Traveling representatives of the governing body, such as Paul, followed Christ and set a fine example to be imitated. (1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 4:9) In fact, all of those in the position of spiritual shepherds were to become “examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:2, 3), were to show loving concern for individuals within the congregation (1 Thess. 2:5-12) and were to be of real assistance to those spiritually sick. (Gal. 6:1; Jas. 5:13-16) However, for a further consideration of their privileges and responsibilities, please see OVERSEER and MINISTER.

Hence, just as Jehovah organized the congregation of Israel under older men, heads, judges and officers (Josh. 23:2), He saw to the supervision of the Christian congregation by having older men appointed to positions of trust therein. (Acts 14:23) And, as responsible men sometimes acted representatively for the entire congregation of Israel, as in judicial matters (Deut. 16:18), God arranged for each individual Christian congregation to be similarly represented in such matters by responsible men placed in positions of authority by the holy spirit. (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 5:1-5) However, should difficulties develop between members of the Christian congregation of God, the words of Jesus Christ recorded at Matthew 18:15-17 (spoken before the Jewish congregation of God had been rejected by Jehovah and thus initially applicable to it) served as a basis for settling or handling such problems.

Jehovah God has set the members in the spiritual “body” of Christ “just as he pleased.” And Paul stated: “God has set the respective ones in the congregation, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then powerful works; then gifts of healings; helpful services, abilities to direct, different tongues.” Not all performed the same functions, but all were needed by the Christian congregation. (1 Cor. 12:12-31) Paul explained that the supplying of apostles, prophets, evangelizers, shepherds and teachers for the Christian congregation was “with a view to the training of the holy ones, for ministerial work, for the building up of the body of the Christ, 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, to the measure of growth that belongs to the fullness of the Christ.”—Eph. 4:11-16.

The congregation of Israel was provided with the laws of God and was made to appreciate that “not by bread alone does man live but by every expression of Jehovah’s mouth does man live.” (Deut. 8:1-3) Jesus Christ also recognized that man could not live on bread alone “but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.” (Matt. 4:1-4) Hence, adequate provision has been made for the Christian congregation to have needed spiritual food, Christ himself mentioning the “slave” through whom such food is dispensed to Christian “domestics.” Jesus, as part of his prophecy concerning his own second presence and “the conclusion of the system of things,” showed that, on arriving, the “master” would appoint this “faithful and discreet slave” “over all his belongings.”—Matt. 24:3, 45-47.

Gatherings for the worship of Jehovah and a consideration of his law were important in the congregation of Israel. (Deut. 31:12; Neh. 8:1-8) Similarly, meetings for the worship of Jehovah and a study of the Scriptures are an essential feature of the Christian congregation of God, the writer to the Hebrews admonishing the recipients of his letter not to be forsaking such gathering of themselves together. (Heb. 10:24, 25) Activities in the synagogues of later Jewish history included the reading and teaching of the Scriptures, the offering of prayers and the giving of praise to God. Such features were carried over into places of Christian assembly, though without the ritualistic accretions that had eventually developed in synagogue services. In the synagogue no sacerdotal class was set apart, sharing in Scripture reading and exposition being open to any devout male Jew. Comparably, no clergy-laity or similar division existed within the early Christian congregation. Of course, neither therein nor in the synagogue did the women teach or exercise authority over the men.—1 Tim. 2:11, 12.

The maintaining of proper order at meetings of the Christian congregation of God harmonized with the fact that Jehovah, who made provision for the congregational arrangement among Christ’s followers, is a “God, not of disorder, but of peace.” This orderliness also worked to the great spiritual benefit of all in attendance.—1 Cor. 14:26-35, 40; see ASSEMBLY.

CONIAH

See JEHOIACHIN.

CONJURER

(conʹjur·er).

The Hebrew and Aramaic word ʼash·shaphʹ (rendered “astrologers,” AV) is properly defined conjurer, necromancer, enchanter. (Brown, Driver, Briggs’ Lexicon, pp. 80, 1083; Koehler-Baumgartner Lexicon, pp. 95, 1055) “To conjure” means “to swear together” by oath or invocation, as when one solemnly calls up or calls upon so-called spirits of the dead. A necromancer literally means a diviner of the dead, one who attempts to foretell and control future events through communication with the dead. ʼAsh·shaphʹ is from a root that C. F. Keil defines as “to breathe, to blow, to whisper; for they practiced their incantations by movements of the breath.”

