The Watchtower — January 1, 1956

Why Bother About Religion?

Many people today are apathetic toward religion. A part of this is religion’s fault. What does the true religion really offer, and what should it mean to you?

MANY people question the value of religion today. Its values, they think, are mainly social, psychological, psychiatric or perhaps moral. Thus if they are mentally well adjusted and consider their morals satisfactory, many of them see little reason for doing much about religion. Even when the churches try to offer methods of preserving the economic system, of challenging communism or of staving off another war, their proposals do not meet the response they would like, for many people think that those things could be handled better by experts in the particular fields that are involved.

But true religion has a far more important mission. It does not try to get God to serve us, but shows how we should serve him. It is not just a means to an end, a device through which one can get God on one’s side in business, social, political or other activities. Rather, it includes a submissive obedience to the universe’s Supreme Sovereign.

It is only through having a knowledge of the instructions the Bible contains that we can know what God’s commands are and how to serve him. For this reason true religion must involve Bible education. It must provide the Biblical knowledge that is missing from so many lives today. What further information will the Bible provide? It shows the reason for earth’s present difficulties, that ours are the “last days” of Satan’s wicked rule, and that the present “critical times” spring from Satan’s anger at knowing his destruction is near. This information marks ours as an important time, and stirs its hearers into obedience to the Scriptural command to preach this good news earth-wide.—2 Tim. 3:1; Rev. 12:12; Matt. 24:14, NW.

Those who understand God’s Word will be stirred, just as first-century Christians were, into active participation in the work of voluntarily teaching others about this good news, really obeying the command to be “always ready to make a defense before everyone that demands of you a reason for the hope in you.”—1 Pet. 3:15, NW.

This right knowledge about God’s Word offers a great deal: the explanation of earth’s present difficulties, a firm understanding of their outcome, and an understanding of the facts that Jesus said really do lead to everlasting life. (John 17:3) Vast multitudes of people have recognized that this information is vital, preaching it to the amazing extent that other material in this special issue of The Watchtower relates. Will you follow their good example, studying God’s Word, learning his purposes, and teaching these to others?

Modern History of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Part 25—Expansion in Europe and Africa (1945-1955)

EUROPE with its population of nearly 400 million is the home of Western civilization. Politically Europe seems to be the center of struggle for world power and has been so ever since the Greeks under Alexander established European ascendency over Asiatic and African powers nearly 2,300 years ago. Culturally Europe is the seat of old-world pagan-influenced learning, music, art, drama, sports and philosophy, which occupy the minds of millions. The full scale of European thinking includes the rightist conservative mind, which is rooted in ancient family aristocracy, class privilege (castes) and traditions perpetuated by Roman Catholicism. It hates change, hates intrusion, thinks itself exclusive, superior and remote from all new thinking. The shades of thinking vary toward the center, where there is the liberal mind that is largely the product of the Protestant Reformation democratically and progressively desiring only gradual change. In theory they think all men are created equal and that each man by his own capitalistic or socialistic efforts can attain security and salvation. To the extreme left of the scale of European thinking we find the radical mind of atheistic thought eager for revolutionary change toward mass control and distribution of wealth. Materialism is the system that makes man merely a number or cog in a vast national machine.

What chances does true Christian thinking have in the battle against such entrenched, formidable positions of the European mind?

Since 1880 the Watch Tower Society’s literature has been circulating in Europe.a In time the three centers, Britain, Central Europe (headed by Switzerland) and Northern Europe (headed by Denmark and Sweden), became the strongholds of Jehovah’s witnesses. From these points the entire continent was served, with Germany eventually becoming a most fruitful field of expansion. During both World War I and World War II these three centers survived intact and became generating points for quick revivals for all other parts of Europe. In 1942 the witnesses operated in thirteen countries, with 22,796 active ministers on the continent of Europe, not counting the German associates whom Hitler had banned and imprisoned. At the close of the second world war there was a rapid reopening of activities in banned countries, sparked by a survey tour by President Knorr and his secretary, M. G. Henschel, during the winter of 1945-1946.b By 1947 the revived witnesses in nineteen countries of Europe reported 74,196 ministers in the field service. In 1946 the Society began to send some Gilead-trained missionaries into Europe, and in this year it spent money, a hundred thousand dollars, in opening up branch offices and purchasing printing equipment.c Recovery has been rapid. Results in gathering the other sheep have been astounding. In 1955 there were 227,374 active European ministers of the witnesses. Of these, 278 were Gilead-trained missionaries, working full time.

This amazing postwar expansion has not been undertaken without opposition directed from Communist sources. As Russia gradually lowered the iron curtain in Europe after 1948, thousands of the witnesses found themselves subjected to persecution as severe as, if not worse than, under Nazi occupation. After only three or four years of freedom from concentration camps thousands again had to return to such devilish institutions or be sent to work as slaves in Russian mines or, still worse, be banished to Siberia. In the East Zone of Germany alone 1,016 men and women of the witnesses have been sentenced to a total of 6,865 years in prison and fourteen have been killed.d

Take for example the tragic story of the witnesses in Poland. In 1939, before World War II began, there were 1,039 ministers valiantly withstanding bitter persecution from the fanatic Catholic Hierarchy, which had subjected the witnesses to a catacomb existence for years.e Release from Nazi tyranny in 1945 was sweet but proved to be short-lived. The Polish witnesses began quickly to reorganize theocratic worship in their land. In 1946 they reached a new peak of 6,014 ministers. Then in 1947 Gilead missionaries arrived to aid them further in organizing for expansion. By 1948 there were 10,385 active ministers preaching and in 1950 the amazing total of 18,116 was reached.f Nothing seemed to be able to stop these courageous Polish fighters for true worship in gathering Jehovah’s “sheep.” In 1950 Poland found itself behind the iron curtain. The witnesses were banned in that year, the branch office was closed and leaders were arrested, not to be heard from again, and the Gilead missionaries were deported. Once again the Polish witnesses went underground to their former “catacomb” activities to keep the torch of Christian worship brightly blazing for the many other sheep still desirous of fleeing to Jehovah’s place of safety.

In Czechoslovakia the witnesses likewise manifested themselves as true fighters for Christian freedom. Before Hitler took away the freedom of this progressive democracy in central Europe in 1938 there were 1,166 active ministers. During Hitler’s time, underground activity kept alive a limited association among Jehovah’s witnesses in Czechoslovakia. In 1945, with the downfall of Hitler, the work was quickly revived and for the year 1946 there were 1,209 active witnesses. When Czechoslovakia began to disappear behind the iron curtain in 1948, the witnesses were banned, their branch office was closed down and many were arrested.g Did this stop the expansion of the ingathering work? No. In 1950 there were 2,882 active preachers of Jehovah’s kingdom and in 1951 the number grew to 3,705.h Similar experiences can be reported for the witnesses in Communist Yugoslavia,i Bulgaria, Hungaryj and Romania.k Even in Russia itself in 1948 there were more than eight thousand ministers of Jehovah’s kingdom actively keeping up, in many clever, ingenious ways, the Bible-preaching service.l Thousands also are reported to be banished in Siberia, from whom there has been no word of contact. For the year 1954 it was grand to see that there were 64,123 witnesses of Jehovah still active in all these countries behind the iron curtain.a

The picture of European expansion is remarkably shown in the accompanying table.b

Number Number Number of

Year of Lands of Ministers Preaching Hours

1942 13 22,796 5,344,006

1947 19 74,196 12,819,994

1952 24 158,867 19,147,879

1955 24 227,374 23,720,651

Nearly twenty-four million hours a year of Christian preaching is certainly a mighty force to bombard the European mind. In Jehovah’s mercy this campaign continues, that honest-hearted Europeans may free themselves from their bondage of wrong thinking to that of a new hope of everlasting life in God’s new world. In 1955 there was one active minister of Jehovah’s witnesses for every 1,746 of the population. In 1955 in Europe the greatest witness ever given there by Jehovah’s witnesses was given on both sides of the iron curtain. Though still a small minority, they are a growing minority whose voices are being heard in every part of the continent.

AFRICA

Spiritually, Africa used to be called the “dark” continent because of its paganism. But since 1945 the advances made by true Christianity through Jehovah’s witnesses no longer leave this continent of 203 million as an unenlightened area of the world. In the northern part of this vast continent the Mohammedan mind dominates. This type of thinking is fanatical, religious, unreasoning and highly sensual. Women hold an inferior status and polygamy is widely practiced. Morals are very corrupt, disease is rife, living is hard, education is lacking and higher spiritual values are not appreciated. As for the Europeans on this continent, they reflect a superior attitude, hold a state of mind similar to that of their cousins in Europe and maintain segregation from the black and colored natives. Then as to the African, his mind is deeply rooted in heathen customs and superstitions. He holds loyalty to his patriarchal system of tribal society. He has a settled dislike for and suspicion of the conquering and exploiting white masters. The African has little natural affection and does not understand what it means to love one’s neighbor or even his wife and children. Wives are bought in exchange for cattle, according to their tribal system, in order to produce children and thus build up the local village. They have a belief in the departed “spirits of the forefathers,” who can help them or punish them, depending on the suffrages of the living. Moreover, there has been a mind to “do business” with such “spirits,” not on a basis of love for them, but on the basis of fear and gaining a material advantage in exchange for prescribed animal sacrifices. Cruel witch doctors have been the unloving agents to keep this system operating.

