Good News for All Mankind

1-3. There is good news for whom, and where only can we find it?

GOOD NEWS! In this world what is good news to one is often bad news to another. And, sad to say, the expression sometimes used in jest, ‘That’s the good news; now for the bad news,’ is all too real in life.

² There is a good news, though, for all mankind, that has no bad news along with it for lovers of righteousness. It is good news for such persons irrespective of their race, color or background.

³ Jehovah God, the Creator of mankind, is the Source of the good news. The Bible is his Word of communication with us. Look where you may, you can find this good news nowhere else. (Gal. 1:6, 7, 11, 12) The apostle Paul, an ordained minister and an apostle, was specifically chosen by Christ himself as a preacher of good news to the non-Jewish nations. As early as Paul’s time, there were some selfish Christians distorting the good news. (2 Cor. 11:4) Paul wrote emphatically: “However, even if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to you as good news something beyond what we declared to you as good news, let him be accursed.”​—Gal. 1:8, 15, 16.

ITS CONTENT

4. Briefly, what is the substance of the good news?

⁴ What is the true good news, as declared by the apostles of Jesus Christ? Briefly, it is this: God has arranged and prepared for a special government to take care of this earth’s problems. It will rule exclusively and undisturbed for a thousand years. During that time it will erase everything that has ever given rise to bad news. All of earth’s inhabitants that want to live in harmony with God and their fellowman will be alive, and the bad news of the past will not be something that will in any way burden their hearts, detracting from their happiness. Prophetically God’s servant Isaiah said: “The former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.”​—Isa. 65:17.

5, 6. (a) Why can it be said that we are now living in a happy time? (b) Why has God not already brought all the good things contained in the good news?

⁵ What God says cannot fail to come true, and he has a timetable for all his works. (Heb. 6:18; Isa. 46:11; compare Galatians 4:4.) If we take time to look into his Word, we find that we now live in a specially happy time as relates to the good news. Why so? Because Bible prophecies and events in fulfillment indicate that God has established his Messianic king upon the throne in heaven and that his thousand-year rule is practically upon us.

⁶ However, someone may say, ‘Why merely keep talking about “good news”? Why hasn’t God already brought all these good things to the earth?’ Because he respects the intelligence and moral freedom he has given us​—the right to decide which way we want to go—​whether to submit to God’s sovereignty or to choose man-rule. God has let men try every conceivable form of government, and by now sensible men should have found out that “it does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jer. 10:23) Moreover, as heretofore mentioned, God has a timetable in which he works things out thoroughly for the benefit of all. During this time he also allows mankind sufficient time to lay a strong foundation for faith in his Messianic government.

7-9. (a) What was the good news spoken to Abraham? (b) How do we know what the seed was through whom those promised blessings would come to mankind? (c) Why did the Law covenant not invalidate the Abrahamic promise? (d) So why was the Law given?

⁷ How has this been done? Let us see further what the apostle Paul said about the good news with which he was entrusted: “Now the Scripture, seeing in advance that God would declare people of the nations righteous due to faith, declared the good news beforehand to Abraham, namely: ‘By means of you all the nations will be blessed.’ Consequently those who adhere to faith are being blessed together with faithful Abraham.”​—Gal. 3:8, 9; Gen. 12:3; 22:18.

⁸ “All the nations” will be blessed through Abraham. God told this to Abraham the Hebrew before the Jewish nation had come into existence. So, while God later dealt with the Jews exclusively for a time, the real, ultimate blessing is for people of all nations.

⁹ How does the apostle Paul say that this blessing will come? He explains: “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It says, not: ‘And to seeds,’ as in the case of many such, but as in the case of one: ‘And to your seed,’ who is Christ.” (Gal. 3:16) The blessing, then, was to come through one “seed” or offspring of Abraham, namely, “Christ.” Paul goes on to say that the Law covenant, made centuries after this promise to Abraham, certainly did not invalidate the Abrahamic promise. “Why, then, the Law?” he asks. He explains that it showed up men to be sinners, needing help from God. It pointed to the great Seed of promise through whom blessings would come to mankind: “Consequently the Law has become our tutor leading to Christ.”​—Gal. 3:19-29, 7-9.

