“Welcome One Another”

“Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”​—Rom. 15:7, Revised Standard Version; The Living Bible.

1. (a) How many have been welcomed as members into the United Nations organization? (b) What has it failed to produce, and so what is constantly feared?

WELCOME into the United Nations organization has been given to 154 nations till now. Its member nations do not all have the same political ideology. They even have hostile attitudes, but in the U.N. they try to be “friendly enemies.” They seem to grasp the truth of what an American journalist-poet said: “United​—we stand. Divided​—we fall.” The U.N. claims to be an organization for world peace and security. Still, after all these years since World War II ended in 1945, it has not produced what American politician Wendell Wilkie said, “One world, one government.” So the outbreak of World War III with nuclear weapons is feared more and more.

2. Even within a nation, what things may militate against one citizen as to being welcomed by fellow citizens?

² Even in a nation belonging to the U.N., its citizens may not welcome all other fellow citizens into their social group. Prejudices control matters. The rich do not welcome the poor. Members of one religion do not welcome persons of another religion. Adherents of one political party refuse to welcome those of an opposing political party. Highly educated persons consider those of little or no education as beneath their notice. A person’s own skin color may militate against him in the case of those of another skin color. Racial extractions may make a difference. There is no general, uniform acceptance of an individual on the basis of his being a fellow member of one big human family. Hence, personal dislikes and hostilities determine where a person can gain admission.

3. (a) How has Christendom not been any exception to the above things? (b) Has the U.N. proved to be any better than the League of Nations in being an expression of God’s kingdom by Christ?

³ Christendom is no exception to all of that, even though it is supposed to be a society of Christian nations. Because they are Christian in name only, they have repeatedly violated what is prophesied in Isaiah 2:4: “They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.” In Christendom persons who are Christian in name only will patriotically fight for their own national attachments even to their own death or that of their opponents. They find no solid reason for rejoicing in the United Nations organization, even though back in December of 1918 the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America called the then proposed League of Nations “the political expression of the kingdom of God on earth.” Certainly the United Nations organization has not proved to be an expression of God’s kingdom by means of Christ.

4. What did Paul, as one who quoted from Isaiah’s prophecies, say about ‘the things written aforetime’?

⁴ However, the above-quoted words about nations not lifting up sword against one another and not learning war anymore are being fulfilled in those who are true imitators of Jesus Christ. This peaceful Son of God quoted many times from the prophecies of Isaiah that were written long aforetime. He did so for the instruction of his followers. One of such followers, the apostle Paul, wrote to the disciples of Christ in Rome in the first century and reminded them: “For all the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope.”​—Rom. 15:4.

5. With regard to endurance, who furnished the finest example for Paul and fellow Christians?

⁵ In fulfillment of things written aforetime in the Holy Scriptures, Jesus Christ endured reproach and persecution even to a disgraceful death on a stake like a political criminal. In his endurance to that extreme he became a perfect example for his disciples that would strengthen them to endure faithfully to the end.

6. (a) What shows that, on the stake, Jesus held on to his hope, and how was he strengthened to endure? (b) As in Jesus’ case, what is true of his followers as to hope and endurance?

⁶ Because of his steadfastly enduring to the finish of his earthly course Jesus held on to his God-given hope. Hence, he could say to the sympathetic thief who was impaled alongside him: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) During those grueling hours on the torture stake, Jesus experienced much comfort by calling to mind the things “written aforetime” that referred to him, and he was thus strengthened mightily. No less so, his devoted followers who suffer the reproaches heaped upon Jehovah God and Jesus Christ keep a firm grip on their Scripturally inspired hope for the future. They too are tremendously comforted by the Scriptures “written aforetime.” Their hope, based on the most reliable Scriptures, “does not lead to disappointment.”​—Rom. 5:5.