How have Jehovah’s witnesses coped with such a variety of European, Mohammedan and primitive pagan thinking? In the early 1900’s the Watch Tower Society began to have associates in South Africa and established a branch office there, and then in the 1920’s the educational work began to move northward into African sections. Also in the 1920’s beginnings were made in British West Africa, where soon a branch office was established and the work was pushed inland. In the early 1930’s work was started in Egypt to spread over slowly across the top of Africa. Through this three-pronged move, by 1942 some 10,070 witnesses were found in eleven African lands. Then in 1947 Gilead missionaries began to be sent into Africa, twenty that year. December, 1947, January, 1948, and then again in 1952 the Society’s president visited almost all the branches in Africa, talked with the African witnesses and studied their preaching problems.c The number of active witnesses kept growing until, in 1955, there were 98,146 with 108 Watch Tower missionaries in thirty-four lands. This is a 875 per cent increase in thirteen years!

This has required a great amount of educational work and patient training on the part of the unselfish European ministers of the witnesses and their Gilead missionaries. Schools had to be operated to teach many of the Africans to read and write. Practically every angle of congregational organization had to be simplified, and rules and practices had to be introduced from no previous conception of matters Biblical. Christian moral standards had to be introduced, of one wife to a husband in marriage properly legalized, fornication put away and cleanliness insisted upon before permanent association with the Society could be permitted. The African mind has one obvious characteristic, that of being imitative. The white and long-trained native ministers socially mix with these eager newly interested Africans and set before them a good example of Christian love and loving association. The African quickly detected this as not hypocritical but sincere and genuine. The Africans are being granted equal Christian dignity as they mature. In this way Christian love and warm fellowship are being inculcated to develop correct Christian thinking and higher standards of association, that they may take an equal position along with their New World society brothers in other parts of the earth. While these Africans are not encumbered with modern “comforts” of life, they have time to study the Bible to learn about God’s new world. They are building up hope of gaining everlasting life.

The moral and intellectual transformation of the African witnesses is an amazing spectacle even to the secular governing authorities. The following table indicates the swells of Christian increase in Africa that give promise for many more of Jehovah’s other sheep in that continent to be gathered into the “one fold.”

1942 11 10,070 2,200,163

1947 17 24,896 6,298,189

1952 32 72,228 15,460,243

1955 34 98,146 20,222,817

The method of preaching from house to house by Jehovah’s ministers and making of return calls to hold Bible studies with newly interested ones is carried on in Africa uniformly, just as it is in other parts of the earth, according to the pattern set by Jesus and the apostles nineteen hundred years ago. In this manner over twenty million hours of Christian preaching from the Bible in various native versions was done during 1955 in what was formerly “dark” Africa. During 1955 there were 98,146 or one minister of Jehovah’s witnesses for every 2,068 people living in Africa.

(To be continued)

[Footnotes]

[Graph on page 5]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

POLAND

ACTIVE WITNESSES

29,460 1954 UNDERGROUND

18,116 1950 RED BAN

10,385 1948

1947 MISSIONARIES ARRIVE

6,014 1946

1945 NAZIS RELEASE

1,039 1939 CATHOLIC PERSECUTION UNDERGROUND

Exclusive Devotion

“I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion.”—Ex. 20:5, NW.

1. Why may man’s Maker rightly require exclusive devotion from every human?

JEHOVAH, the living God, has the right to demand exclusive devotion. He is the Maker of man and of the earth upon which man lives. All mankind should bring glory and praise to this One, the only Sovereign Ruler, for he himself said: “I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.” (Isa. 42:8, AS) Jehovah himself reveals that he first made the earth. Then from earth’s dust he created our first parents, Adam and Eve, and placed them in Eden, a paradise home. Jehovah told these two persons to fill the earth, subdue it, and make the whole globe a paradise for their offspring. These two disobeyed God. They preferred to follow the words of another creature, joining him in his rebellion against Jehovah. For rebelling, Adam was sentenced to death. (Gen. 3:19) “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men.” (Rom. 5:12, NW) Mankind, still in the loins of their first parents, thus became subjects of the “god of this world,” Satan the Devil.

2. How and when will the disputed issue of Jehovah’s sovereignty be settled?

² Today mankind lives on this earth, not by right, but by the undeserved kindness of the true God. Not until he chooses to do so will the Almighty God interfere with the false god, the ruler of this world, Satan. Already nearly six thousand years have passed since the rebellion in Eden; still Jehovah has allowed that first disrespectful creature (now Satan) to remain. However, Jehovah will not tolerate Satan’s disrespect forever for predictively he said: “For this cause I have kept you in existence, for the sake of showing you my power and in order to have my name declared in all the earth.” (Ex. 9:16; Rom. 9:17, NW) The time for final settling of this issue as to who rules supreme has now come. Jehovah will receive exclusive devotion from all free creation when the false god, Satan, is abyssed in “the war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Armageddon.—Rev. 16:13-16; 20:1-3, NW.

3, 4. (a) What steps have already been taken for settling the disputed issue? (b) How may prudent persons now avoid making a fatal mistake?

³ Students of the Bible have knowledge of God’s purposes, and they know that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to lay down his life as a perfect sacrifice in order to redeem mankind from death. This was done 1,923 years ago. Jesus proved himself worthy of being Jehovah’s vindicator, and in 1914 Christ Jesus was placed in a position to rule. His first act in establishing the kingdom of his Father was to cast the Devil with all of his demon hordes out of heaven down to the earth, and with that done we now are very near to “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” Then Jehovah will show his sovereign power and prove that all devotion is exclusively his. Persons who love righteousness have given to the Sovereign Ruler exclusive devotion. We are living in wonderful days when God-given prophecies about the end of this system of things are having fulfillment. All persons should acquaint themselves with the Bible, read it, study it and get accurate knowledge of it. “For if we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment and there is a fiery jealousy that is going to consume those in opposition.” (Heb. 10:26, 27, NW) By right thinking, by thinking the way God teaches us to think, we shall be happy to give exclusive devotion to the Sovereign Ruler of the universe. There will be no fear of the expected judgment.

⁴ The system of things in which mankind now find themselves keeps them in a very morbid state of mind. Concerning the future, many have no hope. Such live only in the present, saying: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we are to die.” (1 Cor. 15:32, NW; Isa. 22:13) Men are hateful, lustful, selfish—believing the only way to gain happiness is by conquest of others. They seek this false happiness through conquest in business, in politics, in religion; and often whole nations try to conquer other nations. This world and its people are devoted to selfishness. This will lead to world destruction. There must be a change, and there will be.

5. Mankind’s present and past ways of worship prove what?

⁵ Today men worship themselves or other men in high places. They make of themselves idols and love to have it so. People today are no better in this respect than those of centuries gone by. History shows us the worship of stone gods, goddesses, four-footed animals, fish, birds. All kinds of creatures have been carved in wood or stone, then put on pedestals for people to prostrate themselves before. Even God’s chosen people, the Israelites, bowed themselves down before images made of metal, stone or wood; and what was the result? Here is Jehovah’s command through Moses: “You must not bow down to them nor be induced to serve them, because I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion, bringing punishment for the iniquity of fathers upon sons down to the great-grandsons and great-great-grandsons in the case of those who hate me.” (Ex. 20:5, NW) The whole world knows that it has chosen gods to worship other than Jehovah; and today mankind, wittingly or unwittingly, are against the Sovereign Ruler.

6. How has Satan’s activity affected Jehovah and earth’s inhabitants?

⁶ There is one archenemy of Jehovah, Satan the Devil, whom the Scriptures call “the god of this system of things.” (2 Cor. 4:4, NW) That false god wants to turn every person’s heart and mind away from Jehovah God, to hate him even as Satan and his demons hate Jehovah. The Devil has done and is doing everything conceivable to blind the minds of unbelievers and he puts forth strenuous effort to mislead and blind believers too. He wants all men to worship any object, no matter how degrading, selfish and loveless. He will go to any limits to debauch mankind. But no matter what maneuvers the Devil makes, no matter how loud the propaganda to praise men and worship them, and no matter how severe the pressure of persecution on true followers of Jehovah’s enthroned Christ, the true God still demands of his genuine worshipers exclusive devotion For Jehovah’s witnesses there is no room for compromise. They must not bow down to any other gods or serve them. If they do they die, for Jehovah will not tolerate any worship of men or idols.

7, 8. (a) Why is obedience to Jehovah essential? (b) What results of obedience and of disobedience may we profitably compare?

⁷ The life that Jehovah gave to man in the very beginning was a gift, and man, by being obedient to his Maker, was free to use this life to praise and worship Jehovah and so maintain his own life. Obedience to his Maker was essential. The doing of the Sovereign’s will is required of every person living on earth and of every creature in the universe. God’s Son, Christ Jesus, gained eternal life through obedience, thus showing exclusive devotion to Jehovah. The Israelites, on their long trek through the wilderness after they were brought out of the land of Egypt, many times failed in their worship of God. But throughout all of this period Jehovah God was very merciful toward faithless Israel. There were occasions, one after another, that would have given Jehovah just reason to destroy the whole nation. However, for his own name’s sake and because of the promise he had made to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he kept on dealing with them as his chosen people. For centuries those stiff-necked Jews went their way and continued to bow down to other gods, forgetting the true worship of the One who gave them their daily needs, and by their actions said: “Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them.” (Mal. 2:17, AS) About a thousand years after being delivered from Egypt the Israelites actually used these words, showing how corrupt the nation had become. Can anyone think that the only true God of the universe can allow such disrespect to go on forever?