10. How was John the Baptist the first to discern the good news that the Messiah had come?

¹⁰ The arrival of Messiah, then, was certainly good news. When Jesus approached John the Baptist and was baptized, and holy spirit manifested itself upon him in the visible form of a dove, John had proof that the long-awaited Messiah had indeed arrived.​—Matt. 3:16, 17; John 1:32-34.

EXPANDED PROCLAMATION

11. What are some of the ways in which Christ Jesus at his manifestation shed light upon certain features of the good news?

¹¹ Now with the coming to pass of these events the good news was greatly expanded and given a tremendous impetus. Paul says that Christ Jesus by being made manifest “shed light upon life and incorruption through the good news.” (2 Tim. 1:10) From that time on, features of the good news became much clearer. Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah, the one whose sacrifice atoned for the sins of mankind. This One would be the King. His kingdom would rule, not from an earthly throne, but from a heavenly one. Also, it was made clear that there would be a considerable lapse of time before the complete blessings of this kingdom would come to all mankind. Jesus himself said that the nations would have sway over the earth “until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24) This was a reference to Daniel’s prophecy of the “seven times,” which ran from the desolating of Jerusalem by Babylon in 607 B.C.E., down past the time when Jesus spoke, on to the autumn of 1914 C.E.a​—Dan. 4:16, 23, 25, 32.

12. What took place from the time of Christ’s resurrection to the end of the “appointed times of the nations”?

¹² What was to take place during all that time? We are told, at Hebrews 10:12, 13, that Christ “offered one sacrifice for sins perpetually and sat down at the right hand of God, from then on awaiting until his enemies should be placed as a stool for his feet.” After his resurrection and ascension to heaven “Christ entered, not into a holy place made with hands [as in the temple at Jerusalem], which is a copy of the reality, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the person of God for us.” (Heb. 9:24) The foundation had now been laid for the forgiveness of sins, and this good news had to be given wide proclamation, not to the Jews only, but to the entire world. (Acts 17:30) That has been done under Christ’s heavenly supervision right down to our day.​—1 Tim. 2:5, 6.

THE KING ENTHRONED

13. Why is the good news now even better?

¹³ Now, since 1914 C.E., when “the appointed times of the nations” ended, the good news is better than ever. The King is now enthroned, the Kingdom has begun operating! The vision given to the apostle John and recorded in the book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of the “birth” of the Kingdom that is put in the hands of Christ: “And she [God’s heavenly ‘woman’] gave birth to a son, a male, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was caught away to God and to his throne.” So Christ was up there among God’s heavenly family, ready to receive kingly power. He was there brought in, presented to the heavenly hosts and enthroned as the Messianic King.​—Rev. 12:5; Heb. 1:6.

14, 15. What occurred immediately after Christ’s enthronement that was delightful news in heaven?

¹⁴ At this point the psalm to which the apostle made reference at Hebrews 10:12, 13 had further features fulfilled: “The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is: ‘Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.’ The rod of your strength Jehovah will send out of [heavenly] Zion, saying: ‘Go subduing in the midst of your enemies.’” (Ps. 110:1, 2) The Revelation vision expresses the action that followed in this way: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael [Jesus Christ, also called ‘the archangel.’ (Compare Jude 9; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Daniel 12:1.)] and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.”​—Rev. 12:7-9.

¹⁵ What good news this was! A loud voice in heaven announced, rejoicing: “Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! . . . On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them!” This would bring increased trials to mankind, for the heavenly voice continued: “Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.”​—Rev. 12:10-12.

16. Why is the proclaiming of the good news now urgent?

¹⁶ This good news that the Kingdom is operating and that Satan the Devil, the great adversary of God, has but a short period of time now at the earth, is something worthy of proclaiming to every man and woman on earth. And it takes time to reach the nations. Every individual may not be personally reached and spoken to before the Kingdom begins its undisputed rule over earth. But Jesus said: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”​—Matt. 24:14.

