Jehovah, the Impartial “Judge of All the Earth”

“The Father . . . judges impartially according to each one’s work.”​—1 PETER 1:17.

1, 2. (a) Why should we be both fearful at and comforted by the thought that Jehovah is the great Judge? (b) In Jehovah’s legal case against the nations, what role do his earthly servants play?

JEHOVAH is the great “Judge of all the earth.” (Genesis 18:25) As the Supreme God of the universe, he has the unqualified right to judge his creatures. This is at once a fear-inspiring and a comforting thought. Moses movingly expressed this seeming paradox, saying: “Jehovah your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the God great, mighty and fear-inspiring, who treats none with partiality nor accepts a bribe, executing judgment for the fatherless boy and the widow and loving the alien resident so as to give him bread and a mantle.”​—Deuteronomy 10:17, 18.

² What a striking balance! A great, mighty, fear-inspiring God, yet impartial and lovingly defending the interests of orphans, widows, and alien residents. Who could wish for a more loving Judge than Jehovah? Portraying himself as having a legal case against the nations of Satan’s world, Jehovah calls upon his servants on earth to be his witnesses. (Isaiah 34:8; 43:9-12) He does not depend on their testimony to prove his godship and legitimate sovereignty. But he grants his witnesses the signal privilege of testifying before all mankind that they recognize his supremacy. His witnesses submit to his righteous sovereignty themselves, and by their public ministry, they move others to place themselves under the authority of the Supreme Judge.

Jehovah’s Way of Judging

3. How might Jehovah’s way of judging be summed up, and how was this illustrated in the case of Adam and Eve?

³ During the early history of mankind, Jehovah personally judged certain offenders. Examples of his way of handling judicial matters set the pattern for those of his servants who later would be responsible to conduct judicial proceedings among his people. (Psalm 77:11, 12) His way of judging might be summed up: firmness where necessary, mercy where possible. In the case of Adam and Eve, perfect human creatures who had willfully rebelled, they deserved no mercy. Hence, Jehovah sentenced them to death. But his mercy came into play toward their offspring. Jehovah deferred the execution of the death sentence, thus allowing Adam and Eve to have children. He lovingly provided their descendants with hope of deliverance from bondage to sin and death.​—Genesis 3:15; Romans 8:20, 21.

4. How did Jehovah deal with Cain, and why is this case of particular interest?

⁴ The way Jehovah dealt with Cain is of particular interest because it is the first recorded case involving one of Adam and Eve’s imperfect descendants, “sold under sin.” (Romans 7:14) Did Jehovah take this into account and deal differently with Cain from the way He dealt with his parents? And could this case provide a lesson for Christian overseers today? Let us see. Perceiving Cain’s wrong reaction when his sacrifice was not accepted favorably, Jehovah lovingly warned him of the danger he was in. An old proverb states: ‘Prevention is better than cure.’ Jehovah went as far as he could by warning Cain about allowing his sinful tendency to get the mastery over him. He endeavored to help him “turn to doing good.” (Genesis 4:5-7) This is the first time God called on a sinful human to repent. After Cain showed an unrepentant attitude and committed his felony, Jehovah sentenced him to banishment, tempering this with a decree forbidding other humans to kill him.​—Genesis 4:8-15.

5, 6. (a) How did Jehovah proceed with the pre-Flood generation? (b) What did Jehovah do before executing judgment against the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah?

⁵ Before the Flood, when ‘Jehovah saw that the badness of man was abundant in the earth, he felt hurt at his heart.’ (Genesis 6:5, 6) He “felt regrets” inasmuch as he regretted that the majority of the pre-Flood generation had misused their free will and that he must execute judgment on them. Yet, he gave them due warning, using Noah for many years as “a preacher of righteousness.” Thereafter, Jehovah had no reason to ‘hold back from punishing that world of ungodly people.’​—2 Peter 2:5.

⁶ Jehovah was likewise obliged to handle a legal case against the corrupt inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. But note how he proceeded. He had heard a “cry of complaint” about the shocking conduct of these people, if only by the prayers of righteous Lot. (Genesis 18:20; 2 Peter 2:7, 8) But before acting, he ‘went down’ to verify the facts by means of his angels. (Genesis 18:21, 22; 19:1) He also took the time to reassure Abraham that he would not act unjustly.​—Genesis 18:23-32.

