the lives and teachings of the scribes and Pharisees he saw they were putting forth traditions of their own and of other men rather than the teachings of God’s Word, which Jehovah had given them in writing through the prophets he sent in olden times. The same is true concerning Christendom today. The religious clergy of Christendom are not teaching the people the Bible. They have their own traditions, their own ideas, and practically every clergyman will point to the United Nations as the only hope for mankind rather than to God’s kingdom. In this one thing alone they have turned mankind away from God’s Word and they have repudiated Jehovah and his Son and his kingdom, and therefore they should no longer declare themselves as Christians or ministers of God’s Word. They “will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens.”

12. Because Christendom has watered down the truth, what is it necessary for seekers of real truth to do?

¹² Christendom has watered down the truth of the Bible so much that it is difficult for individuals who claim to be Christians to understand what is truth. Jesus said: “For this purpose I have been born and for this purpose I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37) So, then, go back to the Bible and find truth. It is so necessary for each individual to turn to the Word of God itself and to see what it says, rather than to listen to the traditions of men. Get to the original source of Christian teaching. Why not take the good advice Paul, a good minister and follower of Christ, gave to the congregation of Ephesus? He said: “This, therefore, I say and bear witness to in the Lord, that you no longer go on walking just as the nations also walk in the unprofitableness of their minds, while they are in darkness mentally, and alienated from the life that belongs to God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the insensibility of their hearts. Having come to be past all moral sense, they gave themselves over to loose conduct to work uncleanness of every kind with greediness.”—Eph. 4:17-19.

“TAUGHT BY JEHOVAH”

13. Outline the requirements for gaining everlasting life.

¹³ Jesus was a wonderful instructor, and he taught his disciples how to carry on the teaching work. First, always use the Scriptures; and in that way one will teach them about Jehovah, the true God. If an individual is going to gain everlasting life he must learn about the Creator of life, the Father, and his teachings. His teachings are set forth in his own Word, the Bible, which Jehovah had written and preserved to our very day for our admonition and learning. Jesus said: “No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him, and I will resurrect him in the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by Jehovah.’ Everyone that has heard the Father’s teaching and has learned comes to me.” (John 6:44, 45) We see, then, how necessary it is to learn or hear what Jehovah first has to say, and if we are ever going to hear what Jehovah has to say we must read his Word and study it. When one learns of the teachings of Jehovah God it will naturally lead one to Christ Jesus, and because of one’s learning from the Bible it will point one to Christ Jesus as the only redeemer of mankind who is able to give life through the merit of his sacrifice. He will “resurrect [the believer] at the last day.”—John 6:54.

14. What advice did Paul give Timothy that is of value to the Christian today?

¹⁴ Paul realized that some persons who took up the Christian ministry would afterward try to turn their followers away from the true worship of the true God, Jehovah. That is why Paul advised: “But turn down the false stories which violate what is holy and which old women tell. On the other hand, be training yourself with godly devotion as your aim. For bodily training is beneficial for a little, but godly devotion is beneficial for all things, as it holds promise of the life now and that which is to come. Trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance is that statement. For to this end we are working hard and exerting ourselves, because we have rested our hope on a living God, who is a Savior of all kinds of men, especially of faithful ones. Keep on giving these commands and teaching them.”—1 Tim. 4:7-11.

15, 16. (a) How only can knowledge be gained, and of what value is it to study the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses? (b) Why do some individuals cease studying with Jehovah’s witnesses, and yet why cannot Jehovah’s witnesses compromise Christian principles?

¹⁵ The only way that one can train himself with godly devotion as his aim is by studying God’s Word. When one reads the Bible and carefully studies it with someone who is trained in the study of the Bible he will find that what he has read is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. Jehovah’s witnesses do work hard and they exert themselves, to the end that they will keep the hope and also establish this hope and faith in the lives of others. Jehovah’s witnesses studying in the homes with people will stick to the commandments of God and teach these, even though Bible truth conflicts with men’s personal ideas. Sometimes the righteous laws of God are disturbing to individual students and they throw the study overboard. They will have nothing to do with it because it means such a tremendous change in their lives. But we cannot compromise with them and continue to remain qualified to teach with confidence.