Any manner of purported communication with the dead was condemned by God. “And in case they should say to you people: ‘Apply to the spiritistic mediums or to those having a spirit of prediction who are chirping and making utterances in low tones,’ is it not to its God that any people should apply? Should there be application to dead persons in behalf of living persons?” (Isa. 8:19) Though outlawed in Israel, the “mistress of spirit mediumship in En-dor” whom unfaithful King Saul visited was one who contacted the demons as a conjurer of the dead.—1 Sam. 28:7; Lev. 20:27.

Conjurers flourished particularly among the Babylonians. Concerning that people’s ideas about the dead and their ability to communicate with departed ones, Morris Jastrow, Jr., in his book The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria, pp. 559, 560, writes: “The stem underlying Shuâlu [the Babylonian place of the dead] signifies ‘to ask.’ Shuâlu is a place of inquiry, and the inquiry meant is of the nature of a religious oracle. The name, accordingly, is an indication of the power accorded the dead, to aid the living by furnishing them with answers to questions, just as the gods furnish oracles through the mediation of the priests. . . . The dead not only dwell near the gods, but, like the gods, they can direct the affairs of mankind. Their answers to questions put to them have divine justification.”

When Daniel and his three companions were taken captive to Babylon in the seventh century B.C.E., and after being given a special three-year schooling in all the wisdom of the Babylonians, they proved to be “ten times better than all the magic-practicing priests and the conjurers” in the realm.—Dan. 1:3-20.

Nebuchadnezzar, therefore, called in all branches of diviners, not the conjurers alone, and demanded that they first reveal the dream he had had and then give the interpretation. (Dan. 2:1-3, 27) The king was suspicious of them, for he said: “It is a lying and wrong word that you have agreed to say before me.” He also was well aware of their stalling for time, hoping that circumstances would change. So, in order that Nebuchadnezzar might have some guarantee that his wise men were able to give a true interpretation to his awesome vision, he insisted that they first tell him the dream. “Tell me the very dream,” the king declared, “and I shall know that you can show the very interpretation of it.” (Dan. 2:4-9) The conjurers and their fellow diviners failed to come up with the answer. Fortunately, Daniel learned of the king’s edict to kill off all Babylon’s wise men (which would have included Daniel and his companions), so after “the secret was revealed” to him by God, Daniel hastened to tell the king, disclaiming any credit for himself, for, as he said, “it is not through any wisdom that exists in me more than in any others alive that this secret is revealed to me.”—Dan. 2:19-30.

Decades later Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson Belshazzar was shocked by ‘handwriting on the wall’ that he could not read. After “calling out loudly to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the astrologers,” the king made a most generous offer: “Any man that will read this writing and show me its very interpretation, with purple he will be clothed, with a necklace of gold about his neck, and as the third one in the kingdom he will rule.” (Dan. 5:5-7) Miserable counselors indeed! These conjurers, along with the rest of the spiritistic diviners, failed, and again Daniel’s God Jehovah gave the interpretation.—Dan. 5:8-29.

CONSCIENCE

[Gr., sy·neiʹde·sis; syn = with; oiʹda = I know: a co-knowledge (with oneself), the witness borne to one’s conduct by conscience].

The apostle Paul expresses the operation of his conscience in this manner: “My conscience bears witness with me in holy spirit.”—Rom. 9:1.

Conscience is inherent in man, having been made part of him by God. It is an inward realization or sense of right and wrong that excuses or accuses one. Hence conscience judges. It also can be trained by the thoughts and acts, convictions and rules that are implanted in a person’s mind by study and experience. Based on these things it makes a comparison with the course of action being taken or contemplated. Then it sounds a warning when the rules and the course conflict, unless the conscience is “seared,” made unfeeling by continued violations of its warnings. Conscience can be a moral safety device, in that it imparts pleasure and inflicts pain for one’s own good and bad conduct.

From the very start man has had a conscience. Adam and Eve manifested this as soon as they broke God’s law and hid themselves. (Gen. 3:7) In Romans 2:14, 15 we read: “For whenever people of the nations that do not have law do by nature the things of the law, these people, although not having law, are a law to themselves. They are the very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts, while their conscience is bearing witness with them and, between their own thoughts, they are being accused or even excused.” Thus it can be seen that conscience has not been wiped out even among non-Christian. This is because all mankind descended from Adam and Eve and through the line of Noah, in whom conscience was inherent. Many laws of the nations are in harmony with a Christian’s conscience, yet such nations and lawmakers may not have been influenced by Christianity at all. The laws were according to the leadings of their own consciences. All persons have the faculty of conscience, and it is to this that the life course and preaching of Christians appeal.—2 Cor. 4:2.

