happy we can be that Jehovah hasmade it possible for us to overcome thelaw of sin and of death! Jesus said: “Godloved the world so much that he gavehis only-begotten Son, in order that every-one exercising faith in him might not bedestroyed but have everlasting life.” By ac-ceptingGod’s love andbyexercising faith inthe ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we canbe freed from the condemnation resultingfrom our inherited sin. (John 3:16-18) Wemay, therefore, be inclined to exclaim, asdid Paul: “Thanks to God through JesusChrist our Lord!”

12 Our situation is similar to being curedof a serious illness. If we hope to recover ful-ly, wemust dowhat the doctor tells us to do.Though exercising faith in the ransom canfree us from the law of sin and of death, weare still imperfect and sinful. More is in-volved in attaining good spiritual health

11, 12. What provision has Jehovah made to helpus overcome the law of sin and of death, and whatmust we do to enjoy God’s favor?

and enjoying God’s favor and blessing. Inconnectionwith fulfilling “the righteous re-quirement of the Law,” Paul also brings outthe matter of walking in accord with thespirit.

Walk in Accord With the Spirit—How?13 When we walk, we are moving progres-

sively toward a certain destination or goal.Thus, walking in accord with the spirit callsfor steady spiritual advancement—not spiri-tual perfection. (1Tim.4:15)Daybyday andto the best of our ability, we must endeavorto walk, or live our lives, in accord with theleading of the spirit. “Walking by spirit”leads to God’s approval.—Gal. 5:16.

14 In his letter to the Romans, Paul nextspoke of two kinds of people with conflict-ing mind-sets. (Read Romans 8:5.) Here theflesh is not necessarily the physical body. Inthe Bible, the word “flesh” is sometimesused to denote the sinful and imperfect na-ture of the fallen flesh. This nature is whatcauses the conflict between theflesh and the

13. What does it mean to walk in accord with thespirit?14. What is the inclination of those “in accord withthe flesh”?


mind that Paul mentioned earlier. Unlikehim, however, those who “are in accordwith the flesh” do not even put up a fight.Instead of considering what God requires ofthem and accepting the help he has provid-ed, they are inclined to “set their minds onthe things of the flesh.” They often focus onthe satisfying of their bodily comforts andphysical desires. In contrast, the inclinationof those who are “in accord with the spirit”is to set their minds on “the things of thespirit”—spiritual provisions and activity.

15 Read Romans 8:6. To do anything—whether it is good or bad—one must setone’s mind on it. People who constantly settheir minds on the things of the flesh soondevelop a mental attitude or inclinationthat is totally focused on the things of theflesh. Their sentiments, interests, and affec-tions usually become completely occupiedwith such things.

16 With what things are most people oc-cupied today? The apostle John wrote:“Everything in the world—the desire of theflesh and the desire of the eyes and theshowy display of one’s means of life—doesnot originate with the Father, but originateswith the world.” (1 John 2:16) These desiresinvolve such things as promiscuity, promi-

15, 16. (a) How does setting one’s mind on some-thing affect one’s mental attitude? (b) What can wesay about the mind-set of most people today?

nence, and possessions. Books, magazines,newspapers, movies, TV shows, and the In-ternet are flooded with material of this sort,primarily because that is what most peo-ple set their minds on and really want.However, “the minding of the flesh meansdeath”—spiritually now and physically inthe near future. Why? “Because the mind-ing of the flesh means enmity with God, forit is not under subjection to the law of God,nor, in fact, can it be. So those who arein harmony with the flesh cannot pleaseGod.”—Rom. 8:7, 8.

17 On the other hand, “the minding ofthe spiritmeans life and peace”—everlastinglife in the future as well as inner peace andpeace with God now. How can we pursue“themindingof the spirit”? By regularly set-ting our minds on the things of the spiritand allowing a spiritual inclination and atti-tude to develop in us. As we do this, we havea mind-set that is “under subjection to thelaw of God” and is “in harmony with” histhoughts.Whenwe are faced with a tempta-tion, we will not be uncertain about thecourse we should pursue. We will be movedto make the correct choice—one that is inaccord with the spirit.

18 Therefore, it is vital to set our minds onthe things of the spirit. We do this by ‘brac-ing up our minds for activity,’ buildingour life around a spiritual routine that in-cludes regular prayer, Bible reading andstudy, meeting attendance, and the Chris-tian ministry. (1 Pet. 1:13) Rather than al-lowing the things of the flesh to distract us,let us set our minds on the things of thespirit. Thus we will go on walking in accordwith the spirit. Doing so will bring us bless-ings, for themindingof the spiritmeans lifeand peace.—Gal. 6:7, 8.

17, 18. Howcanwe pursue the minding of the spir-it, and what will be the result of our doing so?

Can You Explain?˙ What was the “incapability on the

part of the Law,” and how did Godovercome it?

˙ What is “the law of sin and of death,”and how can we be freed from it?

˙ What must we do to cultivate “theminding of the spirit”?


I WAS born in 1974 in Paris, France. Mybirth was difficult, and later I was diag-

nosedwith cerebral palsy. I had limited limbmovement, and my speech was hard to un-derstand. I also developed epilepsy and wasprone to infections.

When I was two years old, my familymoved to Melbourne, Australia. Two yearslater, Dad walked out onMum and me. Thatwas the first time that I recall feeling close toGod.Mum, one of Jehovah’sWitnesses, reg-ularly took me to Christian meetings, whereI learned that God loved me and cared forme. That knowledge, along with Mum’slove and reassurance, helped me to feel safedespite our changed circumstances.

Mum also taught me how to pray to Jeho-vah. Actually, I have found praying to be alot easier than talking. During prayer, I donot have to struggle to verbalize the words,but I “hear” them clearly formed in mymind. And because my speech is difficult tounderstand, it is reassuring to know that Je-hovah understands everything, whether I

say it silently in my mind or with stumblingspeech.—Ps. 65:2.

Coping With SetbacksBy the time I was five, my palsy had ad-

vanced to the point that I needed heavy cali-per splints to walk. I really wobbled morethan I walked! By age 11, I could not evenwalk. Later, I could not get in and out of bedwithout the aid of an electric hoist to lift meinto my motorized wheelchair, which I ma-neuver using a hand lever.

I admit that at timesmydisabilities getmedown. But then I remember our family mot-to: “Don’t worry about the things you can’tdo. Just get on with the things you can do.”This has helped me to succeed at horsebackriding, sailing, canoeing, camping, and evendriving a car around a track! I express my ar-tistic nature throughpainting, sewing, quilt-ing, embroidering, and making ceramics.

Because of my severe disabilities, somehave questioned my ability to worship Godas an intelligent adult. When I was 18, aschoolteacher urged me to leave home to

“DISABLED NOWBUT NOT FOREVER!”

