their refusal to heed God’s warning. So it will be now in the case of an unbelieving mate. He has special advantages, but if these are rejected he will die at Armageddon. He is grown and responsible for himself, not like the unresponsible children that are counted holy because of the sanctified parent that has taught them the truth to the extent of their mental capacities.

So the believing mate can only be diligent to live up to all the marriage obligations, witness to the mate if he will listen, live a clean Christian life that by action and good conduct will recommend the truth, and teach the children the truth. The apostle Peter argued for this course when he told the following to believing women married to men “not obedient to the word”, or not in the truth: “In like manner, you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, in order that, if any are not obedient to the word, they may be won without a word through the conduct of their wives, because of having been eyewitnesses of your chaste conduct together with deep respect. And do not let your adornment be that of the external braiding of the hair and of the putting on of gold ornaments or the wearing of outer garments, but let it be the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of the quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God.”—1 Pet. 3:1-4, NW.

We get a clearer picture of the point Paul was making at 1 Corinthians 7:14 if we have the setting before us: “If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and yet she is agreeable to dwelling with him, let him not leave her; and a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and yet he is agreeable to dwelling with her, let her not leave her husband. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in relation to his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in relation to the brother; otherwise, your children would really be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbelieving one proceeds to depart, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not in servitude under such circumstances, but God has called you to peace. For, wife, how do you know but that you will save your husband? Or, husband, how do you know but that you will save your wife?”—1 Cor. 7:12-16, NW.

The marriage relationship between the two is valid in God’s sight, and the unbelieving one is not to be cast off as unfit to associate with. The believer is not living in spiritual adultery. The marriage vows hold and the close relationship and marital oneness bring special opportunity to the unbeliever, and the believing one should tactfully take advantage of this opportunity. The believing one will not divorce the unbeliever on the ground of his unbelief, for such is not Scriptural ground for divorce. If the unbeliever wants to leave the faithful believer because of faithfulness to God, then let the unbeliever go. It is his decision. But if he will remain, the believing one will not break up the marriage, but will take advantage of opportunities leading to the full and direct sanctification of the unbeliever. Merely being married to a believer does not automatically result in the unbeliever’s salvation. That it is not settled but is a matter of question, dependent upon the unbeliever’s conversion, is shown by Paul’s queries: “Wife, how do you know but that you will save your husband? Or, husband, how do you know but that you will save your wife?” The unbeliever may or may not be saved, but the believer can and should work for the unbelieving mate’s salvation as long as it remains an unsettled question.

● To what extent must a wife be subject to her husband? For example, one sister has her house cluttered with plants, and the husband says if she were properly subject to him she would get rid of them. Another wife invites someone to dinner without consulting the husband, and he objects because he knows nothing of it. Again, a wife corrects her husband at a study, and he objects to her procedure. The Jewish women must have felt very inferior under the dictates of the Talmud. Must we sisters in the truth now feel the same way?—M. M., British Columbia, Canada.

The full meaning of a married woman’s “subjection” to her husband is something that a married woman who is dutiful would have to experience rather than for us to explain it in all its scope. You mention the “dictates of the Talmud”, and that is what we have tried to avoid compiling for married women or for married men by specifying in great detail what they may or should do or not do under this and that circumstance. To our mind the first two examples you raise in your question are good illustrations of how endless it would be to try to compile rules for all circumstances, and shows how we would involve ourselves in rather childish and petty bickerings that should involve no difficulty for married persons in the truth and who are guided by divine principles, rather than wanting a specific definition of their “exact rights”. As for a wife correcting her husband at a meeting, this has been specifically answered in the May 1, 1949, Watchtower, particularly in paragraph 27. Good counsel for both husbands and wives is found at Ephesians 5:21-33, 1 Timothy 2:9-15, and 1 Peter 3:1-12.

The expression of subjection is something the wife has to work out for herself, having in mind what the apostle Paul says at Ephesians 5 that she should manifest, namely, “deep respect for her husband.” In apostolic writings women of old times are commended for displaying deep respect for their husband because of his theocratic position. Sometimes some expression of subjection may be distasteful to a wife because of the humiliation involved, but if she nonetheless subjects herself, not to please herself and not to please just her husband, but doing it as to the Lord Jesus whose bride she pictures, then she can swallow the humiliation better and know a reasonable reason for it and it becomes a virtue to her, as 1 Peter 3 states.

Wifely subjection, where it hurts, is a thing that a wife brings upon herself by saying, “I do.” This is part of the “tribulation in their flesh” that Paul warned marrying couples they would expose themselves to. (1 Cor. 7:28, NW) The apostles say we are to be subject, if slaves, to cantankerous masters as well as to agreeable masters, all for the sake of the recommendation of the truth to our masters as well as to outside observers. The apostles like to link this with child obedience and wife obedience, as Paul did in his letter to the Ephesians, dealing consecutively with wifely subjection, child subjection and slave subjection. (Eph. 5:21–6:9) But in this connection Paul also counseled husbands, showing them that they should guard against being overbearing or unloving toward their wife, but treat her as their own flesh. So wifely obedience is something wives must work out for themselves, but in accord with divine principles and in love.

Announcements

“BE TRANSFORMED BY MAKING YOUR MIND OVER”—Rom. 12:2, NW.

Aware of the transforming power of God’s Word of truth, Jehovah’s witnesses and their associates world-wide desire to have this power work in their behalf. It aids them to make their minds over, no longer fashioning their lives after this present system of things, but learning to know and to do the “complete will of God”. With the enlightened outlook that God’s Word gives them they want to assist others also to gain life-giving knowledge. During September they will collectively put forth a special effort to make calls on those who have obtained literature published by Jehovah’s witnesses and encourage them to start home Bible studies. To this end they will present the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures and the book What Has Religion Done for Mankind? on a contribution of only $2. The New World Translation and the companion book are of unequaled value in the field of Bible study and research, as they give in understandable present-day English the sacred secrets of God’s Word and his gracious purposes toward right-minded persons. You, too, may learn these precious truths and have a share in passing them on to others. Send your inquiries to the branch office in your country. See list on second page.

PREPARE FOR TWO CONVENTIONS

Readers of The Watchtower are invited to attend the district assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses, the majority of which will be held September 5 to 7, 1952. For details of these assemblies and locations and other dates, see the July issues of this magazine. These district assemblies we hope will take care of your convention needs for 1952.

The year 1953 will be blessed with a worldwide assembly, a convention arranged for in New York city’s Yankee Stadium. Then people from all parts of the United States, Canada and the rest of the world will convene. What an assembly that will be, by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness! If you have never attended a convention of Jehovah’s witnesses, be sure to go to a district assembly this year. Enjoy that and we feel sure your appetite will be whetted for the 1953 international gathering. We urge you to attend this year, and prepare now for next year’s world-wide assembly. We hope you will receive the blessings of both these conventions.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES

Week of September 28: God’s Spirit Essential to Maturity, ¶1-20.

Week of October 5: God’s Spirit Essential to Maturity, ¶21-26; also, A Mature View of Dedication.