7. Whose mental attitude should the whole congregation have, and how does this affect their glorifying God?

⁷ The thing for us to do is to have the frame of mind that Jesus Christ had during all his sufferings in an enemy world. In line with this the apostle Paul framed this prayer: “Now may the God who supplies endurance and comfort grant you to have among yourselves the same mental attitude that Christ Jesus had, that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 15:5, 6) By building up such a mental attitude in imitation of our Exemplar, Jesus Christ, we will keep in unity as a congregation of his disciples. The same mental attitude in a group leads to similar expressions. Thus it seems as if “one mouth” were speaking for the entire congregation with greater force and impressiveness. This is most fitting. Never can too much stress be laid upon glorifying the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ unitedly. There should be a blending of our voices with regard to the One who is to be glorified. Otherwise the hearer would become confused as to the message to be conveyed.

A WELCOME THAT IS CHRISTLIKE

8. What might have tended to affect the unity of the congregation in Rome to which Paul wrote his letter?

⁸ In many organizations or societies of this system of things a disposition may exist on the part of many not to welcome newcomers because of national or racial prejudices. Differences as to the amount of education may play their part, or there may be religious differences. Back in ancient Rome of the first century C.E. there might have been natural reasons for such divisive things.

9. Of whom was the Roman congregation then composed, and what might have produced differences in individual preferences of associations?

⁹ The apostle Paul had not yet reached Rome, that cosmopolitan imperial city, but in hope of getting there shortly he wrote his inspired letter to the congregation there. After calling attention to the approachableness of Jesus Christ as the perfect example, Paul went on to say: “Therefore welcome one another, just as the Christ also welcomed us, with glory to God in view.” (Rom. 15:7) For one thing, “all those who are in Rome as God’s beloved ones, called to be holy ones,” included natural circumcised Jews and uncircumcised Gentiles or non-Jews, freemen and slaves. (Rom. 1:7; 3:1-6; Phil. 4:22) So among those Roman Christians there were differences of religious background and social standing, all of this producing varieties of viewpoints and conscientious feelings. This could have resulted also in preferences of one’s associations.

10. How did Jesus set the pattern as to the way in which we should welcome one another, and what did his doing so have in view?

¹⁰ Brushing all of that aside, Paul exhorted them all to “welcome one another,” doing so warmly, cordially, sincerely, in genuine appreciation of a fellow Christian, a fellow believer. There was a perfect pattern to be followed in that regard, for Paul says to do so “just as the Christ also welcomed us.” When he was on earth, did not Jesus say: “The one that comes to me I will by no means drive away”? (John 6:37) Yes! As a perfect man, he could have held us at a distance because of our imperfections and sinfulness. But he did not do so. Why not? Paul states the reason, by adding the words: “With glory to God in view.” Welcoming all believers in him, Christ brought glory to God, for it magnified God’s largeheartedness and his desire for all humans to be saved through the ransom sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ. It was just as Jesus himself said: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.”​—John 3:16.

11. Why does such a warm welcome to newcomers lead to the glorifying of God, and so what did the risen Jesus tell his disciples in Galilee to do?

¹¹ Likewise, when we, as imitators of Jesus Christ, welcome all seekers into the congregation despite race, color, former religious membership, social standing or secular education, this works for God’s glory. It gives all those thus welcomed a right viewpoint toward Jehovah God. Showing his willingness to receive all true believers into the congregation of which he was the spiritual Head, the resurrected Jesus told his disciples in “Galilee of the nations” what to do, saying: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you.”​—Isa. 9:1; Matt. 28:16-20.

12. (a) Having God’s glory in view when we welcome others serves as what to us? (b) How does our going from door to door counteract any accusing of God of bloodguilt?

¹² When we welcome all comers without distinction, it is quite a stimulus to us to remember that we are doing so “with glory to God in view.” It moves the welcomed ones to appreciate the warmhearted generosity of God and to glorify him themselves. When we go outside the walls of our meeting places and go from door to door to proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom to all whom we meet, we demonstrate that we “welcome one another, just as the Christ also welcomed us, with glory to God in view.” This course results in glory to the God of whom we are witnesses regardless of whether those upon whom we call appreciate the Kingdom message or not. Those who welcome the Kingdom message will finally join in glorifying the God who sent his Kingdom messengers to them. Those who do not welcome our God-given message of salvation will at some future time realize that Jehovah God had thought of them and had sent his faithful witnesses to them, leaving them no reason to find fault with God. (Ezek. 33:33) God thus stays free of accusation with respect to their blood.