˘

AS TOLD BYSARA VAN DER MONDE

People often tell me, “Sara, you have such a lovely smile. Why are youalways so happy?” I tell them that I have a special hope. It is summed up

in these words, “I am disabled now but not forever!”

˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙


“escape” my mother’s religion. She even of-fered to help me find accommodations.However, I told her that I would never leavemy faith and would leave home only when Iwas ready to be more independent.

Not long after the episode with my teach-er, I was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Wit-nesses. Two years later, I moved into a smallapartment. Here I enjoy a happy balance ofsupport and independence.

An Unexpected ProposalOver the years, I have faced other tests of

faith. One day I was completely flooredwhena fellow student—also disabled—askedme to marry him. At first, I was flattered.Like most young women, I yearn to have apartner in life. Yet, having a disability incommon is no guarantee of a happy mar-

riage. Moreover, the young man did notshare my faith. Our beliefs, activities, andgoals were completely different. So howcould we make a life together? I was also de-termined to obey God’s clear direction tomarry only a fellow believer. (1 Cor. 7:39)Therefore, I kindly told the young man thatI could not accept his offer.

Even today, I know I made the rightchoice. And there is no doubt in my mindthat I will be happy in God’s promised newworld. (Ps. 145:16; 2 Pet. 3:13) Meanwhile, Iam determined to remain loyal to Jehovahand to be content with my current circum-stances.

I yearn for the day when I can leap frommy wheelchair and run like the wind. ThenI will cry out, “I was disabled, but now I amsound in health—forever!”

“THEY are in the world,” said Jesus of hisdisciples. But he explained: “They are no

part of the world, just as I am no part of theworld.” (John 17:11, 14) Thus, Jesus clearlyindicated the position of his true follow-ers with respect to “this system of things,”whose god is Satan. (2Cor. 4:4) Although liv-ing in this wicked world, they would be nopart of it. Their situation in this system

1. What did Jesus say about the position of his fol-lowers with regard to the world?

would be that of “aliens and temporary resi-dents.”—1 Pet. 2:11.

They Lived as “Temporary Residents”2 From earliest times, faithful servants of

Jehovah stood out as different from those inthe ungodly world in which they lived. Be-fore the Flood, Enoch and Noah “walked

2, 3. Why can it be said that Enoch, Noah, andAbraham and Sarah lived as “strangers and tempo-rary residents”?

“TEMPORARY RESIDENTS”IN A WICKED WORLD

“In faith all these . . . publicly declared that they were strangersand temporary residents in the land.”—HEB. 11:13.


with the true God.” (Gen. 5:22-24; 6:9) Bothof them were courageous preachers of Je-hovah’s judgments against Satan’s wickedworld. (Read 2 Peter 2:5; Jude 14, 15.) Be-cause they walked with God in an ungodlyworld, Enoch “pleased God well” and Noah“proved himself faultless among his con-temporaries.”—Heb.11:5; Gen. 6:9.

3 At God’s invitation, Abraham and Sarahgave up the comforts of city life in Ur of theChaldeans and accepted the challenge of liv-ing as nomads in a foreign land. (Gen.11:27,28; 12:1) The apostle Paul wrote: “By faithAbraham, when he was called, obeyed ingoing out into a place he was destined to re-ceive as an inheritance; and he went out, al-thoughnot knowingwhere hewas going. Byfaith he resided as an alien in the land of thepromise as in a foreign land, and dwelt intents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs withhim of the very same promise.” (Heb. 11:8, 9) Concerning such faithful servants of Je-hovah, Paul said: “In faith all these died, al-though they did not get the fulfillment ofthe promises, but they saw themafar off andwelcomed them and publicly declared thatthey were strangers and temporary residentsin the land.”—Heb.11:13.

A Warning to the Israelites4 Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites,

became numerous and were eventually or-ganized into a nation with a law code and aland. (Gen. 48:4; Deut. 6:1) The people of Is-rael were never to forget that the real Ownerof their land was Jehovah. (Lev. 25:23) Theywere like tenants obliged to respect theOwn-er’s wishes. Moreover, they were to remem-ber that “not by bread alone does man live”;they were not to let material prosperitycause them to forget Jehovah. (Deut. 8:1-3)

4. What warning were the Israelites given beforethey became residents in their land?

Before settling in their land, the Israeliteswere given this warning: “It must occur thatwhen Jehovah your God will bring you intothe land that he swore to your forefathersAbraham, Isaac and Jacob to give you, greatand good-looking cities that you did notbuild, and houses full of all good things andthat you did not fill, and cisterns hewn outthat you did not hew out, vineyards and ol-ive trees that youdidnot plant, andyou shallhave eaten and become satisfied, watch outfor yourself that you may not forget Jeho-vah.”—Deut. 6:10-12.

5 This warning was not unfounded. In Ne-hemiah’s day, a group of Levites recalledwith shame what occurred after the Israel-ites took possession of the Promised Land.After the people of Israel occupied comfort-able houses and had an abundance of foodand wine, “they began to eat and to be satis-fied and to grow fat.” They rebelled againstGod, even killing the prophets he sent towarn them. Jehovah therefore abandonedthem to their enemies. (Read Nehemiah9:25-27; Hos. 13:6-9) Later, under Romandomination, the faithless Jews went so far asto kill the promisedMessiah! Jehovah reject-ed them and transferred his favor to a newnation, spiritual Israel.—Matt. 21:43; Acts 7:51, 52; Gal. 6:16.

“No Part of the World”6 As shown earlier in this article, the Head

of the Christian congregation, Jesus Christ,made it clear that his followerswouldbe sep-arate from the world, Satan’s wicked systemof things. Shortly before his death, Jesus toldhis disciples: “If you were part of the world,

5. Why did Jehovah reject Israel, and to what newnation did he transfer his favor?6, 7. (a) How would you explain what Jesus saidabout the position of his followers with regard tothe world? (b) Why were true Christians not to be-come a part of Satan’s system?


the world would be fond of what is its own.Now because you are no part of the world,but I have chosen you out of the world, onthis account the world hates you.”—John15:19.

7 As Christianity spread, were Christiansto come to terms with the world, conform-ing to its practices and becoming a part of it?No.Wherever they lived, theywere to distin-guish themselves fromSatan’s system. Some30 years after Christ’s death, the apostle Pe-ter wrote to Christians living in differentparts of the Romanworld: “Beloved, I exhortyou as aliens and temporary residents tokeep abstaining from fleshly desires, whichare the very ones that carry on a conflictagainst the soul. Maintain your conduct fineamong the nations.”—1 Pet.1:1; 2:11,12.