Conscience must be enlightened; if not, it can deceive. It is an unsafe guide if it has not been trained in right standards, according to the truth. Its development can be wrongly influenced by local environment, customs, worship and habits. It might judge matters as right or wrong by these incorrect standards or values. An example of this is shown in John 16:2, where Jesus foretold that men would even kill God’s servants, thinking that they were doing Him a service. Saul (later Paul the apostle) actually went out with murderous intent against Christ’s disciples, believing he zealously served God. (Acts 9:1; Gal. 1:13-16) The Jews were seriously misled into fighting against God because of lack of knowledge of God’s Word. (Rom. 10:2, 3; Hos. 4:1-3; Acts 5:39, 40) Only a conscience properly trained by God’s Word can correctly assess and set matters of life thoroughly straight. (2 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 4:12) We must have a stable, right standard—God’s standard.

GOOD CONSCIENCE

One must approach Jehovah with a cleansed conscience. (Heb. 10:22) He must constantly strive for an honest conscience in all things. (Heb. 13:18) When Paul stated: “I am exercising myself continually to have a consciousness of committing no offense against God and men” (Acts 24:14, 16), he meant that he continually steered and corrected his course of life according to God’s Word and Christ’s teachings, for, in the final analysis, God, and not his own conscience, was his ultimate judge. (1 Cor. 4:4) Following a Bible-trained conscience may result in persecution, but Peter comfortingly counsels: “For if someone, because of conscience toward God, bears up under grievous things and suffers unjustly, this is an agreeable thing.” (1 Pet. 2:19) A Christian must “hold a good conscience” in the face of opposition.—1 Pet. 3:16.

The Law with its animal sacrifices could not so perfect a person as regards his conscience that he could consider himself free from guilt, but through the application of Christ’s ransom to those having faith, their consciences can be cleansed. (Heb. 9:9, 14) Peter indicates that those who receive salvation have to have this good, clean, right conscience, not by putting away the filth of the flesh by their own efforts, but by requesting it from God.—1 Pet. 3:21.

CONSIDERATION FOR CONSCIENCES OF OTHERS

In view of the fact that a conscience must be fully and accurately trained in God’s Word to make proper evaluations, an untrained conscience may be weak. That is, it may be injured easily, or the person may become offended by the actions or words of others, even in instances where no wrongdoing may exist. Paul gave examples of this in connection with eating and drinking, and the observing of certain days as above others. (Rom. 14:1-23; 1 Cor. 8:1-13) The Christian with knowledge and whose conscience is trained is commanded to give consideration and allowance to the one with a weak conscience, not using all his freedom or insisting on all his personal “rights,” always doing just as he pleases. (Rom. 15:1) Because, the Scriptures say, one who wounds the weak conscience of a fellow Christian is “sinning against Christ.” (1 Cor. 8:12) On the other hand, Paul implies that while he would not want to do something by which the weak brother would be offended, thereby causing him to judge Paul, the weak one should likewise consider his brother, striving for maturity by getting more knowledge and training so that his conscience will not be easily offended, causing him to view others wrongly.—1 Cor. 10:29, 30; Rom. 14:10.

BAD CONSCIENCE

Conscience can be so abused that it no longer is clean and sensitive to sound out warnings and give safe guidance. (Titus 1:15) Man’s conduct is then controlled by fear of exposure and punishment rather than by a good conscience. (Rom. 13:5) Paul’s reference to a conscience that is marked as with a branding iron indicates that it would be like seared flesh that is covered over with scar tissue and void of nerve endings and, therefore, without sense of feeling. (1 Tim. 4:2) Persons with such a conscience cannot sense right or wrong. They do not appreciate the freedom God grants them and, rebelling, become slaves to a bad conscience. It is easy to defile one’s conscience. A Christian’s aim should be as shown in Acts 23:1: “Brothers, I have behaved before God with a perfectly clear conscience down to this day.”

CONSTABLE

An official attendant assigned to escort a Roman magistrate in public and to execute his instructions. The Roman term was lictor, which meant “a rod holder.” As a mark of office and a