effort to break their integrity to God.—1 Cor. 7:5; 2 Cor. 2:11; 12:7; compare Luke 4:1-13.

Against false teachings

The apostle Paul also spoke of a warfare that he and his associates were waging, in carrying out their commission as those appointed to care for the Christian congregation. The congregation at Corinth had been wrongly influenced by presumptuous men called by Paul “false apostles” who, by giving undue attention to personalities, had caused divisions, sects, in the congregation. (2 Cor. 11:13-15) They became, in effect, followers of men such as Apollos, Paul, Cephas and others. (1 Cor. 1:11, 12) The members of the congregation lost the spiritual viewpoint, that these men were merely representatives of Christ, unitedly serving the same purpose. They became fleshly. (1 Cor. 3:1-9) They viewed men in the congregation ‘according to what they were in the flesh,’ their appearance, natural abilities, personalities, and so forth, instead of regarding them as spiritual men. They failed to recognize that God’s spirit was operating in the congregation, and that men such as Paul, Peter and Apollos were accomplishing what they did by God’s spirit, for His glory.

Therefore Paul was impelled to write them: “Indeed I beg that, when present, I may not use boldness with that confidence with which I am counting on taking bold measures against some who appraise us as if we walked according to what we are in the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage warfare according to what we are in the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful by God for overturning strongly entrenched things. For we are overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God; and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ.”—2 Cor. 10:2-5.

Paul wrote to Timothy, whom he had left in Ephesus to care for the congregation there: “This mandate I commit to you, child, Timothy, in accord with the predictions that led directly on to you, that by these you may go on waging the fine warfare; holding faith and a good conscience.” (1 Tim. 1:18, 19) Timothy not only had before him the conflict because of sinful flesh, and the opposition of the enemies of the truth, but he also had to wage warfare against the infiltration of false doctrine and those who would corrupt the congregation. (1 Tim. 1:3-7; 4:6, 11-16) This would fortify the congregation against the apostasy that Paul knew would occur after the apostles passed off the scene. (2 Tim. 4:3-5) So it was a real fight that Timothy had to wage.

Paul was able to say to Timothy: “I have fought the fine fight, I have run the course to the finish, I have observed the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7) Paul had maintained his faithfulness to Jehovah and Jesus Christ by right conduct and service against opposition, suffering and persecution. (2 Cor. 11:23-28) He had additionally discharged the responsibility of his office as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, fighting the war to keep the Christian congregation clean and spotless, as a chaste virgin, and as “a pillar and support of the truth.”—1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Cor. 4:1, 2; 2 Cor. 11:2, 29; compare 2 Timothy 2:3, 4.

God’s material support of the Christian

In the warfare of the Christian, God views the Christian as his soldier, and therefore provides him with the necessary material things. The apostle argues, with regard to the authority of one serving as a minister to others: “Who is it that ever serves as a soldier at his own expense?”—1 Cor. 9:7.

CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE TOWARD THE WARS OF THE NATIONS

Christians have always maintained strict neutrality as to fleshly warfare between nations, groups or factions of any kind. (John 18:36; 1 Cor. 5:1, 13; Eph. 6:12) For examples of the attitude of the early Christians in this respect, see ARMY (Early Christians).

OTHER USES

In the song of Barak and Deborah, after the victory over the army of Jabin, king of Canaan, a circumstance is recalled that sets forth a principle: “They [Israel] proceeded to choose new gods. It was then there was war in the gates.” (Judg. 5:8) As soon as they forsook God for false worship, trouble came, with the enemy pressing at the very gates of their cities. This is in harmony with the psalmist’s declaration: “Unless Jehovah himself guards the city, it is to no avail that the guard has kept awake.”—Ps. 127:1.

At Ecclesiastes 8:8, Solomon wrote: “There is no man having power over the spirit to restrain the spirit; . . . nor is there any discharge in the war.” In the day of death the dying person cannot restrain the spirit or force of life and keep it from returning to God the Giver and Source, so as to live longer. Dying humans cannot control the day of death and prevent it from ever reaching them. They cannot, by any human efforts, be discharged from the war that the enemy Death wages against all mankind without exception. Sinful man cannot get some other sinful man to substitute for him in death and thus enjoy a furlough from Death. (Ps. 49:6-9) Only through Jehovah’s undeserved kindness by means of Jesus Christ is relief possible, for: “Just as sin ruled as king with death, likewise also undeserved kindness might rule as king through righteousness with everlasting life in view through Jesus Christ our Lord.”—Rom. 5:21.