8 Confirming that early Christians con-ducted themselves as “aliens and tempo-rary residents” in the Roman world, his-torian Kenneth Scott Latourette wrote:“It is one of the commonplaces of historythat in its first three centuries Christianity

8. How did one historian describe the relationshipof early Christians to the world?

met persistent and often severe persecution. . . The accusations varied. Because they re-fused to participate in pagan ceremonies theChristians were dubbed atheists. Throughtheir abstention from much of the com-munity life—the pagan festivals, the publicamusements which to Christians were shotthrough and through with pagan beliefs,practices, and immoralities—they were de-rided as haters of the human race.”

Not Using the World to the Full9 What is the situation today? With regard

to “the present wicked system of things,” wemaintain the same stance as did the earlyChristians. (Gal. 1:4) Because of this, we aremisunderstood by many and are even hatedby some. Yet, we certainly are not “haters ofthe human race.” Out of love for fellow hu-mans, we go from house to house, makingevery effort to contact each occupant withthe “good news of [God’s] kingdom.” (Matt.22:39; 24:14) We do this because we are con-vinced that Jehovah’sKingdomgovernmentunder Christ will shortly put an end to im-

9. As true Christians, how do we give proof that weare not “haters of the human race”?

The early Christiansabstained from

violent and immoralentertainment


perfect human rulership, replacing it with arighteous new system of things.—Dan. 2:44;2 Pet. 3:13.

10 In view of the imminent end of thepresent system of things, as Jehovah’s ser-vants we realize that this is no time to settledown in this dying world.We heed the apos-tle Paul’s words: “This I say, brothers, thetime left is reduced. Henceforth let those . . .who buy [be] as those not possessing, andthose making use of the world as those notusing it to the full; for the scene of thisworld is changing.” (1 Cor. 7:29-31) But howdo present-day Christians make use of theworld? They do this by using modern tech-nology and means of communication tospread Bible knowledge worldwide in hun-dreds of languages. They make limited useof the world to earn a living. They purchasenecessary goods and services made availablein the world. However, they avoid usingthe world to the full in that they keep world-ly possessions andoccupations in the properplace.—Read 1 Timothy 6:9,10.

11 Vigilant Christians refrain from usingthe world to the full with regard to high-er education. Many people in this worldconsider higher education an indispensablestepping-stone to prestige and an affluentlife. But we Christians live as temporary resi-dents and pursue different goals. We avoid“minding lofty things.” (Rom. 12:16; Jer.45:5) Since we are Jesus’ followers, we heedhis warning: “Keep your eyes open andguard against every sort of covetousness, be-cause evenwhen a personhas an abundancehis life does not result from the thingshe possesses.” (Luke 12:15) Consequently,young Christians are encouraged to pursuespiritual goals, getting only as much educa-

10, 11. (a) How do we make limited use of theworld? (b) What are some ways in which vigilantChristians refrain from using the world to the full?

tion as is required to meet their basic needswhile focusing on preparing themselves toserve Jehovah ‘with their whole heart, soul,strength, and mind.’ (Luke 10:27) By doingso, they can become “rich toward God.”—Luke 12:21; read Matthew 6:19-21.

Avoid Being Weighed Downby the Anxieties of Life

12 Jehovah’s servants differ frompeople ofthe world in their attitude toward materialthings. In this regard, Jesus told his follow-ers: “Never be anxious and say, ‘What are weto eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘Whatare we to put on?’ For all these are the thingsthe nations are eagerly pursuing. For yourheavenly Father knows you need all thesethings. Keep on, then, seeking first the king-dom and his righteousness, and all theseother things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:31-33) From personal experience, many ofour fellow believers have found that ourheavenly Father supplies the things theyneed.

13 “Godliness with contentment is greatgain.” (1 Tim. 6:6, New International Ver-sion) That is the very opposite of the view-point of people in today’s world. For exam-ple, when young people get married, manyof them expect to ‘have it all’ right away—ahouse or an apartment fully furnished andwell-equipped, a nice car, and the latest elec-tronic devices. However, Christians who liveas temporary residents do not let their de-sires go beyond what is reasonable and pos-sible for them. Indeed, it is commendablethat many forgo certain material comfortsin order to devote more time and energy toJehovah’s service as zealous Kingdom pub-lishers. Others serve as pioneers, at Bethel,

12, 13. How does our heeding Jesus’ words record-ed at Matthew 6:31-33 distinguish us from people inthe world?


in the traveling work, or as missionaries.How much all of us appreciate the whole-hearted service of our fellow worshippers ofJehovah!

14 In his parable of the sower, Jesus saidthat “the anxietyof this systemof things andthe deceptive power of riches” can choke theword of God in our hearts and cause us to be-come unfruitful. (Matt. 13:22) Our livingcontentedly as temporary residents in thissystemof things helps us to avoid falling intothis trap. Instead, it enables us to keep oureye “simple,” or “in focus,” looking “all oneway” toward God’s Kingdom and keeping itsinterests first in our lives.—Matt. 6:22, ftn.

“The World Is Passing Away”15 A fundamental reason why we as true

Christians consider ourselves to be “aliensand temporary residents” in this world isour conviction that its days are numbered.(1 Pet. 2:11; 2 Pet. 3:7) This outlook deter-mines our choices in life, our desires, andour aspirations. The apostle John counseledfellow believers not to love the world or thethings in the world because “the world ispassing away and so is its desire, but hethat does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:15-17.

16 The Israelites were told that if theyobeyed Jehovah, they would become his“special property out of all other peoples.”(Ex.19:5) When faithful, Israel differed fromall other nations in worship and way of life.Similarly today, Jehovah has separated forhimself a people who are markedly differentfrom Satan’s world. We are told: “Repudiate

14. What lesson can we draw from Jesus’ parable ofthe sower?15. What words of the apostle John determine theoutlook and conduct of true Christians toward thepresent world?16. Howcanwe show that we have been set apart asa distinct people?

ungodliness and worldly desires and . . . livewith soundness of mind and righteousnessand godly devotion amid this present sys-tem of things, while we wait for the hap-py hope and glorious manifestation of thegreat God and of the Savior of us, Christ Je-sus, who gave himself for us that he mightdeliver us from every sort of lawlessness andcleanse for himself a people peculiarly hisown, zealous for fine works.” (Titus 2:11-14) This “people” is made up of anoint-ed Christians and millions of Jesus’ “othersheep,” who aid and support them.—John10:16.

17 “The happy hope” of the anointed isthat of reigning with Christ in heaven. (Rev.5:10) When the hope of eternal life on earthis fulfilled for the other sheep, they will nolonger be temporary residents in a wickedworld. They will have beautiful homes andan abundance to eat and drink. (Ps. 37:10,11; Isa. 25:6; 65:21, 22) Unlike the Israelites,they will never forget that all of this is fromJehovah, “the God of the whole earth.” (Isa.54:5) Neither the anointed nor the othersheep will regret having lived as temporaryresidents in this wicked world.

