W e 20110615

STUDY ARTICLES FOR THE WEEKS OF:

August 1-7There Is Good News That All NeedPAGE 7 SONGS TO BE USED: 47, 101

August 8-14God Recommends His Love to UsPAGE 11 SONGS TO BE USED: 18, 91

August 15-21“Shepherd the Flock of God

in Your Care”PAGE 20 SONGS TO BE USED: 42, 84

August 22-28“Have Regard for Those Who

Are Working Hard Among You”PAGE 24 SONGS TO BE USED: 123, 53

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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.

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. 12 Semimonthly ENGLISH

JUNE 15, 2011

PURPOSE OF STUDY ARTICLES

STUDY ARTICLES 1, 2 PAGES 7-15 -

In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul re-ferred to an aspect of “the good news” thatconcerns sinful mankind. What is it, and howcan you benefit from that aspect of “the goodnews”? These two articles will deepen yourunderstanding of and your gratitude for Je-sus’ sacrifice and for God’s love expressedthrough it.

STUDY ARTICLES 3, 4 PAGES 20-28

These articles point out how elders can en-hance their appreciation for the privilege ofshepherding. Also considered are ways for thecongregation to show earnest regard for theelders.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

3 Should Youths Get Baptized?

16 Did Abraham ReallyOwn Camels?

18 ‘Bring the Scrolls,Especially theParchments’ )

29 “Make YourWay Successful”—How?

“IAM so happy that my daughter is now aservant of Jehovah, and I know that she is

happy too,” said Carlos,� a Christian fatherin the Philippines. A father from Greecewrote: “My wife and I are delighted that ourthree children were baptized as Jehovah’sWitnesses during their adolescence. Theyare making spiritual progress and are happyabout serving Jehovah.”

Christian parents have reason to be over-joyed when their children get baptized, butsometimes the joy is accompanied by un-easiness. “I was very happy and very anx-ious,” said one mother. Why the mixedemotions? “I understood that my son wasnow fully accountable to Jehovah.”

Serving Jehovah as one of his baptizedWitnesses is a goal that all young onesshould have. Yet, godly parents may won-der, ‘I know that my child has made good

� Some names have been changed.

progress, but is he strong enough to resistimmoral pressures and remain clean beforeJehovah?’ Others may ask themselves, ‘Infacing the pull of materialism, will mychild continue serving God with joy andzeal?’ Accordingly, what Biblical guidancecan help parents determine whether theirchildren are ready for baptism?

Discipleship—The Prime Requirement

Instead of specifying an age to get bap-tized, God’s Word describes the spiritualcondition of those qualified to take thatstep. Jesus instructed his followers: “Makedisciples of people of all the nations, baptiz-ing them.” (Matt. 28:19) Hence, baptism isfor thosewho are alreadydisciples ofChrist.

What is a disciple? Insight on the Scrip-tures explains: “The principal application ofthe term is to all those who not only be-lieveChrist’s teachings but also follow themclosely.”Are relatively youngpeople capableof being genuine disciples of Christ? A sisterwho has served as a missionary in Lat-in America for over 40 years writes aboutherself and her two sisters: “We were old

Should Youths Get Baptized?

A youngster can giveevidence of discipleship

Preparation for and participation at meetings

enough to know that we wanted to serve Je-hovah and live in Paradise. Our dedicationhelped us to be strong when we faced thetemptations of youth.We do not regret hav-ing made our dedication to God at an earlyage.”

How do you know if your child has be-come a disciple of Christ? The Bible states:“Even by his practices a boy makes himselfrecognized as to whether his activity is pureand upright.” (Prov. 20:11) Consider somepractices that reveal that a youth is making‘his advancement manifest’ as a disciple.—1 Tim. 4:15.

Proof of DiscipleshipDoes your child obey you? (Col. 3:20)

Does he do his assigned chores around thehouse?TheBible states about 12-year-old Je-sus: “He continued subject to [his parents].”(Luke 2:51) Of course, no child today willobey his parents perfectly. But true Chris-tians are to “follow [Jesus’] steps closely.”So youths interested in baptism should beknown for their obedience to their parents.—1 Pet. 2:21.

Consider the following questions: Doesyour child ‘keep seeking first the Kingdom’in the ministry? (Matt. 6:33) Is he willing toshare the good news with others, or do youhave to give him strong encouragement to

go out in the field service and talk at thedoors? Is he mindful of his responsibility asan unbaptized publisher? Does he have adesire to call back on interested ones hemeets in the territory?Doeshemake knownto schoolmates and teachers that he is aWit-ness of Jehovah?

Is attending congregation meetings im-portant to him? (Ps. 122:1) Does he enjoycommenting at the Watchtower Study andthe Congregation Bible Study? Is he enthu-siastically participating in the TheocraticMinistry School?—Heb.10:24, 25.

Does your child strive to stay clean moral-ly by avoiding harmful associates in schooland elsewhere? (Prov. 13:20) What are hispreferences regarding music, movies, televi-sion programs, video games, and the use ofthe Internet? Do his words and actions giveevidence that hewants to complywithBiblestandards?

Howwell does your child know the Bible?Can he put in his ownwords what he learnsduring your Family Worship evening? Canhe explain basic Bible truths? (Prov. 2:6-9)Does reading the Bible and studying thepublications of the faithful and discreetslave class interest him? (Matt. 24:45) Doeshe ask questions about Bible teachings andverses?

Obedience to parents Participation in the ministry Personal prayer

THE WATCHTOWER ˙ JUNE 15, 2011 5

Those questions may help you to gaugethe spiritual progress of your child. Afterconsidering them, you may conclude thathe should improve in some area before get-ting baptized. If, however, his life coursegives proof of discipleship and he has in-deed dedicated his life to God, you may feelthat you can allow him to get baptized.

Young People Can Praise JehovahMany servants of God showed faithful-

ness and loyalty during adolescence or earli-er. Think of Joseph, Samuel, Josiah, andJesus. (Gen. 37:2; 39:1-3; 1 Sam. 1:24-28; 2:18-20; 2 Chron. 34:1-3; Luke 2:42-49) AndPhilip’s four daughters, who prophesied,must have been well-trained from an earlyage.—Acts 21:8, 9.

A Witness in Greece said: “I was baptizedwhen I was 12 years old. I have never regret-ted my decision. Since then, 24 years havepassed, 23 of which I have spent in the full-time service. My love for Jehovah alwayshelped me to face the difficulties of youth.At the age of 12, I did not have the Scripturalknowledge that I have now. But I knew that Iloved Jehovah and wanted to serve him for-

ever. I amglad that he has helped me to con-tinue in his service.”

Whether youngorold, a personwhogivesevidence of true discipleship should get bap-tized. The apostle Paul wrote: “With theheart one exercises faith for righteousness,but with the mouth one makes public decla-ration for salvation.” (Rom. 10:10) When ayoung disciple of Christ takes the importantstep of baptism, both he and his parentshave reached a milestone. May nothing de-prive you or your children of the joy thatawaits you.

The Proper View of BaptismSome parents consider their chil-

dren’s baptism as a beneficial stepthat involves risk—much like getting adriver’s license. But do baptism andsacred service ever threaten a person’sfuture success? The Bible answers no.Proverbs 10:22 states: “The blessing ofJehovah—that is what makes rich, andhe adds no pain with it.” And Paulwrote to young Timothy: “To be sure,it is a means of great gain, this godlydevotion along with self-sufficiency.”—1 Tim. 6:6.

True, serving Jehovah is not easy.Jeremiah faced many hardships in hiswork as God’s prophet. Yet, he wroteabout his worship of the true God:“Your word becomes to me the exulta-tion and the rejoicing of my heart; foryour name has been called upon me,O Jehovah God of armies.” (Jer. 15:16)Jeremiah knew that God’s service wasthe source of his joy. Satan’s world is asource of hardships. Parents need tohelp their children to recognize thatdistinction.—Jer. 1:19.

6 THE WATCHTOWER ˙ JUNE 15, 2011

Occasionally, even when children qual-ify for baptism, their parents may decidethat it should be postponed. What maybe their reasons?

I fear that if my child gets baptized,he might later fall into serious sin and getdisfellowshipped. Is it reasonable to be-lieve that a young person who puts offbaptism will not be accountable to Godfor his conduct? Solomon directed the fol-lowing words to young ones: “Know thaton account of [your actions] the true Godwill bring you into judgment.” (Eccl. 11:9)And with no exception as to age, Paulgave this reminder: “Each of us will ren-der an account for himself to God.”—Rom. 14:12.

Both baptized and unbaptized wor-shippers are accountable to God. Do notforget, Jehovah protects his servants by‘not letting them be tempted beyondwhat they can bear.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Aslong as they ‘keep their senses’ and fighttemptation, such ones can count onGod’s support. (1 Pet. 5:6-9) A Christianmother writes: “Children who are bap-tized have more reasons to stay awayfrom the bad things of the world. My son,baptized at 15, feels that baptism is a pro-tection. ‘You don’t think about doingsomething contrary to Jehovah’s law,’ hesaid. Baptism is a strong motivation forrighteousness.”

If you have trained your children byword and example to obey Jehovah, youcan be confident that they will continueto do so after they are baptized. Proverbs20:7 states: “The righteous is walking inhis integrity. Happy are his sons afterhim.”

