The Watchtower — April 1, 1986

The Bible​—Just the Word of Man?

WILLIAM TYNDALE gave his life in his efforts to make it available for everyone. Martin Luther devoted enormous effort to translating it into the German language. For John Calvin’s followers, it was “the rule and canon of all truth.” Yes, at one time few people questioned the fact that the Bible is the Word of God. This was also a tenet of the Roman Catholic Church.

Things are different today, though. The Bible, the best-selling book in all history, is read by few people and followed by still fewer. Author James Barr, echoing the feelings of many, stated: “My account of the formation of the biblical tradition is an account of a human work. It is man’s statement of his beliefs . . . The proper term for the Bible would be Word of Israel, Word of some leading early Christians.”​—The Bible in the Modern World, by James Barr.

Why the change? Is the Bible the Word of God or the word of some men? Does it even matter in this secular 20th century?

Does It Matter?

To take the last question first, yes, it does matter. Why? Well, the Bible is described as ‘a lamp to our foot, and a light to our roadway.’ (Psalm 119:105) Today, we truly need such a light. Our beautiful planet is being ruined. Many millions of people are going hungry. Few feel confident about the future, and the very existence of mankind is threatened. The Bible offers to guide us through these treacherous times to a safe and happy future. If it really is God’s Word, it is exactly what we need.

So why have people come to doubt it? An answer to this question will help us to determine whether this book really is the Word of God or not.

What Happened to Belief?

During the 17th and 18th centuries, that almost universal belief in the Bible fell victim to a changing climate of opinion. There developed in Europe a spirit of skepticism and secularization. Systems of government, the economy, nature, religion​—everything was questioned. And the Bible did not escape.

Doubts about the book were openly expressed in the 17th century by former Catholic Pierre Bayle, who questioned the Bible’s historicity and chronology. Others followed his way of thinking, and in the 19th century, skepticism came to full flower in the school of higher criticism. Higher critics insist that the Bible is not what it appears to be. According to them, Moses did not write the Pentateuch. Instead, it was compiled rather late in Jewish history from a number of sources written centuries after Moses lived. Any prophecy that was fulfilled must have been written after the fulfillment. Hence, Isaiah was written by a number of people over a period of hundreds of years. And Daniel was written about 165 B.C.E.

The effect of higher criticism is seen in the case of German Bible scholar David Friedrich Strauss: “Are we still Christians? No, said Strauss, at least not those among us who have absorbed the Higher Criticism, for we can no longer accept the Bible as the Word of God.”​—Religion and the Rise of Scepticism, by Franklin L. Baumer.

The new secular age also produced new discoveries in science. Some of these supported the Bible, but others seemed to clash with it. Hence, many were led to believe that the Bible was out of date. This feeling was reinforced in the middle of the 19th century when the theory of evolution was popularized​—a theory that flatly contradicts the Genesis account of creation. This theory was eagerly grasped by most of the scientific community and by the higher critics. Today it is accepted by many clergymen and taught as fact in schools.

Does all of this mean that science has somehow disproved the Bible? Or has higher criticism shown that the Bible is not the Word of God?

The Bible Is the Word of God

IS IT true that, between them, science and higher criticism have ousted the Bible from its earlier status as the Word of God? One might easily think so. Even religious leaders are willing to say in print that the Bible is unscientific, and higher criticism is so respectable that it is taught in theological seminaries. But what do the facts show?

The Bible and Higher Criticism

Regarding higher criticism, the fact is that, as yet, no solid proof has ever been produced for its ideas. None of the supposed source materials of the Pentateuch or the book of Isaiah have ever been found. And ancient fragments of Daniel have been uncovered suggesting that that book was already highly esteemed just a few years after the higher critics claim that it was written!

A theology professor declares: “It cannot be proved in any particular case that Biblical books arose in a fraudulent manner as described by the critical school. It is one thing for that school to assert such a thing, it is quite another thing for them to prove it.” (Wick Broomall in Biblical Criticism) An archaeologist adds: “It cannot be emphasized too strongly that there is hardly any evidence at all in the ancient Near East for documentary or literary fabrications.” (W. F. Albright in From the Stone Age to Christianity) True, higher criticism continues to flourish. But this is because it harmonizes so well with today’s secular way of thinking, not because it has been proved.

The Bible and Science

Has science, then, in some ways disproved the Bible? Well, sometimes it has appeared to be so. For example, in the 18th century a deepening understanding of the makeup of the earth made it clear that our planet was very old. At that time, many religionists insisted that, according to the Bible, the earth was only 6,000 years old. This seemed a clear case of a Bible teaching being disproved. The fact is, though, that the Bible nowhere states how old the earth is. It was a misunderstanding on the part of those religionists that caused the problem.

The very first words of the Bible are: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) This statement, that there was a beginning, is in harmony with current scientific observations. Then, according to the Bible, there was a period when the earth was “formless and waste,” uninhabited and uninhabitable. (Genesis 1:2) Geologists who try to reconstruct the early history of the earth suggest that at one time this was indeed the case. Following that, the Bible describes how seas and landmasses were formed. Plant life appeared, then sea creatures, birds, and, eventually, land animals. Finally, man himself appeared. Overall, this is very similar to what scientists have discovered by digging through the old geological strata of the earth, even to the general order of the appearance of life.​—Genesis 1:1-28.

This is not to say that the Bible is completely in harmony with what appears in scientific textbooks. But there are so many points of agreement that we have to wonder: ‘How did those early Bible writers know so much?’ Given the primitive level of scientific knowledge in those far-off days, it could only be that someone told them​—strong support for the fact that the Bible really is the Word of God. Where there are disagreements between scientists’ theories and the Bible, should we take it as a matter of course that the Bible is wrong and scientists are always right? There are many precedents showing that science can get off onto a wrong track from time to time.

Of course, the theory of evolution presents a major point of disagreement with the Bible. What is noteworthy about this theory is how quickly it became popular among scientists after the publication of Darwin’s book The Origin of Species. It was accepted long before there was any time to test the book’s hypotheses or find proofs for them in the fossil record. Why? Evolutionist Hoimar v. Ditfurth makes the candid admission: “Science is by definition the attempt to see how far man and nature can be explained without recourse to miracles.” (The Origins of Life, by H. v. Ditfurth) Is it surprising, then, that scientists have eagerly seized on the evolution theory, spending much time and effort trying to prove it and very little trying to see if it can be disproved? The only alternative, creation, would be a miracle​—which to them is unthinkable.

Really, though, for anyone not prejudiced against miracles, creation is a very logical way of understanding things that scientists have been unable to explain, such as the source of the life principle, consciousness, intelligence, and the moral nature of man.

A Book With Power

The Bible itself warns that there will be conflict between the received wisdom of the world and the Bible’s own teachings. (1 Corinthians 1:22, 23; 3:19) Since knowledge based on human research and philosophizing is so uncertain, this conflict should not surprise us. And we should not be disturbed if some popular theories contradict the Bible. The Bible itself directs us to look in other directions for proof of its claim that it truly is the Word of God.

For example, the Bible proves to be a book of prophecy. (2 Peter 1:19-21) Higher critics claim that these prophecies were written after the event, but in many cases this is clearly impossible. Prophecies about Jesus made centuries before his birth were fulfilled to the letter. (See, for example, Isaiah 53:1-12; Daniel 9:24-27.) Jesus’ own prophecies about the destruction of Jerusalem were precisely fulfilled. And the prophecies that he and the apostle Paul made about the last days read like this morning’s newspapers. (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; 2 Timothy 3:1-5) Since humans are notoriously inaccurate when they try to foretell the future, the Bible’s prophecies are a strong argument that it comes from a higher Source.

Another powerful evidence is seen in its own words: “The word of God is alive and exerts power.” (Hebrews 4:12) That power has been demonstrated throughout history by the number of people who have suffered and died for the right to read the Bible or to share it with others. No other publication has ever had such an effect for good on people when read in a spirit of humility and reasonableness. It changes warlike people into peaceable ones and can completely alter an individual’s personality. (Micah 4:3, 4; Ephesians 4:24) As an example, consider what the Bible did for Luiz.