7. What lessons can elders serving on judicial committees learn from examples of Jehovah’s way of judging?

⁷ What can elders today learn from these examples? In the case of Adam and Eve, Jehovah showed love and consideration for those who, while related to the guilty ones, were not blameworthy in the case. He showed mercy toward Adam and Eve’s descendants. In Cain’s case, Jehovah foresaw the danger Cain was in and kindly reasoned with him, trying to forestall the committing of sin. Even after banishing him, Jehovah was considerate of Cain. Further, Jehovah executed judgment on the pre-Flood generation only after showing much patient endurance. In the face of obstinate wickedness, Jehovah “felt hurt at his heart.” He regretted that men rebelled against his righteous rule and that he was obliged to judge them unfavorably. (Genesis 6:6; compare Ezekiel 18:31; 2 Peter 3:9.) In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, Jehovah acted only after verifying the facts. What excellent examples for those who today have to handle legal cases!

Human Judges in Patriarchal Times

8. What basic laws of Jehovah were known in patriarchal times?

⁸ Although there apparently was no written code at the time, patriarchal society was familiar with Jehovah’s basic laws, and his servants were under obligation to observe them. (Compare Genesis 26:5.) The drama in Eden had shown the need for obedience and submission to Jehovah’s sovereignty. The case of Cain had revealed Jehovah’s disapproval of murder. Immediately after the Flood, God gave mankind laws concerning the sacredness of life, murder, capital punishment, and the eating of blood. (Genesis 9:3-6) Jehovah strongly condemned adultery during the incident involving Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech, king of Gerar, near Gaza.​—Genesis 20:1-7.

9, 10. What examples show that a judicial system existed in patriarchal society?

⁹ In those days family heads acted as judges and handled legal problems. Jehovah stated regarding Abraham: “I have become acquainted with him in order that he may command his sons and his household after him so that they shall keep Jehovah’s way to do righteousness and judgment.” (Genesis 18:19) Abraham showed unselfishness and discernment in settling a quarrel between his own herders and those of Lot. (Genesis 13:7-11) Acting as patriarchal head and judge, Judah condemned his daughter-in-law Tamar to be stoned to death and burned, believing that she was an adulteress. (Genesis 38:11, 24; compare Joshua 7:25.) When he learned all the facts, however, he pronounced her more righteous than he himself. (Genesis 38:25, 26) How important it is to learn all the facts before making a judicial decision!

¹⁰ The book of Job alludes to a judicial system and shows the desirability of impartial judgment. (Job 13:8, 10; 31:11; 32:21) Job himself reminisces about the time when he was a respected judge who sat at the city gate administering justice and defending the cause of the widow and the fatherless boy. (Job 29:7-16) Thus, there is evidence that within patriarchal society, “older men” were acting as judges among Abraham’s descendants even before the Exodus and the God-given legal constitution of the nation of Israel. (Exodus 3:16, 18) In fact, the terms of the Law covenant were presented by Moses to the “older men,” or elders, of Israel, who represented the people.​—Exodus 19:3-7.

Israel’s Judicial System

11, 12. According to two Bible scholars, what distinguished Israel’s judicial system from that of other nations?

¹¹ The administration of justice in Israel was quite different from the legal procedures followed in the surrounding nations. No distinction was made between civil law and criminal law. Both were intertwined with moral and religious laws. An offense against one’s neighbor was an offense against Jehovah. In his book The People and the Faith of the Bible, author André Chouraqui writes: “The juridical tradition of the Hebrews differs from that of its neighbors, not only in its definition of transgressions and penalties but in the very spirit of the laws. . . . The Torah [Law] is not distinct from daily life; it commands the nature and content of daily life by dispensing benediction or malediction. . . . In Israel . . . it is almost impossible to make a clear distinction in the juridical activities of the city. They were hidden in the unity of a life completely oriented toward the fulfillment of the will of the living God.”

¹² This unique situation placed the administration of justice in Israel on a far higher level than in contemporaneous nations. Bible scholar Roland de Vaux writes: “Israelite law, for all its resemblances in form and content, differs radically from the clauses of the Oriental ‘treaties’ and the articles of their ‘codes’. It is a religious law. . . . No Oriental code can be compared with the Israelite law, which is ascribed in its entirety to God as its author. If it contains, and often mingles, ethical and ritual prescriptions, this is because it covers the whole field of the divine Covenant, and because this Covenant governed the relations of men with one another as well as their relations with God.” Small wonder that Moses asked: “What great nation is there that has righteous regulations and judicial decisions like all this law that I am putting before you today?”​—Deuteronomy 4:8.