I would like to see my child reachcertain goals first. Young people should

learn to work so that, in time, they can beself-sufficient. But there is danger in en-couraging them to take up a lifestyle cen-tered on education and financial securityinstead of true worship. Regarding a“seed,” or the word of the Kingdom, thatdoes not grow, Jesus said: “As for the onesown among the thorns, this is the onehearing the word, but the anxiety of thissystem of things and the deceptive powerof riches choke the word, and he becomesunfruitful.” (Matt. 13:22) Plans for a lifethat subordinates spirituality to worldlygoals can snuff out a young person’s de-sire to serve God.

Commenting on youths who qualify forbaptism but whose parents do not agree,an experienced elder said: “Preventing ayoung one from getting baptized canbreak his spiritual momentum and leadto discouragement.” And a traveling over-seer wrote: “A youth could begin feelingspiritually insecure or inferior. He mightlook to the world to gain a feeling of ac-complishment.”

Should My Child Put Off Baptism?

Should university come first?

‘I AM happy to share the good news eachday.’ Likely that sentiment has crossed

your mind or lips. As a devoted Witness ofJehovah, you know how important it is topreach “this good news of the kingdom.”You may be able to recite from memory Je-sus’ prophecy about our doing that.—Matt.24:14.

2 In preaching the “good news of thekingdom,” you are continuing what Jesusstarted. (Read Luke 4:43.) Doubtless, onepoint that you stress is thatGodwill soon in-tervene in human affairs. With the “greattribulation,” he will end false religion andclear the earth of wickedness. (Matt. 24:21) You probably also highlight that God’sKingdom will reestablish Paradise on earthso that peace and happiness can flourish. Infact, the “goodnewsof the kingdom” is partof “the good news [declared] beforehand toAbraham, namely: ‘By means of you all thenations will be blessed.’ ”—Gal. 3:8.

3 Could it be, though, that we might givelittle attention to a key aspect of the goodnews that people need? In the letter to theRomans, the apostle Paul used the word“kingdom” only once, but he used the ex-pression “good news” 12 times. (Read Ro-mans 14:17.) What aspect of the good newsdid Paul refer to so often in that book? Whyis that particular good news vital? And why

1, 2. Why do you preach the “good news of thekingdom,” and what aspects of it do you stress?3. Whycanwe say that the apostle Paul emphasizedgood news in the book of Romans?

should we keep it in mind as we preach “thegood news of God” to people in our territo-ry?—Mark 1:14; Rom.15:16; 1 Thess. 2:2.

What Those in Rome Needed4 It is instructive to note the topics that

Paul addressed when he was first impris-oned inRome.We read thatwhenanumberof Jews visited him, he bore ‘thorough wit-ness concerning (1) the kingdom of Godand used persuasion with them concern-ing (2) Jesus.’ The result? “Some beganto believe the things said; others would

4. During his first imprisonment in Rome, aboutwhat did Paul preach?

THERE IS GOOD NEWSTHAT ALL NEED

“The good news . . . is, in fact, God’s power for salvation.”—ROM. 1:16.


not believe.” Thereafter, Paul ‘would kind-ly receive all those who came in to him,preaching (1) the kingdom of God to themand teaching the things concerning (2) theLord Jesus Christ.’ (Acts 28:17, 23-31) Clearly,Paul gave attention to God’s Kingdom. Butwhat else did he stress? Something that iscentral to the Kingdom—Jesus’ role in God’spurpose.

5 All people need to knowabout Jesus andput faith in him. In the book of Romans,Paul addressed this need. Early on, he wrote

of “God, to whom I render sacred servicewith my spirit in connection with the goodnews about his Son.” He added: “I am notashamed of the good news; it is, in fact,God’s power for salvation to everyone hav-ing faith.” Later he referred to the time“when God through Christ Jesus judges thesecret things of mankind, according to thegood news I declare.”And he related: “FromJerusalem and in a circuit as far as IllyricumI have thoroughly preached the good newsabout the Christ.”� (Rom. 1:9, 16; 2:16; 15:19) Why, do you think, did Paul stress JesusChrist to the Romans?

6 We do not know how the Roman con-gregation started. Did Jews or proselyteswhowere present at Pentecost 33C.E. returnto Rome as Christians? (Acts 2:10) Or did

� Similar expressions appear in other inspired books.—Mark 1:1; Acts 5:42; 1 Cor. 9:12; Phil. 1:27.

5. What real need did Paul address in the book ofRomans?6, 7. What can we say about the start and makeupof the Roman congregation?

Christian merchants and travelers spreadthe truth in Rome? Whatever the case,by the time Paul wrote the book, about56 C.E., the congregation was long estab-lished. (Rom. 1:8) What type of peoplemade up that congregation?

7 Some had a Jewish background. Paulgreeted Andronicus and Junias as “my rela-tives,” likelymeaning relativeswhowere fel-low Jews. Tentmaker Aquila, in Rome withhis wife, Priscilla, was also Jewish. (Rom.4:1; 9:3, 4; 16:3, 7; Acts 18:2) But manybrothers and sisters to whom Paul sentgreetings were likely Gentiles. Some mayhave been “of the household of Caesar,”perhaps meaning Caesar’s slaves and minorofficials.—Phil. 4:22; Rom.1:6; 11:13.

8 EveryChristian inRome faced a predica-ment that also confronts each one of us.Paul put it thisway: “All have sinned and fallshort of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)Clearly, all to whom Paul wrote needed torecognize that they were sinners and had toput faith in God’s means to meet that need.

Recognizing the Problem of Sin9 Early in the letter to the Romans, Paul

pointed to the wonderful result that couldcome from the good news he kept mention-ing: “I am not ashamed of the good news; itis, in fact,God’spower for salvation to every-one having faith, to the Jew first and alsoto the Greek.” Yes, salvation was possible.However, faith was necessary, in line with aprofound truth quoted from Habakkuk 2:4:“The righteous one—by means of faith hewill live.” (Rom. 1:16, 17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38) But how does that good news, whichcan lead to salvation, relate to the fact that“all have sinned”?

8. Those in Rome faced what predicament?9. Paul called attention to what possible result ofthe good news?

The good news highlightedin Romans involved Jesus’ vitalrole in God’s purpose


10 Before a person can develop lifesavingfaith, he must acknowledge that he is a sin-ner. The idea of being such would not bestrange for those who grow up believing inGod and having some familiarity with theBible. (Read Ecclesiastes 7:20.) Whetherthey agree or have doubts, at least they havean idea of what Paul meant when he said:“All have sinned.” (Rom. 3:23) Yet, in carry-ing out our ministry, we may meet manywho do not understand that statement.

11 In some lands, the average person is notraised thinking that he (or she) was born asinner, that he inherited sin. Granted, heprobably realizes that he makes mistakes,has undesirable traits, and may have donesome bad things. And he observes that oth-ers are in a similar situation. Still, given hisbackground, he does not really understandwhy he and others are like that. In fact, insome languages, if you say that a person is asinner, others may think that you are sayingthat he is a criminal or at least a personwhobroke some rules.Obviously, a person grow-ing up in such an environment may notreadily think of himself as a sinner in thesense that Paul meant.

12 Even in lands of Christendom, manydo not believe in the concept of being sin-ners.Why not? Even if they go to church onoccasion, theyconsider theBible accountofAdam and Eve to be merely a fable or amyth. Others grow up in an anti-God cli-mate. They doubt that God exists and there-fore do not understand that a Supreme Be-ing set moral standards forhumans and thatfailure to uphold those standards amountsto sin. In a sense, they are like those in thefirst centurywhomPaul described ashaving

10, 11. Why is the concept mentioned at Romans3:23 not strange for some people but is for others?12. Why do many not believe that all are sinners?

“no hope” and being “without God in theworld.”—Eph. 2:12.

13 In the letter to the Romans, Paul pre-sented two reasons why such a backgroundcannot be an excuse—not then, not today.The first reason is that creation itself bearswitness to the existence of a Creator. (ReadRomans 1:19, 20.) This accords with an ob-servation Paul made when writing fromRome to the Hebrews: “Every house is con-structed by someone, but he that construct-ed all things is God.” (Heb. 3:4) That line ofreasoning points to there being a Creatorwho constructed, or brought into existence,the entire universe.

14 So Paul was on solid ground in writingto the Romans that any—including the an-cient Israelites—who gave their devotion tolifeless images “are inexcusable.” The samecan be said for those who gave in to immor-al sexual practices contrary to the natu-ral use of the male and female bodies.(Rom. 1:22-27) Referring to such reasoning,Paul rightly concluded that “Jews as well asGreeks are all under sin.”—Rom. 3:9.

13, 14. (a) What is one reason why those who donot believe in God and in sin are inexcusable? (b) Towhat has disbelief led many?

We were all bornwith a fatal flaw—sin!


A ‘Witness Bearer’15 The book of Romans identifies another

reason why people should recognize thatthey are sinners and need a way out of thatpredicament. Regarding the code of lawsthat God gave to ancient Israel, Paul wrote:“All those who sinned under law will bejudged by law.” (Rom. 2:12) Continuing hisreasoning, he points out that people of na-tions or ethnic groups unacquainted withthat divine code often “do by nature thethings of the law.” Why do such ones com-monly forbid incest, murder, and stealing?Paul identified the reason: They have a con-science.—Read Romans 2:14,15.