17. How has the prophecy at Psalm 110:3 been fulfilled in our time?

¹⁷ Now, since Christ has conquered in heaven and has confined Satan and his demon angels to earth’s vicinity, the good news is being given its widest proclamation ever, in 208 lands in the earth, even in countries under Communist domination. This service rendered by many volunteer workers was foretold by the psalmist, as he continued: “Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day of your military force. . . . You have your company of young men just like dewdrops.” (Ps. 110:3) Like young, vigorous warriors, numerous as dewdrops, Jehovah’s witnesses, young and old, men and women, are willingly, zealously telling the people this good news of Christ’s kingly activity. Have you been stirred to action alongside them?

18, 19. How does the book of Revelation depict what Christ is now doing?

¹⁸ The Revelation scene depicts what Christ is doing and will soon do, John recording the picture for us in these words: “And I saw, and, look! a white horse; and the one seated upon it had a bow; and a crown was given him, and he went forth conquering and to complete his conquest.”​—Rev. 6:2.

¹⁹ Christ, having ‘conquered’ in heaven, is now maneuvering his enemies into position where he will “complete his conquest,” cleansing the earth of all the unrighteous, false religions, all political and commercial elements, and all who are determined to oppress their fellowman. Finally, he will put Satan and his demons completely out of action so that their death-dealing influence is gone.​—Rev. 20:1-3.

TO BECOME MAJOR ISSUE

20. Will the great indifference of the people to the good news continue indefinitely?

²⁰ Meanwhile, the good news of the Kingdom is having ever wider distribution and proclamation, and each year scores of thousands more are hearing it with faith. It is true that there is still great indifference on the part of the majority of people. But since the good news involves the truth about Jehovah God’s sovereignty, it is yet to become a far bigger issue.

21, 22. What situation in ancient Egypt finds some similarities today?

²¹ Take, as an example, what occurred in ancient Egypt, when Moses and Aaron, at God’s command, requested that Pharaoh release God’s enslaved people, the offspring of Abraham. This led to the fulfillment of a promise made centuries beforehand.​—Gen. 15:13-16.

²² We can see a similarity today. Just as in Egypt, honest-hearted people today are oppressed religiously, politically and commercially, all through the influence of the Devil, who is seeing that troubles increase. What occurred back there in Egypt when the time came for God to liberate his people?

23. What was the reaction of Pharaoh and the Egyptians when Moses first brought God’s demand that the Israelites be released, and did they maintain this attitude?

²³ Moses came to the Israelites with the exceedingly good news that God’s time for deliverance had come. Note that at this time God’s sovereignty was challenged by Pharaoh, who said to Moses: “Who is Jehovah, so that I should obey his voice to send Israel away?” (Ex. 5:2) So what Moses said in the name of Jehovah seemed insignificant to Pharaoh and to his people at first. But it came to be of the greatest importance to them. In fact, the Egyptians were finally forced to take, not an indifferent position, but a very decisive, definite one. How?

24. How did God use Moses in connection with the ten plagues?

²⁴ Well, during the ten plagues God informed Moses ahead of time as to what he was going to do. Moses, in turn, told Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Then it came to pass just as Moses had said. Each plague was foretold by Moses, and then each plague occurred just as foretold, and on time. Finally, with the death of the firstborn ones of Egypt, Pharaoh let Israel go. But he was like Satan, not giving up in his efforts, and he was destroyed with his army as Jehovah delivered Israel through the Red Sea.​—Ex. 14:26-28; Ps. 136:15.

25. Why was Moses’ proclamation of the plagues ahead of time essential to God’s purpose, and what did it accomplish?

²⁵ The news proclaimed by Moses was good news to the enslaved people of God, and good news also to those Egyptians who heard with faith. These, a “vast mixed company,” went up out of Egypt with Israel. (Ex. 12:38) It also played a large part in letting the Egyptians know that “there is no one else like Jehovah our God.” (Ex. 8:10) It proved before all that Jehovah was ‘executing judgments on all the gods of Egypt.’ (Ex. 12:12) Moses’ proclamation was very essential. If God had acted in bringing the plagues without prior announcement, the Egyptians might well have concluded that they had offended their own gods, among whom were gods over the fruitage of the field, over cattle, gods of the sun, the rain and the firstborn, and so forth. But when the plagues came, they knew better, because the plagues occurred in the time and in the way that Moses had previously announced. Their gods were powerless to protect them.