In the Brazilian prison to which he had been committed, Luiz was known to be extremely dangerous. Then, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while ministering to some of Luiz’ fellow prisoners, had the opportunity to speak to Luiz. The words of the Bible had such an effect on Luiz that soon he was a different person. (Colossians 3:9, 10) Previously, no one had dared to talk back to him, but now he was treating everyone with kindness and even giving prison authorities their due respect. Five years after the Bible started working on Luiz’ personality, he began to share what he had learned with other prisoners, and he is even allowed to preach outside the prison walls.

Then consider Wayne. Wayne led a self-indulgent life in the United States, devoted mostly to immorality and the misuse of drugs. When he got married, his bad conduct finally drove his wife into immorality too. Their homelife was terrible. When they were at the point of divorce, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses had the opportunity to show Wayne what the Bible has to say about responsibility and love in the family circle. (Ephesians 4:22-24; 5:22-28) He was helped to find the root of some of his problems. (See 1 Corinthians 15:33.) And, eventually, he was able to change his way of thinking. This also helped his wife to change. Now the young family is a model of contentment​—thanks to the Bible.

Finally, take the case of Elena. She was a young Argentinian who suffered from depression. When she went to a psychiatrist for help, he told her she needed to be sexually promiscuous to solve her problems. She sank into immorality, spiritism, and heavy tobacco use. Twice she had an abortion. But Jehovah’s Witnesses took an interest in Elena and were able to help her to apply the Bible in her life. Gradually, the words of the Bible enabled her to give up her bad practices and get to know the Creator, Jehovah God, and his Son, Jesus Christ. Now, speaking of these two Persons, Elena says: “I do not deserve any of the good things that I am receiving from them, and for this reason I want to talk more and more about their mercy and love for us.”

As these few examples show, the Bible can channel a highly beneficial force into our lives. Luiz, Wayne, and Elena were helped when Jehovah’s Witnesses brought them in contact with the Bible and showed them how to apply what it said. In the world today, there are more than three million of these Witnesses, many of whom have had similar experiences in the past and all of whom have allowed the Bible to make radical changes in their lives. The result?

These three million Christians constitute a community in which the major problems now threatening mankind’s future are already being solved. They are not divided by nationality or by tribal divisions. Rather, with the Bible’s help they are working hard to overcome racial and economic prejudices. And they have learned to live together in peace, which in itself is a preliminary fulfillment of one of the more remarkable prophecies of the Bible.​—Isaiah 11:6-9.

The existence of such a group is powerful proof that the Bible really is the Word of God. We invite you to get to know these Christians and verify this proof for yourself. Jehovah’s Witnesses will be more than delighted to help you do so.

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There is absolutely no solid proof for the claims of higher criticism

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The Bible does not depend on modern science or philosophies to prove that it is the Word of God

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The Bible changes people

Jesus’ Life and Ministry

Why Jesus Came to Earth

AS WE learned in the preceding issue of this magazine, Jesus’ day in Capernaum with his four disciples had been a busy one. First, he healed the demonized man in the synagogue, then at Peter’s house he healed Peter’s mother-in-law, and then on into the evening the people of Capernaum were bringing him all their sick ones to be cured. There was no time for privacy.

Now it is early the following morning. While it is still dark, Jesus gets up and goes outside by himself. He travels to a lonely place where he can pray to his Father in private. But Jesus’ privacy is short-lived because when Peter and others realize that he is missing, they go out searching for him.

When they find Jesus, Peter says: “All are looking for you.” The people of Capernaum want Jesus to stay with them. They appreciate what he has done for them! But did Jesus come to earth primarily to perform miraculous healings? What does he say?

According to one Bible account, Jesus answers his disciples: “Let us go somewhere else, into the village towns nearby, that I may preach there also, for it is for this purpose I have gone out.” Even though the people urge Jesus to stay, he tells them: “Also to other cities I must declare the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this I was sent forth.”

Yes, Jesus came to earth particularly to preach about God’s Kingdom that will vindicate his Father’s name and permanently solve all human ills. However, to give evidence that he is sent by God, Jesus performs miraculous healings. In the same way Moses, centuries before, performed miracles to establish his credentials as God’s servant.

Now, when Jesus leaves Capernaum to preach in other cities, his four disciples go with him. These four are Peter and his brother Andrew, and John and his brother James. You will recall that, just the week before, they had been invited to be Jesus’ first traveling co-workers.

Jesus’ preaching tour of Galilee with his four disciples is a wonderful success! In fact, the report about his activities spreads even into all Syria. Great crowds from Galilee, Judea, and across the Jordan River follow Jesus and his disciples. Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42, 43; Matthew 4:23-25; Exodus 4:1-9, 30, 31.

◆ What happens the morning after Jesus’ busy day in Capernaum?

◆ Why was Jesus sent to earth, and what purpose did his miracles serve?

◆ Who went with Jesus on his preaching tour of Galilee, and what was the response to Jesus’ activities?

Advocating Truth in an Ungodly World

“Your word is truth.”​—JOHN 17:17.

1. (a) When and how did truth become an issue? (b) What grand new truth was stated in Eden?

TRUTH has long been at issue! This issue, as old as the history of mankind, was raised back in Eden when the original Serpent questioned the truthfulness of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. Under temptation, our first parents chose to think independently and to go their own selfish way. They were not integrity-keeping advocates of truth. But God there made known the grandest of new truths, that a Kingdom “seed” would be brought forth to break up the works of the Devil.​—Genesis 3:1-6, 14, 15.

2. (a) How was truth assaulted in the pre-Flood world? (b) Why did Noah and his family find favor with Jehovah?

² Truth was now under assault. The Archdeceiver enlisted the support of other rebellious spirit sons of God to cause ruination of the earth. The immoral pre-Flood generation became so absorbed in ‘doing their own thing’ that they failed to heed God’s warning sounded by Noah. They perished. But Noah and his family survived because of their faultless integrity. As these advocates of truth left the ark of preservation, their first thought was to offer sacrifices of thanksgiving​—“a restful odor” to Jehovah.​—Genesis 6:4-12; 8:18-21; Luke 17:26, 27; 2 Peter 2:5.

Ravages of Untruth

3. What is Babylon the Great, and how did it get started?

³ Nevertheless, that old Serpent, the Devil, continued his efforts to muddy the waters of truth. No doubt, it was under Satanic direction that ancient Babylon was built. The ‘mysteries of Babylon’ became the foundation for a world empire of false religion, described at Revelation 17:5 as “Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth.” Its numerous segments, with their conflicting sectarian teachings, have survived to this day as a grand repository of religious error.​—Genesis 10:8-10; Jeremiah 51:6.

4. How did Jesus advocate truth, and with what result?

⁴ When Jesus Christ was on earth, he boldly advocated truth. Addressing the religious hypocrites of his day, he said: “You are from your father the Devil . . . He did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him.” Further, Jesus, the foretold “seed” of promise, emphasized the importance of truth when he told Pontius Pilate: “You yourself are saying that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” Jesus gave his human life in the cause of advocating truth​—Kingdom truth.​—John 8:44; 18:37; Genesis 3:2-5.

5, 6. (a) How did Satan continue his warfare on truth? (b) What contamination resulted, and what untruths stemmed therefrom? (c) Why should we want to be zealous advocates of truth?

⁵ Untruth goes hand in hand with lawlessness. It is not surprising, therefore, that in Satan’s continuing warfare against truth, he raised up an apostate clergy class, described at 2 Thessalonians 2:3 as “the man of lawlessness.” Following the death of the apostles of Jesus Christ, these lawless apostates exalted themselves above the laity and contaminated pure Christian teaching by fusing it with Babylonian “mysteries” and Greek philosophy, outstandingly Plato’s theory that the human soul is immortal.

⁶ This untruth has provided the basis for other untruths, such as ‘all good people go to heaven,’ ‘the not-so-good go to purgatory,’ and ‘the bad are roasted forever in a hell of torment.’ Since there is so much erroneous teaching in the realm of Babylonish religion, how happy we can be that Jesus promised: “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”! We should want to be zealous advocates of freedom-giving truth.​—John 8:31, 32.

Hatching a Great Untruth

7. (a) What is Satan’s goal, and how does he try to achieve it? (b) What false teaching came to the fore in the 19th century?