Judges in Israel

13. In what respects was Moses a fine example for elders today?

¹³ With such an elevated judiciary system, what type of man was needed to act as judge? Of the very first judge appointed in Israel, the Bible states: “The man Moses was by far the meekest of all the men who were upon the surface of the ground.” (Numbers 12:3) He was not overly sure of himself. (Exodus 4:10) Although required to judge the people, at times he became their advocate before Jehovah, pleading with him to forgive them and even offering to sacrifice himself in their behalf. (Exodus 32:11, 30-32) He poetically stated: “My saying will trickle as the dew, as gentle rains upon grass and as copious showers upon vegetation.” (Deuteronomy 32:2) Far from judging the people by leaning on his own wisdom, he declared: “In the event that they have a case arise, it must come to me and I must judge between the one party and the other, and I must make known the decisions of the true God and his laws.” (Exodus 18:16) When in doubt, he submitted the matter to Jehovah. (Numbers 9:6-8; 15:32-36; 27:1-11) Moses was a fine example for elders who today ‘shepherd the flock of God’ and make judicial decisions. (Acts 20:28) May their relationship with their brothers likewise prove to be “as gentle rains upon grass.”

14. What were the spiritual qualifications of the men appointed by Moses as judges in Israel?

¹⁴ In time Moses was unable to carry by himself the load of handling judicial cases for the people. (Exodus 18:13, 18) He accepted his father-in-law’s suggestion to enlist help. Again, what kind of men were chosen? We read: “‘Select out of all the people capable men, fearing God, trustworthy men, hating unjust profit.’ . . . And Moses proceeded to choose capable men out of all Israel and to give them positions as heads over the people, as chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties and chiefs of tens. And they judged the people on every proper occasion. A hard case they would bring to Moses, but every small case they themselves would handle as judges.”​—Exodus 18:21-26.

15. What were the qualifications of those who served as judges in Israel?

¹⁵ It can be seen that age was not the sole criterion for selecting men to act as judges. Moses stated: “Get wise and discreet and experienced men of your tribes, that I may set them as heads over you.” (Deuteronomy 1:13) Moses was perfectly familiar with what young Elihu had stated many years before: “It is not those merely abundant in days that prove wise, nor those just old that understand judgment.” (Job 32:9) Certainly, those appointed had to be “experienced men.” But above all they had to be capable, God-fearing, trustworthy men, who hated unjust profit and who were wise and discreet. It seems evident, therefore, that the “heads” and “judges” mentioned at Joshua 23:2 and Jos 24:1 were not distinct from “the older men” mentioned in those same verses but were chosen from among them.​—See Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2, page 549.

Administering Justice

16. What should we note today about the instructions Moses gave to the newly appointed judges?

¹⁶ As to the instructions given to these appointed judges, Moses said: “I went on to command your judges at that particular time, saying, ‘When having a hearing between your brothers, you must judge with righteousness between a man and his brother or his alien resident. You must not be partial in judgment. You should hear the little one the same as the great one. You must not become frightened because of a man, for the judgment belongs to God; and the case that is too hard for you, you should present to me [Moses], and I must hear it.’”​—Deuteronomy 1:16, 17.

17. Who were appointed as judges, and what warning did King Jehoshaphat give them?

¹⁷ Of course, a case could be brought to Moses only during his lifetime. So further arrangements were made for difficult cases to be referred to priests, Levites, and specially appointed judges. (Deuteronomy 17:8-12; 1 Chronicles 23:1-4; 2 Chronicles 19:5, 8) To the judges he appointed in the cities of Judah, King Jehoshaphat stated: “See what you are doing, because it is not for man that you judge but it is for Jehovah . . . This is how you should do in the fear of Jehovah with faithfulness and with a complete heart. As for every legal case that will come to you of your brothers who are dwelling in their cities, . . . you must warn them that they may not do wrong against Jehovah and indignation may not have to take place against you and against your brothers. This is how you should do that you may not incur guilt.”​—2 Chronicles 19:6-10.

18. (a) What were some of the principles that judges in Israel had to apply? (b) What did the judges have to keep in mind, and what scriptures show the consequences of their forgetting this?

¹⁸ Among the principles that judges in Israel had to apply were the following: equal justice for rich and poor (Exodus 23:3, 6; Leviticus 19:15); strict impartiality (Deuteronomy 1:17); no accepting of bribes. (Deuteronomy 16:18-20) Judges had to remember constantly that those whom they were judging were Jehovah’s sheep. (Psalm 100:3) In fact, one of the reasons why Jehovah rejected fleshly Israel was that their priests and shepherds failed to judge with righteousness and treated the people with harshness.​—Jeremiah 22:3, 5, 25; 23:1, 2; Ezekiel 34:1-4; Malachi 2:8, 9.