⁸ Later, in Paul’s day, the situation was even worse, and he sized up humankind in this manner: “Although asserting they were wise, they became foolish and turned the glory of the incorruptible God into something like the image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed creatures and creeping things. Therefore God in keeping with the desires of their hearts gave them up to uncleanness, that their bodies might be dishonored among them, even those who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and venerated and rendered sacred service to the creation rather than the One who created, who is blessed forever. Amen.”—Rom. 1:22-25, NW.

ARE TODAY’S PEOPLE BETTER?

9, 10. How does the worship practiced by so-called heathen peoples compare with that of Christendom?

⁹ Today some humans may think they have advanced since the days of the Roman Empire, or that they are not like the Israelites, the Greeks or the Egyptians. But are the people today any better in their thinking and in their worship? Look at the so-called heathen nations. They still bow down before their gods of wood, stone and metal. But the Christian nations—surely they are better! On the contrary, they too are still bowing down before crosses, altars and images or dolls supposed to be “the virgin” and other “saints.” Not only in religious practice do we find men, women and children bowing down before their own handmade images and pictures of dictators but we find many worshiping statues of great men, heroes of war, and praying before “eternal” flames or a monument for an “unknown soldier”! Are they not worshiping the dead, who they claim have died, not in vain, but to “make the world safe for democracy”?

¹⁰ Have these millions of men and women who have died in world wars made the world safe for democracy or for any of mankind? No; today Christendom bows low and honors her war dead, just like millions of so-called heathens who for centuries have been worshiping all their dead ancestors. Today, in Christendom, men and women seriously trust in carnal weapons and in strong men whom they see, and they actually worship such leaders. This is the world of today. Wherein do they worship the true and living God, Jehovah? Many claim that all this ancestor and image worship, regardless of what it is, brings one closer to God. But does it? To which deity does it bring you closer—to the “god of this world,” Satan the Devil, or to the Sovereign Ruler, the living God, Jehovah?

11, 12. Why is true worship timely today?

¹¹ Today mankind is worshiping idols just as much as did the ancient Israelites and the pagans of olden time. Jehovah rejected his chosen people because they were not giving him exclusive devotion. Today Jehovah God will be casting off a whole world, yes, most of more than two billion now living, because they willfully choose not to recognize the Sovereign Ruler. (Jer. 25:32, 33, AS) It is time for everyone to turn to the living God, Jehovah, to study his Word, and to learn his way of life eternal. This “whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one,” said John. (Matt. 13:19; John 12:31; 1 John 5:19, NW) In the very beginning Satan was successful in misleading Eve and through her to trip up Adam and to turn them both away from true worship. The wise counsel of Jehovah’s spokesmen of the past and present he has given “that we may not be overreached by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his designs.”—2 Cor. 2:11, NW.

¹² Today the world is under the influence and guidance of “the god of this world,” who has blinded the hearts and minds of the people in it. He has blinded them so that they will not see who is the Sovereign Ruler of the universe or understand his purposes. That wicked one does not want man to live; he wants him to perish in Jehovah’s ‘war at Armageddon.’ Mankind, by continuing in their works of the flesh—which are “fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, idolatry, practice of spiritism, hatreds, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects, envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these”—will go on to the day of destruction. That is exactly what the Devil wants. “Those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom.”—Gal. 5:19-21, NW.

WHO GIVE EXCLUSIVE DEVOTION?

13. What essential requirements for New World living may now be recognized, and by whom?

¹³ Today upon earth there is a New World society of men, women and children who are determined to give exclusive devotion to the true God, Jehovah. They are done with the works of the flesh, for they have been washed clean in the blood of Jehovah’s faithful Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph. 1:5-7, NW) Now they must bring forth ‘fruitage of the spirit, which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.’ (Gal. 5:22, 23, NW) These sound principles of right living may and must be followed by anyone desiring now to survive and enjoy the approval of the Sovereign Ruler. By making the mind over, that is, by thinking now as Jehovah wants you to think, by thinking beneficially, uprightly, you surely will equip and prepare yourself for New World living. Every person who survives the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” will have proved to his fellows, as well as to himself and to the true God, that he or she really wants to be obedient to Jehovah, giving him exclusive devotion and joyfully worshiping him in his new world of righteousness forever.

14, 15. (a) Why has Almighty God selected certain humans to become his Son’s associates in heaven? (b) Who comprise the “one fold” under Jehovah’s one Shepherd?

¹⁴ The issue of sovereignty—Who rules supreme?—must be settled; but Jehovah chooses his own time. In many centuries now past he has proved that integrity-keeping persons can be faithful even under extreme adversity. He has proved this by all kinds of men and women from every nation, kindred and tongue. When Jesus Christ was upon earth nineteen hundred years ago he opened up the way for willing ones of mankind to be reconciled to Almighty God. A new nation was being created that would truly bring glory and honor to Jehovah God. That nation, consisting of 144,000 and called the “little flock” (Luke 12:32), Jehovah destined to become joint heirs with Christ Jesus in his heavenly kingdom to rule and reign with him for a thousand years. “Furthermore,” Paul wrote to them, “it is you God made alive though you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you at one time walked according to the system of things of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit that now operates in the sons of disobedience. Yes, among them we all at one time conducted ourselves in harmony with the desires of our flesh, doing the things the flesh and the thoughts willed, and we were naturally children of wrath even as the rest. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, made us alive together with the Christ, even when we were dead in trespasses—by undeserved kindness you have been saved—and he raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenly places in union with Christ Jesus, that in the coming systems of things there might be demonstrated the surpassing riches of his undeserved kindness in his graciousness toward us in union with Christ Jesus. By this undeserved kindness, indeed, you have been saved through faith; and this not owing to you, it is God’s gift.”—Eph. 2:1-8, NW.

¹⁵ Exclusive devotion Jehovah God is being given by all of these, for they “are being built up together into a place for God to inhabit by spirit.” (Eph. 2:22, NW) Now even more people of all nations, kindreds and tongues are coming to worship Jehovah. Indeed, a “great crowd” are manifesting themselves in these days along with the remnant or remaining ones of the “little flock.” These all are brought into one fold under Jehovah’s one Shepherd, Christ Jesus. These “other sheep,” as the Bible calls them (John 10:16), know too that Jehovah their God is a God exacting exclusive devotion, and that he will not tolerate any rivalry; therefore they have separated themselves from the world. All in the “one fold” heed Jesus’ statement that he was in the world but not a part of it (John 17:14-16), and: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his [Jehovah’s] righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.”—Matt. 6:33, NW.

16. Why is it necessary now for every human to recognize Jehovah’s sovereignty?

¹⁶ Seeking first the kingdom of God demands of one exclusive devotion to Him. The now-established kingdom of God vindicates Jehovah’s name and word. About forty years ago its first operation or act was to cast the Devil from his position of rival in heaven. (Isa. 14:12, AS; Rev. 12:9, NW) Now Satan and his invisible hordes can operate only in earth’s vicinity. Here, too, their ousting is due. Here, too, the issue of sovereignty or unrivaled rulership Jehovah’s now-established kingdom will settle. (Isa. 9:7; Dan. 2:44, AS) “I Jehovah your God am a God not tolerating rivalry.” (Ex. 20:5, NW, margin) Jehovah will not give his glory to any other person. His principles of truth and righteousness will be carried out. From now on, in the mind of every living creature, universe-wide, his identity as the Supreme Sovereign and his name Jehovah must stand alone! (Isa. 2:11; Hab. 2:20, AS) “You must not bow down to another god, because Jehovah is exclusively devoted to his name. He is a God exacting exclusive devotion.”—Ex. 34:14, NW; Fenton.

“LET YOUR NAME BE SANCTIFIED”

17, 18. What claims of Jehovah should every human creature properly recognize today?

¹⁷ Jehovah cannot tolerate any other name to stand equal with his. He is above all. At one time he was alone, with all the power and authority in the whole universe. This supremacy he never has given and never will give to another. Everything that was made, created, brought forth, given life, was at the instance of this One, Jehovah. Creation is his work. He is the source of all life. He can create and destroy when he desires. But Jehovah, the eternal One, from everlasting to everlasting, is the creative God who wishes other persons to enjoy life; hence he gives life as a gift. (Ps. 90:1-17, AS) In Jehovah’s doing so, however, he requires that his creature must recognize him as Sovereign Ruler and give him exclusive devotion. There is no room for competition or rivalry. When Jehovah created man and woman he did not create them to be worshiped. They were to be the worshipers. Jehovah is in the position of a potter. He makes the clay of the ground into a form for his pleasure. The clay on the potter’s wheel is subject to his fingers. It is for the potter to decide the kind of vessel to make—what it will look like, the glory it shall have, whether it should be one of great beauty or just one for common use. After the potter has made many beautiful specimens and set them upon his shelf for people to see, the persons looking at the work of the artist do not worship or praise the vessel. Honor or glory is not given to what is created; but the complimentary remark, the praise, goes to the one that formed the vessel. We should think a person quite unbalanced who stood before a piece of pottery, praising it and glorifying it; but if he spoke complimentary words to its creator we could understand his expression.