26. How is there a similarity in the proclamation of the good news today, and in the reaction of the nations to it?

²⁶ Likewise, the good news about the established kingdom of God and its deliverance of mankind in this generation is most essential and is being heard, particularly in the lands called Christendom. In the eyes of the people, it is not the BIG issue yet. But God is going to force the nations to take a definite position. For all the nations desire their own national sovereignty. But the proclaimers of the good news stand for God’s sovereignty. The nations “will also have to know that a prophet himself had proved to be in the midst of them.”​—Ezek. 33:33.

27. What does Daniel’s prophecy show that the “king of the north” will do toward the proclaimers of the good news?

²⁷ As an example of the seriousness with which the nations will take the proclamation of the good news, note the action that the prophecy says will be precipitated on the part of the dictatorial, totalitarian bloc of nations, spoken of in the Scriptures as the “king of the north.” Daniel’s prophecy states about this “king”: “There will be reports that will disturb him, out of the sunrising and out of the north, and he will certainly go forth in a great rage in order to annihilate and to devote many to destruction. . . . and he will have to come all the way to his end, and there will be no helper for him.” (Dan. 11:44, 45) Commenting on this passage, the Watch Tower Society’s book “Your Will Be Done on Earth” states:

“Up to now . . . [Jehovah’s witnesses] have been reporting on Jehovah’s universal sovereignty, on the establishment of his kingdom by Christ at the close of the ‘appointed times of the nations’ in 1914, and on the coming ‘war of the great day of God the Almighty’ . . .

“Since the reports really issue forth from Jehovah and through his reigning King Jesus Christ, it is Scripturally well said that the reports are out of the north and the east. . . . (Ps. 75:6, 7; 48:2; . . . Isa. 46:10, 11) So, not merely the reports, but also the forces of destruction will come from those directions upon the king of the north. As the reports must reach this king by means of Jehovah’s visible earthly channel of newsreporting, so as to infuriate the king to his ruinous course, this prophecy makes one thing clear: Jehovah’s sanctuary class and their great crowd of fellow worshipers will persist in obeying Matthew 24:14 by preaching ‘this good news of the Kingdom’ in all the inhabited earth.”

28. How did the activities of Jesus and Paul produce a reaction similar to that which the good news will produce upon the nations?

²⁸ These reports not only have been proclamations of the good news, but have been accompanied by records of the great number of persons running into the strong protective tower of Jehovah’s name, and worshiping at his great spiritual temple. (Prov. 18:10; Isa. 2:2-4) These reports instill fear, not only in the “king of the north,” but also in the opposing bloc of nations, the “king of the south.” The reports become a big issue, moving them to action. It was a similar attitude that the Jews took toward Jesus, saying: “If we let him alone this way, they will all put faith in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” (John 11:48) Again, they said, in fear: “See! The world has gone after him.” (John 12:19) Also of Paul and his companion preachers of the good news, they said, in Thessalonica: “These men that have overturned the inhabited earth are present here also.” (Acts 17:6) So in order to stop the proclaimers of the good news the nations will act, to their final destruction.

29, 30. How do the declarers of the good news feel about the coming attack of the nations?

²⁹ Therefore, it is nothing unexpected that the nations of earth will attack those who declare the good news, because these nations hate God’s sovereignty. But the preachers of the good news know that they are standing for the right side of the issue, the successful, God-backed side, and they continue to give the fullest possible publicity to the all-important good news.

³⁰ Where do you stand in this matter? Are you one who believes the good news? Do you have the spirit of declaring it to others? How and where? This will be the subject of the following discussion.

[Footnotes]

Do You Have the Evangelizing Spirit?

1. Why is the work of proclaiming the good news one of the most important works done on earth?

THE work of proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom is one of the most important works that has ever been done on earth. Why? Because it is the “touchstone” by which mankind is judged. Acceptance of and obedience to the good news result in salvation; rejection and disobedience mean destruction.

2, 3. (a) Give an example of how the good news reveals the real attitude of a person. (b) What questions regarding the good news can a person beneficially ask himself?