16 Nonetheless, you have likely seen thathaving a conscience that functions like aninner witness bearer does not mean that aperson will follow its guidance. The case ofancient Israel shows that. Though the Israel-ites had both a God-given conscience andspecific laws from God against stealing andadultery, they often violated both their con-science and Jehovah’s Law. (Rom. 2:21-23)They were doubly culpable and thus certain-ly were sinners, falling short of God’s stan-dards and will. This seriously marred theirrelationship with their Maker.—Lev. 19:11;20:10; Rom. 3:20.

17 What we have considered from thebook of Romans might seem to paint a grimpicture of the human situation before theAlmighty, including ours. However, Paul didnot leave matters there. Quoting David’swords at Psalm 32:1, 2, the apostle wrote:“Happy are those whose lawless deeds havebeen pardoned and whose sins have beencovered; happy is the man whose sin Jeho-

15. Who have the faculty of conscience, with whateffect?16. Why does having a conscience not necessarilymean avoiding sin?17. We find what encouragement in the bookof Ro-mans?

vah will by no means take into account.”(Rom. 4:7, 8) Yes, God has arranged a legallyproper means for pardoning sins.

Good News Centered on Jesus18 You might well respond, “That is really

good news!” Indeed it is, which brings usback to the aspect of the goodnews that Paulhighlighted in the bookof Romans. As men-tioned, Paulwrote: “I amnot ashamedof thegood news; it is, in fact, God’s power for sal-vation.”—Rom.1:15,16.

19 That good news centered on Jesus’ rolein the outworking of God’s purpose. Paulcould look forward to “the day when GodthroughChrist Jesus judges the secret thingsof mankind, according to the good news.”(Rom. 2:16) In stating that, he was not mini-mizing “the kingdom of the Christ and ofGod” or what God will do by means of theKingdom. (Eph. 5:5) But he showed that forus to live and enjoy the blessings to prevailunder God’s Kingdom, we must recognize(1) our situation as sinners in God’s sightand (2) why we need to exercise faith in Je-sus Christ to have our sins forgiven. When aperson comes to understand and acceptthose parts of God’s purpose and sees the fu-ture that this opens to him, he can rightlyexclaim, “Yes, that truly is good news!”

18, 19. (a) On what aspect of the good news didPaul focus in Romans? (b) To get Kingdom bless-ings, we must recognize what?

Do You Recall?˙ The book of Romans highlights what

aspect of the good news?˙ What fact do we need to help others

to understand?˙ How can “the good news about the

Christ” mean blessings for us andothers?


20 We should definitely bear in mind thisaspect of the good news as we carry out ourChristian ministry. With reference to Je-sus, Paul quoted Isaiah’s words: “None thatrests his faith on him will be disappointed.”(Rom. 10:11; Isa. 28:16) The basic messageabout Jesus may not be strange to those whoare acquainted with what the Bible saysabout sin. For others, though, this messagewill be quite new, something not known orgenerally believed in their culture. As suchones come to believe in God and trust in the

20, 21. In our ministry, why should we bear inmind the good news that is stressed in the book ofRomans, and with what potential result?

Scriptures, we will need to explain Jesus’role. The following article will consider howRomans chapter 5develops this aspectof thegoodnews. Youwill probably find that studyto be useful in your ministry.

21 How rewarding it is to help honestheart-ed ones to understand the good news men-tioned repeatedly in the bookof Romans, thegood news that “is, in fact, God’s power forsalvation to everyone having faith.” (Rom.1:16) Beyond our being thus rewarded, we willsee others agreewith the sentiment that Paulquoted at Romans 10:15: “How comely arethe feet of those who declare good news ofgood things!”—Isa. 52:7.

“THERomans’ greatest . . . bequest to thosewho succeeded them [was] their law

and their sense that life should be lived ac-cording to law.” (Dr. David J.Williams of theUniversity of Melbourne, Australia) How-ever valid thatmight be, there is a bequest orgift of far greater value. This gift is a divinemeans to have an approved and righteousstandingwithGod and the prospect of salva-tion and everlasting life.

2 In a sense, there were legal aspects tohow God made this gift available. In Ro-

1, 2. What two gifts might be considered, andwhich is the greater?

mans chapter 5, the apostle Paul did not pre-sent these aspects as a dry, legalistic treatise.Rather, he began with this thrilling assur-ance: “We have been declared righteous as aresult of faith, [so] let us enjoy peace withGod through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Thosewho receive God’s gift are moved to lovehim in return. Paul was one. He wrote: “Thelove of God has been poured out into ourhearts through the holy spirit.”—Rom. 5:1, 5.

3 Why, though, was this loving gift neces-sary? How could God offer it in a just,

3. What questions logically arise?

GOD RECOMMENDSHIS LOVE TO US

“Undeserved kindness [will] rule as king through righteousnesswith everlasting life in view.”—ROM. 5:21.


equitable way? And what are individualscalledupon todo toqualify for it? Let us findthe satisfying answers and see how they un-derscore God’s love.

God’s Love Versus Sin4 In an act of great love, Jehovah sent his

only-begotten Son to help humans. Paul ex-pressed it this way: “God recommends hisown love to us in that, while we were yet sin-ners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) Thinkofone fact there mentioned: “We were yet sin-ners.” All need to know how that came tobe so.

5 Paul outlined the matter, starting withthis point: “Through one man sin enteredinto the world and death through sin, andthus death spread to all men because theyhadall sinned.” (Rom.5:12)We are in a posi-tion to understand this because God had arecordmade of howhuman life began. Jeho-vahcreated twohumans, AdamandEve.TheCreator is perfect, and so were those first hu-mans, our ancestors. God gave thembut onelimiting directive and informed them thatdisobeying that law would bring a deathsentence. (Gen. 2:17) However, they choseto act ruinously, violating God’s reasonabledirective, thus rejecting himas Lawgiver andSovereign.—Deut. 32:4, 5.

6 It was only after Adamhadbecome a sin-ner that he fathered children, passing on sinand its effects to all of them. Of course, theyhadnot violated the divine lawasAdamhad,so they were not charged with the same sin;nor had any law code yet been given. (Gen.2:17) Still, Adam’s descendants inherited

4, 5. (a) Inwhat great way did Jehovah express hislove? (b) Knowledge of what background enables usto understand Romans 5:12?6. (a) Why did Adam’s descendants die both be-fore God gave the Mosaic Law and thereafter?(b) What can be illustrated with a disease like he-mophilia?

sin. Thus, sin and death ruled down to thetime when God gave the Israelites a lawcode, which clearly showed that they weresinners. (Read Romans 5:13, 14.) The effectof inherited sin might be illustrated withcertain inherited diseases or defects, such asMediterranean anemia or hemophilia. Youmay have read that Alexis, son of RussianCzar Nicholas II and Alexandra, inheritedthe bleeding disorder hemophilia. Granted,even in such a family, some children do notsuffer from those diseases, but they still maybe carriers. Not so with sin. The defect of sinfrom Adam was inevitable. All are subject toit. It is always fatal. And it is passed on to allchildren. Could that predicament ever beovercome?

What God Provided ThroughJesus Christ

7 Lovingly, Jehovah made a provision forhumans to overcome inherited sinfulness.Paul explained that this was possible bymeans of another man, a later perfect man—in effect, a second Adam. (1 Cor. 15:45) Butthe course of eachof the twoperfectmenhasled to very different results. How so?—ReadRomans 5:15,16.

8 “It is not with the gift as it was with thetrespass,” Paul wrote. Adamwas guiltyof thattrespass, and he justly received an adversesentence—he died. Yet, he was not the onlyone to die. We read: “By [that] one man’strespass many died.” The just sentence onAdam demanded the same for all his imper-fect progeny, including us. Still, we can takecomfort in knowing that the perfect man, Je-sus, could produce an opposite result. Whatis the result? We see the answer in Paul’smention of “a declaring of [men of all kinds]righteous for life.”—Rom. 5:18.

7, 8. Howdid the course of two perfect men lead todifferent results?


9 What is the sense of the Greek words un-derlying the expressions “declarationof righ-teousness” and “declaring of them righ-teous”? One Bible translator wrote of theconcept: “It is a legal metaphor that makes aquasi-legal point. It speaks of a change in aperson’s status in relation to God, not of aninner change in the person . . . The metaphorpictures God as the judge who has reached adecision in favor of the accused, who hadbeenbrought beforeGod’s court, so to speak,on a charge of unrighteousness. But God ac-quits the accused.”

10 On what basis could the righteous“Judge of all the earth” acquit an un-righteous person? (Gen. 18:25) Laying thegroundwork, God lovingly sent his only-

9. God was doing what in declaring men righteous,as mentioned at Romans 5:16, 18?10. What did Jesus do that provided the basis forhumans to be declared righteous?

begotten Son to earth. Jesus did his Father’swill perfectly, despite temptations, extremeridicule, and abuse. He kept his integrityeven to the extent of dying on a torture stake.(Heb. 2:10) In sacrificing his perfect humanlife, Jesus offered a ransom that might re-lease, or redeem, Adam’s offspring from sinand death.—Matt. 20:28; Rom. 5:6-8.