⁷ However, the Devil leaves no stone unturned in opposing truth. He is enraged that anyone should give any credence to God’s Word of truth, the Holy Bible. His goal is to ‘blind the minds of the unbelievers, that they might not know the glorious good news about the Christ.’ The Devil has aimed to discredit truth not only by having Christendom’s “man of lawlessness” try to tack false religious teachings onto the Bible but also by making the claim that the Bible is based on myth and legend. So, during the 19th century, that old Serpent hatched another false and deceptive teaching. It has been called the theory of evolution.​—2 Corinthians 4:4.

8. What is Darwin’s theory?

⁸ In 1859, as the Biblical “time of the end” approached, Charles Darwin published his book entitled On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. (Daniel 12:4) Darwin theorized that living things were not created but, rather, evolved from previous forms of life by “natural selection in consequence of the struggle for existence.” Finally, man evolved from a kind of ape. Darwin claimed that it was a matter of “survival of the fittest.”

9. (a) What Bible truths, as taught by Jesus, would become meaningless if evolution were a fact? (b) How has the hypothetical “survival of the fittest” brought great damage to mankind?

⁹ This theory amounts to a blatant denial of the Bible account of creation and man’s fall into sin. It would make Jesus’ ransom sacrifice and the Bible’s teachings about the Kingdom, the resurrection, everlasting life, and a paradise earth meaningless. Moreover, the evolution theory, if true, would relieve mankind of any moral responsibility to the Creator.a In proposing “survival of the fittest,” the theory no doubt prepared the ground for Marxism, Fascism, and other ideologies to take root.b The advocates of evolution must bear a heavy responsibility for much of the godlessness and suffering in the world today.​—Psalm 14:1-4.

Advocates of Untruth

10. With regard to Darwin, in what ways did the clergy prove to be advocates of untruth?

¹⁰ Did the clergy of Darwin’s time fight back against his God-dishonoring theory? Surprisingly, a Cambridge University professor writes: “At first much of the opposition to Darwin’s theory came from scientists on the grounds of evidence, not from the theologians on grounds of scripture.” Another learned doctor adds: “With but few exceptions the leading Christian thinkers in Great Britain and America came to terms quite readily with Darwinism and evolution.” In 1882, Darwin was even buried among kings in Westminster Abbey, by special arrangement with the Anglican dean of that abbey!​—Compare Acts 20:30; 2 Timothy 4:3.

11. What expressions have the clergy made about Darwin’s atheistic theory?

¹¹ Darwin’s atheistic theory is now accepted as ‘gospel truth’ by many of the clergy of Christendom. The Archbishop of York, second-ranking prelate in the Church of England, considers the theory of biological evolution to be so well established that it is “the only conceivable basis for modern biology.” Recently, at a Vatican meeting, 12 scholars representing the highest scientific body of the Catholic Church stated: “We are convinced that masses of evidence render the application of the concept of evolution to man and other primates beyond serious dispute.” And to this the New Catholic Encyclopedia adds: “General evolution, even of the body of man, seems the most probable scientific account of origins.” But is it truly scientific? Is evolution supported by reliable scientific proof? Your very life depends on determining the truth of this matter.​—John 14:6; 16:13; 17:17.

12. Why must we say that creationism is both unscriptural and unbelievable?

¹² In recent times, some fundamentalist religions have put forward creationism as the answer to evolution. But in doing so, they make a claim that is both unscriptural and unbelievable. It is that the heavens, the earth, and everything on the earth were created by God in 6 days of 24 hours each​—yes, in just 144 literal hours! This teaching has caused many to ridicule the Bible. But is a “day” in the Bible always 24 hours in length? Genesis 2:4 speaks of “the day that Jehovah God made earth and heaven.” This one day includes all six of the creative ‘days’ of Genesis chapter 1. According to Bible usage, a “day” is simply a measured period of time. A “day” with Jehovah can be a thousand years or several thousand years​—as were the creative ‘days.’ On this point, therefore, the Bible account is reasonable and compatible with true science.​—2 Peter 3:8.

The Origin of Life

13. (a) How do the advocates of evolution explain life’s origin? (b) Why is it ridiculous to say that the living cell created itself accidentally?

¹³ How do advocates of evolution explain the actual origin of life? They say that some billions of years ago the ocean surrounding the earth may have become an “organic soup,” though still lifeless. Then, they explain, ‘a particularly remarkable molecule was formed by a most improbable accident.’ Miraculously, this reproduced itself to form other molecules that clustered together to form a living cell. Could anything sound more fantastic? The writer who gave this description stated in his foreword: “This book should be read almost as though it were science fiction.” Yes, fiction, but hardly science! National Geographic has said that the programmed instructions (DNA) in one tiny cell “if written out, would fill a thousand 600-page books.” How ridiculous it is to say that the living cell created itself accidentally in some primeval soup!

14. As advocates of truth, what basic Bible teaching must we uphold?

¹⁴ Far more reasonable and understandable is the explanation given by the Bible writer David, who wrote at Psalm 36, verses 5 and 9: “O Jehovah, . . . with you is the source of life.” As advocates of truth, we must support that basic Bible teaching.​—See also Psalm 100:3; Isaiah 42:5, 8.

Progressive Evolution​—Or Direct Creation?

15. (a) If evolution were true, how would the fossil record support it? (b) What does the record show, giving force to what admission by Darwin?

¹⁵ However, could it not be that, given the existence of life, different species of living things might progressively evolve into other species? Well, if that took place, the fossil record of past ages would show this. But does it? Consider the so-called Cambrian period. Here fossils of the major groups of invertebrates first appear together in a spectacular “explosion” of living things. If these vastly differing groups all exploded into life at the one time, how could they possibly have evolved from one another? Darwin himself frankly admitted: “If numerous species . . . have really started into life at once, the fact would be fatal to the theory of evolution.” Fatal indeed!​—1 Corinthians 3:19, 20.

16. (a) As to the appearance of life forms, how does the fossil record give the lie to evolution? (b) How is the factual truth stated at Genesis 1:25?

¹⁶ The fossil record reveals that different and very complex life forms appeared suddenly and fully developed. As one professor of natural science commented: “Whales, bats, horses, primates, elephants, hares, squirrels, etc., all are as distinct at their first appearance as they are now. There is not a trace of a common ancestor, much less a link with any reptile, the supposed progenitor.” Are there any fossils of giraffes with necks two thirds or three quarters the accepted length? No, there are not. The truth of the matter is as stated at Genesis 1:25: “God proceeded to make the wild beast of the earth according to its kind and the domestic animal according to its kind and every moving animal of the ground according to its kind. And God got to see that it was good.” Yes, very good!

17. What beauteous variety and design is to be seen among living things, and from whom only could this originate?

¹⁷ Consider also the exciting variety to be seen among living things here on earth! Did the rose, the butterfly, the hummingbird, the peacock, and a thousand other forms of life acquire their distinctive beauty by chance, in a struggle for survival of the fittest? Or are they the masterful design of a loving God who wants mankind to find delight in his works? When we view the exquisite loveliness found throughout this wondrous earth, surely we must exclaim: “How many your works are, O Jehovah! All of them in wisdom you have made. The earth is full of your productions.”​—Psalm 104:24.

18. Why would you say that the platypus could have been designed only by God?

¹⁸ Design always calls for an intelligent designer. And there is amazing design in living things. Consider the platypus, which lives in Australia. It is the size of a rabbit, has fur like an otter’s, a beak like a duck’s, spurs like a rooster’s, and webbed feet with claws. It lays eggs like a reptile and suckles its young like a mammal. It is at home on land or under water. From what did the platypus evolve? Since it comes out only at night, the platypus could be called the evolutionist’s nightmare. A Harvard University biologist describes it as “a superbly well-designed creature for a particular, and unusual, mode of life.” Who was the superb Designer? It can only be the God who says: “To me belongs every wild animal of the forest.”​—Psalm 50:10.

19. (a) What amazing feat does a tiny warbler perform? (b) How is it able to do this?

