identity and form. The principles of thinking and living taught through the congregation marked the believers deeply, affecting their personal lives, marriage and family life, and the relationship between slaves and masters.—Col. 3:5; Ephesians, chapter 5.

22. What part did the first congregation play in true worship?

²² These are only some of the Biblical proofs showing that the Christian congregation of the first century played a vital part in the training and upbuilding of the anointed Christians. It was in fact a pillar and foundation of the truth. The congregation proved to be God’s provision to teach Christian believers of their need for one another and gave them full opportunity to practice love, mercy and forgiveness as well as to learn respect for theocratic authority. It did not quench God’s spirit or stifle love’s expression, but, rather, by teaching and example it was able to build up all in the congregation in love and maturity so that they were most receptive to the operation of the holy spirit.

The Congregation in the Time of the End

1, 2. (a) How was the falling away of the congregation foretold, and how did it begin to occur? (b) Did that mark the end of the congregation in God’s purposes?

THE Christian congregation of the first century was strong, united and wholly devoted to advancing clean worship. But this condition was not going to continue undisrupted through the centuries down to the time of the end where we are now. The apostles had the authority to keep the congregation subject to Christ; but they foretold that they, who acted as a restraint upon lawless action in the congregation, would be taken away in death and then the congregation would fall away to lawlessness and false teaching. (2 Cor. 10:2-6; 2 Thess. 2:3-12; 2 Tim. 4:3, 4; Acts 20:29, 30) Jesus also foretold this when he likened the congregation of faithful believers of that time to the right kind of seed that he planted in a field. According to this parable the enemy was to be allowed to plant weeds, a counterfeit planting, which would be allowed to grow up among the wheat until the harvesttime, which would be at the consummation of the system of things. This meant that the clear identity and organizational purity of the Christian congregation would be obscured and corrupted by the growth of apostates. Not long after the death of the apostles this false growth began to flourish; human philosophies, heathen doctrines and celebrations were absorbed; alliances were made with the political state and the congregation became formed, shaped and marked by this old world.—Matt. 13:24-30, 37-43.

² This, however, did not mean that the idea of a congregation was a failure. Jesus foretold that in the last days, “the time of the end,” there would be a harvesting or gathering together of God’s true planting and a restoring of them to a theocratically organized congregation, which would play a vital part in the lives of all Christians at the time of the end. We shall here consider a number of prophecies that show this would be the case and compare such with the experiences of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses in our time.

3. (a) What would happen to God’s servants in the time of the end, according to the parable of the wheat and the tares? (b) How could they be a ‘light to the world’ and a ‘city upon a mountain’?

³ In his parable of the wheat and the tares Jesus said that at the time of the end the wheat, the true planting of God, would be gathered into the storehouse and the tares bundled and cast out of the kingdom so as to be burned. “At that time the righteous ones will shine as brightly as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matt. 13:43) This does not refer to the heavenly condition of the resurrected anointed members of Christ’s body, but rather to the restored earthly condition. It is on earth that they are gathered and shine as a ‘light to the world,’ whereas all apostate organizations or plantings would be cast out of this place where they had claimed to be God’s church. (Dan. 12:3; Phil. 2:15; 1 Pet. 2:9) As to being a light, Jesus said to his followers: “You are the light of the world. A city cannot be hid when situated upon a mountain.” (Matt. 5:14) In the harvesttime there was to be a gathering together of Christ’s spiritual brothers into a group or congregation so they would have an identity, would be united in teaching, become a ‘light to the world’ and ‘shine like the brightness of the firmament.’ Their condition needed to be restored to that of the organized congregation of the first century so they could become a ‘city upon a mountain.’

4. What is indicated as to the condition of God’s anointed remnant in Matthew 24:31, 45-47 and 25:31-46?

⁴ This being gathered together is supported by Matthew 24:31, which states that at the time of the end the chosen ones are to be gathered from the four corners of the earth. That these would be united as a congregation is further shown in verses 45 to 47, where their condition is likened to that of domestics in a master’s household who are given food at the proper time by a faithful slave. Even as the first congregation was called God’s household at Ephesians 2:19 and 1 Timothy 3:15, so this household of the master must refer to an organized congregation. This ‘slave class’ has proved to be the anointed remnant of Jehovah’s witnesses working with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, who are busy providing the individuals of this household world-wide with spiritual food. Note that this slave would be appointed over all the master’s belongings. What this includes is emphasized at Matthew 25:31-46, in the parable of the sheep and goats, where we read of how a large group of sheeplike good-will persons come into favor with the King, Christ Jesus, because they identify, support and work together with Christ’s brothers.

GOING UP TO JEHOVAH’S HOUSE

5, 6. (a) How is there an elevating of the “house” mentioned at Isaiah, chapter 2, to which people of the nations stream, and how is this shown? (b) What provision was to be made here?

⁵ Another picture of how the earthly condition of God’s anointed servants in the time of the end would be as an organized congregation under the established Zion in the heavens is found at Isaiah 2:2, 3: “And it must occur in the final part of the days that the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established above the top of the mountains, and it will certainly be lifted up above the hills, and to it all the nations must stream. And many peoples will certainly go and say: ‘Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will instruct us about his ways and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion law will go forth.”’ Of course, “Zion” is established in the heavens, from which the law goes forth. But the crowd of persons from all nations cannot stream