Understanding God’s Word Means Life
YOU enjoy living, do you not? And would you not like to live forever, especially if conditions were at least halfway decent? Of course you would. Well, did you know that the Bible holds out a hope of our living forever if we meet certain conditions? Note what Jesus said, as found at John 17:3 (NW): “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” And you may be sure that this means life in happiness, for the Bible tells us that the time is coming when all suffering and sorrow will be done away with.
You will note that Jesus said that everlasting life depends upon our taking in certain knowledge. Yes, just as we must take in the right kind of material food to keep our bodies alive, so we must take in the right kind of spiritual food if we would gain everlasting life in happiness. Jesus expressed a similar thought when the Devil tried to tempt him to change stones to bread. Matthew tells about it at Mt 4:2-4 (NW), where we read: “After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, then he felt hungry. Also the Tempter came and said to him: ‘If you are a son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.’ In reply he said: ‘It is written, “Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.”’” And this knowledge is where? In the Bible.
If we would follow a course that is right so that we can gain life, not only must we have a Bible in our homes, which most people do, at least in Western “Protestant” lands, but we must also read it, and still more important, we must also understand what we read. It is the same as with material food. Just purchasing a loaf of bread will not stop our hunger; we must eat the bread, and more than that, our stomachs must digest it and our blood stream must assimilate it, if it is to do us any good.
That we need help to understand the Bible is made clear by the experience of a certain Jewish proselyte. At Acts 8:28-31 (NW) we read concerning him: “He was returning and was sitting in his chariot and reading aloud the prophet Isaiah. So the spirit said to Philip: ‘Approach and join yourself to this chariot.’ Philip ran alongside and heard him reading aloud Isaiah the prophet, and he said: ‘Do you really know what you are reading aloud?’ He said: ‘Really how could I ever do so, unless someone guided me?’ And he entreated Philip to get on and sit down with him.”
Has not that often been the case with you, reading something in the Bible and not understanding what it really meant? No doubt that is why many do not read the Bible more, because they so often come across something that they do not understand even as was the case with this Jewish proselyte. And what was he reading, and how was it explained to him?
The next verses, Acts 8:32-35 (NW), tell us: “Now the passage of Scripture that he was reading aloud was this: ‘As a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb that is voiceless before its shearer, so he did not open his mouth. During his humiliation justice was taken away from him. Who will tell the details of his manner of life? Because his life is taken away from the earth.’ In answer the eunuch said to Philip: ‘I beg you, About whom does the prophet say this? About himself or about some other man?’ Philip opened his mouth and, starting with this Scripture, he declared to him the good news about Jesus.”
Merely reading this prophecy did not make a Christian of this Jewish proselyte, but upon Philip’s explaining its meaning to him he did understand and believe, accepting Christianity and dedicating himself to do God’s will, being baptized in the name of Christ Jesus without further delay.
Now is it not reasonable to conclude that just as God provided help for those who wanted to understand his Word back there he would do the same in this, our day? Surely it is. And such is the case. He has provided an instrument, an organization, which serves as his servant in bringing to the people light on the Bible. In fact, Jesus, in his great prophecy concerning his second presence and the end of this old world or system of things, foretold that there would be such a servant organization. Recorded at Matthew 24:45, 46, it states; “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to you, He will appoint him over all his belongings.”
That servant or slavelike organization has published and continues to publish, not only Bibles, but also many Bible study aids for the purpose of helping all men of good will and honest heart to read their Bibles with understanding. Foremost of such Bible study aids is The Watchtower, a copy of which you have in your hand. Study it and learn God’s provision for everlasting life.