11 Elsewhere, Paul termed this “a corre-sponding ransom.” (1 Tim. 2:6) What wasthe correspondence? Adam brought imper-fection and death to billions, his descen-dants. It is true that Jesus, as a perfect man,couldhave been the source of billions of per-fect descendants.� Hence, it was understoodthat a combination of Jesus’ life plus that ofall his potential perfect descendants formeda sacrifice equivalent to that of Adam and hisimperfect descendants. However, the Bibledoes not say that any potential offspring ofJesus formed part of the ransom. Romans 5:15-19 makes the point that the death of just“one man” provided the release. Yes, Jesus’perfect life corresponded to Adam’s. The fo-cus is, and shouldbe, on JesusChrist alone. Itbecame possible for men of all sorts to re-ceive the free gift and life because of Jesus’“one act of justification,” his course of obedi-ence and integrityeven todeath. (2Cor. 5:14,15; 1 Pet. 3:18) How did that result comeabout?

Acquittal Based on the Ransom12 Jehovah God accepted the ransom sac-

rifice that his Son offered. (Heb. 9:24; 10:10,12) Still, Jesus’ disciples on earth, includinghis faithful apostles, remained imperfect.Though they strove to avoid doing wrong,

� For example, that view involving descendants, orprogeny, was included in Insight on the Scriptures, Vol-ume 2, page 736, paragraphs 4 and 5.

11. The ransom is based on what correspondence?12, 13. Why do those who are declared righteousneed God’s mercy and love?

The perfect man Adam sinned.The perfect man Jesus offered

“a corresponding ransom”


they did not always succeed. Why? Becausethey had inherited sin. (Rom. 7:18-20) ButGod could anddiddo something about that.He accepted the “corresponding ransom”and was willing to apply it in behalf of hishuman servants.

13 It is not that God owed it to the apostlesandothers to apply the ransombecause theyhad performed certain good works. Instead,God applied the ransom in their behalf outof his mercy and great love. He chose to ac-quit the apostles and others of the judgmentagainst them, viewing them as absolved ofinherited guilt. Paul made that plain: “Bythis undeserved kindness, indeed, you havebeen saved through faith; and this not ow-ing to you, it is God’s gift.”—Eph. 2:8.

14 Think what a gift it is for the Almightyto forgive the sin a person inherited as wellas the wrongs he committed! You could notcount how many sins individuals commit-ted before becoming Christians; yet, on thebasis of the ransom, God can forgive thosesins. Paul wrote: “The gift resulted frommany trespasses in a declaration of righ-teousness.” (Rom. 5:16) The apostles andothers receiving this loving gift (being de-clared righteous) would have to continue toworship the true God in faith. With what fu-ture reward? “Those who receive the abun-dance of the undeserved kindness and ofthe free gift of righteousness [will] rule askings in life through the one person, JesusChrist.” Indeed, the gift of righteousnessworks in the opposite direction. The gifthas life as its outcome.—Rom. 5:17; readLuke 22:28-30.

15 Those receiving that gift, being de-clared righteous, become God’s spiritualsons. As joint heirs with Christ, they have

14, 15. What reward was placed before thosewhom God declared righteous, but what did theystill need to do?

the prospect of being resurrected to heavenas actual spirit sons to “rule as kings” withJesus Christ.—Read Romans 8:15-17, 23.

God’s Love Manifest to Others16 Not allwho exercise faith and serve God

as loyal Christians expect to “rule as kings”with Christ in heaven. Many have a Bible-based hope similar to that of God’s pre-Christian servants. They hope to live foreveron a paradise earth. Can they even now re-ceive a loving gift from God and be viewedas righteous with earthly life in view? Basedon what Paul wrote to the Romans, the re-assuring answer is yes!

17 Paul discussed a prime example, Abra-ham, a man of faith who lived before Jeho-vah provided a law code to Israel and longbefore Christ opened the way to heavenlylife. (Heb. 10:19, 20) We read: “It was notthrough law that Abraham or his seed hadthe promise that he should be heir of aworld, but it was through the righteous-ness by faith.” (Rom. 4:13; Jas. 2:23, 24) SoGod counted faithful Abraham as righteous.—Read Romans 4:20-22.

18 That cannot mean that Abraham wassinless while serving Jehovah over the de-cades. No, he was not righteous in thatsense. (Rom. 3:10, 23) However, in his limit-less wisdom, Jehovah took into accountAbraham’s exceptional faith and his worksresulting therefrom. In particular, Abrahamexercised faith in the promised “seed” tocome in his line. That Seed proved to be theMessiah, or Christ. (Gen. 15:6; 22:15-18) Ac-cordingly, on the basis of “the ransom paidby Christ Jesus,” the divine Judge is able to

16. How might ones with an earthly hope receive agift?17, 18. (a) In view of Abraham’s faith, how didGod consider him? (b) How was it that Jehovahcould view Abraham as righteous?


forgive sins that occurred inthe past. Thus, Abraham andother men of faith in pre-Christian times are in linefor a resurrection.—Read Ro-mans 3:24, 25; Ps. 32:1, 2.

Enjoy a RighteousStanding Now

19 The fact that the Godof love counted Abraham asrighteous should be hearten-ing for true Christians today. Jehovah didnot declare him righteous in the sense thathe does those whom he anoints with spiritto be “joint heirs with Christ.” The limitednumber of that group are “called to be holyones” and are accepted as “God’s sons.”(Rom.1:7; 8:14, 17, 33) In contrast, Abrahamcame to be “Jehovah’s friend”—and that be-fore the ransom sacrifice was offered. (Jas. 2:23; Isa. 41:8) What, then, about true Chris-tianswhohope to live in the restored earthlyParadise?

20 These have not received “the free gift ofrighteousness” with heavenly life in view“through the release by the ransom paid byChrist Jesus.” (Rom. 3:24; 5:15,17) Neverthe-less, they exercise deep faith in God and hisprovisions, and they manifest their faithby good works. One such work is that of“preaching the kingdom of God . . . andteaching the things concerning the Lord Je-sus Christ.” (Acts 28:31) Thus, Jehovah canview these as righteous in the sense that hedid Abraham. The gift such ones receive

19. Why should God’s view of Abraham be heart-ening to many today?20. God expects what of those whom he todayviews as righteous, as he did Abraham?

—friendshipwith God—differs from “the freegift” the anointed receive. Yet, it certainly is agift that they accept with deep gratitude.

21 If you hope to enjoy everlasting life onearth, you should realize that this opportu-nity has not come to you because of a capri-cious act by a human ruler. Rather, it reflectsthe wise purpose of the Universal Sovereign.Jehovah has taken progressive steps to ac-complishhis purpose. These stepshave beenin line with true justice. More than that,they have reflected God’s great love. Wellcould Paul say: “God recommends his ownlove to us in that, while we were yet sinners,Christ died for us.”—Rom. 5:8.

21. What benefits are available because of Jeho-vah’s love and justice?

What good news—by means of Jesus we can

be declared righteous!

Do You Recall?˙ Adam’s progeny received what

inheritance, and with what result?˙ How was a corresponding ransom

provided, and in what sense wasthere a correspondence?

˙ The gift of being declared righteousbrought what prospect to you?

CAMELS were among the domestic animals that Abrahamreceived from Pharaoh, says the Bible. (Gen.12:16) When

Abraham’s servant went on a long journey to Mesopotamia,he “took ten camels from the camels of his master.” Sothe Bibleclearly states that Abraham owned camels about the begin-ning of the second millennium B.C.E.—Gen. 24:10.

Some do not accept this. The New International Version Ar-chaeological Study Bible reports: “Scholars have debated the his-toricity of these references to camels because most believe that

Did Abraham ReallyOwn Camels?


these animals were not widely domesticated until approxi-mately 1200 B.C., long after the time of Abraham.”Any earlierBiblical reference to camels would therefore be considered ananachronism, or a chronological misplacing.

Other scholars, however, argue that although the domesti-cation of camels became a factor of importance about the endof the second millennium, this does not mean that camelswere not used earlier. The book Civilizations of the Ancient NearEast states: “Recent research has suggested that the domestica-tion of the camel took place in southeastern Arabia some timein the third millennium [B.C.E.]. Originally, it was probablybred for its milk, hair, leather, and meat, but it cannot havebeen long before its usefulness as a beastof burden became ap-parent.” This dating to before Abraham’s time seems to be sup-ported by bone fragments and other archaeological remains.

Written evidence also exists. The same reference work says:“In Mesopotamia, cuneiform lists mention the creature [thecamel] and several seals depict it, indicating that the animalmay have reached Mesopotamia by the beginning of the sec-ond millennium,” that is, by Abraham’s time.

Some scholars believe that South Arabian merchants in-volved in the incense trade used camels to transport theirgoods northward through the desert, heading to such areas asEgypt and Syria and thereby introducing camels to theseareas. This trade was probably common as early as 2000 B.C.E.Interestingly, Genesis 37:25-28 mentions Ishmaelite merchantswho used camels to transport incense to Egypt about a hun-dred years after the time of Abraham.

Perhaps camels were not widely used in the ancient NearEast at the beginning of the second millennium B.C.E., but evi-dence seems to confirm that they were not completely un-known. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia thereforeconcludes: “It is no longer necessary to regard the mention ofcamels in the patriarchal narratives as anachronisms, sincethere is ample archeological evidence for the domestication ofthe camel before the time of the patriarchs.”


WITH the above words, the apostle Paulurged his fellow missionary Timothy

to bring him some written material. Towhatkinds of scrolls and parchments was Paul re-ferring? What led him to say this? And whatcanwe learn from this request?

