living and will conduct themselves in this old world as Jesus did. They remember what he said: “If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you.” (John 15:19) But even though the world hates them, Jehovah’s witnesses are going to show love toward all persons in the world and are going to stay at peace with them. They “will seek peace and pursue it. For Jehovah’s eyes are upon the righteous.”

²⁵ As ordained ministers before Jehovah God, Jehovah’s witnesses will carry out His will. “In fact, to this course you were called, because even Christ suffered for you, leaving you a model for you to follow his steps closely. He committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. When he was being reviled, he did not go to reviling in return. When he was suffering, he did not go to threatening, but kept on committing himself to the one who judges righteously.” (1 Pet. 2:21-23) To him also his ordained ministers commit themselves in ever doing right.

The Peace and Unity of Jehovah’s Witnesses

1. What is the essential for peace and unity among Jehovah’s witnesses?

TO DO the right thing always brings satisfaction and an inward peace. The doers of Jehovah’s will know that “abundant peace belongs to those loving your law, and for them there is no stumbling block.” (Ps. 119:165) This is certainly true concerning Jehovah’s witnesses, who live together in peace and unity world-wide. As ordained ministers they recognize that loving Jehovah’s law and abiding by it are essential to peace and happiness in life. Seeking peace and pursuing it is the wise course, and one can be confident that Jehovah’s eyes will be upon him.

2, 3. To insure peace and unity, what example set by the angels can humans take to heart?

² While many men do not recognize or believe that real satisfaction in living can come from doing Jehovah’s will, yet others rejoice to learn what the will of God is and then do it. The Bible informs us that the angels listen to the voice of his word. Should not we humans? “Jehovah himself has firmly established his throne in the very heavens, and his own kingship has held domination even over everything. Bless Jehovah, O you angels of his, mighty in power, carrying out his word, by listening to the voice of his word. Bless Jehovah, all you armies of his, you ministers of his, doing his will.”—Ps. 103:19-21.

³ Surely the angels of heaven in Jehovah’s organization are not obstinate. Rather, they appreciate Jehovah’s sovereignty over everything and that his will is done. Furthermore, “you ministers of his,” Jehovah’s ordained ministers on earth, must recognize that Jehovah is the Sovereign Ruler and that you, too, must be “doing his will.” His will is for you to preach this good news of the Kingdom in all the world for the purpose of a witness.

4, 5. (a) Why cannot Jehovah’s people he isolationists and how does Paul show unity must exist? (b) Therefore, how is unity maintained?

⁴ Without question, Jehovah God has a visible and invisible organization. As to Jehovah’s visible organization the apostle Paul says that it will work together as one man. No one individual can claim really to be a Christian and still say that he is not needed in God’s organization and separate himself from it. Isolationism does not fit in with the doing of Jehovah’s will. Paul had this fact very clearly in mind when he wrote to the Corinthians, saying: “If the foot should say: ‘Because I am not a hand, I am no part of the body,’ it is not for this reason no part of the body. And if the ear should say: ‘Because I am not an eye, I am no part of the body,’ it is not for this reason no part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If it were all hearing, where would the smelling be? But now God has set the members in the body, each one of them, just as he pleased.” (1 Cor. 12:15-18) So all Christians must be in this body or the one organization that God is using. There is no isolationism in your own body, is there?

⁵ One who professes to be a Christian must always be part of Jehovah’s visible organization. He must always be a “working part” of the body, not dead tissue and waste or useless matter, which are cast off through the proper channels. To be a part of this Christian body one must always be a full-time minister, “listening to the voice of his Word” and “doing his will.” No Christian can ever say to another Christian, “I have no need of you.” Only peace and unity, oneness in organization, must exist for Christians to be really doing the will of God. Paul went on to describe this oneness of Christians: “The eye cannot say to the hand: ‘I have no need of you’; or, again, the head cannot say to the feet: ‘I have no need of you.’” (1 Cor. 12:21) Jehovah’s witnesses recognize this principle and that is why there are no divisions in the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses. All of them together are his ordained ministers and individually they must live as Christians. All of them have an obligation to preach the good news and around the world they do just that.

THE RESULTS OF DILIGENT SERVICE

6. What growth has taken place among Jehovah’s unified servants in the past ten years?

⁶ In their preaching assignment Jehovah’s witnesses’ sole desire is to help others understand the Word of God. They are diligent in their teaching work and that of helping others to seek peace and pursue it. In the year 1959 there were 803,482 of Jehovah’s witnesses, on the average, who preached the good news of God’s kingdom every month. Comparing this with ten years ago, there were 279,421 preaching regularly every month throughout the year 1949. This means a growth in the organization in but ten years’ time of 524,061 of Jehovah’s witnesses. It was peace and unity in the organization that made this possible. “For Jehovah’s eyes are upon the righteous.”—1 Pet. 3:12.

7, 8. What has been the growth in just one year, and what new peak of Kingdom proclaimers was attained?

⁷ Let us see just how much growth took place during the year 1959. In the year 1958 there were, on an average, 717,088 of Jehovah’s witnesses preaching every month, and 803,482 in 1959. That means that during the year 86,394 persons from all nations, kindreds, tongues, tribes and languages have joined themselves with Jehovah’s witnesses so that they, too, may declare this peaceful message to the world. A 12-percent increase in the number of those who “seek peace and pursue it” was made.—1 Pet. 3:11.

⁸ But note this too: before the service year of Jehovah’s witnesses ended there were 871,737 persons who associated themselves with Jehovah’s witnesses and did ministerial work. That means that from