¹⁹ Further, what of the instinct that is built into so many living things? For example, there is a tiny bird, the blackpoll warbler, weighing only three quarters of an ounce (21 g). It knows how to choose the right autumn weather to fly from Alaska to New England. There it fattens up on good food and awaits a cold front. Then it takes off, flying up to 20,000 feet (6,100 m) and more to catch the jet stream heading out toward Africa, until the warbler is caught by a prevailing wind that sweeps it down to its destination in South America. The warbler’s instinctive know-how is programmed into a brain the size of a pea. Can the evolutionist explain how such instinct came about? He cannot. But the Bible points out that Jehovah is the all-wise “Maker of heaven and earth, of the sea, and of all that is in them,” including those creatures that are “instinctively wise.”​—Psalm 146:5, 6; Proverbs 30:24-28.

Are You Thankful?

20. (a) What must be the explanation of the marvels that surround us? (b) How is our Creator’s loving-kindness expressed toward us? (c) As advocates of truth, how should we respond?

²⁰ The truth of the matter is this: There is so much that is lovely, practical, and awe-inspiring in the heavens and on the earth around us that creation by a loving, all-powerful Designer is the only explanation! Under normal conditions, how wonderfully our God-given senses blend in with our natural environment to make life enjoyable! The glorious sunsets that we see, the fragrant flowers that we smell, the delicious fruits that we taste, the soothing breezes that we feel, the music of the forest that we hear​—how these express the loving-kindness of our Creator and God! (Psalm 136:1-6, 25, 26) How earnestly we should want to express our gratitude by advocating truth in this godless world! Indeed, God’s “word is truth”!

[Footnotes]

In Advocating Truth, How Would You Answer?

◻ How did truth become an issue?

◻ How does Bible truth expose Babylonish error?

◻ How only may the origin and the various kinds of life be explained?

◻ What does the design in living things tell us?

◻ How may we thank our Creator?

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Jesus plainly told opposers of truth, “You are from your father the Devil”

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Charles Darwin​—advocate of the ape-man theory

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The Church of England enshrined Darwin in Westminster Abbey

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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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Integrity in Serving the God of Truth

“Instruct me, O Jehovah, about your way. I shall walk in your truth.”​—PSALM 86:11.

1, 2. (a) How may God’s provision for mankind be illustrated? (b) How do the Scriptures describe God’s handiwork and the waywardness of men?

IMAGINE that you are walking in a barren desert, devoid of all life. Suddenly you come upon a beautiful house. It is air-conditioned and has heating, plumbing, and electricity. Its refrigerator and cupboards are filled with food. Its basement contains fuel and an abundance of other supplies. Would you say that all of it got there just by chance? Would you be thankful if the owner asked you to stay in that house and enjoy it?

² Well, this delightful earth on which we live is just like that house. Long before mankind was created, our loving God prepared this earth to become our home and he provided everything that we would need to make us happy. (Isaiah 45:12, 18) Should we not be thankful to this generous Provider? He is the One who inspired the writing of the Bible’s words at Hebrews 3:4: “Of course, every house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all things is God.” The shame is that selfish men have vandalized and are ruining God’s handiwork on earth.​—Deuteronomy 32:3-5.

3. What does the Bible say about Jehovah’s generosity now and for the future?

³ Even to opponents of the truth, the apostle Paul could say concerning God: “He did not leave himself without witness in that he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts to the full with food and good cheer.” (Acts 14:17) How much more so Jehovah can bless those who serve him in integrity! Though the hardships and burdens of these “last days” may press in on us, there is the glorious hope that in the not-far-distant future the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will certainly provide a veritable banquet of good things for those who love him, wiping the tears from all faces.​—2 Timothy 3:1; Isaiah 25:6-8.

The Marvel of the Human Intellect

4. (a) What dilemma confronts some computer scientists? (b) What does Jeremiah 33:2, 3 say concerning the Maker of the human brain?

⁴ For several years, scientists have been trying to make computers that actually think. But now they admit that they are blocked at the very first step. Why so? Well, they confess that the structure of the human eye has them beaten. If they cannot imitate the eye, how can they start on the brain, and how are they ever going to reproduce the faculty of mind? What a marvel the human brain is! Every second, a hundred million bits of information pour into this organ to be sifted, sorted, and applied in intelligent living. The most sophisticated computer cannot even begin to compare with that. What a fine testimony to the surpassing wisdom of the loving God who made us! We can be happy that our Maker and Former, Jehovah God, endowed us with intelligence and that we may use our brains in learning the “great and incomprehensible things” that he reveals to us in his own due time and way.​—Jeremiah 33:2, 3.

5. (a) What miracle of growth takes place only in humans? (b) How are Elihu’s words appropriate?

⁵ The miracle of the human brain starts in the womb, with brain cells beginning to form just three weeks after conception. These multiply in spurts, sometimes up to a quarter of a million cells a minute. After birth, the baby’s brain triples in size the first year, showing it to be far, far different from the brain of any animal, including the ape. Soon the human child can handle languages, reason on matters, appreciate moral issues and spiritual values. How could these faculties ever have evolved from brute beasts? Appropriately, Elihu said concerning our God and Grand Maker: “He is the One teaching us more than the beasts of the earth, and he makes us wiser than even the flying creatures of the heavens.”​—Job 35:10, 11.

6. (a) How do the Scriptures account for the marvelous structure of man? (b) How may we lovingly use our God-given powers?

⁶ This marvel, the human intellect, harmonizes with Genesis 1:27, which states: “God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.” Should we not be thankful for the way God has made us? David was. He praised Jehovah, saying: “I shall laud you because in a fear-inspiring way I am wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful.” (Psalm 139:14) Do we not laud our God for the same reason? Moreover, we may use our God-given brains and bodies in meeting the challenge that Satan has thrown in the face of our God. We may serve Jehovah as integrity keepers.​—Proverbs 27:11.

Hold Fast to Truth

7, 8. (a) What contrasts are to be noted between truth and theory? (b) As to evolution, what are knowledgeable people now saying? (c) Why must evolution be linked with credulity rather than faith?

⁷ Truth must triumph! We lovers of Jehovah must hold fast to truth as we use our mental powers in choosing the course of integrity. The truth on creation is established. It is firm. It has stood the test of millenniums. In little more than a century, that great untruth, the theory of evolution, stands ready to be discarded. This is not just our opinion. It is the consensus of many open-minded scientists, lawyers, investigators, and other knowledgeable people. Speaking of the challenge to “the principles of evolution, as laid down by Darwin and others,” The New York Times summed up the situation by stating: “The field is in an uproar.” A well-informed scientist writes: “We admit there are gaping holes in the evidence for evolution. . . . Yes, evolution is only a theory. Believing in evolution, then, is an act of faith.”

⁸ But is belief in evolution really an act of faith? We would say, rather, that it is an act of credulity. Faith has a firm foundation. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that it is “the evident demonstration of realities.” The evidence that the Bible record is based on realities and is truth is overwhelming. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Romans 15:4) On the other hand, the more that evolutionists investigate matters, the more they unearth contradictions that they try to justify to the credulous.

Did Ape-Men Exist?

9. How abundant are ape-man fossils, and where do they belong?

⁹ In 130 years of searching for fossils of the missing link between ape and man, evolutionists have come up with a pitifully small array of bones. According to the magazine Science Digest, “all the physical evidence we have for human evolution can still be placed, with room to spare, inside a single coffin!” No doubt, that is where such so-called evidence belongs​—with the lid of the coffin nailed down tight!

10. How honest are artists’ reconstructions of ape-men?

¹⁰ Those magazine pictures of ape-men that are used to bolster the evolution theory are nothing more than figments of the imagination, drawn on the basis of a few small fragments of a skull or a jawbone. For example, on page 1 of The New York Times of August 16, 1985, there appeared an “artist’s reconstruction of Amphipithecus, earliest known higher primate . . . from which humans evolved,” showing its hairy head and hands. From what was this reconstructed? Says the accompanying article: “The rear portion of a lower jaw . . . together with the frontal jaw fragment found half a century before.” But can the complete head, hair and all, really be reconstructed on the basis of two such fragments? The article quoted an anthropologist at Harvard University as calling these fossils a “pool of light in acres of darkness.” But may they really be equated with light?

11. How may Isaiah 59:15 be applied in connection with the so-called ape-men?

¹¹ What some might call another such “pool of light” was the skull of Piltdown man. It held the center of the evolutionary stage for about 40 years but was exposed in 1953 as an assemblage of bone fragments, some animal and some human, fraudulently stuck together as a hoax! In the words of the prophet Isaiah, it can be said of these theoretical ape-men: “Truth proves to be missing.”​—Isaiah 59:15.