By the middle of the first century C.E.when Paul wrote these words, the 39 booksof the Hebrew Scriptures had been dividedinto either 22 or 24 books, most of whichwere likely in separate scrolls. Professor AlanMillard noted that these scrolls, though ex-pensive, were “not . . . out of the reachof thereasonably well-to-do.” Some had access toat least one of them. For example, the Ethio-pian eunuch had a scroll in his chariot andwas “reading aloud the prophet Isaiah.” Hewas ‘in power under Candace queen of theEthiopians and was over all her treasure.’ Hemust have beenwealthy enough to ownpor-tions of the Scriptures.—Acts 8:27, 28.

In his request to Timothy, Paul wrote:“When you come, bring the cloak I left atTroaswithCarpus, and the scrolls, especiallythe parchments.” (2 Tim. 4:13) This suggeststhat Paul owned a number of books. Whatwould have had a higher place in his librarythan the Word of God? Regarding the word

“parchments” in this verse, Bible scholarA. T. Robertson observed: “These in particu-lar would likely be copies of Old Testamentbooks, parchment being more expensivethan papyrus.” From youth on, Paul was“educated . . . at the feet of Gamaliel,” whotaught the Mosaic Law and was esteemed byall the people. So it is understandable thatPaulwould have obtainedpersonal copies ofthe scrolls of God’s Word.—Acts 5:34; 22:3.

Christians’ Use of ScrollsStill, those who owned scrolls of the Holy

Scriptures were privileged. How, then, didmost of the Christians in those days gain ac-cess to the Word of God? Paul’s earlier lettertoTimothy gives us a hint. He wrote: “WhileI am coming, continue applying yourself topublic reading.” (1 Tim. 4:13) Public readingwas a part of the meeting program of Chris-tian congregations, a traditional practiceamong God’s people since the time of Mo-ses.—Acts 13:15; 15:21; 2 Cor. 3:15.

As an elder, Timothy had to ‘apply him-self’ to reading out loud, which would bene-fit those who did not own copies of theScriptures. Surely, during the public readingof the Word of God, all listened attentively

‘Bring the Scrolls,Especially the Parchments’

Rome

Troas

Ephesus

so as not to miss a word, and parents andchildren must have discussed at home whatwas read at the meetings.

The well-known Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiahis almost 24 feet (7.3 m) in length. With arod at each end and often with a cover forprotection, a scrollwouldbeheavy. Probablymost Christians could not carry many withthem for preaching. Even if Paul possessedsome scrolls of the Scriptures for his person-al use, he likely could not take on his travelsall the scrolls he owned. Evidently he leftsome with his friend Carpus inTroas.

What Can We Learn FromPaul’s Example?

Just before making his request, Paul, im-prisoned in Rome for a second time, wrote:“I have fought the fine fight, I have run thecourse to the finish . . . From this time onthere is reserved for me the crown of righ-teousness.” (2 Tim. 4:7, 8) He likely wrotethese words about 65 C.E. during the perse-cution by Nero. This time the imprison-ment was very severe. In fact, he sensedthat his execution was imminent. (2 Tim.1:16; 4:6) Understandably, Paul expressedhis heartfelt desire to have his scrolls onhand. Though hewas confident that he hadfought the finefight to the finish, he longedto continue strengtheninghimself by study-ing the Word of God.

Timothy was probably still in Ephesuswhenhe received Paul’s request. (1Tim.1:3)From Ephesus to Rome via Troas is roughly1,000 miles (1,600 km). In the same letter,Paul urged Timothy: “Do your utmost to ar-rive before winter.” (2 Tim. 4:21) The Bibledoes not reveal whether Timothy found aboat to get him toRomeby the timePaul de-sired.

What canwe learn from Paul’s request for“the scrolls, especially the parchments”? He

maintained a longing for God’s Word dur-ing this most distressing period of his life.Do you not see this as a secret to his alwaysbeing spiritually alive and active as well ashis being a source of encouragement tomany?

Today,howblessedweare ifweownaper-sonal copy of the complete Bible! Some ofus even have several copies and editions.Like Paul, we need to cultivate eagerness togain a deeper understanding of the Scrip-tures. Of the 14 inspired letters Paul wasprivileged to write, his second to Timothywas the last.His personal request appears to-ward the end of the book. In fact, Paul’s en-treaty toTimothy ‘to bring the scrolls, espe-cially the parchments,’ was one of his finalwishes on record.

Is it your ardent desire to fight the finefight of the faith to the finish, just as Pauldid? Do you want to keep yourself spiritual-ly stimulated and prepared to engage in thewitnessing work for as long as the Lordwants us to continue? Then why not doas Paul encouraged Christians to do? “Payconstant attention to yourself and to yourteaching” by eager and constant study ofthe Bible, which is now available to morepeople than ever in forms more convenientthan the scrolls.—1 Tim. 4:16.


SOMETIME before Nero launched his per-secution against Christians in Rome, the

apostle Peter wrote his first letter. He wantedto strengthen his fellow believers. The Dev-il was ‘walking about,’ seeking to devourChristians. To stand firm against him, theyneeded to ‘keep their senses’ and to ‘humblethemselves under the mighty hand of God.’(1 Pet. 5:6, 8) They also needed to stay unit-ed. They could not afford to be “biting anddevouring one another,” for that could re-sult in their being “annihilated by one an-other.”—Gal. 5:15.

2 Today, we face a similar situation. TheDevil is looking for opportunities to devourus. (Rev. 12:12) And ahead of us looms a“great tribulation such as has not occurredsince the world’s beginning.” (Matt. 24:21)Just as first-century Christians had to guardagainst squabbling among themselves, somust we. To accomplish this, at times weneed help from qualified older men.

3 Let us consider how elders can enhancetheir appreciation for the privilege of shep-herding ‘the flock of God in their care.’(1 Pet. 5:2) Thereafter, we will reflect on theproper way of carrying out the shepherdingwork. In the next article, we will examinehow the congregation can ‘have regard forthose who are working hard and presiding

1. What circumstances were Christians facingwhen Peter wrote his first letter?2, 3. Against whom should we be fighting, andwhat are we going to consider in this series?

over’ the flock. (1 Thess. 5:12) A consider-ation of these matters will help us to take afirm stand against our chief Adversary, rec-ognizing that he is the one with whom wehave awrestling.—Eph. 6:12.

Shepherd the Flock of God4 Peter encouraged the older men among

the first-century Christians to have a godlyview of the flock entrusted to them. (Read1 Peter 5:1, 2.)Althoughhewas considered apillar in the congregation, Peter did not talkcondescendingly to the elders. Rather, headmonished themas fellowelders. (Gal. 2:9)With a spirit like Peter’s, the GoverningBody today exhorts congregation elders tostrive to fulfill the heavy responsibility ofshepherding God’s flock.

5 The apostle wrote that the older menwere to ‘shepherd the flock of God in theircare.’ It was most important for them to rec-ognize that theflockbelongs to Jehovah andJesus Christ. The elders had to render an ac-count about how they keptwatchoverGod’ssheep. Suppose that a close friend of yoursasked you to look after his childrenwhile hewas away. Would you not take good care ofthem and feed them? If one child got sick,would you not make sure that he receivedany needed medical help? Similarly, the el-ders in the congregation are “to shepherdthe congregation of God, which he pur-

4, 5. How should the older men view the flock? Il-lustrate.

“SHEPHERD THE FLOCK OF GODIN YOUR CARE”

“Shepherd the flock of God in your care, not undercompulsion, but willingly.”—1 PET. 5:2.


chased with the blood of his own Son.”(Acts 20:28) They keep in mind that eachsheepwasboughtwith thepreciousbloodofChrist Jesus. Being accountable, the eldersfeed, protect, and care for the flock.

6 Think of the responsibilities that literalshepherds had in Bible times. They had toput up with the heat of the day and the coldof the night in order to tend the flock. (Gen.31:40) They even risked their life for thesheep. The shepherd boy David rescued hisflock fromwild beasts, including a lion and abear. With regard to each one, David saidthat he “grabbedholdof its beard and struckit down and put it to death.” (1 Sam. 17:34,35) What bravery! How close he must havecome to the beast’s jaws! Still, he did nothold back from saving the sheep.

7 Today, elders need to be on guard

6. What was the responsibility of ancient shep-herds?7. How may elders snatch the sheep from Satan’sjaws, figuratively speaking?

against the lionlike attacksof theDevil. Thismay involve a courageous act of figura-tively snatching the sheep from the Dev-il’s jaws. By taking hold of the wild beastby the beard, so to speak, elders can res-cue the sheep. They may reason with un-wary brothers who are tempted by Satan’ssnares. (Read Jude 22, 23.)Elders, of course,do not accomplish this without Jehovah’shelp. They handle an injured sheep tender-ly, bandaging him and applying the sooth-ing balm of God’s Word.

8 A literal shepherd also guided the flockto an appropriate pasture and a wateringplace. Likewise, elders direct the flock to thecongregation, encouraging regular meetingattendance so that the flock can be well-fedand receive “their food at the proper time.”(Matt. 24:45) The elders may need to spendextra time helping those who are spiritual-ly sick to accept nourishment from God’sWord. A stray sheep may be trying to return

8. To where do elders guide the flock, and how?

Like shepherds in ancient times, elders today must protect the “sheep” in their care


to the flock. Instead of intimidating theirbrother, the elders tenderly explain Scriptur-al principles and show him how he can ap-ply these in his life.

9 When you are sick, what kind of doctordo you prefer? One who spends little timelistening to you and then quickly prescribesmedication so as to be free to see thenext pa-tient? Or would you rather consult a doctorwho hears you out, explains what might bewrong with you, and outlines possible treat-ments?