FROM CARPENTER TO “MINISTER”

13. Why can God not be accused of partiality for giving the first opportunities to a people less populous than the rest of the world?

¹³ Who, though, had the first opportunity to benefit from God’s provision? It was the people through whom we got the Holy Bible. They were the natural Jews. Well, then, was not God showing partiality, especially when we remember that the non-Jews far outnumbered the circumcised Jews even 1,900 years ago? On the surface of things it might seem so. But God had to make a start somewhere, and he made a start with those to whom he had made special promises through their forefathers, namely, the circumcised Jews. However, the final benefits of God’s pursuit of this course were not to be confined strictly to the natural Jews or Hebrews. So is there just basis for complaining about that? None at all!

14. Hence, the Son of God from heaven was obliged to become a man of what sort, and what welcome was he given by those of his own sort?

¹⁴ Let us never forget that God had made unbreakable promises to deserving men with regard to their natural descendants, the Jews. Accordingly the Son of God had to come down from heaven in order to carry out those promises of his heavenly Father. This obliged him to be born as a member of an internationally hated race, the people with whom God made a national covenant. Yet, even as a Jew, the Son of God was not made welcome by the majority of fellow Jews, just as a writer of the earthly history of the Son of God says: “He came to his own home, but his own people did not take him in.”​—John 1:11.

15. What kind of work did Jesus do at Nazareth, and in doing this was he serving as a “minister of those who are circumcised”?

¹⁵ So to the Christian congregation in Rome, not all of whom were natural Jews, the Jewish apostle Paul wrote: “For I say that Christ actually became a minister of those who are circumcised in behalf of God’s truthfulness, so as to verify the promises He made to their forefathers, and that the nations might glorify God for his mercy.” (Rom. 15:8, 9a) At Nazareth in Galilee, in the home of his adoptive father, the circumcised Jew Joseph, the growing Jesus learned to become a carpenter. By birth into the tribe of Judah Jesus did not belong to the priestly family or to the tribe of temple Levites. Naturally he could not enter the ranks of the temple servants at Jerusalem. But did Jesus the Son of God come to earth merely to serve and die as a carpenter? No! So in his becoming a “minister of those who are circumcised” much more is meant than his becoming a carpenter like his foster father Joseph.

16. In order to serve more than the townspeople of Nazareth as a carpenter, what did Jesus proceed to do?

¹⁶ Had Jesus gone no farther in life than his carpenter work in Nazareth, he certainly would not have carried out his foretold ministry. So his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, started him off in something different, that he might be a “minister of those who are circumcised,” not just of the townspeople of Nazareth, but of the whole nation. Accordingly, at the age of 30 he gave up the carpenter’s trade for good.

17. How are we to compare the work of Jesus after he was baptized and anointed with the service of the Jewish high priest at the temple?

¹⁷ What kind of work did Jesus undertake after getting baptized by John the Baptizer, a Levite, and being baptized with God’s holy spirit? Was it a service inferior to that of the temple priests and Levites, who were real “ministers” of God at Jerusalem? Certainly everyone acquainted with the facts will admit that he took up an official service, a “ministry,” and not merely a religious profession. Just as the English Revised Version of the Bible words it: “Christ hath been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers.” (Rom. 15:8; also the Authorized or King James Version) He was undeniably performing a national service, occupying a ministerial office, not by man’s appointment but by that of God, the Universal Sovereign. What Jesus did after his change of occupation on earth was vastly more important than the religious service of the Jewish high priest at Jerusalem.

18. Though not recognized as a “minister” by any earthly nation, why was it “of those who are circumcised” that Jesus became a “minister”?