¹⁶ “What partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said: ‘I shall reside among them and walk among them, and I shall be their God, and they will be my people.’ ‘“Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,” says Jehovah, “and quit touching the unclean thing,’” ‘“ and I will take you in.’” ‘“And I shall be a father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me,” says Jehovah the Almighty.’” (2 Cor. 6:14-18) Those who are going to be taught by Jehovah are the ones he will take in and he will be a Father to them and they will gain everlasting life. There is no other way of gaining it. The quicker an individual turns to the Word of God, reads it, studies it and becomes a disciple the sooner he is going to have comfort, joy and blessings, and training in godly devotion. And as Paul said to Timothy: “It holds promise of the life now and that which is to come.”

17. How long must one wait before he becomes a teacher?

¹⁷ While millions of the people today still ought to be taught the truth in God’s Word, there are not enough qualified ministers to teach them. Many of Jehovah’s witnesses are themselves new in the truth and as yet have not taken upon themselves the responsibility of teaching others. They are preaching from house to house, but they have not assumed the duties of a teacher. How long must one wait to be a teacher? That is not hard to decide. Paul indicates that as soon as one knows the fundamental teachings of God’s Word, then he should begin teaching at least these truths to others. As he matures he can help others in advanced study, but before then he could be a teacher. If the other person he meets in the field while witnessing knows nothing or only a little of God’s Word, the new Kingdom publisher could at least teach his pupil as much as he knows by using the Bible as his textbook.

18. (a) In what way did Paul upbraid those who slacked off from teaching in his day? (b) Is this applicable to Christians today?

¹⁸ Paul was sharp in his speech to those who knew and just did not bother about telling others what they knew. He said: “Although you ought to be teachers in view of the time, you again need someone to teach you from the beginning the first principles of the sacred pronouncements of God.” (Heb. 5:12) How long have you claimed to be one of Jehovah’s witnesses, or a Christian for that matter? Any individual who professes to be a Christian should be a teacher by this time if he is mature in years and has grown up in Christian teaching. Christians cannot shirk their responsibility by saying, ‘My minister does my Bible study for me.’ Paul is not talking to the overseers of congregations, such as the clergy of Christendom claim to be. He is talking to everyone professing to be a Christian. What are you doing about teaching others in God’s Word? Paul says: “You ought to be teachers in view of the time.” You have been going to the congregation of God long enough to know what the truth is. Why, then, are you not teaching it to others? So what applies to Jehovah’s witnesses applies also to all of Christendom, in that they should preach and teach this good news of God’s kingdom. Now are you going on to maturity by studying with God’s congregation, and are you then going weekly to others not in your congregation and studying with them the things you have learned?

TEACHING AT GOD’S COMMAND

19. Why was the religious body of the Sanhedrin opposed to the apostles’ preaching, and what effect did this have on the apostles?

¹⁹ In many parts of the world great persecution is brought to bear against Jehovah’s witnesses because they are preaching and teaching the good news, but this will not slow them down. In his day Peter too was very energetic in declaring the good news of God’s kingdom. For healing those who were sick and preaching he was thrown into prison. The religionists of that day, the Sanhedrin, were very much opposed to the apostles’ teaching people about Christ Jesus. For their constructive work in educating the people in the Bible the religionists “called them and charged them in general not to make any utterance nor to teach upon the basis of the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18) However, the apostles did not stop preaching because some men directed them to do so. When this body of rulers threw the apostles into prison, the record at Acts 5:20 shows, the prison doors were opened by Jehovah’s angel and he said: “Be on your way and take a position in the temple and keep on speaking to the people all the sayings about this life.” That command of Jehovah’s angel to the early apostles is still part of God’s Word and applies to Christians just as much today. The sayings about this life and the life to come must still be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. Back there the religionists did not want it proclaimed because it interfered with the business of the religionists. There were too many persons turning away from the decaying established religion and following this new truthful religion of Christ Jesus.

20-22. (a) What principle with regard to obedience was set forth by Peter and the apostles at Acts 5:29? By David at Psalm 26:11? (b) How is this principle followed today by Jehovah’s witnesses, and how do they show they are qualified to preach with confidence?

²⁰ After the apostles were found missing from prison they were reported as being “in the temple, standing and teaching the people.” They were immediately hurried to the Sanhedrin. The Bible account tells us: “So they brought them and stood them in the Sanhedrin hall. And the high priest questioned them and said: ‘We positively charged you not to keep teaching upon the basis of this name, and yet, look! you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you are determined to bring the blood of this man upon us.’ In answer Peter and the other apostles said: ‘We must obey God as ruler rather than men.’” (Acts 5:27-29) The apostles were not afraid of the rulers. Their command from God was to teach and to preach. They were like Jesus, whom David foreshadowed; David said: “As for me, in my integrity I shall walk.” (Ps. 26:11) They were marvelous teachers of faithfulness by word and example. Christ Jesus was their example, and they were not faltering but continued turning the minds and hearts of the people away from the old, staid religion of hypocrisy to the words of truth and life, to a religion that showed them that the kingdom of God was the only hope for mankind.