10 Likewise, the elders can listen to thespiritually sick person and help to heal thewound, thus figuratively “greasing himwithoil in the name of Jehovah.” (Read James 5:14, 15.) Like the balsam from Gilead, God’sWord can soothe the ailing one. (Jer. 8:22;Ezek. 34:16) When applied, Bible principlescan help the faltering one to regain spiritualbalance. Yes, the elders do much good oncethey hear the ailing sheep’s concerns andpray with him.

Not Under Compulsion but Willingly11 Peter next reminded the older menhow

the shepherding work should and shouldnot be done. Elders are to shepherd the flockof God, “not under compulsion, but willing-ly.” What moves elders to serve their broth-ers willingly? Well, what moved Peter toshepherd and feed Jesus’ sheep? A key washis love and affection for the Lord. (John21:15-17) Because of love, elders “live nolonger for themselves, but for himwho diedfor them.” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15) This love, com-bined with their love for God and theirbrothers, compels elders to serve the flock,devoting their efforts, resources, and time to

9, 10. How should elders care for spiritually ailingones?11. What moves elders to shepherd the flockof Godwillingly?

doing so. (Matt. 22:37-39) They give ofthemselves, not grudgingly, but willingly.

12 Towhat extent should the elders give ofthemselves? In caring for the sheep, theyimitate the apostle Paul, even as he imitatedJesus. (1 Cor. 11:1) Having tender affectionfor the Thessalonian brothers, Paul and hiscompanions were well-pleased to impart tothem ‘not only the good news of God butalso their own souls.’ When doing so, theybecame gentle, “as when a nursing mothercherishes herown children.” (1 Thess. 2:7, 8)Paul understood how a nursing mother feltabout her children. She would do anythingfor them, including getting up in the middleof the night to feed them.

13 The elders need to take care to maintainbalance between shepherding responsibili-ties and obligations to their own family.(1 Tim. 5:8) The time that elders spend withthe congregation is precious time away fromtheir family. One way to balance the two re-sponsibilities is to invite others to their Fam-ily Worship evening on occasion. Over theyears, Masanao, an elder in Japan, invitedsingle ones and spiritually fatherless fami-lies to his family’s study. In time, some whowere helped became elders themselves andimitated Masanao’s fine example.

Shun Dishonest Gain—Shepherd the Flock Eagerly

14 Peter also encouraged elders to shep-herd the flock, “neither for love of dishonestgain, but eagerly.” The work of the elderstakes up a considerable amount of time, yetthey do not expect any financial compensa-tion. Peter saw the need to warn his fellow

12. To what extent did the apostle Paul give of him-self?13. Elders need to maintain what balance?14, 15. Why should elders guard against the “loveof dishonest gain,” and howcan they imitate Paul inthis regard?


older men about the danger of shepherdingthe flock out of “love of dishonest gain.”That danger is evident in the life of luxuryled by religious leaders of “Babylon theGreat” while many people are forced to leada life of poverty. (Rev. 18:2, 3) The elders to-day have good reason to be on guard againstany tendency in that direction.

15 Paul set a fine example for Christian el-ders. Though he was an apostle and couldhave been “an expensive burden” on Chris-tians in Thessalonica, he did not “eat foodfrom anyone free.” Rather, he ‘labored andtoiled night and day.’ (2 Thess. 3:8) Manypresent-day elders, including those who arein the traveling work, set a fine example inthis regard. Although they accept hospitalityfrom fellowbelievers, they donot “put an ex-pensive burden”upon anyone.—1Thess. 2:9.

16 The elders shepherd the flock “eager-ly.” Their eagerness is evident in their self-sacrificing attitude in helping the flock.However, that does not mean that they forcethe flock to serve Jehovah; nor do loving el-ders encourage others to serve God out of acompetitive spirit. (Gal. 5:26) Elders appreci-ate that each sheep is unique. They are ea-ger to help their brothers to serve Jehovahhappily.

Not Lording It Over the Flockbut Being Examples

17 As we have discussed, the elders shouldkeep in mind that the flock they are shep-herding is God’s, not their own. They arecareful not ‘to lord it over those who areGod’s inheritance.’ (Read 1 Peter 5:3.) Attimes, Jesus’ apostles reached out with thewrong motive. Like those who were ruling

16. What does it mean to shepherd the flock “ea-gerly”?17, 18. (a) Why did the apostles at times have dif-ficulty grasping Jesus’ teaching on humility? (b) Inwhat similar situation might we find ourselves?

the nations, they wanted to have a promi-nent position.—Read Mark 10:42-45.

18 Today, brothers who are “reaching outfor an office of overseer” do well to examinethemselves as to why they are reaching out.(1 Tim. 3:1) Those who are now elders maywant to ask themselves franklywhether theyhave a desire for authority or prominence assome of the apostles did. If the apostles haddifficulty in this area, then elders can appre-ciate that they need to work hard to avoidany worldly tendency to enjoy having au-thority over others.

19 Granted, there are times when the el-ders need to be firm, such as when protect-ing theflock from“oppressivewolves.” (Acts20:28-30) Paul told Titus to keep “exhortingand reproving with full authority.” (Titus 2:15) Yet, even when having to take such ac-tion, the elders try to dignify the ones whoare involved. They appreciate that ratherthan harsh criticism, gentle persuasion isusually more effective in reaching heartsand in moving someone to follow a rightcourse.

20 Christ’s fine example motivates eldersto love the flock. (John 13:12-15) Ourhearts are warmed as we read how hetaught his disciples in the preaching

19. What should elders remember when taking ac-tion to protect the flock?20. Howcan elders imitate Jesus in setting a fine ex-ample?

By Way of Review˙ Why was it appropriate for Peter to

admonish fellow elders to shepherdthe flock of God in their care?

˙ How should elders shepherd spiritu-ally ailing ones?

˙ What moves elders to shepherd theflock of God in their care?


anddisciple-makingwork.His patternof hu-mility touched the hearts of his disciples,motivating them to follow a course reflect-ing ‘lowliness of mind considering that theothers were superior to them.’ (Phil. 2:3) El-ders today are likewise moved to follow Je-sus’ example, and they, in turn, want to be“examples to the flock.”

21 Peter concluded his admonition to the

21. To what reward can elders look forward?

older men by referring to a promise for thefuture. (Read 1 Peter 5:4.) The anointedoverseers “will receive the unfadable crownof glory” with Christ in heaven. The under-shepherds of the “other sheep” will have theprivilege of shepherding the flockof God onearthunder the rulership of “the chief shep-herd.” (John 10:16) The next article will dis-cuss ways in which congregation memberscan support those appointed to take thelead.

IMAGINE yourself as a member of the first-century Thessalonian congregation, one

of the earliest to be established in Europe.The apostle Paul had spent considerabletime building up the brothers there. Hemay have appointed older men to take thelead, as was the case in other congregations.(Acts 14:23) But after the congregation wasformed, the Jews organized a mob to rid thecity of Paul and Silas. The Christians who re-mained might have felt deserted, perhapseven fearful.

1, 2. (a) What was the situation of the Thessalo-nian congregation when Paul wrote his first letter tothem? (b) What did Paul encourage the Thessalo-nians to do?

2 Understandably, after leaving Thessalo-nica, Paulwas concernedabout thefledglingcongregation. He tried to return, but “Satancut across” his path. So he sent Timothy toencourage the congregation. (1 Thess. 2:18;3:2) WhenTimothy brought back a good re-port, Paul was moved to write the Thessalo-nians a letter. Among other things, Paul en-couraged themto ‘have regard for thosewhowere presiding over them.’—Read 1 Thessa-lonians 5:12,13.

3 The brothers who were taking the leadamong the Thessalonian Christians were

3. What reasons did Thessalonian Christians havefor giving extraordinary consideration to the oldermen?

“HAVE REGARD FORTHOSE WHO ARE WORKING

HARD AMONG YOU”“Have regard for those who are working hard among you

and presiding over you in the Lord and admonishing you.”—1 THESS. 5:12.


not as experienced as Paul and his travelingcompanions; nor did they have the rich spir-itual heritage of the elders in Jerusalem. Af-ter all, the congregation had existed for lessthan a year! Still, those in the congregationhad reason to be grateful for their oldermen, who were “working hard” and “presid-ing over” the congregation and “admonish-ing” the brothers. Indeed, they had goodreason to “give [the elders] more than ex-traordinary consideration in love.” This re-quest was followed by Paul’s counsel to “bepeaceable with one another.” If you hadbeen there in Thessalonica, would you haveshown deep appreciation for the elders’work? How do you view the “gifts in men”whom God through Christ has provided inyour congregation?—Eph. 4:8.

“Working Hard”4 After sending Paul and Silas to Beroea,

how were the older men in Thessalonica“working hard”? Imitating Paul, they nodoubt taught the congregation, using theScriptures. ‘Did the Thessalonian Christianshave appreciation forGod’s Word?’ you maywonder. After all, the Bible says that theBeroeans were “more noble-minded thanthose in Thessalonica, . . . carefully examin-ing the Scriptures daily.” (Acts 17:11) Thecomparison, however, was with the Thessa-lonian Jews in general, not with the Chris-tians. Thosewho became believers ‘acceptedGod’s word, not as the word of men, but asthe word of God.’ (1 Thess. 2:13) The oldermen must have worked hard to feed suchones spiritually.