17. Why will the anointed and their companionsnever regret having lived as temporary residents inthis wicked world?

How Would You Answer?˙ In what way did faithful men of

old live as temporary residents?˙ How did the early Christians con-

duct themselves with regard tothe world?

˙ How do true Christians limit theiruse of the world?

˙ Why will we never regret having livedas temporary residents in this wickedworld?


Is it possible to determine the exact timeof day that the impalement of Jesus Christtook place?

This question arises because of a seemingdiscrepancy between the inspired accountsof Jesus’ death recorded by the Gospel writ-er Mark and by the apostle John. Markstates: “It was now the third hour, and they[soldiers] impaled him.” (Mark 15:25) Ac-cording to John, “it was about the sixthhour” when Pilate handed Jesus over to theJews to be impaled. (John 19:14-16) Bible ex-positors have offered various explanations inan effort to resolve this seeming contradic-tion. However, sufficient Scriptural informa-tion is not available to explain the differencebetween the two accounts. Still, consideringhow people viewed time back in those dayscan be helpful.

In the first century of our Common Era,the Jews divided the daylight into 12 hours,counting from sunrise. (John 11:9) “Thethird hour” extended therefore fromeight o’clock to nine o’clock in the morningand “the sixth hour” ended about noon. Ofcourse, the sun rose and set at differenttimes during the year. Consequently, thelength of the daylight period varied, accord-ing to the season. Moreover, the hour ofthe day was determined by observing theposition of the sun. Hence, references totime were approximate. The Christian GreekScriptures generally refer to events occur-ring at the third, sixth, or ninth hour—oftenmeaning about that time. (Matt. 20:3, 5;Acts 10:3, 9, 30) More specific reference,such as “the seventh hour,” was made onlywhen the timing was essential to the devel-opment of the account being related.—John4:52.

The Gospel accounts harmonize with re-gard to the timing of events during Jesus’ lastday on earth. All four indicate that the priestsand older men met after dawn and then hadJesus taken to the Roman Governor PontiusPilate. (Matt. 27:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66;John 18:28) Matthew, Mark, and Luke all re-port that from the sixth hour, when Jesus wasalready on the stake, darkness fell over theland “until the ninth hour.”—Matt. 27:45, 46;Mark 15:33, 34; Luke 23:44.

One significant factor that may have abearing on the timing of Jesus’ impalement isthis: Scourging or whipping was considereda part of the impalement process. Sometimesthe scourging was so terrible that the victimdied under it. In Jesus’ case, it must havebeen sufficiently severe to make it neces-sary for another man to carry the torturestake after Jesus started out bearing it alone.(Luke 23:26; John 19:17) If the scourging wasviewed as the start of the impalement proce-dure, some time would have to elapse beforethe nailing of Jesus to the torture stake tookplace. Different individuals might thereforegive different times for the impalement, de-pending on the stage of the overall processduring which they personally took note ofthe time.

The apostle John wrote his account de-cades after the other Gospel writers. Hetherefore had access to their accounts. True,John included a time that appears to varyfrom that given by Mark. However, this pro-vides clear evidence that John did not simplycopy Mark’s account. Both John and Markwere inspired by God. Although sufficientScriptural information is not available to ex-plain the difference, we can trust the Gospelaccounts.

Questions From Readers


EARLY Christians in Philippi were knownfor their generous support of true wor-

ship. In his inspired letter to them, the apos-tle Paulwrote: “I thankmyGod always uponevery remembrance of you in every suppli-cation of mine for all of you, as I offer my

supplication with joy, because of the contri-bution you have made to the good newsfrom the first day until this moment.” (Phil.1:3-5) Paul well remembered when Lydiaand her household were baptized and shehospitably insisted that he and his preach-ing companions stay in her house.—Acts 16:14,15.

Not long thereafter, the newly formedcongregation in Philippi twice sent provi-sions to Paul during his stay of several weekswith fellow believers inThessalonica, nearly100 miles (160 km) away. (Phil. 4:15, 16) Afew years later, while the Philippians and

Do You Find Joyin “the Privilege ofKindly Giving”?

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLDWIDE WORKMany set aside, or budget, an amount that

they place in the contribution boxes labeled“Worldwide Work.”

Each month, congregations forward theseamounts to the office of Jehovah’s Witnessesthat serves their respective countries. Voluntarydonations of money may also be sent directlyto Watchtower Bible and Tract Society ofNew York, Inc., AttentionTreasurer’s Office,25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York11201-2483, or to the branch office of Jeho-vah’s Witnesses that serves your country.(Voluntary donations specified in the sectionsbelow can also be sent to the branch office ofJehovah’s Witnesses that serves your country.)Checks sent to the above address should bemade payable to “Watchtower.” Jewelry or oth-er valuables may be donated as well. A briefletter stating that such items are an outright giftshould accompany these contributions.

CONDITIONAL-DONATIONTRUST ARRANGEMENT

Money may be placed in trust with WatchTower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvaniafor use worldwide. However, upon request the

funds will be returned. For more information,please contact the Treasurer’s Office by writingto the address noted above or by telephoning(718) 560-7500.

CHARITABLE PLANNINGIn addition to outright gifts of money, there

are other methods of giving to benefit Kingdomservice worldwide. These include:

Insurance: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Soci-ety of Pennsylvania may be named as the bene-ficiary of a life insurance policy or a retirement/pension plan.

Bank Accounts: Bank accounts, certificates ofdeposit, or individual retirement accounts maybe placed in trust for or made payable on deathto Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Penn-sylvania, in accord with local bank requirements.

Stocks and Bonds: Stocks and bonds may bedonated to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Societyof Pennsylvania as an outright gift or Watch Tow-er Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania may benamed as a Transfer on Death beneficiary.

Real Estate: Salable real estate may be do-nated either by making an outright gift or, inthe case of residential property, by reserving a

WAYS IN WHICH SOME CHOOSE TO GIVE


other Macedonian brothers were experienc-ing afflictionand “deeppoverty,” theyheardabout the need of persecuted Christians inJerusalem and wanted to help them. Paultestified that this was really “beyond theiractual ability.” Yet, he wrote: “They . . . keptbegging us with much entreaty for the privi-lege of kindly giving.”—2 Cor. 8:1-4; Rom.15:26.

Some ten years after the Philippiansfirst embraced Christianity, they were stilldisplaying the same generous spirit. Hav-ing heard that Paul was imprisoned inRome, they sent Epaphroditus 800 miles

(1,287 km) over land and sea carrying sup-plies to the apostle. Clearly, the Philippianswanted to provide for Paul so that he couldkeep on strengthening the brothers andpreaching, even while he was imprisoned.—Phil.1:12-14; 2:25-30; 4:18.

