be made firm; or, rather, that there may be an interchange of encouragement among you, by each one through the other’s faith, both yours and mine.”—Rom. 1:11, 12.

14. Summarize the features of Christian living considered above.

¹⁴ We have mentioned some things that we can do as examples of working what is good toward those who are of our faith, things such as tactfully serving with them, encouraging them to continue their good works, sharing materially with our brothers, visiting them for mutual spiritual benefit. In this we will be very blessed by God. This is because the congregation is built up and strengthened by such good works. A stronger bond of unity and of love exists when brothers are tactful, encouraging and generous and when they take time to visit. These things are all part of life and especially are they part of a Christian life, a life of love of God and love of fellowman.

15. Summarize the results of these good things of life.

¹⁵ A wonderful result does come with Jehovah’s blessing on such good works. It is a blessing of peace, strength and comfort, which is certainly a point made at Acts 9:31: “Then, indeed, the congregation throughout the whole of Judea and Galilee and Samaria entered into a period of peace, being built up; and as it walked in the fear of Jehovah and in the comfort of the holy spirit it kept on multiplying.” Peace is built upon righteousness and brings this blessing of Jehovah. Due to it the congregation and all the individuals in it are in a better position to work what is good toward all, toward outsiders. What fine results there are from working what is good toward those in the faith!

“A New Age of Violence”

● About ten years after World War I, Sidney Bradshaw Fay wrote a two-volume work entitled “The Origins of the World War.” It is an investigation of the underlying and immediate causes of that bloody conflagration. Two years later he revised the work, and recently this 1930 revision appeared in a paperback edition. In a special introduction to this paperback edition, Mr. Fay made this observation about the significance of World War I: “Today, looking back on more than half a century of study, I am more than ever impressed by the tremendous impact the World War of 1914-18 has had upon world developments of the next fifty years. The war ushered in a period of international political and social change unequaled in history. . . .

“The World War also opened a new age of violence that contrasted greatly with the era of comparative peace that had preceded it. In this earlier period, from 1815 to 1914, peace generally prevailed in Europe except for some ‘local’ wars that were fought with traditional weapons, were comparatively short-lived, and wreaked small destruction. Most of Asia and of Africa were still tolerably quiescent under the colonialism imposed by European imperialist powers. . . . After 1914, however, the ‘little’ wars exploded into global conflicts that raged for several years and were fought with new weapons like submarines, tanks and air missiles that caused terrific losses of life and property. At the same time, in Asia and Africa, the yellow and dark-skinned populations, no longer quiescent, began a struggle to end all European colonial domination and to establish their own independence and power.”

It is exactly as Jesus foretold, nineteen centuries ago, that in the “last days” of this wicked system of things there would be “on the earth anguish of nations.” Knowing the significance of these events, faithful Christians lift up their heads and hearts in the confidence that their “deliverance is getting near.”—Luke 21:25, 28.