¹⁸ Just as Jesus Christ could not perform any religious service in the temple at Jerusalem and thus compete with the priests and the Levites there, he could not, and, of course, would not, perform religious services in any temple of the non-Jewish nations, in Rome, Athens, or elsewhere. Yet he was obliged to become a “minister of those who are circumcised” for the sake of God’s truthfulness. How so? Because he had to “verify the promises [God] made to their forefathers,” Hebrews, not Gentiles. For example, their ‘forefather’ Abraham had many sons by three women, but God chose Abraham’s only son by his first wife, Sarah, to receive the Abrahamic promise, namely, Isaac. In turn, Isaac had twin sons, but God chose the younger twin, Jacob, who was later called Israel, to transmit the Abrahamic promise concerning the “seed” by means of whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. In time the 12 sons of Jacob produced the 12 tribes of Israel, with whom, as a nation, God made his national covenant through the prophet Moses as the mediator.

19. Why was Jesus not born into the tribe of Levi, and who welcomed him into the earth, and where?

¹⁹ Later, after the nation of Israel chose to have a human king as the visible representative of Jehovah, He made His royal promise to King David of the tribe of Judah. Hence, the promised Messiah, or Christ, had to come in David’s family. This accounts for it that Jesus was born in David’s hometown of Bethlehem, as David’s heir through birth from the Judean virgin, Mary. Heavenly angels welcomed him into the earth. Thus the Son of God from heaven could not escape being born a Jew. The unbreakable promises of God his Father had to be confirmed or vindicated. God was not letting himself be proved a liar.

20. Though Jesus became one of “those who are circumcised,” what awaited people of the non-Jewish nations, and why?

²⁰ Jesus was very glad to cooperate with his heavenly Father. Hence, he “actually became a minister of those who are circumcised.” He was circumcised like one of them. For three and a half years after Jesus’ death and resurrection special favor was shown to the circumcised Jews. Yet a welcome into Jehovah’s theocratic organization awaited uncircumcised Gentiles, or non-Jews. This was to be in confirmation of Jehovah’s inviolable promises to men.

“Be Glad, You Nations, with His People”

1. Why have the Jews who still keep the law of Moses not proved to be “his people” with whom the nations are called upon to “be glad”?

WHO are “his people” with whom all nations are called upon to “be glad”? (Rom. 15:10) It has not proved to be the Jewish people. The natural Jews who still try to keep the law of Moses have been hated and persecuted during the 1,900-year period since the year 70 C.E., the year of the destruction of ancient Jerusalem by the Roman legions under General Titus. Oddly, not even the natural Jews themselves have rejoiced with “his people,” Jehovah’s people. At the close of an inspired song sung in the year 1473 B.C.E., the Jewish prophet Moses was the one who sang out: “Be glad, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and he will pay back vengeance to his adversaries and will indeed make atonement for the ground of his people.”​—Deut. 32:43.

2. When did the transfer of Jesus’ followers from “the authority of the darkness . . . into the kingdom of the Son of his love” start taking place?

² When Paul made and applied his quotation from those words of Moses, about 56 C.E., Jesus had died, been resurrected and ascended to heaven long before, in 33 C.E. So from Pentecost of that year onward, “his people,” Jehovah’s people, were the dedicated, baptized, spirit-begotten disciples of Jesus Christ. Some years later, about 60-61 C.E., Paul wrote to members of Jehovah’s “people” at Colossae and said: “Thanking the Father [Jehovah] who rendered you suitable for your participation in the inheritance of the holy ones in the light. He delivered us from the authority of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.” (Col. 1:12, 13) Such a transfer began on the Jewish day of Pentecost (Sivan 6) of 33 C.E., after Jesus returned to heaven.

3. By that transfer into the spiritual kingdom of God’s beloved Son, what did they become in behalf of the King?

³ On that day, by means of his glorified royal Son Jesus Christ, the heavenly Father poured out his holy spirit first on the waiting disciples, about 120 of them at Jerusalem. Thus they were transferred from under the authority of worldly darkness into the spiritual kingdom of God’s beloved Son, Jesus Christ, “the light of the world.” (John 8:12) That spiritual kingdom was set up by Jehovah God, and in it Jesus Christ as the spiritual King served as Jehovah’s minister of state. In carrying out this ministry he uses his spirit-begotten disciples on earth as “ambassadors substituting for Christ.” (2 Cor. 5:20) According to the English Revised Version, they are “ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ.” Such “ambassadors” have indeed a ministry, a government service.