5 Today, the faithful and discreet slaveclass is providing God’s flock with “food atthe proper time.” (Matt. 24:45) Under the

4, 5. Why was it hard work for the older men inPaul’s day to teach the congregation, and why is itthat way today?

slave’s direction, the local elders work hardto feed their brothers spiritually. Those inthe congregationmayhave Bible-based liter-ature in abundance, and in some languagessuch tools as the Watch Tower PublicationsIndex and Watchtower Library on CD-ROMare available. To satisfy the congregation’sspiritual needs, the elders spend hours pre-paring meeting parts so that they can pre-sent the assigned information in a meaning-ful way. Have you thought about how muchtime the elders spend preparing their partsfor meetings, assemblies, and conventions?

6 The older men in Thessalonica remem-bered the fine example that Paul set in shep-herding the flock. It was not a matter of hismaking calls in a mechanical or perfunctoryway. As discussed in the preceding article,Paul “became gentle . . . , as when a nursingmother cherishes her own children.” (Read1 Thessalonians 2:7, 8.) Hewas evenwilling‘to impart his own soul’! When shepherd-ing, the older menwere to be like him.

7 Christian shepherds today imitate Paulby cherishing the flock. By nature, somesheep may not be warm and companion-able. Still, the elders try to show insight and“find good” in them. (Prov. 16:20) True, be-ing imperfect, an elder may struggle to havea positive view of each one. Yet, as he trieshis best to be gentle toward all, should henot be commended for his effort to be agood shepherd under Christ?

8 We all have reason to “be submissive” tothe elders. As Paul wrote, ‘they are keepingwatch over our souls.’ (Heb. 13:17) That ex-pression reminds us of the literal shepherdwho forgoes sleep in order to protect his

6, 7. (a) What example did the older men inThes-salonica have in Paul? (b) Why might it be challeng-ing for elders today to imitate Paul?8, 9. What are some ways that present-day elders‘keep watch over our souls’?


flock. Likewise, the elders today may sacri-fice some sleepwhile tending to theneeds ofthose who have poor health or emotional orspiritual problems. For example, brotherson Hospital Liaison Committees have beenawakened from sleep to respond to a medi-cal crisis. Yet, when we face such a situation,how appreciative we are of their service!

9 Elders onRegional BuildingCommitteesand relief committees work hard to help thebrothers. They deserve our wholeheartedsupport! Consider the relief effort after Cy-clone Nargis hit Myanmar in 2008. To reachthe Bothingone Congregation in the hard-hit Irrawaddy Delta region, the relief teamtraveled through devastated terrain strewnwith corpses. When the local brothers sawthat thefirst relief team to reachBothingoneincluded their former circuit overseer, theycried out: “Look! It’s our circuit overseer! Je-hovah has saved us!” Do you appreciate thehard work that the elders render day andnight? Some elders are appointed to serveon special committees to handle difficult ju-dicial problems. These elders do not bragabout what they have accomplished; yetthosewhobenefit fromtheir service are real-ly grateful.—Matt. 6:2-4.

10 Many elders today also have paper-work to do. For example, the coordinator ofthe body of elders prepares the schedulesfor weekly meetings. The congregation sec-retary compiles the monthly and annualfield service reports. The school overseergives careful thought to the school schedule.Every three months, congregation accountrecords are audited. The elders read lettersfrom the branch office and apply the direc-tion that helps maintain “the oneness in thefaith.” (Eph. 4:3, 13) Through the efforts ofsuch hardworking elders, “all things take

10. What lesser-known work do elders do?

place decently andby arrangement.”—1Cor.14:40.

“Presiding Over You”11 Paul described the hardworking older

men of Thessalonica as “presiding over”the congregation. The word in the origi-nal language implies “standing before” andcan be rendered “directing; taking the leadamong.” (1 Thess. 5:12; ftn.) Paul referred tothe same elders as “working hard.” He wastalking, not about one “presiding overseer,”but about all the older men in the congrega-tion. Today, most elders stand before thecongregation and conduct meetings. The re-cent adjustment to employ the designation“coordinator of the body of elders” helps ustoviewall the elders asmembers of a unifiedbody.

12 “Presiding over” the congregation in-volvesmore than just teaching.The same ex-pression is used at 1 Timothy 3:4. Paul saidthat an overseer should be “a man presidingover his own household in a fine manner,having children in subjection with all seri-ousness.” Here the expression “presidingover” obviously includes not only teachinghis children but also taking the lead in thefamily and “having children in subjection.”Yes, elders take the lead in the congregation,helping all to be in subjection to Jehovah.—1 Tim. 3:5.

13 In order to preside well over the flock,the elders discuss among themselves how toaddress the needs of the congregation. Itmight be more efficient if one elder made allthe decisions. Yet, following the example ofthe first-century governing body, modern-day bodies of elders discuss matters freely,

11, 12. Who preside over the congregation, andwhat does doing so involve?13. Why might it take time to reach a decision at anelders’ meeting?

seeking guidance from the Scriptures. Theirgoal is to apply Scriptural principles to theneeds of the local congregation. This is mosteffectivewhen eachelder prepares for the el-ders’ meetings, considering the Scripturesand the guidelines from the faithful and dis-creet slave class. Of course, this takes time.When there is a difference of opinion, asoccurred when the first-century governingbody considered the matter of circumcision,extra time and research might be needed toreach a consensus based on the Scriptures.—Acts 15:2, 6, 7,12-14, 28.

14 What might happen if one elder insistson having his way or tries to promote hisown ideas? Or what if someone—like Diotre-phes in the first century—sows seeds of dis-

14. Do you appreciate that the body of elders worktogether in unity? Why do you feel that way?

cord? (3 John9,10) Thewhole congregationwill surely suffer. If Satan tried to upset thefirst-century congregation, we can be surethat he wants to disrupt the peace of thecongregation today. He might appeal to self-ish human tendencies, such as the desire forprominence. Thus, elders need to cultivatehumility and work together as a unifiedbody.How we appreciate the humilityof theelders who do cooperate as a body!

“Admonishing You”15 Paul then highlighted a difficult yet im-

portant task of the older men: admonishingthe flock. In the Christian Greek Scriptures,only Paul used the Greek term translated“admonish.” It can refer to strong counsel

15. What motive do elders have when admonish-ing a brother or a sister?

Do you appreciatethe many ways in which

the elders shepherdthe congregation?


but does not indicate hostility. (Acts 20:31;2 Thess. 3:15) For instance, Paul wrote to theCorinthians: “I am writing these things, notto shame you, but to admonish you as mybeloved children.” (1 Cor. 4:14) His motivebehind the admonition was loving concernfor others.

16 The elders bear in mind the importanceof the manner inwhich they admonish oth-ers. They strive to imitate Paul by beingkind, loving, and helpful. (Read 1 Thessalo-nians 2:11, 12.) Of course, the elders ‘holdfirmly to the faithful word so that they maybe able to exhort by teaching that is health-ful.’—Titus 1:5-9.

17 Of course, elders are imperfect and maysay things that they later regret. (1 Ki. 8:46;Jas. 3:8) Also, elders know that for spiritualbrothers and sisters, receiving counsel is nor-mally not ‘joyous but grievous.’ (Heb. 12:11)So when an elder approaches someone withwords of admonition, he likely does so aftergiving the matter much consideration andpraying over it. If you have been admon-ished, do you appreciate that elder’s lovingconcern?

18 Suppose you had a health problem that

16. Elders do well to keep what in mind when ad-monishing others?17, 18. What should you keep in mind if you re-ceive admonition from an elder?

seemed medically inexplicable. Then a phy-sician correctly identified the problem, butthe diagnosis was rather hard to accept.Would you hold a grudge against that doc-tor? No! Even if he recommended an opera-tion, you would likely agree to the treatment,believing it to be for your benefit. The waythe doctor conveyed the information mayhave a bearing on your feelings, but wouldyou let that determine your decision? Prob-ably not. Likewise, do not allow the way youare admonished to prevent you from listen-ing to thosewhomJehovah and Jesusmaybeusing to let you know how you can help orprotect yourself spiritually.

Appreciate Jehovah’sProvision of the Elders

19 What would you do if you received agift especially made for you? Would youshow your appreciation by using it? The“gifts in men” are what Jehovah through Je-sus Christ has provided for you. One wayyou can showyour gratitude for these gifts isby listening intently to talks given by the el-ders and by trying to apply the points theybring out. You can also show your apprecia-tion by making meaningful comments atmeetings. Support the work in which the el-ders are taking the lead, such as the fieldministry. If you have benefited from counselyou received from a certain elder, why nottell him so? In addition, why not show yourappreciation for the elders’ families? Re-member, for an elder to work hard in thecongregation, his family is sacrificing timespent with him.

20 Yes, we have ample reason to show grat-itude for the elders, who are working hardamong us, presiding over us, and admonish-ing us. These “gifts in men” are truly a lov-ing provision from Jehovah!

19, 20. How may you show appreciation for the“gifts in men”?

Do You Recall?˙ What reasons did the Thessalonian

Christians have to appreciate thosetaking the lead among them?

˙ How do the elders in your congrega-tion work hard for you?

˙ How do you benefit from the elders’presiding over you?

˙ If given admonition by an elder, whatshould you keep in mind?


“SUCCESS”—an eye-catching word! Somehave climbed the corporate ladder and

have achieved great success in getting richand making a name for themselves. Othershave dreamed of success but have met withutter failure.

