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Questions From ReadersThe Watchtower—1951 | January 15
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Questions From Readers
● What was the “knowledge of good and evil” mentioned at Genesis 2:17, and is it the same as that referred to at Genesis 3:5 and Ge 3:22?—G. G., South Africa.
The “good and evil” in the three texts seems to refer to the one thing. Adam and Eve knew something about evil before eating the fruit from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. (Gen. 2:17) They knew it would be wrong for them to eat that fruit, and they knew that death was an evil to be shunned. To “be as gods, knowing good and evil” seems to mean more than just helpful knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. (Gen. 3:5) The word gods could mean just Jehovah God, since the Hebrew word here is Elohim and can mean either God (Jehovah) or gods. If it means gods, then it could refer to Jehovah God and his co-creator and only-begotten Son, the Logos. It was to that one that Jehovah said, at Genesis 3:22: “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil.”
To know “good and evil” as Jehovah and his only-begotten Son know it would seem to mean to know good and evil for yourself, that is, you make the decision of what is good and what is evil, you judge what is right and what is wrong. Adam and Eve were no longer theocratic, no longer looked to God as the Universal Sovereign over all creatures, no longer accepted him as the one to determine right and wrong. They were going to determine for themselves what they were going to do on the earth, and not let God be the Supreme Arbiter.
Hence to the more responsible man, the woman’s head, Jehovah said in substance: ‘All right, Adam, if you want to be non-theocratic you go your own way. Decide for yourself what is good and evil from your viewpoint. You have no place in the garden of Eden. This garden is for theocratic people who are subject to me. Now get out.’ This view of the matter harmonizes with the fact that God does not assign the committing of sin as the reason for ousting Adam from Eden, but says it was because “the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil” and therefore should have no opportunity to eat of the tree of life.
● What did Jesus mean by his words, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”—F. M., Georgia.
Jesus spoke these words in fulfillment of Psalm 22:1, which was originally written relative to David. Not that David was forsaken for impalement on any torture stake, but he was forsaken to the fury of enemies because of his faithfulness to the Kingdom covenant. In all this David was a prophetic type of Christ. Jesus was forsaken to a disgraceful death, on an accursed tree, in order to test his integrity. By remaining faithful he triumphed in his integrity, as the rest of the Psalm shows. Other verses of Psalm 22 concerning David were fulfilled upon Jesus, further proving it was prophetic of the Greater David, Christ. Compare Psalm 22:1 with Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34; Psalm 22:7, 8 with Matthew 27:39, 43; Psalm 22:15 with John 19:28; Psalm 22:16 with Mark 15:25; and Psalm 22:18 with Matthew 27:35.
But the mere utterance of these prophetic words of Psalm 22:1 was not in itself sufficient for fulfillment of them. At the time Jesus uttered them on the torture stake they really had a background against which to be fulfilled. In this case God’s forsaking Jesus did not mean that God turned his back upon him as disapproved and condemned, but merely that God released him to the full fury of his enemies, even to the extent of allowing them to kill him. Thus God forsook or released Jesus over to his enemies, to be subject to the enemies to do whatsoever they wanted to do with him, not even shielding him from ignominious death.
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Prison, Torture and Death for Witnesses in Soviet ZoneThe Watchtower—1951 | January 15
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Prison, Torture and Death for Witnesses in Soviet Zone
Communist puppets in East Germany push their drive to smash Jehovah’s witnesses, and continue to cloak their hatred and persecution in false political charges. Under the headlines “SED Sets Ransom on Jehovah’s Witnesses; Terror in the Soviet Zone Is Increasing; Inspector of People’s Police Brings Own Wife into the Concentration Camp” the West Berlin paper Die Neue Zeitung reported:
“According to the notice of the Berlin office of Jehovah’s witnesses on Tuesday, members of this religious group in the Soviet zone are being forcibly persecuted and arrested. By home searches doors and windows were broken, the members of this sect mistreated and robbed. The preacher Erich Boppe from Meissen, who was arrested some days ago, died in one of the Dresden hospitals due to injuries suffered when arrested. Further, 60 members of Jehovah’s witnesses, among them numerous old men, children and women, were brought with serious injuries into the concentration camp Bautzen. As DPA reports supplementarily, a ransom of 50 East marks was set on the ascertainment of each leading preacher of this religious organization.” [September 20, 1950]
An AP dispatch from Berlin dated November 26 reported that three of Jehovah’s witnesses were given life sentences by an East German court, and 18 others were sentenced to two years or longer. A few days later a UP dispatch said that on November 30 nine of Jehovah’s witnesses got prison terms ranging from two years to life. On December 8 the New York Daily News carried this report:
“Berlin, Dec. 7 (Reuters).—West Berlin leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses charged today that East German police imprisoned and tortured 500 members of the sect after it had been banned in the Russian zone last summer. Five died from ill-treatment and others were severely injured by beatings with fists and clubs, they said. But leaders of the sect, largely financed by contributions from the United States, said they would continue activities in East Germany despite persecution. Of 1,200 members arrested since August, when the ban took effect, 611 are still in prison, the statement said. It charged that several had been kept waist-deep in water ‘for days on end’.”
Concerning such persecution the Miami Herald recently said: “The charges against the Berlin Witnesses of being spies seems preposterous. What probably happened was that the sect refused to break down under Soviet pounding. No faith surpasses the Witnesses in constancy toward its tenets.”
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AnnouncementsThe Watchtower—1951 | January 15
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Announcements
“MAKE KNOWN THE GOOD NEWS” TESTIMONY PERIOD
While serving as an ambassador of the government of God, the apostle Paul was bound in chains by those who opposed the truth. Rather than be silenced, however, Paul prayed that he might open his mouth “with all freeness of speech to make known the sacred secret of the good news”. (Eph. 6:19, NW) Jehovah’s witnesses, who serve similarly as ambassadors of the Theocracy in this day, follow Paul’s example and have selected “Make Known the Good News” as the theme for their activity during February. Their offer will be a year’s subscription for The Watchtower, at the yearly rate of $1, with three booklets (Evolution versus The New World, Can You Live Forever in Happiness on Earth? and any other self-covered booklet) given free to each new subscriber. The Watchtower magazine has long been foremost in bringing the good news of the Kingdom to men of good will. Would you not like to join in this beneficial activity? A letter to us, or an inquiry directed to the local company of Jehovah’s witnesses, will bring you any instruction you may require, together with forms for obtaining subscriptions and reporting what you accomplish. Why not grasp this opportunity to “make known the good news” to your neighbors and friends?
1951 YEARBOOK AND CALENDAR OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
All the joys and blessings of the Theocracy’s Increase Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses are emphasized in the 1951 Yearbook. Thousands thrilled as they attended the convention and heard reports from the representatives of over 65 nations. Now available to many more thousands of persons of good will is the report by the president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society on the world-wide activities of Jehovah’s witnesses in their praise-giving work during the past year. With joy-filled hearts you will thrill at their experiences as they are recounted for you in the pages of this interesting Yearbook. In addition you will be able to read a daily Scripture text and appropriate comments to start your day aright with thoughts concerning God’s goodness. Remit for your copy today, 50c each. If you attend any of the company meetings of Jehovah’s witnesses, turn in your order through that local organization. The beautiful new 1951 Calendar may be ordered with your copy of the Yearbook. This may be obtained on a contribution of 25 cents each, or five to one address for $1.00.
“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES
Week of February 18: “The Lord’s Evening Meal,” ¶1-22.
Week of February 25: Participation with Demons Forbidden, ¶1-25.
Week of March 4: Partaking in a Worthy Manner, ¶1-17.
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