Today, true Christians consider it a priv-ilege to support the Kingdom-preachingand disciple-making work. (Matt. 28:19, 20)TheypromoteKingdominterests bycontrib-uting time, effort, and funds. The accompa-nying box presents some ways in which youcan share in supporting this God-given ac-tivity.

life estate to the donor, who can continue tolive therein during his or her lifetime. Contactthe branch office in your country before deed-ing any real estate.

Gift Annuity: A gift annuity is an arrange-ment whereby one transfers money or securitiesto a designated corporation that is used by Je-hovah’s Witnesses. In exchange, the donor, orsomeone designated by the donor, receives aspecified annuity payment every year for life.The donor receives an income-tax deduction forthe year in which the gift annuity is established.

Wills and Trusts: Property or money maybe bequeathed to Watch Tower Bible and TractSociety of Pennsylvania by means of a legallyexecuted will, or Watch Tower Bible and TractSociety of Pennsylvania may be named as bene-ficiary of a trust agreement. A trust benefiting areligious organization may provide certain taxadvantages.

As the term “charitable planning” implies,these types of donations typically require someplanning on the part of the donor. To assist indi-viduals desiring to benefit the worldwide workof Jehovah’s Witnesses through some form ofcharitable planning, a brochure has been pre-

pared in English and Spanish entitled CharitablePlanning to Benefit Kingdom Service World-wide. The brochure was written to provide infor-mation on a variety of ways that gifts may bemade either now or through a bequest at death.After reading the brochure and conferring withtheir own legal or tax advisers, many have beenable to help support our religious and humani-tarian activities worldwide and maximize theirtax benefits while doing so. This brochure maybe obtained by requesting a copy directly fromthe Charitable Planning Office.

For more information, you may contact theCharitable Planning Office, either in writing orby telephone, at the address listed below, oryou may contact the branch office that servesyour country.

Charitable Planning OfficeWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society of

Pennsylvania100 Watchtower DrivePatterson, New York 12563-9204Telephone: (845) 306-0707


DURING a preaching tour throughoutGalilee, Jesus and his disciples boarded

a boat to withdraw into a lonely place. Butcrowds followed them on foot. Those whocame that day numbered “about five thou-sand men, besides women and young chil-dren.” (Matt. 14:21) On another occasion,a crowd approached Jesus, desiring to behealed and to hear him speak. Includedwere “four thousand men, besides womenand young children.” (Matt. 15:38) Evident-ly, many men were among the people whocame to Jesus and showed interest in histeaching. In fact, he expected many othersto respond, for after providing a miraculouscatch of fish, Jesus told his disciple Simon:“Fromnowonyou will be catchingmen [or,people] alive.” (Luke 5:10)His discipleswereto lower their nets into the sea of mankindandcould expect that their ‘catch’would in-clude many men.

2 Today, men likewise show interest inthe Scriptural message we preach and re-spond to it. (Matt. 5:3) However, many menhold back and fail to progress spiritually.How can we help them? Although Jesus didnot develop a special ministry to seek outmen, he certainly addressed issues that con-cerned the men of his day. Using his exam-ple, let us examine how we can help mendeal with three common concerns today:(1) making a living, (2) fear of popular opin-ion, and (3) feelings of inadequacy.

1, 2. (a) How did men respond to Jesus’ preach-ing? (b) What will be considered in this article?

Making a Living3 “Teacher,” said a scribe to Jesus, “I will

follow you wherever you are about to go.”However, when Jesus told him that “the Sonof man has nowhere to lay down his head,”the scribe had second thoughts. The un-certainty of where his next meal wouldcome fromor where hewould live apparent-ly did not sit well with the scribe, for there isno indication that he became a follower ofChrist.—Matt. 8:19, 20.

4 Menoftenputmaterial security aheadofspiritual pursuits. Getting higher educationand securing a well-paying job are prioritiesfor many of them. According to their way ofthinking, the reward of making money ismore urgent and practical than any benefitsthat might come from studying the Scrip-tures and seeking a close relationship withGod. What the Bible teaches may appeal tothem, but “the anxieties of this system ofthings and the deceptive power of riches”choke whatever interest they may have.(Mark 4:18, 19) Consider how Jesus helpedhis disciples to adjust their priorities.

5 Andrew and his brother Simon Peterwere partners in a fishing business. So wereJohn, his brother James, and their father,Zebedee. Business was good enough to re-quire the help of hired men. (Mark 1:16-20)

3, 4. (a) What is a major concern for many men?(b) Why do some men put earning a living ahead ofspiritual pursuits?5, 6. What helped Andrew, Peter, James, and Johnto adjust their priorities regarding sharing in thepreaching work and making a living?

HELP MEN TOPROGRESS SPIRITUALLY

“From now on you will be catching [people] alive.”—LUKE 5:10.


When Andrew and John first learned aboutJesus from John the Baptizer, they were con-vinced that theyhad found theMessiah.An-drew shared the news with his brother Si-monPeter, and perhaps Johndid sowith hisbrother James. (John 1:29, 35-41) In the fol-lowing months, all four spent time with Je-sus as he preached in Galilee, Judea, and Sa-maria. Then the four disciples returned tothe fishing business. They had an interest inspiritual matters, but the ministry was nottheir number one concern.

6 Some time later, Jesus invited Peter andAndrew to come after him and become“fishers of men.” How did the two respond?“At once abandoning the nets, they fol-lowed him.” It was the samewith James andJohn. “At once leaving the boat and their fa-ther, they followed him.” (Matt. 4:18-22)What helped these men take up the full-timeministry?Was it an emotional, spur-of-the-moment decision? Hardly! Over theprevious months, these men listened to Je-sus, saw himperform miracles, observed hiszeal for righteousness, and witnessed theamazing response to his preaching. As a re-sult, their faith in Jehovah and their trust inhim became stronger!