A Prophetic Parallel

12. What detestable things did Ezekiel see?

¹² Ungodly Christendom of today was foreshadowed by unfaithful Jerusalem of ancient times. It was in the year 612 B.C.E. that the Sovereign Lord Jehovah gave Ezekiel a vision in which He transported His prophet from Babylon to Jerusalem. There, in the courtyard of the temple, Ezekiel saw an abominable symbol of idolatry. Jehovah next had him bore through and enlarge a hole in the wall. Then he said to Ezekiel: “Go in and see the bad detestable things that they are doing here.” What did he see? Why, in the inner rooms of Jehovah’s house of worship, “there was every representation of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the dungy idols of the house of Israel, the carving being upon the wall all round about.”​—Ezekiel 8:1, 7-10.

13. (a) What parallel situation exists in Christendom today? (b) How did Jesus view the Bible’s creation account?

¹³ In parallel to this vision, we find a shocking situation among Christendom’s clergy today. For the most part, this “man of lawlessness” has abandoned the Bible’s creation account. (2 Thessalonians 2:3) Or, like those apostates of Ezekiel’s day, the clergy struggle to blend evolution with the Bible, stating that the opening chapters of Genesis consist of myth or allegory. Disregarding the scientific axiom that the simplest explanation is often the true one, they say that the Bible account is too naive for them. Their puffed-up intellects call for something more sophisticated and complicated. They exalt themselves above Jesus Christ, who referred to the literal Genesis account as “truth.”​—John 17:17; Matthew 19:4-6.

14. How do “elderly ones” now fail to lead their flocks, and what will be the result?

¹⁴ In his vision, Ezekiel saw “seventy men of the elderly ones of the house of Israel” worshiping before those representations of “creeping things and loathsome beasts.” (Ezekiel 8:10, 11) This is comparable to those modern-day clergymen who openly claim that mankind evolved from such beasts! These “elderly ones” should be leading their flocks in the way of truth. But does not Jesus’ description at Matthew 15:14 apply to them? Jesus said: “Blind guides is what they are. If, then, a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” They can find such a pit in the “acres of darkness” where the evolutionists are groping.

15. How do evolutionary clergymen give further proof of being part of “the man of lawlessness”?

¹⁵ Jehovah next asked Ezekiel: “Have you seen, O son of man, what the elderly ones of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each one in the inner rooms of his showpiece? For they are saying, ‘Jehovah is not seeing us. Jehovah has left the land.’” (Ezekiel 8:12) Clergymen who subscribe to human philosophies give similar proof that they are part of “the man of lawlessness.” They abandon God’s law, which includes the book of Genesis. (Acts 7:53) They lead their flocks into the darkness of worldly thinking, as exemplified by the unproved and unprovable theory of evolution. They “have loved the darkness rather than the light” of truth.​—John 3:19.

16. What similarity is to be noted between “the elderly ones” of Ezekiel’s day and many clergymen today?

¹⁶ Just as those Jewish elders brought their false worship into the temple at Jerusalem, so false religious leaders today try to cling to the label “Christian.” But belief in evolution is not Christian. Acceptance of this theory has caused many to turn away from God. It has contributed in no small measure to the independence, violence, and terrorism of our 20th century, with nations and individuals espousing the evolutionary maxim of “survival of the fittest.” Evolution has taught that man has no responsibility to a Creator. (Romans 9:28) People have therefore felt free to ‘do their own thing,’ without any thought of God.

17. In what respects have evolutionary clergymen fallen into gross error?

¹⁷ Religious leaders who accept evolution are saying, in effect: “Jehovah is not seeing us. Jehovah has left the land.” Because of embracing this philosophy, they feel no accountability to him. Indeed, their conception of God is clouded by their belief in a mysterious, unexplainable Trinity of gods. In line with this viewpoint, they would like to do away with the very name of the one true God, Jehovah, making no mention at all of the name and studiously removing it from their Bible translations. They fear to go contrary to the popular worldly teaching of evolution.

18. What accounting awaits the theory of evolution and its supporters?

¹⁸ Aptly, Jehovah says through another prophet: “For the reason that this people have come near with their mouth, and they have glorified me merely with their lips, and they have removed their heart itself far away from me, and their fear toward me becomes men’s commandment that is being taught, therefore here I am, the One that will act wonderfully again with this people, in a wonderful manner and with something wonderful; and the wisdom of their wise men must perish, and the very understanding of their discreet men will conceal itself.” (Isaiah 29:13, 14) At the latest, the God-dishonoring theory of evolution and those professed Christians who embrace it will meet up with that accounting in the day of Jehovah’s burning anger.​—Zephaniah 3:8.

Serving in Behalf of Truth

19. (a) Why have many embraced evolution? (b) In what rejoicing may meek ones now share?

¹⁹ This is indeed an ungodly world! False religion and misdirected scientific pride have helped to make it so. The absurdities in the teachings of “the man of lawlessness,” the clergy of Christendom, have turned many away from religion. Some of these have grasped at evolution, much as a drowning man will grasp at a straw. Others have embraced the creed of evolution because its godlessness appears to relieve them of responsibility to a Creator-God. (Compare Romans 1:21-23.) But the humble, meek ones of mankind are now rejoicing to learn of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, of the reigning King Jesus Christ, and of God’s Kingdom purposes soon to become a glorious reality.​—Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 15:25, 26.

20. (a) What grand promise is even now being fulfilled? (b) How was this evidenced during 1985? (c) How may you show integrity in serving the God of truth?

²⁰ How happy we are, as Jehovah’s Witnesses, to be united all over the earth in zealously proclaiming the truth! God’s spirit is working mightily with his organization, so that we already see the fulfillment of the promise: “The earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.” (Isaiah 11:9) The worldwide witness that was given by Jehovah’s people during 1985 resulted in the field distribution of 339,351,170 Bibles and publications explaining the Bible, in upwards of 200 languages. It was the privilege of more than three million of us to share in this grand global preaching work, “publicly and from house to house.” (Acts 20:20) May we continue to be richly blessed by Jehovah as we strive to keep integrity in serving the God of truth.

What Is Your Comment?

◻ What marvels of the human brain point to an all-wise Maker?

◻ Why is it wrong to say that belief in evolution is an act of faith?

◻ How much evidence is there that ape-men really existed?

◻ How may Ezekiel 8:7-12 be applied to some religious leaders today?

◻ Integrity in serving the God of truth is bringing what results?

[Box on page 21]

Life​—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?

The book by the above title was released in 1985 and 1986 at many of the “Integrity Keepers” Conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the earth. It has now been published in the following languages: Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.

[Picture on page 19]

Is it honest for artists to reconstruct ape-men from a few bone fragments?

[Picture on page 20]

Jehovah’s Witnesses have ‘filled the earth’ with knowledge of Jehovah

Kingdom Proclaimers Report

Gathering the Lord’s “Other Sheep” in Australia

“I WILL rock all the nations, and the desirable things of all the nations must come in,” wrote the prophet Haggai over 2,500 years ago. (Haggai 2:7) Today, such desirable ones have truly been flocking to Jehovah’s house of worship. Sometimes, though, they may not at first appear so desirable outwardly, as shown by this experience from Australia:

◻ A brother traveling in his car to the meeting one Sunday did something he had never done before: He stopped to pick up a hitchhiker. The brother did not know why he did it, as the young man had long, unkempt hair and a beard, was shabbily dressed, and did not even thumb a ride. The brother just suddenly had a feeling he should stop and pick him up. When the young man got into the car, he said: “You’re going to church, aren’t you?” Surprised, the brother replied: “Well, yes, I’m going to the Kingdom Hall.” “I’m coming with you,” said the young man.

Because of his appearance, the brother tried to talk him out of it. But the young man insisted on going and told this story: He had left home at 16 years of age and had since become heavily involved in drugs and immorality. He had been living under a sheet of plastic behind the sand dunes near the beach. While there, he began to think seriously about the meaning of life. He did not like what he had become, so he prayed to God for help. He said that he told God he would go out on the road and prayed that He would direct someone to pick him up and take him to the right church. Cars seldom travel along this lonely road. Only three came by in several hours, and none stopped for him. He was about to give up when our brother came by and picked him up.