¹⁸ Jehovah is the potter. He is the maker. He has produced these beautiful creatures upon earth. He shaped them. He formed them. He gave them their loveliness and made them attractive. He did more. He gave them life. It is Jehovah, then, who is to be complimented. He is the one who should receive the adoration, exclusive devotion. We are the things made. We glorify our Maker, in the same way that the vessel of a potter would bring honor to its creator. It is Jehovah God that has brought us into existence. He is the one to whom credit is due. He does not need to tolerate any rivalry, nor will he.

‘WALK NOT AFTER OTHER GODS’

19, 20. (a) What is indicated by any human creature’s desire for praise? (b) What examples of disrespect toward Jehovah serve as warnings to us?

¹⁹ In these days of great selfishness and striving among nations and people there are too many individuals that want praise rather than to give praise. In requiring praise they become rivals of God. The Devil told Eve that ‘if you eat of this tree of knowledge of good and evil you will be like God.’ This idea is still instilled in man, and man wants to be worshiped, even though he is nothing—just dust of the ground, clay formed into a beautiful creature by the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and given life by that Creator. But the living creature does not want to praise his Creator. He becomes proud, haughty, self-important; and it is not long until he begins to tell God wherein He is wrong. It is a common thing to read in newspapers the comments of Christendom’s clergy, and to see how they criticize the Bible, God’s Word. Many clergymen have written books on “higher criticism,” going so far as denying the ransom sacrifice of Christ Jesus. They claim to be Christians but deny Christ himself as the Son of God. How could such be Christian?

²⁰ Other clergymen of Christendom go so far as to call Jehovah a “bully,” thus bringing the Sovereign Ruler of the universe to a low, despicable position in the minds of those whom this One created. All of this is done to bring disrespect to the Sovereign Ruler and to bring praise to the one who was created, a man. Christendom and its representatives are not giving exclusive devotion to Jehovah. They are interested in their own aims, their own nation, their national wars; even believing that Catholics and Protestants in one country are more blessed, more greatly favored, than Catholics and Protestants in another country. Where is their unity, their brotherly love? Is it just vain words?

21. For what other reasons is exclusive devotion to Jehovah of first importance now?

²¹ There is only one true God, and one people living upon this earth, all from God’s original creation; and in his due time all will be of one nation, having one God. He will not tolerate rivalry. His kingdom will endure forever. All mankind who refuse to get in line with true worship will be annihilated, destroyed, there being no place in his universe for rebels. “You must not walk after other gods, any gods of the peoples who are all around you, (for Jehovah your God in your midst is a God exacting exclusive devotion,) for fear the anger of Jehovah your God may blaze against you and he must annihilate you from off the surface of the ground.” (Deut. 6:14, 15, NW) This statement is so definite and positive: “You must never have any other gods against my face,” or, as the margin says, “You must never have any other gods in defiance of me.” (Deut. 5:7, NW) But still there are many persons today who worship this world and this system of things, all of which is in defiance of God’s righteous kingdom. On the one hand, they pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10); and, on the other hand, they go forward and support the United Nations organization, which is definitely set against God’s enthroned King Christ Jesus. Religionists have supported and keep on supporting today’s United Nations and yesterday’s League of Nations. Indeed they went so far as to say that this “League” was the political expression of God’s kingdom. Is it not plain to see that they are setting up something of their own in defiance of Jehovah?

Heaven Can Wait

J. J. Scherer, a Lutheran clergyman in Richmond, Virginia, for nearly 50 years, told a group of Roanoke ministers his view on going to heaven: “If tickets were offered me, one for a stay in heaven and the other in Virginia, I would choose the ticket to Virginia. I want to go to heaven—but not today.”—Dallas Times Herald, June 29, 1955.

‘Choose Whom You Will Serve’

1, 2. As to their respective ways of thinking, how do today’s world leaders and the witnesses of Jehovah differ?

HOW strange it is that today’s world leaders have not heeded the words of Joshua! For Joshua served the same God the leaders of Christendom claim to be serving. He said: “‘Fear Jehovah and serve him with integrity and in truth and remove the gods that your forefathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt, and serve Jehovah. Now if it is bad in your eyes to serve Jehovah, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve, whether the gods that your forefathers who were on the other side of the River served or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are dwelling. But as for me and my household, we shall serve Jehovah.’ At this the people answered and said: ‘It is unthinkable on our part to abandon Jehovah so as to serve other gods.’” (Josh. 24:14-16, NW) But though the world leaders do not think that way, that is the way Jehovah’s witnesses think. At some time in their lives every one of the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses was a part of the old world. But they no longer are going to serve the gods east of the Euphrates River, that is, the gods of Babylon, or the gods of Egypt, which put their trust in military strength. Instead, Jehovah’s witnesses have heeded the words: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues.”—Rev. 18:4, NW.

² The “other sheep” realize Jehovah, their God, brought them up out of Babylon. They willingly came and will not “abandon Jehovah so as to serve other gods.” They see the triumphant kingdom of Jehovah God already established in the heavens, and they see Satan the “god of this world” has been cast down to earth, and they understand the present woe among inhabiters of earth because the Devil has come down to them. Soon the Devil and his whole demonic organization will be abyssed because of not giving exclusive devotion to the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, Jehovah.

3-5. (a) One having chosen to dedicate himself to Jehovah, what other steps of obedience then are rightly taken? (b) May one properly question the need for water immersion, and why do you so answer?

³ Men and women who want to live, not die, must give to Jehovah exclusive devotion. Each of such must willingly choose to dedicate his life to Jehovah’s service and follow his commandments. By following the commandments of God he proves that he loves God. He shows obedience to the will of God. “If you observe my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love.” (John 15:10, NW) This means all Jehovah’s commandments. Some individuals want to choose which commandments they will keep. For example, one will say it is not necessary to be baptized and symbolize his dedication of himself to Jehovah God. He feels that as long as he is associated with Jehovah’s witnesses he will gain Jehovah’s blessing and be taken into the new world of righteousness. He feels: ‘I don’t want to be tied up so tightly with any organization; so I will not be baptized; I’ll go witnessing, but I’ll keep myself free.’ It is not a matter of being tied with an organization. Rather, if you want to live, it is a matter of giving exclusive devotion to Jehovah God. One refusing to be baptized thinks baptism will obligate him and place greater responsibilities upon him. Remember, he already has the responsibility when he has the knowledge. One cannot bargain with God. If he wants life, he gives exclusive devotion to Jehovah God; he keeps God’s commandments and he walks in the footsteps of Christ Jesus and gladly is baptized as an open, public confession of his dedication.

⁴ Sometimes a visiting circuit servant finds a congregation of fifty-five publishers, all going out regularly every month, preaching the good news of the Kingdom and joyfully serving. But on checking the records he finds that twenty of the fifty-five have not been baptized. He wonders why and makes inquiry. He finds that they think that if they symbolize their dedication to Jehovah God too great a responsibility will be put upon them. Ask yourself, Do they really love Jehovah? Are they interested in exclusive devotion to him, or do they want to keep one foot in the old world and one in the new? When Jehovah set out a course of action for his Son, namely, to be baptized in water, then certainly that course of action must be followed by everyone that wants to live eternally in God’s new world. No individual decides whether baptism is right or wrong. A person dedicating himself to Jehovah God and wanting life in the new world must know it is compulsory to be baptized. Some privately think of it as a silly formalism, but in effect such say that they are wiser than God. They flippantly conclude that this being baptized is old-fashioned! Even some might say: “Well, that is the only point I disagree on; otherwise, I accept God’s Word.” When further examining, you will find he disagrees also on many other simple things, putting himself in the position of a critic, criticizing the Creator. And here he, the critic, is only a vessel. Has the one created a right to question, criticize or find fault with what the Sovereign Ruler demands of any one of his creatures? (Rom. 9:20, NW) When Jehovah shows water baptism is a symbol of our dedication, then that is what every Christian should want to do.

⁵ Was it not said by Jesus: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the consummation of the system of things”? (Matt. 28:19, 20, NW) Any individual who wants to live and gain Jehovah’s favor must be humble before Jehovah God and recognize the provision that his Son made for his redemption, and at the same time carry out His commandments. That is why Peter said: “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the person of Jehovah and that he may send forth the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven, indeed, must contain within itself until the times of restoration of all things of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets of old time. In fact, Moses said: ‘Jehovah God will produce for you from among your brothers a prophet like me. You must listen to him according to all the things he speaks to you. Indeed, any soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.’” (Acts 3:19-23, NW) Listen, then; for these commands are not too much for any creature.

6. How is understanding gained?

⁶ There may be things that a person does not understand, things that just now are not entirely clear. But the light shines more and more until the perfect day. (Prov. 4:18, RS) The more one studies God’s Word and the more one lives by the commandments of God, the more he sees how reasonable it is; and life eternal is within his grasp. God’s Word is more than common sense. It is wisdom from on high. Follow it.

‘NOT OF THIS WORLD’

7, 8. What right attitude toward “this world” is maintained by one dedicated to Jehovah?

⁷ Jehovah’s witnesses are peaceful, wanting only to be exclusively devoted to Jehovah’s kingdom work. They know their position on earth is to represent God and him alone. Worldly governments do not want their constituents to be neutral as far as this world is concerned. However, when one gives exclusive devotion to Jehovah God he will not be mixed up with this world’s politics, religions or commercial movements. While in the world he is not a part of it. All so minded seek first the kingdom of heaven and Jehovah’s righteousness, and then all other things will be added to them.—Matt. 6:33, NW.