7 Howcanwe imitate Jesus in helping ourBible students to build their trust in Jeho-vah? (Prov. 3:5, 6) The way we teach has aconsiderable bearing on this. When teach-ing,we canhighlight God’s promise to blessus abundantly if we put Kingdom interestsfirst. (Read Malachi 3:10; Matthew 6:33.)Although we can use various scriptures toemphasize how Jehovah provides for hispeople, not to be overlooked is the effect ofthe example we ourselves set. Sharing expe-riences from our own life can accomplish

7. How can we help Bible students to build trust inJehovah’s ability to provide for his people?

much in helping our students develop reli-ance on Jehovah. We can also share encour-aging experiences that we read about in ourliterature.�

8 Developing strong faith requires morethan reading and hearing about how othershave experienced Jehovah’s blessing. A Bi-ble student also needs to experience Je-hovah’s goodness personally. The psalmistsang: “Taste and see that Jehovah is good,O you people; happy is the able-bodied manthat takes refuge in him.” (Ps. 34:8) Howcanwe assist the student to see that Jehovah isgood? Suppose a student who has financialworries is also trying to overcome a bad hab-it, such as smoking, gambling, or heavydrinking. (Prov. 23:20, 21; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Tim.6:10) Would not teaching the student topray for God’s assistance in overcoming abad habit help him to experience Jehovah’s

� See Yearbooks of Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as lifestories published in The Watchtower and Awake!

8. (a) Why is it important for a Bible student to“taste and see that Jehovah is good”? (b) How canwe assist our student to experience Jehovah’s good-ness personally?

Do you make opportunitiesto reach men with the good news?

goodness? Consider also what can happenwhen we encourage the student to give pri-ority to spiritual things by making time forweekly Bible study and preparing for and at-tending Christian meetings. Why, as he per-sonally experiences Jehovah’s blessing onhis efforts, his faith will grow stronger!

Fear of Popular Opinion9 Because of peer pressure, some men

may hesitate to follow Christ fully. Nicode-mus and Joseph of Arimathea kept theirinterest in Jesus secret because they wereafraid of what other Jews might say or do ifthey foundout. (John3:1, 2; 19:38) This fearwas not imaginary. The religious leaders’hatred for Jesus eventually became so greatthat anyonewho confessed faith inhimwasexpelled from the synagogue.—John 9:22.

10 In some places today, if a man takes toomuch interest in God, the Bible, or reli-gion, he may be harassed by his workmates,friends, or relatives. In other places, it mayeven be dangerous to talk about chang-ing one’s religion. Peer pressure can be es-pecially difficult when a man is active-ly serving in the military, in politics, orin the local community. For example, aman in Germany admitted: “What you Wit-nessespreach about theBibleis true. But if I became aWitness today, by tomorroweveryone would know aboutit. What would they think atwork, in the neighborhood,and at the club my family

9, 10. (a) Why did Nicodemusand Joseph of Arimathea keeptheir interest in Jesus secret?(b) Why do some men today hesi-tate to follow Christ?

and I belong to? I could not put up withthat.”

11 Although none of Jesus’ apostles werecowards, they all struggledwith fearofman.(Mark 14:50, 66-72) How did Jesus helpthem to progress despite intense pressurefrom their peers? Jesus took steps to preparehis disciples for the opposition they wouldlater face. “Happy are you whenever menhate you,” he said, “and whenever they ex-clude you and reproach you and cast outyour name as wicked for the sake of the Sonof man.” (Luke 6:22) Jesus warned his fol-lowers that they should expect reproach.Any reproach was “for the sake of the Son ofman.” Jesus also assured them that Godwould back them up as long as they reliedon Him for help and strength. (Luke 12:4-12) Moreover, Jesus invited new ones to as-sociate freely with his disciples and makefriends with them.—Mark 10:29, 30.

12 We too need to assist Bible students toovercome fear of man. A challenge is ofteneasier to face when it is anticipated. (John15:19) For instance, why not help the stu-

11. How did Jesus help his disciples to cope withfear of man?12. In what ways can we help new ones to over-come fear of man?

How can you prepareyour Bible student

to face trials?


dent to prepare simple, reasonable, Bible-based replies to the questions and objec-tions his fellow employees and others maybring up? In addition to our being his per-sonal friend, we can introduce him to othermembers of the congregation, especiallythosewithwhomhemight have somethingin common.Above all, we should teachhimto pray regularly and from the heart. Thiscanhelphim todrawclose toGod and makeJehovah his Refuge and Rock.—Read Psalm94:21-23; James 4:8.

Feelings of Inadequacy13 Certain men hold back from getting in-

volved in spiritual matters because they donot read well or cannot express themselvesfluently or are just shy. Some men are un-comfortable sharing their views or feelingsin a public setting. The thoughtof having tostudy, comment at Christian meetings, orshare their faith with others may seem over-whelming to them. “When I was young,”admits a Christian brother, “I would quicklywalk up to the door, pretend to ring thedoorbell, and quietly walk away, hoping noone would hear or see me. . . . The thoughtof going from door to door made me physi-cally ill.”

14 Think of the lack of confidence Jesus’disciples must have experienced when theycould not heal a demon-possessed boy. Theson’s father came to Jesus and said: “[Myson] is an epileptic and is ill, for he falls of-ten into the fire and often into the water;and I brought him to your disciples, buttheycould not cure him.” Jesus expelled thedemon, thus curing the boy. The discipleslater approached Jesus and asked: “Why is it

13. How can feelings of inadequacy hold someback from getting involved in spiritual matters?14. Why could Jesus’ disciples not heal a demon-possessed boy?

we could not expel it?” Jesus answered: “Be-cause of your little faith. For truly I say toyou, If you have faith the size of a mustardgrain, you will say to this mountain, ‘Trans-fer from here to there,’ and it will transfer,and nothing will be impossible for you.”(Matt. 17:14-20) Faith in Jehovah is neededin order to overcome mountainlike obsta-cles. What happens if a person loses sight ofthis and begins to focus on his own abili-ties? Failure to succeed will result in a lackofconfidence.

15 A fine way to help someone strugglingwith feelings of inadequacy is to encouragehim to focus on Jehovah instead of on him-self. Peter wrote: “Humble yourselves . . . un-der the mighty hand of God, that he mayexalt you in due time; while you throw allyour anxiety upon him.” (1 Pet. 5:6, 7) Thisrequires that we help our Bible student todevelop spirituality. A spiritually inclinedperson keenly values spiritual things. Heloves God’s Word and manifests “the fruit-age of the spirit” in his life. (Gal. 5:22, 23)He is a man of prayer. (Phil. 4:6, 7) More-over, he looks to God for the courage andstrength needed to face any situation or tofulfill any assignment successfully.—Read2 Timothy 1:7, 8.

16 Some students may also need practicalassistance with their reading, conversation,

15, 16. How may we be able to help a Bible studentto overcome feelings of inadequacy?

How Would You Answer?˙ How can men be helped to give

spiritual pursuits priority?˙ How can we help new ones to cope

with peer pressure?˙ What may help some to overcome

feelings of inadequacy?


or speaking abilities. Others may feel un-worthy of serving God because of the badacts theycommitted before coming to knowJehovah. In either case, our loving, patientassistance may be just what they need. “Per-sons in health do not need a physician,”said Jesus, “but the ailing do.”—Matt. 9:12.