He attended all the meetings that week and began to clean himself up. He even removed the cross he had been wearing around his neck. He decided to return to his home in Tasmania, where he spent a month reading the Bible and praying. Realizing that he needed personal help to progress further, he went to the Australian branch office of the Watch Tower Society. Some pioneers were sent to study with him, and he made rapid progress. The truth from the Bible gave meaning to his life and a hope for the future. (Proverbs 10:28) Within seven months he was baptized and auxiliary pioneering, and he now serves as a regular pioneer in Sydney.

◻ We can “adorn the teaching of our Savior, God,” by adhering to Bible principles in our conduct. (Titus 2:10) This was illustrated in the case of a brother employed at a firm where an industrial dispute erupted over the exporting of sheep and cattle. Each worker was asked to contribute one dollar to help in protesting the dispute. When the brother refused, the union official threatened him with the loss of his job. The brother explained that, conscientiously, he could not support the disturbance being organized. The union official gave him an hour to think it over.

The brother now became the object of ridicule by his fellow workers. He explained to them that it was not a question of the dollar, but that since some of those involved in the dispute had guns and clubs with them, he would become bloodguilty if he supported them and someone was hurt or killed. One worker said he had never heard that point of view before and wanted to know more. In time, the brother was able to start a Bible study with the worker, and in spite of opposition from his wife, this man soon began to attend meetings. Today he is one of our dedicated brothers. As for the union official, he never came back to question the brother.

Truly, those who love God and righteousness will, in one way or another, be exposed to the truth and will recognize it. Jesus said: “I have other sheep . . . I must bring, and they will listen to my voice.” (John 10:16) More than 42,000 of these “other sheep” in Australia have already listened to the voice of the Fine Shepherd, and every day more are being gathered to the right side of Jesus’ favor.​—Matthew 25:31-34.

[Blurb on page 22]

We can “adorn the teaching of our Savior, God,” by our good conduct

Beware of Sin’s Hardening Effects!

SHE was well liked by her Christian brothers and sisters. Friendly and outgoing, she and her bright little daughter were constant companions in field service and at meetings. But then the congregation’s elders received reports that she was brazenly smoking at her job​—right in front of fellow Witnesses! Confronted with this accusation, she confessed both to smoking and to fornication, calmly saying: “I don’t think I want to be in the truth right now.” Sin had hardened her.

At Hebrews 3:13 the apostle Paul warned that one could “become hardened by the deceptive power of sin.” This proved to be true with our first parents, Adam and Eve. Called to task for his disobedience, Adam gave this callous excuse: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree and so I ate.” How Adam had changed from that day when the first sight of his lovely bride had stirred him to say: “This is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” Now Eve was “the woman whom you gave to be with me.” Eve weakly blamed the serpent.​—Genesis 2:23; 3:1-13.

Another man irreparably hardened by sin was Judas Iscariot. He must have had a good heart to begin with, since Jesus would not otherwise have chosen him as an apostle. But after being reproved by Jesus on one occasion, Judas resentfully plotted his Master’s betrayal. (Matthew 26:6-16) When Jesus revealed that one of the 12 would betray him, Judas, the very picture of innocence, asked: “It is not I, is it?” (Matthew 26:25) Only a deliberate sinner could maintain such a brazen pretense. And when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Judas chose, of all things, that ancient sign of warmth and friendship​—the kiss—​as the sign of identification. “Judas,” asked Jesus, “do you betray the Son of man with a kiss?”​—Luke 22:48.

How Sin Hardens

How does sin gain such control over a person? At Hebrews 3:7-11 Paul shows how the sin of lack of faith infected the nation of Israel. Quoting Psalm 95:7-11, Paul there says: “For this reason, just as the holy spirit says: ‘Today if you people listen to his own voice, do not harden your hearts as on the occasion of causing bitter anger, as in the day of making the test in the wilderness, in which your forefathers made a test of me with a trial, and yet they had seen my works for forty years. For this reason I became disgusted with this generation and said, “They always go astray in their hearts, and they themselves have not come to know my ways.” So I swore in my anger, “They shall not enter into my rest.”’”

“The occasion of causing bitter anger” occurred at a place called both Meribah and Massah. (Psalm 95:8) There, shortly after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt, “the people fell to quarreling with Moses and saying: ‘Give us water that we may drink.’” (Exodus 17:2) Remember, they had already seen ten devastating plagues on Egypt, the surging waters of the Red Sea split apart, and manna falling from heaven. Yet they went “astray in their hearts.” They were absorbed too much by their own selfish desires to reflect on Jehovah’s works. So they did not ‘come to know God’s ways’ and develop confidence that Jehovah could provide for them under any circumstances. “Give us water!” they demanded, as if the God who split the sea were powerless. No wonder, then, that they later chose to believe the bad report of ten fearful spies who inspected the Promised Land. (Numbers 13:32–14:4) Because of such faithlessness, Jehovah declared: “They shall not enter into my resting-place.”​—Psalm 95:11.

Drawing a lesson from this, Paul warned: “Beware, brothers, for fear there should ever develop in any one of you a wicked heart lacking faith by drawing away from the living God; but keep on exhorting one another each day, as long as it may be called ‘Today,’ for fear any one of you should become hardened by the deceptive power of sin.” (Hebrews 3:12, 13) The “sin” of the Israelites was lack of faith. (See Hebrews 3:19; compare 12:1.) It caused them to ‘draw away from the living God,’ to lose all confidence in Jehovah, in spite of all the miracles he performed. A lapse into moral delinquency was inevitable.

Lack of faith could similarly cause a Christian today to ‘go astray in his heart,’ to succumb to the heart’s natural inclination. “The heart is more treacherous than anything else and is desperate. Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, 10) Wrong thoughts and desires start to fill the heart, triggering a deadly chain reaction. “But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death.”​—James 1:14, 15.

When Sin Hardens a Person

One man enjoyed extensive privileges as an elder, although cleverly concealing his guilt as a fornicator. Even after getting married, he carried on immorally. Yet, he had no trouble maintaining a facade of innocence, even serving on judicial committees in judgment of others. Sin had begun to harden him. Soon he began to doubt even the basic teachings of the Bible. Finally forced to confess his wrong, he could only shrug his shoulders and say, “What difference does it make now?”

The course of hypocrisy can desensitize one’s conscience as if searing it “with a branding iron.” (1 Timothy 4:2) The Proverbs illustrate this by saying: “Here is the way of an adulterous woman: she has eaten and has wiped her mouth and she has said: ‘I have committed no wrong.’” (Proverbs 30:20) The hardened sinner even imagines: “God has forgotten. He has concealed his face.” (Psalm 10:11) And the longer one persists in sin, the more one risks having his heart become “unfeeling just like fat.” (Psalm 119:70) One youth admitted: “The first time I committed fornication, it just tore me up inside. But every time after that, it got easier, till I got to the point where it didn’t bother me much at all.”

Indeed, the heart searches for ways to rationalize the wrongdoing. One young man, after committing fornication with his girlfriend, restrained her from going to the elders for help by saying: “We’re going to get married! And you know, the Bible does say that when two people decide between themselves that they’re the ones for each other, then in Jehovah’s eyes they’re almost married.” What selfish, deceptive reasoning! Sadly, a practice of sin developed that, in turn, led to murder​—abortion! The young girl later admitted: “You start really getting very callous, and you start feeling that you can reprove yourself.” A young man who similarly fell into a practice of fornication confessed: “It’s like being an alcoholic who says, ‘I can stop anytime I want. Let me have just one more drink.’ So you keep putting off going to the elders.” The sinner becomes so adept at deceiving others that he begins to deceive himself. “For he has acted too smoothly to himself in his own eyes to find out his error so as to hate it.”​—Psalm 36:2.

Avoiding Sin’s Snare

Since “with the heart one exercises faith,” a Christian must do his utmost to safeguard it. (Romans 10:10; Proverbs 4:23) Prayer, meetings, and personal study help us fill our hearts with upbuilding thoughts. True, bad thoughts will enter our minds from time to time. But when they do, we can simply refuse to dwell on them. We should go to Jehovah in prayer immediately if we ever find ourselves tempted to do what is wrong. (Psalm 55:22) And ‘let fornication and uncleanness of every sort or greediness not even be mentioned among us, just as it befits holy people.’ (Ephesians 5:3) In this way the chain reaction that “gives birth to sin” and death is stopped before it begins.