⁸ Today’s Christian minister cannot live according to the moral code of the old world, wherein it winks its eye at adultery and fornication, thinks it is smart to be drunk. Forgetting and forsaking fine counsel Jehovah has set forth in his Word, more and more persons have become delinquent. Also, more worried have become each nation’s leaders concerning the delinquency. Now any violation of God’s Word shows disrespect for the Sovereign Ruler and his enthroned Christ. Wickedness of the world as described by Jude warns us how it might infiltrate into the congregation of God. And concerning those who try to corrupt the true followers of Christ he said: “These men are murmurers, complainers about their lot in life, proceeding according to their own desires, and their mouths speak swelling things, while they are admiring personalities for the sake of their own benefit.” (Jude 16, NW) Such, of course, are not giving exclusive devotion to Jehovah God; and the scripture tells us that we cannot mingle ourselves with people of this kind or worship their gods or serve them, “for fear the anger of Jehovah your God may blaze against you and he must annihilate you from off the surface of the ground.”—Deut. 6:15, NW.

SLAVE OR MASTER?

9, 10. (a) How may we describe the exclusiveness of Jehovah? (b) What right and wrong attitudes toward Jehovah are exemplified for us by Christ Jesus and Satan?

⁹ Exclusive devotion to Jehovah God is a very serious requirement. Let us consider it now from Jehovah’s viewpoint. “Exclusive” means keeping others out, or excluding. It means single or sole, or singly devoted. No one can be included in God’s position. He is exclusive. Everyone else stays outside this most honored position that he only can hold. He is alone in his exalted place in the universe. He will not include anyone else with himself. His glory he does not share with another. Christ Jesus appreciated the very exclusive position his Father held in the universe; and on this point Paul wrote: “Christ Jesus, who, although he was existing in God’s form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God. No, but he emptied himself and took a slave’s form and came to be in the likeness of men. More than that, when he found himself in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient as far as death, yes, death on a torture stake.” (Phil. 2:5-8, NW) Again Jesus himself said: “I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am.”—John 14:28, NW.

¹⁰ Satan the Devil chose to try to push Jehovah God out of this exclusive position; and, of course, Satan has not given to Jehovah exclusive devotion, for he seriously considers being like the Most High, and he has put it into the minds of all creation that they should be as God, knowing good and evil; in other words, that they should be judges, deciding what is right and wrong in the universe. So we often find clergymen disputing, challenging, the Word of God, claiming portions of the Bible are just fairy tales; and thus they have set themselves up as God, qualified to question and dispute with Almighty God. What pride!

11, 12. (a) What is included in genuine worship of Jehovah? (b) How are love of God and love of neighbor comparable?

¹¹ A humble person, devoted to Jehovah, would be filled with zeal and piety. “Devotion” means an eager inclination or a strong attachment; an ardent love or affection for one. Devotion has to do with one’s religiousness. Today one who understands true religion carries on genuine worship, even as Jesus predicted: “The hour is coming, and it is now, when the genuine worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for such kind to worship him.” (John 4:23, NW) Anyone giving Jehovah God exclusive devotion will not allow anything else to break into that devotion or to mar it. Jehovah cannot tolerate it; therefore the individual should not let anything interfere. One’s devotion to Jehovah God must be filled with love. It must be an ardent love, a single love to Jehovah God—not a love that can be divided with someone else.

¹² On Exodus 34:14 the translation of the French (Abbé Drioux Version, 1884) puts it this way: “God wants to be loved uniquely”—that is, he wants to be loved in a class by himself, singularly. When upon earth Christ Jesus mentioned two commandments. First, said he, you must love the Father with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; secondly, Love your neighbor as yourself. Here again this puts Jehovah God in a singular or unique position, exclusive, separated from all other love. He is outstanding and in a position alone, as Sovereign. Love goes directly to him without any sharing of that love. That is exclusive devotion. The similar second commandment is that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Although this love takes in a greater sweep, embracing humankind, who in turn can love us, yet no one human becomes exclusive in this unselfishness on our part. Our love for neighbor can include all mankind. But as to the Creator, he alone claims and rightly is given exclusive devotion. Loving our neighbor as we individually love ourselves is not exclusive, though proper. We do not worship the neighbor, but just show love. With Jehovah our love involves worship, service, obedience; and in this he tolerates no rivalry.

13, 14. How is this comparison made clearer by Jesus? and how may we benefit by understanding it now?

¹³ Jesus showed the principle of this individual love, for he was very well acquainted with his Father, so well acquainted that he could say, when one knew the Son he also knew the Father. “Jesus said . . . ‘No one comes to the Father except through me. If you men had known me, you would have known my Father also.’” Setting forth the principle of exclusive devotion to Jehovah God and his kingdom, Jesus also pointed out that greater love for the Kingdom and the vindication of Jehovah’s name is more important than the love of neighbor. The creature’s only approach to the heavenly Father now is through the Son; therefore Jesus said: “Everyone, then, that acknowledges his belief in me before men, I will also acknowledge my belief in him before my Father who is in the heavens.” And, then, to show how great must be this love for the Father that is shown through the Son, Jesus says: “He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not accept his torture stake and follow after me is not worthy of me.”—John 14:6, 7; Matt. 10:32, 37, 38, NW.

¹⁴ After Jehovah’s ‘war at Armageddon’ all survivors will know him and give him their first love. Even today Jehovah’s witnesses must give him such love through the Son, Christ Jesus; and that puts us in a unique relationship with our Creator, for ‘he is a God that wants to be loved uniquely.’ “The Father is looking for such kind to worship him.” That worship will be with spirit and truth, and it will be exclusive. There is no one else involved in this love and worship; hence it stands alone.

15. Scripturally, how is the position of a slave properly viewed?

¹⁵ When one is so exclusively devoted, it suggests another unique relationship between the two, that of master and slave. Jehovah is the Master because he is the Creator, the Owner; and it is required of the creature or owned one to do the will of his Master. Jehovah is the exclusive and sole owner of the creature. He made him. Jehovah God arranged for his Son to purchase the human family; so the scripture says: “You were bought with a price; stop becoming slaves of men.” (1 Cor. 7:23, NW) In his letter to the Corinthians Paul set forth a very interesting discussion about slaves: “In whatever state each one was called, let him remain in it. Were you called a slave? Do not let it worry you, but if you can also become free, rather seize the opportunity. For anyone in the Lord that was called a slave is the Lord’s freedman: likewise he that was called a free man is a slave of Christ. You were bought with a price; stop becoming slaves of men. In whatever condition each one was called, brothers, let him remain in it associated with God.”—1 Cor. 7:20-24, NW.

16. One’s choice to be a slave of Jehovah today denotes what?

¹⁶ In early Christian times it did not make any difference to God or Christ Jesus if people were free men or slaves. They could still be called to the high position of joint heirship with Christ Jesus in heavenly glory. But no matter what condition they found themselves in, bond or free, such became slaves of Christ; and it was only in that manner that they could become associated with God. Now, too, the person who comes to Jehovah and dedicates himself through Christ Jesus to Jehovah’s service makes himself God’s slave. In this action the Christian is not hypocritical but sincerely pleased to give exclusive devotion to the Sovereign Ruler and to carry out the will of the Father, just as the Son showed obedience to the commandments of his Father. This slavelike relationship comes from the heart. It is the dedicated one’s innermost desire. In his heart he has the proper inclination toward God. For him it is natural to want to obey the true God. It is such an individual’s deliberate choice to be a slave. It is the dedicated person’s preference to put himself in this slavelike relationship to the rightful Master, Jehovah.

“SLAVE TO TIME INDEFINITE”

17, 18. (a) Anciently, in Israel, why might one become a “slave to time indefinite”? (b) What wholesome lessons may today’s Christian minister draw from this ancient practice?

¹⁷ In days of ancient Israel sometimes it became necessary for the Hebrew to sell himself into slavery. God’s Word tells us: “In case you should buy a Hebrew slave, he will be a slave six years, but in the seventh he will go out as one set free without charge. If he should come in by himself, by himself he will go out. If he is the owner of a wife, then his wife must go out with him. If his master should give him a wife and she does bear him sons or daughters, the wife and her children will become her master’s and he will go out by himself. But if the slave should insistently say, ‘I really love my master, my wife and my sons; I do not want to go out as one set free,’ then his master must bring him near to God and must bring him up against the door or the doorpost and his master must pierce his ear through with an awl and he must be his slave to time indefinite.”—Ex. 21:2-6, NW.

¹⁸ Here we find a man in slavery, wholly devoted to his master, and he goes so far as to say: “I really love my master.” For a Christian, too, this is the right frame of mind to be in. Always he should see himself in the slavelike position, eager to serve the Master, Jehovah, who has given him life and all its blessings. No one should ever want to be free from Jehovah God, to go his own way. The Devil was the first one to hold this wrong desire and his end will be destruction.

19, 20. How does one’s freedom to choose appear here in our study?

¹⁹ Jehovah God rightfully demands exclusive devotion. But when this exclusive devotion is given to the Sovereign Ruler of the universe it must be given on the choice of the individual. He will not be forced to it. He must desire to give it, willingly, gladly. No one will drive him into this position or push him into the service of Jehovah God. But because of his study of God’s Word, his wanting to do Jehovah’s will, it is his inclination, his preference, to be in full harmony with God and God’s purposes and to be his slave, even as Jehovah’s Son Christ Jesus was delighted to do the commandment of his Father.