To a large extent, success depends onwhat you make the focus of your life. Twoother important factors are how you useyour time and energy and whether youshow initiative.

Many Christians have found that havinga full share in the ministry has broughtthem great satisfaction. Having the full-time service as a career has helped youngandold alike to be successful. Yet, somemayfeel that the ministry is somewhat boringand give it a secondary place in their lives asthey pursue other goals. Why might thishappen? What can you do to avoid losingsight of what is truly valuable? And howcanyou “make your way successful”?—Josh.1:8.

Extracurricular Activities and HobbiesChristian youths need to maintain the

proper balance between serving the trueGod and participating in other activities.Those who do so are heading for success inlife and deservewarm commendation.

Some young Christians, though, becomeheavily involved in extracurricular ac-tivities and hobbies. Such activities maynot in themselves be objectionable. How-

ever, young Christians shouldask themselves: ‘How much ofmy time might those activi-ties demand? What about as-sociations? What kind of spiritam I exposed to when engagingin those activities? And whatmight become the focus of mylife?’ You likely realize that onecould become so obsessed with

such activities that little time or energywould be left for maintaining a relationshipwith God. You can see, then, why settingpriorities is important.—Eph. 5:15-17.

Consider the case of Wiktor.� He relates:“When I was 12, I joined a volleyball club.In time, Iwonmanyprizes andawards. I hadan opportunity to become a star.” In time,Wiktor became disturbed about the effectthat his pursuit of the sport was having onhis spirituality. One day, he fell asleep whiletrying to read the Bible. Also, he recognizedthat he derived little joy from the field min-istry. “The sport robbed me of my energy,and soon I realized that it was also robbingme of my spiritual zeal. I knew I was not do-ing all that I could.”

Higher Education?A Christian has a Scriptural obligation to

care forhis family, and that includes provid-ing for their material needs. (1 Tim. 5:8)Still, does this really require a college or auniversity degree?

It would be good to consider what effectpursuing higher education could have onone’s relationship with Jehovah. Let us il-lustrate this by considering a Scriptural ex-ample.

Baruch was the secretary to the prophetJeremiah.Atonepoint, rather than focusingon the privileges he had in serving Jehovah,

� Some names have been changed.

“Make YourWay Successful”

How?


Baruch became ambitious. Jehovah noticedthis and through Jeremiah warned him:“You keep seeking great things for yourself.Do not keep on seeking.”—Jer. 45:5.

What were the “great things” that Baruchkept seeking? He may have been tempted tomake a name for himself in the Jewish sys-tem of things. Or the great things couldhave been material prosperity. In any case,he had lost sight of the more importantthings, those having spiritual value. (Phil.1:10) Yet, Baruch obviously listened to Jeho-vah’s warning through Jeremiah and thusgained his soul as a spoil.—Jer. 43:6.

What can we draw from this account?The counsel Baruch received indicates thatsomething was amiss. He was seeking greatthings for himself. If you have a means ofsupporting yourself, do you really need tospend time,money, andefforton further ed-ucation just to realize personal aspirations orthose of your parents or other relatives?

ConsiderGrzegorz, a comput-er programmer. Persuaded byhis colleagues, he took up an in-tensive course of additional spe-cialized training. Soon he hadno time left for spiritual pur-suits. He recalls: “I constant-ly felt on edge. My consciencetroubledmebecause I could notreach the spiritual goals I hadset for myself.”

Engrossed inOne’s Employment

God’s Word encourages trueChristians to be hardwork-ing and to be responsible em-ployees and employers. Theapostle Paul wrote: “Whateveryou are doing, work at it whole-souled as to Jehovah, and not to

men.” (Col. 3:22, 23) However, while hardwork is commendable, something more isneeded—a good relationship with our Cre-ator. (Eccl. 12:13) If a Christian became en-grossed in his secular work, spiritual pur-suits could easily be pushed into secondplace.

Becoming absorbed in a secular job canrob a Christian of the energy needed tomaintain his own spiritual balance and toassist his family. King Solomon observedthat “a double handful of hard work” isoften accompanied by “striving after thewind.” If a Christian is overly involved in asecular career, he can end up having pro-longed, severe stress. Such aperson canevenbecome enslaved to a career to the extent ofexperiencing burnout. If so, can he really“rejoice . . . and see good for all his hardwork”? (Eccl. 3:12, 13; 4:6) More important,would he have enough physical and emo-tional strength left to carry out his duties

Jehovah warned Baruch about ambition

in the family and to engage in spiritual ac-tivities?

Janusz, who lives in Eastern Europe, be-came engrossed in his gardening business.He recalls: “Worldly people admired me be-cause I was full of initiative and was able tocomplete each assigned task. But my spiritu-ality suffered, and I stopped sharing in thefield ministry. Soon I stopped attending

meetings. I became so proud that I dis-missed the counsel from the elders anddrewaway from the congregation.”

You Can Make Your Life a SuccessWehave considered three areas inwhich a

Christian might become very involved atthe cost of his spirituality. Are you in-volved in any of these? If so, the following

EXTRACURRICULARACTIVITIES AND HOBBIESˇ What kinds of attitudes

are you exposed to whenyou engage in those activ-ities?

ˇ How much time do thesedemand?

ˇ Could these become thefocus of your life?

ˇ Are these consuming timeyou previously devoted tospiritual pursuits?

ˇ What about associations?ˇ Do you find these as-

sociates more appealingthan fellow believers?

HIGHER EDUCATIONˇ If you have a means

of supporting yourself, doyou really need to spendtime, money, and efforton further education?

ˇ To support yourself, is it

really necessary to have acollege or a universitydegree?

ˇ What would be the effecton your meeting atten-dance?

ˇ Have you ‘made sureof the more importantthings’?

ˇ Do you need to strength-en your confidence in Je-hovah’s ability to providefor you?

EMPLOYMENTˇ Does your choice allow

you to ‘rejoice and seegood for all your hardwork’?

ˇ Do you have enoughphysical and emotionalstrength left to carry outyour duties in the familyand to engage in spiritualactivities?

ˇ Do you take enough timeto communicate withyour family?

ˇ Have you become so ab-sorbed in work that spiri-tual matters are beingpushed aside?

ˇ Has it affected the qualityof your talk assignments?

How Can You MakeYour Way Successful?With so many things vying for your attention, how canyou avoid losing sight of what is truly valuable? Take sometime to examine your motives and priorities by reflectingon the following questions:

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questions, scriptures, and comments mayhelp you to determine whether you are real-ly on the way to success.

Extracurricular activities and hobbies:Howabsorbed are you in such activities? Arethese consuming time that you previouslydevoted to spiritual pursuits? Do you findassociation with your fellow believers tobe less appealing? If so, why not imitateKing David, who implored Jehovah: “Makeknown to me the way in which I shouldwalk.”—Ps.143:8.

A traveling overseer helped Wiktor, men-tioned earlier. The overseer commented tohim: “You speak passionately about yourcareer in volleyball.” “That shook me up,”says Wiktor. “I realized that I had gone toofar. Soon, I broke off associationwith world-ly friends at the club and sought out friendsin the congregation.” Today, Wiktor is serv-ing Jehovah zealously in his congregation.He recommends: “Ask your friends, yourparents, or the congregation elders if theyhave observed whether your school activi-ties draw you closer to Jehovah or awayfrom him.”

Why not indicate to the elders in yourcongregation that you would like to reachout for more privileges in serving God?Could you support the elderly who arein need of company or assistance, perhapshelping with their shopping or tasks in theirhome? Regardless of your age, you mightbe able to engage in the full-time minis-try, sharing with others the basis for yourjoy.

Higher education: Jesus warned against‘seeking your own glory.’ (John 7:18) What-ever youdecide as tohowmuch secular edu-cation you will obtain, have you ‘made sureof the more important things’?—Phil. 1:9,10.

Grzegorz, the computer programmer,made some changes in his life. He said:“Taking seriously the advice of the elders, Isimplified my life. I realized that I did notneed to further my secular education. Thatwould only rob me of time and energy.”Grzegorz gotmore involved incongregationactivities. In time, he graduated from whatis now called the Bible School for SingleBrothers. Yes, he ‘bought out the time’ tofurtherhis divine education.—Eph. 5:16.

Secular employment: Have you become soabsorbed in your work that spiritual inter-ests are being pushed aside? Do you takeenough time to communicate with yourfamily? And in the congregation, are youimproving the quality of your talk assign-ments? How about engaging in upbuildingconversation with others? “Fear the trueGod and keep his commandments,” andyou will receive Jehovah’s rich blessing and‘see good because of your hard work.’—Eccl.2:24; 12:13.

Janusz, mentioned earlier, did notachieve great success in his gardening busi-ness; rather, hemetwith failure.Withno in-come and deeply in debt, he turned to Jeho-vah. Janusz put his affairs in order and nowserves as a regular pioneer and a congrega-tion elder. He says: “When I am satisfiedwith the basics and at the same time give ofmyself spiritually, I have peace of mind anda calm heart.”—Phil. 4:6, 7.

Take some time to make an honest ap-praisal of your motives and priorities. Serv-ing Jehovah is a course to lifelong success.Make it the center of your life.

You may have to make some adjustments,even eliminating unnecessary things in or-der to prove to yourself “the good and ac-ceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom.12:2) But you can “make your way success-ful” by serving himwhole-souled.

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