4. (a) God’s “people” with whom the nations are to “be glad” is made up therefore of whom? (b) Over what are the Gentile nations to glorify God?

⁴ It is with such ambassadors that all the nations not made up of spiritual Israelites are to “be glad.” Over what? The Christian ambassadorial minister Paul answers when he writes to the congregation in Rome and says: “Christ actually became a minister of those who are circumcised [the natural Jews] in behalf of God’s truthfulness, so as to verify the promises He made to their forefathers, and that the nations might glorify God for his mercy.” (Rom. 15:8, 9a) What was God’s mercy to the Gentile “nations”?

5. (a) What was the “mercy” of God toward the uncircumcised Gentiles? (b) When and with whom did that “mercy” begin, with admission into what?

⁵ Back there in the first century C.E., God’s “mercy” was this: Jehovah God allowed the uncircumcised Gentiles (or, people of the nations) to come in under the “promises” that he had made to the forefathers of the circumcised Jews. In the case of uncircumcised non-Jews, this began in the year 36 C.E., when the Roman centurion Cornelius and his family and friends at Caesarea accepted the ministry of the apostle Peter and were anointed with God’s holy spirit and got baptized. (Acts, chap. 10) Whether Cornelius and his family left Caesarea and returned to Italy to become members of the congregation at Rome, which was up till then composed of circumcised Jewish believers and possibly Jewish “proselytes,” we do not know. (Acts 2:1-10) But from then on God showed “mercy” to the believing, baptized Gentiles by admitting them into the spiritual “kingdom” of his beloved Son, despite their uncircumcision.

6. (a) In Paul’s day God’s “mercy” consisted in letting the nations become members of what? (b) Why can these partakers of God’s “mercy” not take part in the ministries of worldly governments?

⁶ In this way the “nations,” whether circumcised Samaritans, circumcised Egyptians, or uncircumcised non-Jews, were favored with becoming members of the ‘seed of Abraham,’ by means of whom all the families of the earth will have to bless themselves. (Gen. 12:3; 22:15-18; Gal. 3:3-29) Although at present these are in the spiritual kingdom of the Son of God’s love, all those proving faithful to their earthly death will be resurrected into the heavenly kingdom of God. There they will reign with Christ for 1,000 years, to bless all the families of the earth. (Rev. 20:4-6) In the meantime, while yet in the flesh on earth, they have the “ministry” that comes upon them as “ambassadors substituting for Christ,” engaging in “the ministry of the word” about Jehovah’s kingdom by Christ. On this account they cannot consistently become ministers of the political governments of this Devil-controlled world.​—Acts 6:4.

MAKING PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGMENT AMONG NATIONS

7. What stand do these “ambassadors” take toward the conflicts of this world, and why do they keep rejoicing and invite others to join them in this?

⁷ The Kingdom “ambassadors” take a strictly neutral stand toward worldly conflicts. They know that “the times of the Gentiles,” or “the appointed times of the nations,” ended in the early fall of the year 1914, during the third month of World War I. (Luke 21:24; compare AV) At that time the lease of the Gentile nations for exercising world domination ran out. Such worldly nations, including those of Christendom, stubbornly refuse to recognize that fact. So they oppose and persecute the Christian witnesses of Jehovah who call attention to that fact. All such persecution is just as was foretold in Bible prophecies. In spite of it all, the “ambassadors” of God’s established kingdom keep on rejoicing. They invite the people of all the nations to rejoice with them and to join with them in announcing the kingdom that he has laid on the shoulder of Jesus Christ.

8. (a) Since when has a “great crowd” of all nationalities been gathered to the side of God’s established kingdom? (b) What do they clearly discern and what merciful experience would they like to enjoy?

⁸ From the spring of 1935 (May) a “great crowd” of people of all the nations began to be glad with the spirit-anointed “people” of Jehovah, who were heirs of his heavenly kingdom. Gladdened persons who make up that “great crowd” of all nationalities are keenly interested in becoming earthly subjects of God’s millennial kingdom by Christ. (Rev. 7:9-17; 22:17) They clearly discern that at the close of the Gentile Times in 1914 “the kingdom of the world did become the kingdom of our Lord [Jehovah] and of his Christ, and he will rule as king forever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15) They appreciate that they are living in the time of crossing over from the doomed political governments of this world to the millennial kingdom of God’s Messiah or Christ. They would very much like to live through this transition period and, without dying, enter into that new order on earth, under that Messianic kingdom. This would be a great “mercy” on the part of Jehovah God toward them.