²¹ The same thing is happening today as in the days of the apostles. The rulers of the Dominican Republic, under the guidance of the Catholic priests, have beaten and thrown Jehovah’s witnesses into prison because they preach the good news of the Kingdom. In Poland and other countries behind the Iron Curtain the rulers say the truth may not be proclaimed because it interferes with the doctrine of communism. However, this does not stop Jehovah’s witnesses from preaching in the same manner that the apostles preached in their day. They go underground if necessary and continue their preaching and teaching work. They obey God rather than men! Even in countries where the witnesses of Jehovah have the opportunity to preach freely, opposition often comes against their work because of the religious leaders. If these wicked men want to interfere with the proclaiming of Jehovah’s truth, let them also receive Jehovah’s judgment.

²² A true Christian, however, will follow the Word of God and not be silenced but prove himself qualified to teach. He will continue to go to the meetings among the congregated throngs of God and there learn and study diligently so that he will be better qualified to present the truth with confidence to other people. He knows that he must walk in the footsteps of Christ Jesus and preach and teach. He must be faithful to the Word of God and he must follow out Jehovah’s commandments. He must equip himself for every good work and be qualified to teach. He must be earnest about the proclamation of the Kingdom, as were the early disciples, and so prove his own integrity.

23. What helps a person to become a true Christian, and how do Jehovah’s witnesses aid to that end?

²³ There is no difference between the way of Kingdom preaching carried on by the apostles in their day and the way Jehovah’s witnesses carry on their work today. It is not by big revivals, by construction of great church buildings, by powerful religious groups influencing politicians, by combining different religious denominations into one, that a nation is made a Christian nation. This does not help the people to get an understanding of Jehovah’s purposes. Rather, it is the going from house to house, finding those sighing and crying because of the abominations and teaching them the truth that will make persons change their thinking about religion. By a true Christian’s going into the home of a stranger and comforting him with the Word of God he will be effective in changing that person’s way of life. Not combined force, but the truth will do it. Remember: “A slave of the Lord does not need to fight, but needs to be tactful toward all, qualified to teach, keeping himself restrained under evil, instructing with mildness those not favorably disposed.—2 Tim. 2:24, 25.

24. How do the methods employed by false religionists compare with those used by Christians when it comes to teaching others?

²⁴ At times, in years gone by, a nation has risen up in battle against another nation, carrying on a religious war, trying to make people change their religion. Inquisitions were carried on by religionists in different parts of the earth to make people believe like those in authority. Religionists have tried to force Indians and others with different faiths into the faith of the persecutors. Paul never used those methods, and neither did Christ Jesus have that in mind. Early Christians used the simple method of teaching the truth, sitting down with people and tactfully, patiently, quietly and humbly telling them what God’s Word has to say. Even those under evil influence can be taught the truth if they are instructed in mildness. Even those not favorably disposed toward the Bible, if approached tactfully, will listen to a minister of God.

25. What will Jehovah’s witnesses continue to do, and what are seekers of truth encouraged to do?

²⁵ So Jehovah’s witnesses today will try to continue to preach this good news in all the world for a witness until the end comes, and during all this period of time they too will be able to say: “Judge me, O Jehovah, for I myself have walked in my own integrity.” Why not study God’s Word with them and apply the knowledge you can get from the Bible and thus be with wise persons and become wise yourself? In that case you will surely know that he who is having dealings with stupid ones will fare badly, but that wisdom is a tree of life to those who find it. Do you love life and want to live in God’s new world of righteousness under the kingdom of heaven? Then ‘stand on a level place among the congregated throngs’ and bless Jehovah. Then you will always be determined to say: “As for me, in my integrity I shall walk.”

Endurance Serves to Prove Integrity

1. What shining examples of endurance do we have in Scripture, and for what reason did they and do we endure?

THERE are not too many people in the world today that will stand for right principles and even suffer for them. Jehovah loves those who will. He is very much interested in men and women who will walk in their own integrity and who will endure even to death for righteousness. Peter appreciated this fact and wrote: “For what merit is there in it if, when you are sinning and being struck blows, you endure it? But if, when you are doing good and you suffer, you endure it, this is a thing agreeable with God. 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.” (1 Pet. 2:20, 21) That is something to think about, for no individual has ever endured as much pain, suffering, ignominy