²⁰ One who has dedicated himself to Jehovah’s service certainly is like this Hebrew slave who is willing to be a slave to time indefinite. As to members of the New World society, this means for eternity. Jehovah so loved the world that he sent his only-begotten Son to this earth so that those on earth who choose to believe on him might have everlasting life. He arranged for his Son to purchase the human family. There are many who will refuse to recognize themselves as slaves and come under this purchase price and will choose to go their own way, but that way of theirs, which is the way of “this world,” will mean their death.—John 3:16; 1 John 2:17, NW.

21. Choosing to serve Jehovah brings what obligations?

²¹ “The memory of the righteous is blessed; but the name of the wicked shall rot.” (Prov. 10:7, AS) Those who refuse the ransom will die eternally and thus be annihilated, never having any existence. Just as Jehovah God recorded through his prophet Jeremiah: “They shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts.” (Jer. 51:57, AS) All persons who have dedicated their lives to the service of Jehovah God must realize that being a Christian is a serious thing; and, as expressed by Moses, “You must not take up the name of Jehovah your God in a worthless way, for Jehovah will not leave the one unpunished who takes up his name in a worthless way.” (Ex. 20:7, NW) One should not think that because he has dedicated himself to Jehovah God and was baptized in water, God now is obligated to do everything for him. God certainly will carry out his part of the agreement in blessing and caring for one; but the slave, who says that he will give exclusive devotion to Jehovah God, must also carry out his part of the arrangement. He must show that he is a slave, and an obedient one of the Sovereign Ruler. One’s life is dependent on his true, genuine worship, and ‘the Father is looking for such kind of worship,’ for he is “a God exacting exclusive devotion.”

“My Load Is Light”

1. How do Christendom’s supporters think of one’s becoming a footstep follower of Jesus?

MOST people in the world take the course of least resistance, and they follow the way of the great majority, which leads into sin and eventually death and annihilation. Some think that being a Christian is a very difficult task, and greater than they can bear in this wicked world. Many do not mind being “Christians,” so called, of Christendom, where they can practice all the self-indulgences, carrying on the lusts of the flesh as Christendom approves; and they feel that they are doing all right. But to be a real Christian, one who is walking in the footsteps of Christ Jesus, is considered in the minds of most people a hard thing to do. But how can we harmonize the supposedly difficult task of being a Christian with the expression of Christ Jesus, who said: “My load is light”? Let us see what Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and become my disciples, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for your souls. For my yoke is kindly and my load is light.”—Matt. 11:28-30, NW.

2, 3. (a) What does Jehovah require of his dedicated servants? (b) How did Jesus himself comply with that requirement and arrange for others to do so?

² Just what does Jehovah God require us as Christians to do? As we examine the Scriptures we find that the first thing is to preach the Triumphant Kingdom message throughout all the world for a witness to all nations. All people are able to talk in some language and express their feelings and their thoughts. And if one has a real, deep feeling of devotion to Jehovah God and has the mind of Jehovah as expressed in his Word, then he will preach good news to others. This in itself certainly is not a difficult task. Those of mankind who have been toiling and slaving in the Devil’s organization and have made themselves slaves to it Jesus invites to leave their loaded-down condition and come to him and be refreshed. Jesus does not ask you to take the yoke upon yourself and do all the work alone. The marginal rendering of this expression “Take my yoke” says, “Get under my yoke with me.” In other words, pull the same load and do the same thing that Jesus did when he was upon the earth. His assigned work was to preach to the lost sheep of Israel and get them in line for the blessings of God’s kingdom. Not only Jesus himself did such preaching but he sent his disciples out to the villages to preach the good news of the Kingdom. At his feet he wanted them to become learners of Jehovah’s purposes and then to tell them out on every occasion.

³ In reading the life of Christ in the four Gospels we do find that Christ was a mild-tempered person, lowly in heart; and all those who came to him found refreshment for their souls. The sick, on being healed, were anxious to tell what happened; and for his immediate followers the only responsibility he placed upon them was to preach, to talk to others and bring them comfort. He told them to go from house to house, from village to village, from city to city, from country to country. And this great expansion work of going to non-Jews from country to country began seven years after Jesus began his preaching. First of all the message was to go to the Jews to give them full opportunity to hear the divine message; and this message was presented in a most simple manner, merely by a speaking program. Certainly that yoke was kindly. It was not a heavy load placed upon anyone.

4. Where does the difficulty arise in being a Christian preacher?

⁴ Well, where does the difficulty arise in being a Christian? Certainly it is not the preaching that is difficult. It is the opposition that the Devil brings up against those mild-tempered and lowly in heart who do the work that Jesus has assigned to Christians to do. Jesus warned us that the opposition would be intense, but the work that he gave Christians to do would be light. It would not be a heavy load, more than they could bear. In his sermon on the mount Jesus said: “Happy are the pure in heart, since they will see God. Happy are the peaceable, since they will be called ‘sons of God’. Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them. Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every kind of wicked thing against you for my sake. Rejoice and leap for joy, since your reward is great in the heavens; for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you.”—Matt. 5:8-12, NW.

5, 6. (a) Who now comprise opposers of the preachers of Jehovah’s Kingdom message? (b) How do those preachers regard that opposition?

⁵ Jesus, describing conditions that would exist in the earth in these last days when this good news of the Kingdom should be preached, says concerning Christians: “But before all of these things people will lay their hands upon you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, you being haled before kings and governors for the sake of my name. It will turn out to you for the purpose of a witness.” (Luke 21:12, 13, NW) All this persecution comes from the Devil’s crowd because Christians are doing a good thing, giving Jehovah exclusive devotion. Just because you go about peacefully preaching the good news, which directs the attention of people to the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and to true worship, the Devil with his demons and his whole organization will oppose you. So, then, we see the thing that is hard is the stand we must take against the Devil and persecutors whom he raises up against human creatures for being faithful to God. The Devil has always been a cruel taskmaster, but Jehovah God through his Son Christ Jesus has given us a work not difficult to do. It is merely to preach. It is this kind, simple Kingdom truth that we bring to people that the Devil objects to. The communistic nations, the democratic nations, the religionists, the politicians, the commercialists, all object to the persistent earth-wide heralding of God’s wonderful triumphant kingdom for the blessing of all mankind. The objectors do not want it! They are opposed to God’s kingdom. But despite all the opposition that comes against Jehovah’s witnesses they move forward in greater numbers and with greater zeal than ever before in carrying out exclusive devotion to the Sovereign Ruler, Jehovah. They are dedicated to God for doing this service.

⁶ They know by experience that Jesus’ words are true: “My load is light.” They also know that if they take up this load and get under the yoke with Christ Jesus they are going headlong into opposition from the Devil’s organization. But despite the opposers’ activity, Jehovah’s witnesses in the year 1955 have had the grandest field-service report ever offered in honor of Jehovah’s name and in defense of his Word. They have been bringing the “whole tithe” into the treasure house of God, and he has opened up the windows of heaven and poured out a blessing till there was no place for it. (Mal. 3:10, Da) Each year Jehovah’s witnesses recount the blessings that Jehovah has bestowed upon them by sending in a report, which indicates the joy and pleasure they have had in preaching this good news of the Kingdom. (See chart for activity of Jehovah’s witnesses in different parts of the world.)

HIGH LIGHTS OF 1955 SERVICE REPORT

7. World-wide, how many shared in this preaching work in 1955?

⁷ During the field-service year of 1955, ending with the month of August, there was an average of 570,694 ministers preaching the good news of the Kingdom in 158 lands. This is an increase of 44,770 more than in 1954; or an 8¹⁄₂ per cent increase in the average number of persons going out in the field service monthly, talking to others concerning the Kingdom. Many newly interested individuals began preaching for the first time, and this brought the peak of publishers up to 642,929 for the 1955 service year.

8. What added blessings from Jehovah did many of those preachers share during 1955?

⁸ One of the great joys of the year was the bountiful blessing Jehovah poured out upon his servants during the “Triumphant Kingdom” Assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses. In the thirteen conventions held during ten weeks there were 403,682 in attendance at the public lecture. But what brought greater joy to the hearts of all those who have dedicated themselves to Jehovah God was that 13,016 “other sheep” were baptized during the ten-week period. Throughout the entire service year many more persons were determined to give Jehovah God exclusive devotion; and in the twelve months of the year 63,642 individuals were baptized by complete water immersion, declaring themselves to take on the light load of preaching this good news. This places responsibility upon those already associated with the New World society for years, and that is to train these new ones and bring them on to maturity and help them see their privilege of being regular congregation publishers as well as advancing into pioneer service and special assignments as missionaries in other parts of the earth.

9-12. (a) What features of the report concerning full-time preachers are noteworthy? (b) Concerning literature distribution? (c) Concerning other increases in 1955?

⁹ Today there are 17,011 full-time ordained ministers working throughout the world. To these ranks there could be added many more; and the Society confidently hopes that those who can arrange their affairs to get into the full-time ministerial activity will do so, for in this field there is an abundant blessing. A slight decrease in the number of pioneers has appeared during 1955 service year, there being 254 fewer full-time ministers than in 1954. We sincerely hope that this becomes reversed during the 1956 service year, and that many more will feel confident that Jehovah will open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing greater than the pioneers can contain, even as he is doing for all of his servants in overflowing measure. All of these ministers not only preach the good news from house to house and conduct Bible studies, but leave printed sermons with the people in the form of Bibles, books, booklets and magazines, as well as tracts and other publications that will aid a person to gain a clear understanding of what Jehovah’s purposes are in these last days.