9. (a) Those making up the international “great crowd” have acted on what invitation, and how have they symbolized this? (b) As sheeplike ones, how have they done good to Christ’s spiritual “brothers” during this conclusion of the system of things?

⁹ Yes, it has even been an unusual “mercy” on Jehovah’s part that “this good news of the kingdom” has been “preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations,” and that it has come their way. (Matt. 24:14) From the spring of 1935 those making up the “great crowd” have availed themselves of God’s “mercy” and have responded to the invitation to dedicate themselves to Jehovah God through Christ and have symbolized their dedication by baptism in water. Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats, as recorded in Matthew 25:31-46, shows that they must do good to his chosen ones, his spiritual brothers, now during this “conclusion of the system of things.” (Matt. 24:3, 31) This includes their helping Christ’s spiritual “brothers” in preaching “this good news of the kingdom” down till the oncoming “great tribulation,” the like of which has never occurred before. (Matt. 24:14-22) Because of cooperating with the remnant of “ambassadors substituting for Christ,” they enter into a new status.

10. Into what new status have the “great crowd” entered, and what service have they rendered with the “ambassadors substituting for Christ”?

¹⁰ The “great crowd” of sheeplike ones who are gathered to Christ’s right side of approval serve in the capacity of envoys for Christ in the sacred service of his kingdom. A “ministry” is laid upon them to serve in the interests of a royal government, “the kingdom of the heavens.” By the magnificent service that they render with the Kingdom “ambassadors,” they show their gratitude to Jehovah God.

THE GLADNESS OF THE NATIONS FORETOLD

11. Who is the One to whose name David said he would make melody, and how does he describe this one?

¹¹ The apostle Paul quotes from the psalmist, King David, when he tells how the nations will come to “glorify God for his mercy,” as Paul goes on to say: “Just as it is written: ‘That is why I will openly acknowledge you among the nations and to your name I will make melody.’” (Ps. 18:49; 2 Sam. 22:50; Rom. 15:9b) The inspired psalmist described who the One was to whose name he would make melody, when he added the closing words: “The One doing great acts of salvation for his king and exercising loving-kindness to his anointed one, to David and to his seed for time indefinite.”​—2 Sam. 22:51.

12. (a) How did Jesus, when a man on earth, “openly acknowledge” Jehovah among the nations? (b) In what province did the resurrected Jesus tell his disciples what to do as his “ambassadors”?

¹² The Greater David, namely, Jesus Christ, did not do much thanking and lauding of Jehovah God among the Gentile nations when he was here on earth as a perfect man. He did do some Kingdom preaching among the Samaritans and to a Syrophoenician woman whose daughter he delivered from a demon. Also, much of his preaching was done in what Isaiah 9:1 calls “Galilee of the nations.” Up there he made the headquarters for his Kingdom preaching campaign at Capernaum, situated beside the Sea of Galilee. (Matt. 4:12-15) After his resurrection from the dead it was up in “Galilee of the nations” that he said to his disciples as “ambassadors substituting for Christ”: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you.”​—Matt. 28:19, 20.

13. (a) On what day and how were the waiting disciples in Jerusalem commissioned for their ambassadorial ministry? (b) Where did they begin publicly to “acknowledge” Jehovah among the nations?

¹³ Some days after the resurrected Jesus gave his baptized disciples that commission, there came the day of Pentecost of 33 C.E. In the early morning of that day the glorified Jesus channeled the holy spirit of Jehovah God upon about 120 disciples at Jerusalem. As a result of their preaching that day, about 3,000 Jews and Jewish proselytes accepted the Kingdom tidings and got baptized in water. Afterward these recipients of the holy spirit joined in the ambassadorial work as substitutes for Christ. After persecution broke out in Jerusalem some began ‘openly acknowledging’ Jehovah among the Samaritans and still later among uncircumcised Gentiles of Roman nationality and others. As they heard Jehovah being openly acknowledged and lauded among them, people of all nationalities could call upon his name through Christ for merciful salvation.

