24. How do the methods employed by false religionists compare with those used by Christians when it comes to teaching others?

²⁴ At times, in years gone by, a nation has risen up in battle against another nation, carrying on a religious war, trying to make people change their religion. Inquisitions were carried on by religionists in different parts of the earth to make people believe like those in authority. Religionists have tried to force Indians and others with different faiths into the faith of the persecutors. Paul never used those methods, and neither did Christ Jesus have that in mind. Early Christians used the simple method of teaching the truth, sitting down with people and tactfully, patiently, quietly and humbly telling them what God’s Word has to say. Even those under evil influence can be taught the truth if they are instructed in mildness. Even those not favorably disposed toward the Bible, if approached tactfully, will listen to a minister of God.

25. What will Jehovah’s witnesses continue to do, and what are seekers of truth encouraged to do?

²⁵ So Jehovah’s witnesses today will try to continue to preach this good news in all the world for a witness until the end comes, and during all this period of time they too will be able to say: “Judge me, O Jehovah, for I myself have walked in my own integrity.” Why not study God’s Word with them and apply the knowledge you can get from the Bible and thus be with wise persons and become wise yourself? In that case you will surely know that he who is having dealings with stupid ones will fare badly, but that wisdom is a tree of life to those who find it. Do you love life and want to live in God’s new world of righteousness under the kingdom of heaven? Then ‘stand on a level place among the congregated throngs’ and bless Jehovah. Then you will always be determined to say: “As for me, in my integrity I shall walk.”

Endurance Serves to Prove Integrity

1. What shining examples of endurance do we have in Scripture, and for what reason did they and do we endure?

THERE are not too many people in the world today that will stand for right principles and even suffer for them. Jehovah loves those who will. He is very much interested in men and women who will walk in their own integrity and who will endure even to death for righteousness. Peter appreciated this fact and wrote: “For what merit is there in it if, when you are sinning and being struck blows, you endure it? But if, when you are doing good and you suffer, you endure it, this is a thing agreeable with God. In fact, to this course you were called, because even Christ suffered for you, leaving you a model for you to follow his steps closely.” (1 Pet. 2:20, 21) That is something to think about, for no individual has ever endured as much pain, suffering, ignominy and shame as the perfect Jesus went through for the vindication of Jehovah’s name. This was a “thing agreeable with God.” Then there is Job in his sufferings. It was written of him by James: “Look! we pronounce happy those who have endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome Jehovah gave, that Jehovah is very tender in affection and compassionate.” (Jas. 5:11) Why is this suffering allowed, and for what reason do we endure? The answer is integrity.

2. Why do we prove our integrity?

² Will one worship Jehovah because he loves Him, or because he must? Because he gets happiness, or because it brings him a reward? Well, look at Job. He had everything, lost it all, and still loved Jehovah and did not sin against God. He wanted to prove his integrity because he loved the Sovereign Ruler of the universe. Then we have Christ Jesus, who gave up all his heavenly glory and took the form of a man. Why? Because he loved his Father. Was it to get a greater reward? No, but “to do your will, O my God, I have delighted.” (Ps. 40:8) Because Christ Jesus loved his Father, was happy in His service and proved faithful under trial and suffering, he received all power in heaven and in earth and now sits at the right hand of Jehovah, the Sovereign Ruler of the universe. Yes, he endured under the test and it helped him prove his integrity.

3. What is it right to do, and what, then, is our mental outlook for so doing?

³ Just as Job and Jesus did, so do Christians. It is right to give Jehovah true worship. It is right to follow his commandments. It is right to endure the sufferings that come from the Devil’s organization and his worldly governments for speaking the truth. Because one walks in his own integrity and lives by right principles he is happy. Many times one endures physical torture, isolation in concentration camps, withdrawal of his freedom of speech, but yet he holds to right principles to preach the good news of God’s kingdom when and wherever he can do so, and he is pronounced happy. He is happy! The lives of Jehovah’s witnesses over the past six thousand years prove this to be true. The experiences of Jehovah’s witnesses in communistic countries in 1957 prove this to be true. The record in the 1958 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses proves this statement to be true. The experiences show that endurance certainly helps one to prove one’s integrity.

4. What progress in the preaching work was made behind the iron Curtain during 1957, and why are Jehovah’s witnesses enduring the hardships?

⁴ When one studies the 1957 field service chart of Jehovah’s witnesses and notes the last listing “Eight Other Countries,” he will see that during 1956 there were 69,884 persons who preached the good news in these Communist countries. Under the 1957 column it shows 80,052 preached God’s kingdom behind the Iron Curtain. It would be very unwise to list singly these countries and report them, as we do the other countries that show how many of Jehovah’s witnesses there are in each country. That would make it easy for the Communist governments to search out our brothers. Let the communistic police search through all Russia, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Albania and Bulgaria; they will not find all of them. They know these witnesses are there and they hate them for preaching. In the last year, despite all they had to endure, the record shows that out of the millions of people in these lands 10,168 have taken a definite stand to be Christians. To help others learn the truth from God’s Word they are willing to endure all the hardships, persecution and suffering just for doing good. Why? Because “this is a thing agreeable with God.”