¹⁰ During the year 2,927,062 bound volumes were distributed along with 27,941,465 pamphlets. In addition to this, 36,500,383 individual copies of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines were distributed from house to house world-wide in forty different languages. New subscriptions to the number of 1,008,221 were taken for these two magazines, which shows the intense interest on the part of the general public in the message Jehovah’s witnesses have.

¹¹ There is a way in which each individual can show God that he loves him and wants to worship him; and this way is by staying close to Jehovah’s organization, bringing in the tithes to the storehouse, which includes attending meetings, giving comments, going from house to house preaching, carrying on back-call and Bible study activity in the homes of the people, attending public meetings and making what material contributions can be made to the organization to advance the Kingdom interests locally and world-wide. Surely Jehovah’s witnesses have been doing this in 1955. Throughout the world there are now organized 16,044 congregations where regular studies are held; and these congregation publishers who have been attending such meetings spend much time, in addition to worshiping in the Kingdom Halls, in their going from house to house preaching the good news. In fact, 85,832,250 hours were spent in house-to-house, village-to-village, city-to-city, country-to-country preaching even including iron curtain countries that strenuously object to the work of Jehovah’s witnesses. And when interested people were found, back-calls were made to the extent of 27,143,319, and eventually these turned into Bible studies numbering 337,456 home Bible studies conducted every week throughout the year in the many languages that the missionaries and publishers of the Kingdom speak. There is very marked interest in the work Jehovah’s witnesses are doing, because at Memorial time, April 7, 1955, 878,303 persons gathered at Kingdom Halls and celebrated the death of Christ Jesus; and, of these, 16,815 profess to be of the “little flock.”

¹² So the work of Jehovah’s witnesses goes on grandly. Jehovah’s blessing is truly upon his New World society. And when we look back over the past ten years we see what prosperity Jehovah has brought to his people. In 1945 there was an average of 127,478 publishers sharing in the preaching work. But today we have an average of 570,694.

13, 14. What effects of the steadily increasing distribution of magazines and other Watch Tower publications offset religious critics’ claims?

¹³ As we compare accomplishments of 1955 with previous years we find it is away ahead of any other year in announcing the triumphant kingdom. Because of the success of Jehovah’s witnesses many religionists have accused the Watch Tower Society of being a book-selling organization. But when one looks over the annual report of the Society surely he can see that all those who have devoted themselves to the interests of the Kingdom are ordained ministers, interested in preaching and in placing in the hands of the people things that will bring blessings to them. And so the printed sermons that are published in the Watchtower magazine, the books and the booklets that are distributed in great numbers, have brought untold comfort to the hearts and minds of the people. In order to keep up with the demand on the part of the public for the message that Jehovah’s witnesses are bringing them, it has been necessary to print 86,590,360 magazines—The Watchtower and Awake!—and 46,792,097 Bibles, books and booklets, world-wide. These publications could never be printed in such large quantities were it not for the contributions made by Jehovah’s witnesses themselves to the Society.

¹⁴ It should be kept in mind that thirty years ago the Watch Tower magazine was being offered at a dollar contribution for a year’s subscription. Then came the “depression” and “inflation” and today’s “world prosperity” with great increases in costs of paper, ink, machinery and building; but still, after all these years have passed with stupendous changes in the world, the Watchtower magazine is being offered to the people at one dollar a year for a subscription, twenty-four copies. If it were not for the generosity of Jehovah’s witnesses in supporting the printing of these sermons, this extensive distribution could never be accomplished. Furthermore, if it were not for the zeal and the devotion that all of these witnesses are giving to Jehovah God, this distribution could never be reported here. It is their labor of love that makes it possible for the New World society to put the literature out in such tremendous quantities.

15. How do Jehovah’s devoted servants regard their preaching responsibilities?

¹⁵ To do this work is a joy to the heart of every one of Jehovah’s servants; and they fully agree with Christ Jesus when he said: “My load is light.” Our work is to preach this good news of the Kingdom. The Devil’s organization, the archenemy of Jehovah God, is trying to make this work very difficult and tries to throw every obstacle in its way that he can to slow it down or turn God’s servants away from true worship. In this he will fail, for in the end all persons who gain eternal life will give to Jehovah God exclusive devotion. He will be alone in the universe as the Sovereign Ruler, even as he is now, only with opposition. In that new world of righteousness all the opposition of Satan the Devil and his demons, and all those who side with him, will be destroyed, annihilated, moved out of existence; and there will remain true worshipers in the entire earth, all giving to God exclusive devotion. Jehovah puts the test to every one today. Are you willing to meet the test?—namely, “Bring the whole tithe into the treasure-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I open not to you the windows of the heavens, and pour you out a blessing, till there be no place for it.”—Mal. 3:10, Da.

[Chart on page 24-26]

1955 SERVICE YEAR REPORT OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WORLD-WIDE

(See bound volume)

Serving with Jehovah’s Channel of Communication

JEHOVAH has a channel of communication on earth? Yes, even as earthly governments have channels of communication for their subjects, so the great Ruler of the universe, Jehovah God, ever since he placed intelligent creatures upon this earth, has had channels of communication, but always only one at a time, to make known to men his will and purposes regarding them. Thus Adam, in that he was used to inform Eve of God’s law, served as a line of communication.a

Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and especially Moses, likewise served as Jehovah’s channels of communication in their day. After Moses certain judges and then a long line of prophets did likewise serve until John the Baptist. Then men were favored with the most direct line possible, Jesus Christ. He who had from of old personally heard Jehovah’s words at his mouth and who had served as a channel of communication to angels and to men, both directly and indirectly, now was serving as Jehovah’s direct channel of communication to men.

While serving thus he also trained others, around whom a continuous channel of communication could be established so that there would be no interruption upon his returning to heaven. Ever since the pouring out of the holy spirit at Pentecost the anointed followers of Christ have thus served as a channel of communication, making known Jehovah’s purposes as these became progressively clearer. This has resulted in bringing startling information even to angels: “This was to the end that now to the governments and the authorities in the heavenly places there might be made known through the congregation the greatly diversified wisdom of God.”—Eph. 3:10, NW.

Today Jehovah has again a channel of communication in the earth, through which he is causing Proverbs 4:18 (AS) to be fulfilled: “The path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Among the evidences pointing to the anointed Christian witnesses of Jehovah as a group being that channel are these: their witnessing to Jehovah’s name and established kingdom; their accepting the entire Word of God; their keeping separate from the world, and their being persecuted by all nations.

Those who appreciate the foregoing facts will gladly serve with Jehovah’s channel of communication in this day by making public declaration in the Christian congregation, by witnessing to the truth at every opportunity and by so arranging their affairs that they can have the greatest possible share in preaching the good news of the Kingdom. Are you a dedicated Christian witness? If so, are you making the most of your opportunities of serving with Jehovah’s channel of communication?

[Footnotes]

Part 3—The “Triumphant Kingdom” Assemblies of 1955

Dallas, Texas, July 13-17, 1955

THERE were about 500 friends out at the Dallas airport to welcome the Society’s president and his two traveling companions on their arrival Tuesday evening, July 12, by plane from Los Angeles. Movie photographers were on hand to record the event, and KRLD-TV telecast the arrival over channel 4 that night. About thirty-five out-of-town newspapers had published advance news releases concerning the coming convention at the Cotton Bowl. Famous throughout the United States, the Cotton Bowl is the second-largest stadium in the South, having a seating capacity of 75,347; and here witnesses of Jehovah from many lands were to meet for five days in the fourth of the 1955 assembly series. In addition to the Cotton Bowl the large livestock pavilion nearby in the Fair Park was to be used for the holding of a simultaneous convention in Spanish. To this the friends from all Latin-American lands were invited. The program was accordingly printed in English and Spanish.

Because of the intense heat that was expected in the open Cotton Bowl from a broiling afternoon sun, no meetings were programmed for afternoons. The afternoons were left open for field service by the conventioners; and the president’s meetings with the servants of districts, circuits and congregations, usually held in the morning, were held under cover in the early afternoon. All assembly sessions were timed for mornings and evenings. The practicalness of this could be better appreciated after the temperature rose to 101 degrees Fahrenheit the first afternoon and then climbed to 104 degrees F. the second afternoon. At the Vancouver (B.C.) assembly thousands of witnesses of Jehovah had braved the cold and rain; here in Dallas they braved the heat and also a sudden downpour. Here also the assembly took on an international touch, with ten delegates from Hawaii and other brothers from Argentina, India, Alaska, Haiti, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Cuba and Puerto Rico besides those from forty states of the American union.

Running with sweat, the president delivered his opening address in the morning to an audience of 8,172, in the Cotton Bowl. At the same time the same speech was being delivered in Spanish by the vice-president to 745 of Jehovah’s “sheep” at the Livestock Pavilion. This totaled up to 8,917 for these simultaneous sessions. Instead of dropping for the night sessions, the attendance increased to 10,658. During the final half hour over at the Pavilion the president by means of an interpreter spoke to 980, for a while answering prepared written Bible questions and then speaking extemporaneously to them on advisable things, which they much appreciated. To their surprise and joy he released to them the new booklet in Spanish, “This Good News of the Kingdom”.