² For example, a person may be very religious. He may appear to have a fine personality, to be generous, humanitarian. But his reaction to the good news reveals whether he is really a friend of God. For God knows the hearts of men. “Every way of a man is upright in his own eyes,” says the writer of Proverbs, “but Jehovah is making an estimate of hearts.” (Prov. 21:2) A Christian must have a fine personality, but regardless of that or any other characteristic, if he does not have love for God and for his fellowman, he is nothing.​—1 Cor. 13:1-3.

³ Do you accept the good news? Are you obedient to it? Do you desire to tell it to others? Is it necessary for you to proclaim the good news in order to be obedient to it?

IMPORTANCE OF THE EVANGELIZING SPIRIT

4. Why should we want to proclaim the good news?

⁴ Anything we receive as good news we naturally want to tell to others, and we often do so out of the sheer joy of speaking it. However, the good news of the Kingdom prompts us to tell it to others, not only through joy, but also through love for our fellowman. The evangelizing spirit is one of love for God and neighbor. The good news means life to the receiver, and so it is essential that it be proclaimed far and wide. The apostle Paul wrote, in one of his earliest inspired letters, that at Christ’s revelation from heaven “those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus” would “undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction.”​—2 Thess. 1:8, 9.

5. How did the apostle Peter show the importance of the good news?

⁵ The apostle Peter stressed the importance of knowing and obeying the good news when he spoke of Christians being judged, saying: “Now if it [judgment] starts first with us, what will the end be of those [professed Christians] who are not obedient to the good news of God?” He added: “And if the righteous man is being saved with difficulty, where will the ungodly man and the sinner make a showing?” (1 Pet. 4:17, 18) Accordingly, the spirit that the proclaimer of the good news must have is, not merely to proclaim it, but to get it firmly fixed in the hearts of the hearers. Why? Because even the righteous man among professed Christians will be saved only “with difficulty.”

6. How does the Bible use the term “evangelizer” in a special sense?

⁶ The Greek word used in the Bible for “good news” is eu·ag·geʹli·on, or “evangel.” The Bible uses the term “evangelizer” with respect to certain designated ones, for it tells us that Jesus, when he ascended to heaven, gave gifts in men, “some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelizers, some as shepherds and teachers, with a view to the readjustment of the holy ones, for ministerial work, for the building up of the body of the Christ.” (Eph. 4:11, 12) These “evangelizers” appear to have been given God’s spirit in a specially strong way in preaching, training and building up others. Philip was one of these.​—Acts 21:8, 9.

7. How should all proclaimers of the good news be, in a general sense, evangelizers?

⁷ Nevertheless, all proclaimers of the good news are, in a general sense, evangelizers. They should certainly have the evangelizing spirit. They should declare the good news, but not stop there. They should do all they can to train and build up others so that these, in turn, can have the same strong spirit. To accomplish this they will need to use every occasion and opportunity to talk about the good news. The first-century Christians provide many examples for us.

PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS IN THE FIRST CENTURY

8. How and where did Jesus do evangelizing work?

⁸ Jesus himself “went journeying from city to city and from village to village, preaching and declaring the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him.” (Luke 8:1) Nearly all Jesus’ travels were on foot. He on occasion sent his disciples ahead of him so that the village or city would be expectant and ready to listen to him. (Luke 10:1) He taught where he could reach people. It might be in a village, at the temple in Jerusalem, in a private home, in his own place of residence, in the synagogues, on the seashore, on a mountain. And he spoke to those he met on the road, or while resting​—in short, at any time and place where people were.​—Matt. 5:1; 13:1, 2; 26:6-13; Mark 2:1, 2; 3:1-5; John 4:6-10.

9, 10. How did Philip do evangelizing, and how might he be compared to certain of Jehovah’s witnesses today?

⁹ Some of the evangelizers in the first century did quite a lot of traveling. They went to places where God revealed there was a need for their services. We read that Philip went down to Samaria. After he had done good work there he was directed by Jehovah’s angel to go to the south to the road that led from Jerusalem to Gaza. There he explained the good news to an Ethiopian eunuch. God’s spirit directed him from there to Ashdod and “he went through the territory and kept on declaring the good news to all the cities until he got to Caesarea.” (Acts 8:4-40) There we find him later in a home, a man with a family.​—Acts 21:8, 9.