WAR CLUB

See ARMS, ARMOR.

WARP

In weaving, the group of threads running the length of the fabric is called the warp. The set woven alternately over and under these at right angles across the cloth constitutes the woof. When Israel’s priests tested woven materials for leprosy, they inspected both the warp and the woof.—Lev. 13:47-59; see LEPROSY; WEAVING.

Upon completing the cloth, the weaver cuts across the warp threads, removing the material and leaving the “thrums” or ends of the warp threads fastened to the loom. King Hezekiah alluded to this in recalling his severe illness when he thought that God, apparently, was about to cut short his life, cutting Hezekiah off “from the very threads of the warp” in untimely death.—Isa. 38:9-12.

WARS OF JEHOVAH, BOOK OF THE

See BOOK.

WASHING OF FEET

In the generally warm climate of the ancient Middle East where persons customarily wore open sandals, walked on dry soil and traveled on foot along dusty roads, the Oriental gesture of washing the feet was a welcome and hospitable act that often preceded the eating of a meal. In the average home of the common people, the host provided needed vessels and water and visitors washed their own feet. (Judg. 19:21) A wealthier host usually had his slave do the foot washing, and this was considered a menial task. Abigail indicated her willingness to comply with David’s wish that she become his wife by saying: “Here is your slave girl as a maidservant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” (1 Sam. 25:40-42) Especially was it a display of humility and affectionate regard for guests if the host or hostess personally washed the visitors’ feet.

Foot washing was not only a host’s gesture of hospitality toward his guest (2 Sam. 11:8), but the feet were also customarily washed before retiring to bed. (Song of Sol. 5:3) Especially noteworthy was the requirement that Levite priests wash their feet and hands before going into the tabernacle or before officiating at the altar.—Ex. 30:17-21; 40:30-32.

When Jesus Christ was on earth, a host might offer his guest water for washing the feet, give him a kiss and grease his head with oil. Simon the Pharisee neglected these three expressions of hospitality while entertaining Jesus. Thus, when a weeping sinful woman wet Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed his feet and then greased them with perfumed oil, Christ pointed out Simon’s failure and then told the woman: “Your sins are forgiven.”—Luke 7:36-50.

Jesus Christ washed his apostles’ feet on the last night of his earthly life, Nisan 14, 33 C.E., doing so to teach them a lesson and “set the pattern,” rather than to establish a ceremony. (John 13:1-16) That evening there had been a discussion among the apostles as to who was the greatest (Luke 22:24-27), and the spirit then prevailing apparently led to Jesus’ washing of his disciples’ feet as a lesson in humility and willingness to serve one another in the humblest way. On that night Jesus and the apostles were merely using a room and were not someone’s guests. So, there were no servants on hand to wash their feet, which would undoubtedly have been the case had they been guests. None of the apostles took the initiative to perform this menial service for the others. However, at an appropriate time during the meal, Jesus rose, laid aside his outer garments, girded himself with a towel, put water in a basin and washed their feet. He thus showed that in humility each one should be the servant of the others and should show love in practical ways, doing things for the comfort of others. Christian hostesses did so, as evident from the apostle Paul’s reference to the hospitable act of foot washing among other fine works performed by Christian widows. (1 Tim. 5:9, 10) The Christian Greek Scriptures do not list formal washing of feet as a required Christian ceremony. Nonetheless, the example Jesus Christ set by this act stands as a reminder to Christians to serve their brothers lovingly, even in small ways and by performing humble tasks in their behalf.—John 13:34, 35; see BATHING.

WASHING OF HANDS

Rather than being plunged into a container filled with water, in ancient times the hands were washed with water poured upon them. The dirty water then ran into a container or basin over which the hands were held.—Compare 2 Kings 3:11.

The Law prescribed that the priests wash their hands and their feet at the copper basin located between the sanctuary and the altar before ministering at the altar or entering the tent of meeting. (Ex. 30:18-21) The Law also stated that, in case someone slain was found and it was impossible to ascertain who the murderer was, the older men of the city nearest the slain person were to take a young cow, one that had never been worked with or pulled a yoke, to a torrent valley of running water and there break its neck. After this the older men were to wash their hands over the young cow, denoting their innocence in regard to the murder. (Deut. 21:1-8) Also, according to the Law, a person was rendered unclean if touched by someone with a running discharge who had not rinsed his hands.—Lev. 15:11.