Remember, too, that sin’s enjoyment is only “temporary.” (Hebrews 11:25) Sooner or later “your sin will catch up with you,” and there will be bitter consequences to face. (Numbers 32:23) Ask yourself: ‘Do I really want to become hardened by sin? While this may be pleasurable now, how will this affect me in the long run?’

What, though, if one presently finds himself trapped in a course of wrongdoing? Do not conclude that one can “atone” for sin by a spurt of Christian activity. “The sacrifices to God are a broken spirit,” said repentant King David. (Psalm 51:17) The Bible’s advice to spiritually sick ones is: Go to the elders! (James 5:14, 15) These mature men will do all they can to help an ailing one back to spiritual health. It is as the Bible states: “He that is covering over his transgressions will not succeed, but he that is confessing and leaving them will be shown mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13) Said one man after finally confessing his sin to the elders: “It was as if an enormous weight had been taken off my shoulders.”​—Compare Psalm 32:1-5.

As this world gets more and more wicked, it will become an even greater challenge for a Christian to keep his integrity. Remember, though: “Although a sinner may be doing bad a hundred times and continuing a long time as he pleases, . . . it will turn out well with those fearing the true God.” (Ecclesiastes 8:12) So fear Jehovah God! He will provide you with escape from the hardening effects of sin.

[Picture on page 24]

The Israelites showed a hardened attitude when they demanded water of Moses

Determined to Live by Jehovah’s Moral Standards

THE BIBLE makes it clear that if a man and woman live together without the benefit of legal marriage, they are committing fornication and, in such a condition, will not inherit God’s Kingdom. (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10) An experience from the British West Indies tells of a young woman who learned this truth.

In St. Lucia, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses contacted the young woman, and she showed interest in the Bible. As a result, a Bible study was started with her. As she progressed in her understanding, she saw the need to make certain moral adjustments. Although she was the mother of four children, she was not married but was living consensually with a man. Both she and the man had worked hard to build a small house in which all six of them lived.

Recognizing that her life was out of harmony with God’s righteous standards, the young woman was determined to make changes. Either she would have to marry the man she was living with or she would have to separate from him. She discussed the matter with him, but he had no desire to get married. He was quite content with the consensual relationship. What would her faith move her to do? She had to make a decision if she wanted to please Jehovah, and after prayerful consideration, she decided to separate from the man. But where would she live with her four children?

After talking over the matter with the man, an equitable arrangement was reached​—half a house each! With the loving assistance of the brothers, along with the man she was leaving, the house was divided, one half for her and the other half for him. Her half of the house was transported that very day to another location about five miles (8 km) away. Within a week, it was reconstructed and reshaped into a small two-bedroom home.

Having thus taken the necessary steps to bring her life into harmony with Jehovah’s standards, she immediately began to engage in the field service, accompanied by her four children. She dedicated her life to Jehovah and was baptized soon thereafter. To celebrate the occasion, she enrolled as an auxiliary pioneer. She is now further blessed in that her new home is used as a location for a Congregation Book Study, with an average attendance of 17. Indeed, Jehovah blessed her determination to become a clean worshiper of him.

Putting My ‘Hand to the Plow and Not Looking Back’

AS I boarded the plane bound for my new home in Bolivia, the words my mother had written me in her last letter kept going through my mind. “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62, King James Version) I was determined to apply these words.

Although missionary work would be a new experience, I had already enjoyed full-time service for some five years. I learned the truth from my parents, who began studying back in 1923 with the Bible Students, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then called. Although only four years old at the time, I wanted to understand the Watch Tower Society’s publications. However, for many years my family did little about the truth. Occasionally some of our neighbors who were Bible Students would come to visit us. I remember, too, how Father would visit neighbors in order to listen to Judge Rutherford’s radio lectures.

It was not until 1938, though, that the seeds of truth began to bear fruit. My mother​—now divorced and remarried—​began accepting and avidly reading publications from Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was especially thrilled to learn that “a great crowd” would survive the destruction of this present system of things and live forever on earth. (Revelation 7:9-14) This information had to be shared with others!

So after getting baptized in June 1939, I began thinking of becoming a full-time minister, or pioneer. After I moved to Colorado, I got acquainted with Helen Nichols and her mother​—two anointed sisters who were regular pioneers. The wonderful experiences they related further encouraged me to serve as a pioneer. Thus, in May 1940 I received my first pioneer assignment to Salida, Colorado.

Gilead Training and Foreign Assignment

After a few years of pioneering in various parts of Colorado and Indiana, I was invited to attend the third class of Gilead. This was a school organized by the Watchtower Society for training missionaries. For five wonderful months I enjoyed the blessings of Gilead School, but after graduating I did not immediately receive a foreign assignment. World War II was being fought! So I was temporarily sent to work with seven other sisters in West Haven, Connecticut. In 1945 I was assigned to work in Washington, D.C. Nevertheless, the way was soon clear to head to my foreign assignment: La Paz, Bolivia.

Previous to receiving my assignment, I had never even heard of Bolivia! No wonder disquieting thoughts ran through my mind as we boarded the plane: How would I do as a missionary? Would I be able to stick it out? Remembering my mother’s advice to ‘put my hand to the plow and not look back’ strengthened my resolve to make a success of my missionary work. Also, I would not be alone in this new land. Accompanying me were my sister and brother-in-law who had graduated from the fourth class of Gilead. On June 9, 1946, our plane landed in La Paz.

In the Midst of Revolution

The very day I arrived, someone tried to start a revolution by dropping a bomb on the Government Palace. The bomb fizzled out, as did the revolution. But less than two months later, another revolution broke out, and many were left dead and wounded. The president of the country, along with some of his ministers, was hung from a lamppost in the principal plaza. Such was my introduction to Bolivia.

Nevertheless, after that dreadful bloodletting, we were able to ‘comfort those that mourned,’ and many of the humble Bolivians were willing to study the Bible with us. (Isaiah 61:1, 2) In those days, we often used recorded sermons as a means of witnessing to the people. This meant carrying both a phonograph and a book bag up and down the steep hills of La Paz at the breathtaking altitude of 12,000 feet (3,660 m). Because of my limited Spanish, some people thought I was selling the phonograph and records!

Many were the experiences I enjoyed as a new missionary. One day, while going from house to house in one of the better sections of La Paz, a maid answered the door and invited me in. The lady of the house listened to my presentation and subscribed for The Watchtower. Why such a ready response? She had recently been operated on, and while in the clinic, she had read the Bible. She discovered that the Bible’s doctrines are quite different from what her church taught, so she was quite eager to read the literature I left her. Before I could get back to visit her, however, she came looking for me, finally finding me on a street corner offering the Watchtower and Awake! magazines to passersby. ‘Please come to see me!’ she insisted. She progressed rapidly with her study of the Bible and was soon baptized. Now, 30 years later, she is still a faithful servant of Jehovah.

A Dirty Doll

After working 11 years in La Paz, we were given an assignment in the southern part of Bolivia. Hence, my sister and her husband, my partner Esther Erickson, and I headed for a small town named Tupiza. This was in February 1957. Tupiza is located near the railroad line between Bolivia and Argentina. The people there were friendly, and it was easy to start Bible studies. In fact, we soon organized regular meetings, which were attended by several from Tupiza.

One day, we found a dirty doll in our front yard. What did this mean? Evidently the priest had begun to warn the people against Jehovah’s Witnesses, so someone was trying to cast an hechizo, or spell, upon us! However, their hechizo proved powerless.

Because Tupiza was such a small town, Esther and I were soon reassigned to Villazón, another small town on the border of Bolivia and Argentina. This region was barren, windy, and cold! But we were not discouraged, as we were confident of receiving Jehovah’s blessing.

When Esther and I began working the town, we noticed that the people had cards in their windows that stated: “Jehovah’s Witnesses and Evangelists Not Accepted.” Yet the people in Villazón had no idea who Jehovah’s Witnesses were! As in Tupiza, a priest had interfered, giving out the cards in church for the people to put in their windows. In spite of the window cards, the people responded favorably, and we placed much literature and started many Bible studies. Little by little the cards disappeared from the windows.

