Overseer of the Christian Congregation

7. By means of what does Jesus oversee the Christian congregation?

⁷ Shortly before ascending to heaven, the resurrected Jesus told his disciples: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth.” (Matt. 28:18) Jehovah had Jesus pass on holy spirit to strengthen his disciples in Christian truth. (John 15:26) Jesus poured out this spirit upon the early Christians at Pentecost 33 C.E. (Acts 2:33) That outpouring of the holy spirit marked the founding of the Christian congregation. Jehovah invested his Son with the heavenly leadership of the congregation on earth. (Read Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:13, 18.) Jesus guides the Christian congregation by means of Jehovah’s holy spirit, and he has at his service angels who were “made subject to him.”​—1 Pet. 3:22.

8. What earthly instrument did Christ use in the first century to lead his disciples, and whom is he using today?

⁸ Also by means of holy spirit, Christ gave “gifts in men,” some “as shepherds and teachers” in the congregation. (Eph. 4:8, 11) The apostle Paul urged Christian overseers: “Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God.” (Acts 20:28) When the Christian congregation began, all these overseers were spirit-anointed men. The apostles and the elders of the Jerusalem congregation acted as a governing body. Christ used this instrument to lead the entire group of his anointed “brothers” on earth. (Heb. 2:11; Acts 16:4, 5) In this time of the end, Christ has committed “all his belongings”​—all the earthly interests of the Kingdom—​to his “faithful and discreet slave” and its representative Governing Body, a group of anointed Christian men. (Matt. 24:45-47) The anointed and their other sheep companions recognize that by following the lead of the modern-day Governing Body, they are in fact following their Leader, Christ.

Jesus’ Leadership Over His Congregation

12, 13. How does the book of Revelation show that Christ follows closely what goes on in each congregation?

¹² Jesus followed closely what was going on within the congregations of his anointed followers in the first century C.E. He had intimate knowledge of the spiritual condition of each congregation. This becomes apparent when we read Revelation chapters 2 and 3. He names seven congregations, all located in Asia Minor. (Rev. 1:11) We have every reason to believe that he was just as familiar with the spiritual condition of the other congregations of his followers on earth at that time.​—Read Revelation 2:23.

¹³ Jesus commended some of the congregations for their endurance, faithfulness under trial, loyalty to his word, and rejection of apostates. (Rev. 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:8) On the other hand, he gave firm counsel to several congregations because their love for him had cooled off, they countenanced idolatry and fornication, and they tolerated sectarianism. (Rev. 2:4, 14, 15, 20; 3:15, 16) As a loving spiritual overseer​—even to those to whom he gave strong admonition—​Jesus stated: “All those for whom I have affection I reprove and discipline. Therefore be zealous and repent.” (Rev. 3:19) Although in heaven, Jesus was leading the congregations of his disciples on earth by means of holy spirit. At the end of the messages to those congregations, he declared: “Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations.”​—Rev. 3:22.