19. Of what value to us is this examination of Jehovah’s standards of justice before the Common Era, and what will be considered in the following article?

¹⁹ Jehovah does not change. (Malachi 3:6) This brief review of the way judgment should have been administered in Israel and how Jehovah viewed any denial of justice should give pause to elders who today are responsible for making judicial decisions. Jehovah’s example as Judge, and the judicial system he instituted in Israel, established principles that set the pattern for the administration of justice within the Christian congregation. This we shall see in the following article.

Elders, Judge With Righteousness

“When having a hearing between your brothers, you must judge with righteousness.”​—DEUTERONOMY 1:16.

1. In the matter of judgment, what delegation of authority has taken place, and what does this imply for human judges?

AS SUPREME Judge, Jehovah has delegated judicial authority to his Son. (John 5:27) In turn, as Head of the Christian congregation, Christ uses the faithful and discreet slave class and its Governing Body to appoint elders, who at times have to act as judges. (Matthew 24:45-47; 1 Corinthians 5:12, 13; Titus 1:5, 9) As surrogate judges, these are under an obligation to follow closely the example of the heavenly Judges, Jehovah and Christ Jesus.

Christ​—The Exemplary Judge

2, 3. (a) What Messianic prophecy reveals Christ’s qualities as Judge? (b) What points are particularly worthy of note?

² Of Christ as Judge, it was written prophetically: “Upon him the spirit of Jehovah must settle down, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of mightiness, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah; and there will be enjoyment by him in the fear of Jehovah. And he will not judge by any mere appearance to his eyes, nor reprove simply according to the thing heard by his ears. And with righteousness he must judge the lowly ones, and with uprightness he must give reproof in behalf of the meek ones of the earth.”​—Isaiah 11:2-4.

³ Note in that prophecy the qualities that enable Christ to “judge the inhabited earth in righteousness.” (Acts 17:31) He judges in accordance with Jehovah’s spirit, divine wisdom, understanding, counsel, and knowledge. Notice, too, that he judges in the fear of Jehovah. Thus, “the judgment seat of the Christ” is, representatively, “the judgment seat of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10) He is careful to judge matters the way God judges them. (John 8:16) He does not judge simply by appearances or by mere hearsay. He judges with uprightness in behalf of the meek and the lowly ones. What a wonderful Judge! And what a wonderful example for imperfect humans who are called upon to act in a judicial capacity today!

Earthly Judges

4. (a) What will be one of the functions of the 144,000 during the Millennial Reign of Christ? (b) What prophecy shows that some anointed Christians would be appointed as judges while still on earth?

⁴ The Scriptures indicate that the relatively small number of anointed Christians, beginning with the 12 apostles, will be associate judges with Christ Jesus during the Millennium. (Luke 22:28-30; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 20:4) A remnant of anointed members of spiritual Israel on earth were themselves judged and restored in 1918-19. (Malachi 3:2-4) Concerning this restoration of spiritual Israel, it was prophesied: “I will bring back again judges for you as at the first, and counselors for you as at the start.” (Isaiah 1:26) Thus, just as he had done “at the start” of fleshly Israel, Jehovah has given the restored remnant righteous judges and counselors.

5. (a) Who were “put in as judges” after the restoration of spiritual Israel, and how are they depicted in the book of Revelation? (b) By whom are anointed overseers now being assisted in judicial work, and how are these being trained to become better judges?

⁵ To begin with, the ‘wise men’ who were “put in as judges” were all anointed older men, or elders. (1 Corinthians 6:4, 5) Faithful, respected anointed overseers are depicted in the book of Revelation as being held in Jesus’ right hand, that is, under his control and direction. (Revelation 1:16, 20; 2:1) Since 1935 the anointed have received the loyal support of an ever-increasing “great crowd,” whose hope is to survive “the great tribulation” and live forever on a paradise earth. (Revelation 7:9, 10, 14-17) As “the marriage of the Lamb” approaches, more and more of these are being appointed by the anointed Governing Body to serve as elders and judges in the upwards of 66,000 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the earth.a (Revelation 19:7-9) By means of special schools, they are being trained to handle responsibility in the “new earth” society. (2 Peter 3:13) The Kingdom Ministry School, conducted at the end of 1991 in many countries, placed emphasis on the proper handling of judicial cases. Elders who serve as judges are duty bound to imitate Jehovah and Christ Jesus, whose judgments are true and righteous.​—John 5:30; 8:16; Revelation 19:1, 2.

