assembly and 241 remained to hear the closing remarks relating to experiences that Jehovah’s witnesses are having behind the iron curtain. Certainly, it was pointed out, “if under such conditions they can preach and maintain their integrity, then we here living under much more favorable conditions should be determined to preach and extend our ministry at every opportunity while conditions are still favorable.” The convention was brought to a close on a high note, but for those in Indonesia it meant another day of blessing because the time was at hand for the yearly celebration of the memorial of the death of Jesus Christ.

Monday evening, March 26, was the 14th day of Nisan, and after six o’clock on this day Jehovah’s witnesses around the world would be keeping the memory of the wonderful sacrifice that Christ Jesus laid down or offered on Jehovah’s altar. Eating his flesh and drinking his blood in symbol, they were partaking of the communion sacrifice pictured in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is in this part of the world that the day begins, so probably those in Jakarta were among the first to celebrate the feast at Jehovah’s table, to be followed by thousands in Asia and then Europe and finally North and South America, all celebrating the same evening meal. Here at Jakarta 268 were gathered together, along with hundreds of thousands of others elsewhere, but only one of this group partook of the emblems. Everyone else did not, indicating they are of the “other sheep” and looking forward to gaining perfect earthly life in the new world of righteousness under the kingdom of heaven, but at the same time recognizing the wonderful provision Christ Jesus made and recognizing him as King with the government upon his shoulders.

There is still a great work to be done in Indonesia. This is just a new country that has acquired independence and liberty and self-government. There is a great reconstruction work that must go on. Along with this reconstruction work of Indonesia, Jehovah’s witnesses have a very important announcement to make, namely, that God’s kingdom is the hope of all mankind. Back in the year 1947 there were only thirteen publishers. Today there are 261 and these must serve over 80 million inhabitants who speak more than 200 dialects. So a great work lies ahead of the few publishers there. The missionaries were a great help to the few publishers in the land when they arrived in 1951, but today circuit work is organized as well as district work. The circuit and district brothers travel great distances to serve the congregations and the Society is pleased to be able to pay these expenses to bring the proper instruction and comfort to Jehovah’s witnesses in all the islands. The response has been very good over a period of years until now they have reached a new peak of 261 publishers. Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere rejoice that they are moving ahead so well and maturing so fast.

Many of the Indonesian brothers were at the airport to say good-by to Brothers Knorr and Adams as they prepared to fly away to Singapore. In two hours’ time they flew over many islands of Indonesia, and, when they came down at the airport, here again there were about thirty brothers to give them a hearty welcome to the pleasant city of Singapore.

Declaring Our Hope Unwaveringly in Meetings

A PERSON of good will drinks in the truth that is handed to him at the door or on revisiting him. As he grows in knowledge and understanding he begins to feed himself at the home Bible study, but still only with milk. Advancing still more he attends the congregational meetings, where he feeds on more solid spiritual food. Then, as he reaches maturity, he prepares well for these meetings so that he can take part in them and help feed others. Where do you fit in?

Paul counseled: “Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that promised. And let us consider one another to incite to love and right works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.”—Heb. 10:23-25, NW.a

Yes, we must do more than just gather together; we must make “public declaration of our hope” in the congregation, incite one another to love and right works and give encouragement. Jesus ‘declared God’s name to his brothers and in the midst of the congregation praised him with song.’ (Heb. 2:12, NW) By each one of us commenting there is an interchange of encouragement.

Then too, by commenting we are heeding the command: “Keep testing whether you are in the faith, keep proving what you yourselves are.” (2 Cor. 13:5, NW) We may think we understand a matter, but we prove to ourselves that we really do when we explain it to others. Note also Paul’s counsel to Timothy: “Ponder over these things, be absorbed in them, that your advancement may be manifest to all persons.” How can our advancement be made manifest to all persons in the congregation if we fail to comment as opportunity affords?—1 Tim. 4:13-15, NW.

Of course, to declare our hope unwaveringly at meetings, to build up others, we must prepare our lessons in advance. Only then shall we have something helpful to say and be able to say it with confidence. Do not let fear of making a mistake keep you silent. Better speak up and be corrected than give expression to wrong thoughts when preaching from house to house. By practice you will become more proficient in commenting. How often have you commented at the congregational meetings in the past month? Are you unwaveringly declaring your hope in these meetings at every opportunity?

[Footnotes]

Questions From Readers

● Is not the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures verbose, for instance, in using “catches sight of” for “sees” at 1 John 5:16 and “undeserved kindness” for “grace”?—J. S., United States.

You do not state whether you have studied the koiné Greek of the Bible or not, but, if not, then, because of your unfamiliarity therewith, the way the New World Translation Committee renders some Greek verbs and terms and expressions in English may seem strained to you or verbose. But not so according to one acquainted with the Greek. The Greek verb rendered “catches sight of” in the New World Translation is in a peculiar tense of the Greek language, the aorist, and refers not to a repetition of acts or to a continuing action but to just one instance of the act. The use of the present tense of the verb “see,” namely, “sees,” as in the King James Version, does not bring out accurately the singular meaning of the verb here in the aorist tense, the catching of a person, as you say, red-handed, in the act.

Likewise with the expression “undeserved kindness.” It is simply because people do not understand the meaning of this Scriptural Greek word in its several uses that the New World Translation Committee made the meaning unmistakable by the use of the above expression. In English the word “grace” has fourteen or more different meanings. Which one does it mean, as at John 1:14 (AV), “full of grace and truth”? Does it mean there “gracefulness”? Or “favor”? Or “the grant of temporary immunity”? Or what? The New World Translation leaves no doubt as to the meaning but renders it “undeserved kindness,” in keeping with the context, as, for instance, the succeeding verse 17.

So we appreciate the New World Translation for its attention to detail and its sincere effort to bring out the exact shade of meaning of the original koiné Greek rather than bring out a slipshod translation with an equivocal meaning.