Where, though, could we hold meetings? We converted one room of our tiny apartment into a Kingdom Hall. For seats we placed boards across cartons of books. There were no baptized brothers there, so Esther and I donned head coverings and conducted the meetings ourselves. To our delight, at the first Memorial of Christ’s death that we held there, we had over a hundred in attendance! True, some came out of curiosity to see how the gringas (foreign girls) conducted their meetings. But some of those who first came out of curiosity are Witnesses now.

We also worked the small town of La Quiaca, Argentina, where we were able to start several Bible studies with interested people. Because of our having to cross the border so much, we attracted the attention of the border policeman. One day, when we were returning from La Quiaca, the patrolman asked us not to do our work so openly, since the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses had come under ban in Argentina. I said to him, “I understand your government guarantees freedom of worship.” His answer was that the priests had put pressure on the ministers in the government, resulting in the ban. At any rate, after that, he would turn his back every time we crossed the border to Argentina!

For four years we worked in Villazón. My partner studied with a man whose wife operated a chichería, a tavern where drinks made from fermented corn are sold. This man learned the truth and was later baptized, eventually serving as an elder until his death. The chichería? Now it is a Kingdom Hall! When we left Villazón, there was a congregation of 20 publishers. Now there are some 60 Witnesses, with about 110 attending the weekend meetings.

Never ‘Looking Back’

After Villazón came an assignment in Santa Cruz, a city in the eastern part of Bolivia. What a joy it was to see the work grow from a small congregation of 20 publishers to nine thriving congregations. Then, in 1965, I returned to live in La Paz in one of the missionary homes, where I have been ever since.

In February 1978 an adobe wall collapsed and fell on me as I was getting off a city bus. My right leg was so severely broken that I had to learn to walk again. But now I am able to get back into the service and conduct Bible studies.

No, full-time service has not always been easy. There have been ups and downs, heartaches and disappointments. But the joy of finding sheeplike persons and helping them to serve Jehovah has more than made up for any disappointments. Now, after nearly 44 years of full-time service, I am as determined as ever to keep my ‘hand to the plow’ and have a share in the work that is yet to be done.​—As told by Betty Jackson.

[Picture on page 28]

Betty Jackson preaching the good news in Bolivia

Questions From Readers

◼ Why have Jehovah’s Witnesses disfellowshipped (excommunicated) for apostasy some who still profess belief in God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ?

Those who voice such an objection point out that many religious organizations claiming to be Christian allow dissident views. Even some clergymen disagree with basic teachings of their church, yet they remain in good standing. In nearly all the denominations of Christendom, there are modernists and fundamentalists who greatly disagree with one another as to the inspiration of the Scriptures.

However, such examples provide no grounds for our doing the same. Why not? Many of such denominations allow widely divergent views among the clergy and the laity because they feel they cannot be certain as to just what is Bible truth. They are like the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day who were unable to speak as persons having authority, which is how Jesus taught. (Matthew 7:29) Moreover, to the extent that religionists believe in interfaith, they are obligated not to take divergent beliefs too seriously.

But taking such a view of matters has no basis in the Scriptures. Jesus did not make common cause with any of the sects of Judaism. Jews of those sects professed to believe in the God of creation and in the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly the Law of Moses. Still, Jesus told his disciples to “watch out . . . for the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:11, 12; 23:15) Note also how strongly the apostle Paul stated matters: “Even if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to you as good news something beyond what we declared to you as good news, let him be accursed.” Paul then repeated that statement for emphasis.​—Galatians 1:8, 9.

Teaching dissident or divergent views is not compatible with true Christianity, as Paul makes clear at 1 Corinthians 1:10: “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (New International Version) At Ephesians 4:3-6 he further stated that Christians should be “earnestly endeavoring to observe the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace. One body there is, and one spirit, even as you were called in the one hope to which you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all persons.”

Was this unity to be achieved and maintained by each one’s independently searching the Scriptures, coming to his own conclusions, and then teaching these? Not at all! Through Jesus Christ, Jehovah God provided for this purpose “some as apostles, . . . some as evangelizers, some as shepherds and teachers . . . until we all attain to the oneness in the faith and in the accurate knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man.” Yes, with the help of such ministers, congregational unity​—oneness in teaching and activity—​could be and would be possible.​—Ephesians 4:11-13.

Obviously, a basis for approved fellowship with Jehovah’s Witnesses cannot rest merely on a belief in God, in the Bible, in Jesus Christ, and so forth. The Roman Catholic pope, as well as the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, professes such beliefs, yet their church memberships are exclusive of each other. Likewise, simply professing to have such beliefs would not authorize one to be known as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Approved association with Jehovah’s Witnesses requires accepting the entire range of the true teachings of the Bible, including those Scriptural beliefs that are unique to Jehovah’s Witnesses. What do such beliefs include?

That the great issue before humankind is the rightfulness of Jehovah’s sovereignty, which is why he has allowed wickedness so long. (Ezekiel 25:17) That Jesus Christ had a prehuman existence and is subordinate to his heavenly Father. (John 14:28) That there is a “faithful and discreet slave” upon earth today ‘entrusted with all of Jesus’ earthly interests,’ which slave is associated with the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Matthew 24:45-47) That 1914 marked the end of the Gentile Times and the establishment of the Kingdom of God in the heavens, as well as the time for Christ’s foretold presence. (Luke 21:7-24; Revelation 11:15–12:10) That only 144,000 Christians will receive the heavenly reward. (Revelation 14:1, 3) That Armageddon, referring to the battle of the great day of God the Almighty, is near. (Revelation 16:14, 16; 19:11-21) That it will be followed by Christ’s Millennial Reign, which will restore an earth-wide paradise. That the first to enjoy it will be the present “great crowd” of Jesus’ “other sheep.”​—John 10:16; Revelation 7:9-17; 21:3, 4.

Do we have Scriptural precedent for taking such a strict position? Indeed we do! Paul wrote about some in his day: “Their word will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of that number. These very men have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already occurred; and they are subverting the faith of some.” (2 Timothy 2:17, 18; see also Matthew 18:6.) There is nothing to indicate that these men did not believe in God, in the Bible, in Jesus’ sacrifice. Yet, on this one basic point, what they were teaching as to the time of the resurrection, Paul rightly branded them as apostates, with whom faithful Christians would not fellowship.

Similarly, the apostle John termed as antichrists those who did not believe that Jesus had come in the flesh. They may well have believed in God, in the Hebrew Scriptures, in Jesus as God’s Son, and so on. But on this point, that Jesus had actually come in the flesh, they disagreed and thus were termed “antichrist.” John goes on to say regarding those holding such variant views: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. For he that says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works.”​—2 John 7, 10, 11.

Following such Scriptural patterns, if a Christian (who claims belief in God, the Bible, and Jesus) unrepentantly promotes false teachings, it may be necessary for him to be expelled from the congregation. (See Titus 3:10, 11.) Of course, if a person just has doubts or is uninformed on a point, qualified ministers will lovingly assist him. This accords with the counsel: “Continue showing mercy to some that have doubts; save them by snatching them out of the fire.” (Jude 22, 23) Hence, the true Christian congregation cannot rightly be accused of being harshly dogmatic, but it does highly value and work toward the unity encouraged in God’s Word.

She Couldn’t Believe She Would Enjoy It

A woman from Pennsylvania wrote: “If anyone were to tell me that I could read a book on evolution and really enjoy it, I’d say, ‘No, a thousand times no!’” Yet, after reading Life​—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creations?, a beautifully illustrated new book, she added:

“You have explained in terms so easy to understand something I’ve had difficulty grasping all my life. This book is written in such a way as to appeal to right-hearted ones whether they be evolutionists or creationists. . . .

“Some of the points brought out I remembered learning in Science and Biology class, but never in such a way as to develop an appreciation for our Creator. I especially enjoyed the chapters ‘Our Awesome Universe,’ ‘The Amazing Design of Living Things,’ and ‘Who Did It First?’”

You can receive this 256-page, large-size book by filling in and mailing the accompanying coupon along with a contribution of only $2.50.

Please send, postpaid, the book Life​—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? I enclose $2.50 (U.S.).

[Picture Credit Line on page 32]

NASA photo