14. What did the apostle Paul next quote from Deuteronomy 32:43, and so what did those belonging to Jehovah’s people have to do in that behalf?

¹⁴ The apostle Paul quotes more prophecy in support of his argument, saying: “And again he says: ‘Be glad, you nations, with his people.’” (Rom. 15:10; Deut. 32:43) How, though, could people of all nations become glad with Jehovah’s “people” unless they heard about him? So those belonging to “his people” had to preach his Messianic kingdom to them.​—Rom. 10:13-15.

15. By what action and by whom must Paul’s quotation from Psalm 117:1 be followed up so that nations may respond?

¹⁵ The apostle Paul offers more Scriptural support by telling what Jehovah said by His inspired mouthpiece: “And again: ‘Praise Jehovah, all you nations, and let all the peoples praise him.’” (Rom. 15:11; Ps. 117:1) Yes, it is easy to say that, but how can all nations, peoples and clans do it unless we tell them about Jehovah and explain why he should be praised? Consequently, international preaching about his kingdom by Christ needs to be done. This is the “ministry” that is assigned to the remnant of Kingdom heirs and the “great crowd” of their companion workers.​—Rev. 7:9-17.

16. How is Paul’s quotation from Isaiah 11:10 regarding the “root of Jesse” to be fulfilled?

¹⁶ The apostle Paul quotes a fourth witness in support of his argument, saying: “And again Isaiah says: ‘There will be the root of Jesse, and there will be one arising to rule nations; on him nations will rest their hope.’” (Rom. 15:12; Isa. 11:10) Jesse of Bethlehem was the father of David, whom God appointed to be king over the 12 tribes of Israel. David himself could not be a “root” of life to his fleshly father. So the real “root of Jesse” had to be Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem and in the royal tribe of Judah, Jesse’s own tribe. Jesus will become a life-giving “root” to his earthly forefather Jesse by resurrecting him and his son David from the dead during his millennial reign.​—Rev. 22:16.

17. Who, then, is the “root of Jesse” on whom the nations can rest their hope?

¹⁷ David did “rule nations” after he subdued the non-Jewish nations that had been left in the Promised Land. However, David has now been dead since 1037 B.C.E., and people of the nations cannot rest their hope in him. Happily they can rest their hope in the presently reigning Greater David, Jesus Christ, “the root and the offspring of David.” (Rev. 22:16) Their resting their hope in him, the antitypical David, will not prove to be in vain, or to be misplaced.

18. Who of all the nations have already rested their hope in that promised Governor, and whom does he already govern?

¹⁸ Since 1935 hundreds of thousands of the “great crowd” that comes out of all nations, tribes, peoples and languages have rested their hope in the Ruler who will not disappoint them. They prove this by obeying his command to preach “this good news of the kingdom . . . in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations.” (Matt. 24:14) Hope for all the people of the nations that have died since the invasion of death-dealing sin among mankind rests upon the now ruling heavenly King, Jesus Christ. Already since he was enthroned at the end of the Gentile Times in 1914, he governs believing, hopeful persons of all the nations. He will yet rule over many, many more after resurrecting all the ransomed ones of humankind.

19. Is there reason, then, for believers of all nationalities to abound in hope as time goes on? and to be glad?

¹⁹ Is there reason, then, for persons of all nations to “be glad” with Jehovah’s “people,” the spiritual Israelites? Yes, all the reason in the world! How fitting here is the lovely benediction with which Paul closes his quotations from prophecy! For he says: “May the God who gives hope fill you with all joy and peace by your believing, that you may abound in hope with power of holy spirit.” (Rom. 15:13) Beyond all gainsaying that inspired prayer is being fulfilled upon all the Christian witnesses of Jehovah in all quarters of the globe. The coming true of Bible prophecies indicates that our all-glorious hope nears realization. “Be glad”!