‘Catch’ More Men17 It is ourdesire thatmanymoremenwill

respond to the deeply satisfying messagethat is found only in the Bible. (2 Tim. 3:16,17) So howcanwe reachout tomoremen inour ministry? By spending more time wit-

17, 18. (a) How might we reach out to more menin our ministry? (b) What will we study next?

nessing in the evenings, on weekend after-noons, or during holidays when more menare at home. We can ask to speak with theman of the house whenpossible. Let us wit-ness informally to male workmates whenappropriate and reach out to unbelievinghusbands in the congregation.

18 As we preach to everyone we meet, wecan be confident that those with apprecia-tive hearts will respond favorably. Let us pa-tiently help all who show a sincere interestin the truth. How, though, canwe help bap-tized men in the congregation to reach outand qualify for responsibility in God’s orga-nization? The next article will address thisquestion.

CONCLUDING his Gospel account, theapostle John wrote: “There are, in fact,

many other things also which Jesus did,which, if ever theywerewritten in full detail,I suppose, the world itself could not containthe scrolls written.” (John 21:25) Among allthe things that Jesus accomplished duringhis short but dynamic ministry was the lo-cating, training, and organizing of menwhowould take the lead afterhis earthly sojourn.When he returned to heaven in 33 C.E., Je-sus left behind the foundation of a remark-able congregation that would quickly num-ber into the thousands.—Acts 2:41, 42; 4:4;6:7.

1. During his earthly ministry, how did Jesus laythe foundation for a remarkable congregation?

2 With more than seven million activeKingdom proclaimers in over 100,000 con-gregations worldwide today, there continuesto be a need for men to take the lead in spiri-tual matters. For instance, Christian eldersare greatly needed. Those who reach out forthis privilege of service are to be commend-ed, for they are “desirous of a fine work.”—1 Tim. 3:1.

3 However, men do not automaticallyqualify for privileges in the congregation.Mere secular education or life experiencedoesnot prepare aman for this kindofwork.To serve properly in such a capacity, a man

2, 3. (a) Why is there a pressing need for baptizedmen to reach out? (b) What will be considered inthis article?

TRAIN OTHERS TO REACH OUT“Everyone that is perfectly instructed will be like his teacher.”—LUKE 6:40.


must qualify spiritually. More than abilitiesor accomplishments, he must have spiritualqualities. How can men in the congregationbe helped to qualify? “Everyone that is per-fectly instructedwill be likehis teacher,” saidJesus. (Luke 6:40) In this article, we will con-sider some of the ways in which the MasterTeacher, Jesus Christ, helped his disciples toqualify for greater responsibility, and we willsee what lessons we can draw from what hedid.

“I Have Called You Friends”4 Jesus treated his disciples as friends,

not as inferiors. He spent time with them,took them into his confidence, and ‘madeknown to them all the things he had heardfrom his Father.’ (Read John 15:15.) Imag-ine how thrilled they were when Jesus an-swered their question: “What will be thesign of your presence and of the conclusionof the system of things?” (Matt. 24:3, 4)He also shared with his followers his pri-vate thoughts and feelings. On the night ofhis betrayal, for instance, Jesus took Peter,James, and John into the garden of Geth-semane, where he prayed earnestly from histroubled heart. The three apostles may nothave heard what Jesus was saying in prayer,but they must have sensed the gravity of theoccasion. (Mark 14:33-38) Think, too, of theimpact that the transfiguration must havehad earlier on the three. (Mark 9:2-8; 2 Pet.1:16-18) The intimate friendship that Jesusforged with his disciples was an anchor forthem as they later cared for weighty assign-ments.

5 Like Jesus, Christian elders today be-friend and help others. They cultivate awarm, close relationship with their fellow

4. How did Jesus show himself to be a real friend tohis disciples?5. What are some ways in which Christian elderscan make themselves available to others?

believers by taking time to show person-al interest in them. While elders recog-nize the importance of confidentiality, theyare not secretive. Elders trust their brothersand share with them Scriptural truths theythemselves have learned. Byno means do el-ders treat as inferior a ministerial servantwho may be comparatively young. Instead,they thinkof himas a spiritualmanwith po-tential who is performing a valuable servicein behalf of the congregation.

“I Set the Pattern for You”6 Although Jesus’ disciples had apprecia-

tion for spiritual things, their thinking wassometimes influenced by their backgroundand culture. (Matt. 19:9, 10; Luke 9:46-48;John 4:27) However, Jesus did not lecture orthreaten his disciples. He neither burdenedthem with unreasonable demands nor ad-vised them to do one thing while he himselfdid something else. Rather, Jesus taughtthem by example.—Read John 13:15.

7 What kind of model did Jesus leave forhis disciples? (1 Pet. 2:21) He kept his lifesimple so that he could freely minister toothers. (Luke 9:58) Jesus was modest and al-ways based his teaching on the Scriptures.(John 5:19; 17:14, 17) He was approachableandkind. Lovewas the motivation for every-thing he did. (Matt. 19:13-15; John 15:12) Je-sus’ example had a positive influence on hisapostles. For instance, James did not cowerin the face of death but until he was execut-ed, loyally served God. (Acts 12:1, 2) Johnfaithfully followed in Jesus’ footsteps formore than 60 years.—Rev.1:1, 2, 9.

8 Elders who are self-sacrificing, humble,and loving provide the kind of example that

6, 7. Describe the example Jesus set for his disciplesand the effect this had on them.8. What example do elders set for younger menand others?


younger men need. (1 Pet. 5:2, 3) Moreover,elders who are exemplary in faith, in teach-ing, in Christian living, and in the ministryexperience the satisfaction of knowing thatothers can imitate their faith.—Heb.13:7.

‘Giving Them Orders,Jesus Sent Them Forth’

9 After zealously engaging in his ministryfor about two years, Jesus expanded thepreaching activity by sending out his 12apostles to preach. First, though, he gavethem instructions. (Matt. 10:5-14) Whenabout to feed a crowd of thousands miracu-lously, Jesus toldhis discipleshowhewantedthem to organize the people and distributethe food. (Luke 9:12-17) Clearly, then, Jesustrained his disciples by giving them clearand specific direction. This pattern of train-ing, coupled with the powerful influence ofholy spirit, later equipped the apostles to or-ganize the extensive preaching work thattook place in 33 C.E. and thereafter.

10 Today, spiritual instruction beginswhen a man accepts a Bible study. We mayneed to helphim to readwell.Our assistancecontinues as we conduct Bible studies withhim. When he starts to attend Christianmeetings regularly, his spiritual training willprogress as he participates in the TheocraticMinistry School, becomes an unbaptizedpublisher, and so forth. After baptism, histraining can include such things as helpingwith Kingdom Hall maintenance. In time, abrother can be helped to see what he needsto do to qualify as a ministerial servant.