Incidentally, tonight, far to the east, in New York city, 500 Europe-bound delegates entrained for transportation to Quebec City, there to board two ocean liners, chartered by the Watch Tower Society, the Arosa Star and the Arosa Kulm. They were given a big send-off by New York brothers who had to remain behind. From other directions other brothers also were converging on Quebec City, and on the afternoon of the following day, Thursday, July 14, the Star and the Kulm steamed down the Saint Lawrence River with 1,589 joyful conventioners aboard, bound for the international assembly in London, England.

In Fort Worth, Texas, this Thursday morning two stations telecast some of the activities at Dallas. This evening a thunderhead came up to cool off the atmosphere, and there was lightning, also wind. For a time the Cotton Bowl became a “dust bowl,” and it was necessary to fasten down things on the speakers’ platform. From then on the convention temperature moderated somewhat. The night’s attendance for both English and Spanish was 13,426, and all were thoroughly enjoying the spiritual feast. The convention here also received international attention, for messages, telegrams and cablegrams from brothers in Latin America and distant lands, including those in the Orient, kept pouring in with greetings and prayers for this assembly.

The Friday morning baptism had eighty-seven Spanish-speaking ones among the total of 468 immersed. Because of the racial distinction that still dominates the local situation, the thirty-five candidates of African extraction were immersed in Exline Park swimming pool, all the others in the Randall Park swimming pool. But where one is baptized makes no difference; in any place this symbol of baptism denotes the same obedience to the divine will. Similarly the assembly at Dallas was one international assembly, although the language difference separated 1,738 Spanish-speaking Saturday night from the 14,341 English-speaking assembled in the nearby Cotton Bowl. Among the telegrams received this Saturday were two interesting ones: the first from the Arosa Kulm assured us here that the 795 passengers aboard were remembering the Dallas assembly; the second from the Arosa Star also bespoke that the 794 aboard had us, 16,079 here, in mind and heart. The two chartered ships bound for England were then cruising off the shores of Labrador.

Late Saturday night it rained and there were heavily clouded skies Sunday morning. This morning there were six interesting delegates to the assembly. At Seagoville, some sixteen miles to the southeast of Dallas, there were six young witnesses of Jehovah detained at a federal correctional institution because of holding fast to their integrity to Him. The request was made to the prison warden that these might be permitted to be brought to the nearby assembly to share in the Sunday morning sessions. The warden applied to the Director of the Bureau of Prisons at Washington and he authorized their attendance. So eight seats were reserved at the Cotton Bowl, and the prison warden and a guard brought the six young men to the assembly and they all occupied the reserved seats. After the “closing remarks” by the president the entire group were taken to the assembly cafeteria and treated to a free dinner. About twenty young men volunteering their services at the cafeteria recognized the warden, shook hands with him and expressed appreciation of how nicely he had treated them when they too were at Seagoville. The warden was much impressed by their kindly attitude. Also, the police at the Fair Park were impressed by the unusual co-operativeness and cleanliness of the conventioners. One policeman confessed he had never taken an interest in us before. “You people have something!” he added. But religious prejudice kept the newspaper publicity down to 517.5 column inches.

Incidentally, today during the progress of the Dallas assembly two “Flying Tigers” at New York city’s Idlewild airport took to the air loaded almost to capacity with conventioners availing themselves of early flight facilities across the Atlantic to be on hand for the London (England) assembly the following week.

The public lecture on “World Conquest Soon—by God’s Kingdom” was billed for eight o’clock tonight in both English and Spanish. During the hour-and-a-half program that preceded this a threatening storm cloud began approaching from the southwest and fanned out over Dallas. All other clouds closed in with it to form a pitch-black cloud mass over the city, from which lightnings flashed. The effect on the thousands of the public who may have thought of attending the public lecture in the open, coverless Cotton Bowl can be imagined. So only 14,825 turned out for the talk by the president in the Bowl and 1,508 for the same talk in Spanish by the vice-president in the Pavilion, or a total of 16,409. As soon as the president under the drapeless canopy on the platform began to speak, down came a heavy rain. Fortunately he had donned his raincoat and rubber overshoes, but thousands before him in the Bowl moved back under cover of the corridors beneath the stands. Many, however, kept sitting under umbrellas in the rain in full view of the speaker, who offset the sudden difficulty by endeavoring to make this his best delivery yet of this powerful lecture. The rain beating down on the tin top of the canopy over him produced a background noise over the loud-speakers, but the message continued going out till its grand climax and the release of the free booklet to this faithful audience. Over at the Pavilion the booklet was released for the first time in Spanish and elicited a great applause that kept up till the speaker departed for the airport with the president to fly to New York city. The conventioners now began to depart to share their blessing with those back home, and the nine congregations in Dallas with a total of more than 700 active Kingdom ministers were left to take advantage of all the fine effects of the assembly upon the inhabitants of Greater Dallas.

(To be continued)

Questions From Readers

● What is meant by a token fulfillment of the procreation mandate? Is not its fulfillment to be more than just a token?—A. L., United States.

The general mass of mankind, “those who practiced vile things,” will not be brought into the new world by resurrection until the thousand-year reign is well along and paradisaic conditions have overspread the earth. (John 5:28, 29; Luke 23:43, NW) It is the survivors of Armageddon that will join in carrying out the command to “be fruitful and become many and fill the earth” with righteous offspring. But their fulfilling of this command cannot be understood to mean populating the earth to completeness, for that would leave no room for the resurrected multitudes that are to come.—Gen. 1:28, NW.

Hence, rather than a complete fulfillment of the procreation mandate it is a token fulfillment. It will constitute a token of what God could accomplish. It will demonstrate Jehovah’s power to populate the earth with a righteous race by means of human procreation, as purposed at the time of creation. We have an example of such a token fulfillment in Noah’s perfect number of generations (10 × 7 = 70) after the flood. (Gen. 9:1) So the filling of the earth by the other sheep surviving Armageddon will betoken or represent or demonstrate Jehovah’s power to accomplish the procreation mandate in this way, and hence may be called a representative fulfillment or a token fulfillment, but not a complete one that would leave no room for the later resurrection of “those who practiced vile things.”

Announcements

SERVING WITH JEHOVAH’S CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION—Eph. 3:10, NW.

What channel does Jehovah use? Obviously the one that does his work, that of proclaiming the kingdom of God, which work was begun in these last days. While this organization has suffered much persecution it has continued to make known widely the truth of God’s kingdom. What a privilege to be serving with Jehovah’s channel of communication and to have the joy and pleasure of inviting others to receive the water of life! During this month a special offer of the Watchtower magazine is being made, giving all who long for the truth about the purposes of God an opportunity to receive regularly this most valuable magazine and learn much during the year. All of Jehovah’s faithful slaves will want to have part in offering a year’s subscription for The Watchtower at only $1. New subscribers will be given three booklets on Bible subjects of particular significance.

TRAIN FOR THE MINISTRY

We live in a world of specialization. Yet ministers of Jehovah have always been specialists in their chosen profession. Already adequately qualified for the ministry, they never slack their training, but continue to progress with the latest teaching program arranged by Jehovah through his organization. The new book Qualified to Be Ministers provides such advanced instruction. It fills the need of everyone, those who are contemplating the ministry and those who may have had years of service in this most blessed of professions. It is currently being studied in every congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses. Can you afford to be without your copy? Send only 50c today.

ARE YOU LOOKING AHEAD?

Jehovah’s witnesses keep looking ahead and at the same time they diligently study the record of faithful servants in Bible times. Why? Because on entering each new year of service opportunities they are encouraged by reviewing Bible writings and also edified by their own stimulating report of last year’s faithful and zealous preaching activity contained in the 1956 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. And as they consider each month’s Scriptural theme identified on the new 1956 calendar they are urged to duplicate and exceed past efforts. Do you have these two latest instruments to encourage forward-looking preaching activity? Write today. The Yearbook is only 50c; the calendar is 25c, or five for $1 to one address.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

February 5: Exclusive Devotion, ¶1-18. Page 8.

February 12: Exclusive Devotion, ¶19-21, and ‘Choose Whom You Will Serve,’ ¶1-16. Page 13.

February 19: ‘Choose Whom You Will Serve,’ ¶17-21, and “My Load Is Light.” Page 19.

Check Your Memory

After reading this issue of “The Watchtower,” do you remember—

✔ Why true religion must involve Bible education? P. 3, ¶3.

✔ What three conflicting attitudes compose European thinking? P. 4, ¶1.

✔ What advances have been made in recent years even in conquered Poland? P. 5, ¶2.

✔ What religious attitudes made Africa a spiritually dark continent? P. 6, ¶3.

✔ What major problems Christian expansion has met in Africa? P. 7, ¶1.

✔ Why there are so many false forms of worship, and what would result from following them? P. 9, ¶6.

✔ Whether baptism really is necessary? P. 16, ¶4.

✔ Whether really walking in Jesus’ footsteps is too hard a thing for you to do? P. 21, ¶1.

✔ How many new subscriptions for the “Watchtower” and “Awake!” magazines were taken last year? P. 26, ¶10.

✔ Who, in ancient times, served as Jehovah’s channels of communication? P. 28, ¶3.