of all human rulers; and this is what the people, their subjects, expect of the rulers. The fearsome authority of rulers in general serves to keep badness down. Since God permits worldly rulers on earth to wield authority, it is to let them see how much good or how little good they can do with it in comparison with the promised kingdom of God. The abuse of authority on earth is not ordained by God; it is devilish. Rightful exercise of authority is provided for in order that benefits may result, by the restraining of lawlessness and disorderliness.

17. (a) Why have Christians no “fear of the authority” when preaching? (b) What is the good that Romans 13:3 tells Christians to do in order to have praise from the authority?

¹⁷ Wrongdoers have reason to be in “fear of the authority,” as the laws and decrees of such authority are generally published and made known. Preachers and teachers of the good news of God’s kingdom have no fear, for they are not doing wrong but doing the greatest good. Still, when Romans 13:3 says: “Keep doing good, and you will have praise from it [the authority],” it does not refer to Kingdom preaching. It refers to obeying the good laws of the land that even people who do not preach God’s kingdom obey. By its giving praise to persons who are law-abiding subjects or citizens the authority promotes good order, decency and general rightdoing. Nevertheless, when speaking to King Herod Agrippa II, the Roman Governor Festus spoke favorably of the apostle Paul.—Acts 25:24-27.

18. Is it, then, unusual for Jehovah’s witnesses to receive praise from civil rulers?

¹⁸ So Paul had no fear of the authority for preaching God’s Word. He was happy to make his defense before King Agrippa as well as Governor Festus. (Acts 26:1-3; 25:8-11) Today it is not unusual for the Christian witnesses of Jehovah to receive praise from the civil rulers. During World War II the United States Solicitor General, Francis Biddle, spoke out in behalf of Jehovah’s witnesses in order to quiet down the prevailing mob action in forty-four American states by misguided, fanatical, prejudiced people.b This was beneficial.

(For the next in this series see our next issue.)

Exchanging Material Food for Spiritual

One of Jehovah’s witnesses received an invitation to attend the Watch Tower Society’s Kingdom Ministry School, the term due to begin before the end of the Watchtower campaign. “I was determined to do all I could to reach my quota of thirty subscriptions for a special pioneer,” this Witness stated. “Because jobs are scarce in the winter, I put into practice the Kingdom Ministry suggestion of exchanging subscriptions for food. On one occasion I exchanged a subscription for fifty cents and a dozen eggs, and another time I asked twenty-five cents and a half-dozen eggs for a six-month subscription. Very often corn meal, potatoes or chickens were exchanged. Before I left on April 11, I worked hard in calling on all promises. Three subscriptions were obtained during my last week, giving me twenty-six subscriptions.”