11 When giving a baptized brother an as-signment, an elder gladly explains the rel-evant organizational procedures and pro-vides needed instruction. The brother being

9. How do we know that Jesus trained his disciplesto carry out the evangelizing work?10, 11. In what ways can progressive training beprovided for new ones?

trainedmust understand what is expected ofhim. If he is struggling with what he is askedto do, a loving elder does not quickly con-clude that he is not qualified. Rather, the el-der kindly points out the specific areas ofconcern and reviews the goals and proce-dures. Seeing men respond positively tosuch efforts and thus experience the joy thatcomes from serving others is a source ofhappiness to the elders.—Acts 20:35.

“The One Listening to Counsel Is Wise”12 Jesus trained his disciples by providing

personal counsel tailored to their needs. Forexample, he rebuked James and John forwanting to call down fire from heaven onsome Samaritans who had not received him.(Luke 9:52-55) When the mother of Jamesand John approached Jesus on their behalfto ask that they be granted favored positionsin the Kingdom, Jesus addressed the broth-ers directly, saying: “This sitting down at myright hand and at my left is not mine to give,but it belongs to those for whom it has beenprepared by my Father.” (Matt. 20:20-23) Atall times, Jesus gave counsel that was clear,practical, and solidly based on godly princi-ples. He taught his disciples to reason onsuch principles. (Matt. 17:24-27) Jesus alsorecognized the limitations of his followersand did not expect perfection from them.His counsel was motivated by genuine love.—John 13:1.

13 Everymanwho reaches out for responsi-bility in the Christian congregation needscounsel or Scriptural advice at one time oranother. “The one listening to counsel iswise,” states Proverbs 12:15. “I found thatmy biggest challenge was dealing with myown imperfections,” says one young brother.

12. What made Jesus’ counsel effective?13, 14. (a) Who needs counsel? (b) Give examplesof what personal counsel an elder may offer tosomeone who is not progressing spiritually.

“The advice of an elder put this into properperspective for me.”

14 If elders observe that some question-able conduct is retarding a man’s spiritualprogress, they take the initiative to readjusthim in a spirit of mildness. (Gal. 6:1) Attimes, counsel is needed because of somepersonality trait. If a brother seems some-what self-sparing, for example, an elder mayfind it helpful to point out that Jesus was azealous Kingdom proclaimer who commis-sionedhis followers tomake disciples. (Matt.28:19, 20; Luke 8:1) If a brother appears am-bitious, an elder might show him how Jesushelped His disciples to see the dangers ofseeking prominence. (Luke 22:24-27) Whatif a brother has a tendency to be unforgiv-ing? The illustration of the slave who re-fused to forgive a small debt even thoughhe himself had been forgiven much morewould make a powerful point. (Matt. 18:21-35) When counsel is needed, it is good forthe elders to provide it at the earliest oppor-tunity.—Read Proverbs 27:9.

“Be Training Yourself”15 The elders take the lead in training men

to reach out, but others can support their ef-

15. How can a man’s family help him to serve oth-ers?

forts. For instance, a man’s family can andshould help him to reach out. And if he al-ready is an elder, he will benefit from thesupport of a loving wife and unselfish chil-dren. Their willingness to share him withthe congregation is essential if he is to suc-ceed in shouldering his responsibility. Theirself-sacrificing spirit brings him joy and isgreatly appreciated by others.—Prov. 15:20;31:10, 23.

16 Although others can help and supporthim, the primary responsibility for reachingout rests with the man himself. (Read Gala-tians 6:5.) Of course, a brother does nothave to be a ministerial servant or an elderin order to help others and have a fullshare in the ministry. However, reachingout for privileges in the congregation doesmean striving to meet the qualifications setout in the Scriptures. (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Ti-tus 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 5:1-3) So if a man de-sires to serve as a ministerial servant or anelder but has not yet been appointed tobe one, he should give attention to areaswhere he needs to make spiritual advance-ment. This calls for regular Bible reading, dil-igent personal study, serious meditation,

16. (a) The primary responsibility to reach outrests with whom? (b) How can a man reach out forprivileges in the congregation?

What training can youprovide your Bible student ashe seeks to make progress?

www.watchtower.org w11 11/15-E

heartfelt prayer, and zealous participation inthe Christian ministry. In such ways, he canpersonally apply Paul’s counsel to Timothy:“Be training yourself with godly devotion asyour aim.”—1 Tim. 4:7.

17 But what if a man is not reaching out be-cause of anxiety or feelings of inadequacy?He would do well to consider how much Je-hovah God and Jesus Christ do for us. In-deed, Jehovah “daily carries the load for us.”(Ps. 68:19) So our heavenly Father can help abrother to take on responsibility in the con-gregation. A brother who is not serving as aministerial servantor an elder will alsofind itbeneficial to consider the fact that there is agreat need for mature men to accept privi-leges of service in God’s organization. Re-flecting on such points may move a brotherto put forth effort to overcome negative feel-ings. He can pray for holy spirit, bearing inmind that its fruitage includes peace andself-control—qualities needed to dispel anxi-

17, 18. What can a baptized brother do if anxiety,feelings of inadequacy, or a lackof motivation holdshim back?

ety or feelings of inadequacy. (Luke 11:13;Gal. 5:22, 23) And one can be fully confidentthat Jehovah blesses all who reach out with aproper motive.

18 Could it be that a lack of motivation ispreventing a baptized man from reachingout? What can help a brother who lacks thedesire to serve? The apostle Paul wrote:“[God], for the sake of his good pleasure, isacting within you in order for you both towill and to act.” (Phil. 2:13) The desire toserve is God-given, and Jehovah’s spirit canstrengthen a person to render sacred service.(Phil. 4:13) Moreover, a Christian can praythat God will make him do what is right.—Ps. 25:4, 5.

19 Jehovahblesses the efforts of older mento train others. His blessing is also experi-enced by those who respond and reach outfor privileges in the congregation. The Scrip-tures assure us that among God’s people“seven shepherds, yes, eight dukes”—therequired number of capable men—will beraised up to take the lead in Jehovah’s orga-nization. (Mic. 5:5) What a blessing it is thatso many Christian men are being trainedand are humbly reaching out for privilegesof service to Jehovah’s praise!

19. Of what does the raising up of “seven shep-herds, yes, eight dukes” assure us?

How can men showthat they are reaching out?

How Would You Answer?˙ How did Jesus help his disciples to

qualify for greater responsibility?˙ How can elders imitate Jesus as

they help men in the congregationto take the lead?

˙ What part does a man’s family playin helping him to reach out?

˙ What can a man himself do to reachout for privileges?

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