¹⁰ Philip might be compared, in a way, to the “pioneers,” “special pioneers” and missionaries among Jehovah’s witnesses, who have a special commission to preach. But a fine evangelizing spirit is shown by those who move their homes to places where there is a greater need for some to preach. Some of these have families, as did Philip.

11. How did Paul do evangelizing?

¹¹ Paul was one of the greatest evangelizers. He traveled widely in Asia and Europe, declaring the good news everywhere he went. He tried to preach mainly where the good news had not been declared. In some places he stayed for quite a time, to establish and strengthen congregations. It is interesting to note that in this evangelizing activity Paul supported himself financially by working at a trade.​—2 Cor. 10:13-16; Acts 18:1-4; 19:8-10; 1 Cor. 9:15-18.

EVANGELIZING DOES NOT NECESSARILY INVOLVE TRAVELING

12. Is traveling an essential part of evangelizing?

¹² While it is true that these evangelizers, for the most part, did considerable traveling, it is not necessary to travel to another location to preach if we have the evangelizing spirit. For the spirit of evangelizing is not the spirit of travel and adventure. Where a person is free from obligations that would prevent his moving, and offers himself to do so, he may be assigned, through those having charge of the preaching work in a country, to a specific place where his services are most needed. There his traveling may end, for he may settle down there, as Philip did in Caesarea, and continue to declare the good news, building up the congregation in that locality. He may remain there for many years, even for a lifetime, as have many of the missionaries of Jehovah’s witnesses.

13. What example shows us that we can do evangelizing without moving from our home locality?

¹³ But some persons may not be able to move, because of family obligations, health or for other reasons. Nevertheless, if they have the evangelizing spirit they can accomplish much good right in the area where they are living. As an example of this, there is a small congregation in the state of Arkansas, United States. A Witness there has lived in the area for many years. His conduct has been such that everyone for miles around knows of his Christian personality, and he has a fine reputation for honesty and uprightness. The congregation is small, but if all those who heard and accepted the good news by reason of his preaching and example had remained in the area, there would be a congregation of great size for that small community. But this man and his wife worked so hard, and set such a fine example of love and Christian living, and did such good training of new ones who accepted the good news, that they instilled the evangelizing spirit in their hearers to the extent that they, in turn, moved out to places where the need is greater. A surprising number have gone from this congregation to the Gilead missionary school and have been sent to foreign lands to serve. Should this man and his wife be discouraged because they could not travel to places where the good news did not have such intensive publicity? By no means. Jehovah has richly blessed them, and their work at home has had a worldwide effect.

14. If you have the evangelizing spirit, how do you have plenty of opportunity to preach right in the locality of your home?

¹⁴ So, wherever you are, you have unlimited opportunities to preach. There is the door-to-door preaching of the good news. Then there are those whom you may rarely, if ever, meet at their homes. These you may see in your daily work, at your shop or in your travels. You find them sitting in cars in parking lots, gasoline filling-station lines, in parks. If you have the spirit of wanting to share the good news with others, you do not always have to have a formal arrangement, or a set time. You are a witness of Jehovah all the time! You tell others the good news because it is in your heart, and you find yourself talking about it or making opportunities to talk about it under all circumstances.​—Jer. 20:9.

EVANGELIZING MEANS MORE THAN MERE PROCLAMATION

15. How is there more to the evangelizing spirit than merely telling the good news to others?

¹⁵ Now, there is more to the evangelizing spirit than merely telling others the good news. There is much depth of meaning in the good news, and some things are “hard to understand.” (2 Pet. 3:16) It requires thinking on your part to determine how to put these points across to your student of the good news. Not only this, but it is one thing to help to get mental knowledge and another to get things into the heart. You will notice that, in Jesus’ illustration of the sower, the seed fell where? On hearts. You as a preacher of the good news want to cultivate that seed in the heart of your student.​—Matt. 13:19.