David desired morally clean hands so as to be able to worship before Jehovah’s altar. (Ps. 26:6) On the other hand, Pilate vainly tried to clear himself of bloodguilt in connection with the death of Jesus by washing his hands before the people. But in this way he really could not escape responsibility for Jesus’ death, since he, not the howling mob, had the authority to determine the judgment.—Matt. 27:24.

The scribes and Pharisees in the first century C.E. attached great importance to hand washing and took issue with Jesus Christ concerning his disciples’ overstepping the traditions of men of former times by not washing their hands when about to eat a meal. This involved no ordinary hand washing for hygienic purposes, but a ceremonious ritual. “The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands up to the elbow.” (Mark 7:2-5; Matt. 15:2) The Talmud puts the one eating with unwashed hands on the same plane as one committing fornication, and states that the one lightly esteeming hand washing will perish from the earth.—See BATHING.

WATCH

See NIGHT.

WATCHMAN

One who guards against possible harm to persons or property, often during the night, and who may sound an alarm in the face of threatened danger. In military service a watchman is usually called a guard or sentry.—Acts 12:6; 28:16; see GUARD.

As a protection against thieves and vandals, persons often were stationed to watch over ripening vineyards or flocks of animals, positioning themselves perhaps in booths or elevated watchtowers built for that purpose. (2 Ki. 17:9; 2 Chron. 20:24; Job 27:18; Isa. 1:8) Siege forces attacking fortified places had watchmen or sentries to give their commanders military intelligence. (Jer. 51:12) When King Saul was in the field camp with his army he also had personal watchmen whose responsibility was to look out for their king’s welfare.—1 Sam. 14:16; 26:15, 16.

Watchmen were often stationed on the city walls and towers to observe from a distance those approaching. (2 Sam. 18:24-27; 2 Ki. 9:17-20) At times watchmen made their inspection rounds through the city streets as well. (Song of Sol. 3:3; 5:7) Fearful persons, awake during the dangerous hours of the night, might repeatedly inquire of the watchmen if all was well (Isa. 21:11, 12), and it was only natural for watchmen themselves to long for the daylight to come. (Ps. 130:6) Happy the city that, in addition to the watchmen, had Jehovah watching over it.—Ps. 127:1.

FIGURATIVE USE

Jehovah raised up prophets who served as figurative watchmen to the nation of Israel (Jer. 6:17), and they, in turn, sometimes spoke of watchmen in a symbolic way. (Isa. 21:6, 8; 52:8; 62:6; Hos. 9:8) These prophet-watchmen had the responsibility to warn the wicked of impending destruction, and, failing to do so, they were held accountable. Of course, if the people failed to heed the warning their own blood was upon the unresponsive ones themselves. (Ezek. 3:17-21; 33:1-9) An unfaithful prophet was about as worthless as a blind watchman or a voiceless dog.—Isa. 56:10.

WATCHTOWER

Places of lookout or posts of observation were often built in cities or on city walls. (See TOWER.) Others were constructed in wilderness areas or on frontiers. They were principally designed for military purposes, either to protect a city or a boundary, though they also were constructed as a refuge for shepherds and farmers in isolated places, as well as to enable a watchman to warn of marauders so that flocks and ripening crops in the area might be protected.—2 Chron. 20:24; Isa. 21:8; 32:14.

A number of cities were named Mizpeh (Heb., mits·pehʹ, “watchtower”), probably due to being on high elevations or because of notable towers erected there. Sometimes the Bible distinguished these cities by naming their location, as “Mizpeh of Gilead” (Judg. 11:29) and “Mizpeh in Moab” (1 Sam. 22:3).

A pile of stones was set up by Jacob and called “Galeed” (“Witness heap”) and “The Watchtower,” because, as Laban then said: “Let Jehovah keep watch between me and you when we are situated unseen the one from the other.” (Gen. 31:45-49) This pile of stones would testify to the fact that Jehovah was watching to see that Jacob and Laban carried out their covenant of peace.

WATER

Jehovah is the Source of this liquid (Rev. 14:7), so essential to the life of man, animals and vegetation on earth. (Ex. 17:2, 3; Job 8:11; 14:7-9;