16. How was Paul a fine example of a real evangelizer?

¹⁶ An evangelizer must have affection for people, even as the apostle Paul demonstrated, and which he describes, saying: “Having a tender affection for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the good news of God, but also our own souls, because you became beloved to us.” (1 Thess. 2:8) Paul and his associates exerted every fiber of their being toward those in Thessalonica who accepted the good news. Paul’s time and energies were theirs, and he wished and tried with all his heart to make them have the same all-consuming love of the good news by living it in every aspect of their lives.

17. If you have the true evangelizing spirit, how will you view and work with those to whom you declare the good news?

¹⁷ Do you feel and work that way toward those to whom you take the good news? If so, you will not be selfish toward them. You will not count them as your “sheep,” but will care for them as belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd. (1 Pet. 5:1-4) You will try to instill in them the spirit of God. You will try to acquaint them as much as possible with others of the congregation, for you realize that “there are varieties of gifts, but there is the same spirit; and there are varieties of ministries, and yet there is the same Lord; and there are varieties of operations, and yet it is the same God who performs all the operations in all persons. But the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for a beneficial purpose.” (1 Cor. 12:4-7) You will appreciate that you do not have all the abilities nor all the manifestations of Jehovah’s spirit. But you know that by association with the congregation, newly interested persons will be where Jehovah’s spirit is most concentrated and will be brought along to maturity by that association.

BUILDING AND TRAINING

18. At what are you aiming in studying the Bible with a person?

¹⁸ The evangelizing spirit is not measured in the amount of time devoted to preaching to others. It includes the effectiveness of one’s building up and training others. A person with whom you study may be grasping some of the fundamental doctrines, such as the truth of an earthly paradise, the fallacies of such doctrines as immortality of the human soul, hellfire of torment and the Trinity. He may get a good head knowledge about these things. He may be able to answer the questions in the study quite well. But you are not aiming principally at the head but at the heart. What, then, are the things you want to instill in his heart to make him a sound, mature Christian?​—Heb. 6:1-3.

19. (a) Name some of the very vital things that you will keep in mind to inculcate into your student’s heart. (b) How should he come to view God?

¹⁹ You will want to check constantly and keep ever in mind the following vital points, and it is up to you to work hard to help the one you are studying with to see them: Is your student coming to know Jehovah, that is, does he understand why Jehovah is having the good news brought to him and to others? Does he understand why God has let wickedness continue for a time and why he does not act according to human desire, to wipe it out immediately? Does he see clearly the issue of Jehovah’s sovereignty, and the loving-kindness of God in allowing time to be taken in settling the issue? Does he see that the things that are happening in the earth hurt God much more than they hurt us? that God, though able to bring an end to bad things, restrains himself for mankind’s own benefit? (Compare Genesis 6:3, 5-7.) Does he discern that all the good qualities that we possess to some degree, God has to a far greater degree​—love, appreciation, feeling, considerateness, mercy, patience? Does he view God as a close friend, as one willing to do whatever is good for him? He must come to know God as an Appreciator of those who serve him even in the smallest service that they render from the heart. He that pleases God must believe that he is the Rewarder of those who seek him. (Heb. 11:6) He is that kind of God. All those with the true evangelizing spirit know this to be true, and so they endeavor to instill this same desire in others to love and serve Him for his matchless qualities.​—Ex. 34:6, 7; Ps. 145:8-21.

20, 21. (a) What do we want our Bible students to gain? (b) How can we help them to develop a personal relationship with God, rather than looking to us as their teacher?

²⁰ So, when teaching and training those accepting the good news, you should ever keep these things uppermost in mind, and constantly be inculcating them in the hearts of your hearers. You want them to gain maturity, which includes the ability to discern both right and wrong. (Heb. 5:14) Whatever you teach them, whatever point they learn, relate it to Jehovah’s love, mercy, compassion and other qualities. Bring them to see that Jehovah is the one interested in them, that he is the one helping them, and that all they learn comes from that great Source, and out of his consideration for them.

²¹ Lead your students to know that they can have a personal relationship with God. It is not impersonal doctrine they are learning, nor is it because of their own intelligence or goodness that they are able to understand. It is God’s interest in mankind that has brought them to see the good news. Show them what a divine favor it is that God has seen fit to permit them to see and understand; without the operation of his spirit the good news would never have been made understandable to them. The wise men of this world are highly intelligent, but they cannot understand the good news. (Matt. 11:25; 1 Cor. 1:19-21) Let them know that you are only an instrument to bring things to their attention. It is Jehovah who is the Grand Instructor of his people.​—Isa. 30:20; 54:13.

22. How can we equip our student for the persecution he will face?

²² You realize, when you are teaching and training a newly interested person, that he is going to encounter opposition, even persecution. Prepare him for this, and show him why persecution comes, and why God allows it. Help him to understand Bible texts showing that those receiving persecution are highly favored. It is a proof of God’s spirit upon one. It is not something to be ashamed of or downcast about, but, rather, something over which he should leap for joy. (Matt. 5:11, 12; Phil. 1:27, 28; 2 Tim. 1:8; Jas. 1:2, 12; 1 Pet. 4:12-14) Strengthen him against possible opposition from family or friends with Jesus’ words at Mark 10:29, 30. You can encourage him to endure in faithfulness in the hope that he may eventually be able to bring salvation to those near and dear to him.

23. What important thing should we not overlook before encouraging Bible students to engage with us in the field service, and how can we handle this matter?

²³ Since the evangelizing spirit includes training, we, in making disciples to be like their Master Jesus Christ, must see that they qualify to become preachers of the good news. People should not be invited to engage with the members of the congregation in preaching before they fully clean up their lives so as to qualify. They must understand that all must be clean who bear the vessels of Jehovah. (Isa. 52:11; 2 Cor. 7:1) They must see that having the “mark” of the Christian personality is what pleases God and prevents his anger from coming upon them.​—Ezek. 9:4-6; Eph. 4:23, 24.

24, 25. (a) What kind of people only does God want to serve him? (b) Can we demand that a Bible student stop all his bad habits and practices at once, or what?

²⁴ God wants people to serve him who are Christians through and through. He is not interested in quantity, in merely having a great number of preachers of the good news. But he is drawing out from this corrupt system of things those who will clean up. His spirit, which he puts upon those who obey him, is a force for cleanness. If a person follows any course that is unclean, he is going contrary to the purpose for which God sends forth his spirit, and that spirit will not back him up.​—1 Thess. 4:7, 8.

²⁵ So it is wise to implant these principles of right living in the hearts of interested persons from the beginning. Of course, they cannot be expected to clean up their lives at once, but the steady drive toward that goal is yours if you have the true evangelizing spirit. This can be done with kindness and tact and without unduly prying into their lives. Your purpose is to know your student and to help him where he needs help. Then you can take him with you, training him to share in proclaiming the good news.

26. What is essential before encouraging a new one to be baptized?

²⁶ Similarly, baptism should not be encouraged until you know that the individual has really cleaned up his life and has lived in this clean condition long enough to indicate that he will not turn back to former bad habits and practices.

27. What are the rewards of having the evangelizing spirit?

²⁷ The evangelizing spirit is one that brings the greatest happiness. There is no greater joy now than being able to uphold Jehovah’s name in an ungodly world, and to bring light and hope to others. And then, when you see those whom you are helping coming to know and to appreciate Jehovah and Jesus Christ and what they have done, your joy is increased. The evangelizing spirit does away with the spirit of jealousy or envy. It rejoices in the spiritual advance of others, particularly of those whom you are helping. You feel in this respect as the apostle Paul desired Timothy to feel: “The things you heard from me with the support of many witnesses, these things commit to faithful men, who, in turn, will be adequately qualified to teach others.”​—2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Cor. 10:24.

28. If you feel somewhat lacking in the evangelizing spirit, what can you do to obtain or increase it?

²⁸ Consequently, all true servants of Jehovah desire to cultivate the evangelizing spirit in themselves and in others. If you desire to intensify this spirit within yourself, associate closely with those who have this fine attitude, and enlist the aid of the elders in the congregation. They will be happy to help you, for they know that it glorifies God and works toward the salvation of themselves and those whom they help.​—1 Tim. 4:16.