Judges Who ‘Conduct Themselves With Fear’

6. Why should elders who serve on judicial committees ‘conduct themselves with fear’?

⁶ If Christ himself judges in the fear of Jehovah and with the help of His spirit, how much more should imperfect elders do so! When assigned to serve on a judicial committee, they need to ‘conduct themselves with fear,’ calling “upon the Father who judges impartially” to help them judge in righteousness. (1 Peter 1:17) They should remember that they are dealing with people’s lives, their “souls,” as those who “will render an account.” (Hebrews 13:17) In view of this, surely they will also be accountable before Jehovah for any avoidable judicial mistakes they may make. In his commentary on Hebrews 13:17, J. H. A. Ebrard wrote: “It is the duty of the shepherd to watch over the souls committed to his care, and . . . he must render an account of them all, of those also who have been lost through his fault. This is a solemn word. Let every minister of the word consider, that he has voluntarily undertaken this awfully [formidably] responsible office.”​—Compare John 17:12; James 3:1.

7. (a) What should modern-day judges remember, and what should be their aim? (b) What lessons should elders draw from Matthew 18:18-20?

⁷ Elders acting in a judicial capacity should remember that the real Judges of each case are Jehovah and Christ Jesus. Recall what the judges in Israel were told: “It is not for man that you judge but it is for Jehovah; and he is with you in the matter of judgment. And now let the dread of Jehovah come to be upon you. . . . This is how you should do that you may not incur guilt.” (2 Chronicles 19:6-10) With reverential fear, the elders judging a case should do their utmost to be sure that Jehovah is really ‘with them in the matter of judgment.’ Their decision should accurately reflect the way Jehovah and Christ consider the matter. What they symbolically ‘bind’ (find guilty) or ‘loose’ (find innocent) on earth should be what has already been bound or loosed in heaven​—as revealed by what is written in the inspired Word of God. If they pray to Jehovah in Jesus’ name, Jesus will be “in their midst” to help them. (Matthew 18:18-20, footnote; The Watchtower, February 15, 1988, page 9) The atmosphere at a judicial hearing should show that Christ is truly in their midst.

Full-Time Shepherds

8. What is the elders’ main responsibility toward the flock, as exemplified by Jehovah and Jesus Christ? (Isaiah 40:10, 11; John 10:11, 27-29)

⁸ Elders do not judge full-time. They are full-time shepherds. They are healers, not punishers. (James 5:13-16) The basic idea behind the Greek word for overseer (e·piʹsko·pos) is that of protective care. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states: “Supplementing shepherd [at 1 Peter 2:25], the term [e·piʹsko·pos] suggests the pastoral work of watching over or guarding.” Yes, their primary responsibility is watching over the sheep and guarding them, keeping them inside the flock.

9, 10. (a) How did Paul emphasize the first duty of elders, so what question might well be posed? (b) What do Paul’s words at Acts 20:29 imply, so how may elders try to reduce the number of judicial cases?

⁹ Speaking to the elders of the Ephesus congregation, the apostle Paul put the emphasis where it belongs: “Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own Son.” (Acts 20:28) Paul highlights shepherding, not punishing. Some elders might do well to ponder over the following question: ‘Could we save the considerable amount of time needed to investigate and handle judicial cases if we devoted more time and effort to shepherding?’

¹⁰ True, Paul warned against “oppressive wolves.” But did he not reproach these for ‘not treating the flock with tenderness’? (Acts 20:29) And while he implied that the faithful overseers should expel these “wolves,” do his words not show that the elders should treat the other members of the flock “with tenderness”? When a sheep becomes spiritually weak and falls by the wayside, what does he or she need​—beating or healing, punishing or shepherding? (James 5:14, 15) Therefore, elders should regularly schedule time for the shepherding work. This may bring the happy result of less time spent in time-consuming judicial cases involving Christians who have been overtaken by sin. Certainly, the elders’ first concern should be to provide a source of relief and refreshment, thus promoting peace, tranquillity, and security among Jehovah’s people.​—Isaiah 32:1, 2.

Serving as Beneficent Shepherds and Judges

11. Why do elders who serve on judicial committees need impartiality and “the wisdom from above”?

¹¹ More intensive shepherding before a Christian takes a false step might well reduce the number of judicial cases among Jehovah’s people. (Compare Galatians 6:1.) Nevertheless, because of human sin and imperfection, Christian overseers may from time to time have to deal with cases of wrongdoing. What principles should guide them? These have not changed since the time of Moses or that of the early Christians. Moses’ words addressed to the judges in Israel are still valid: “When having a hearing between your brothers, you must judge with righteousness . . . You must not be partial in judgment.” (Deuteronomy 1:16, 17) Impartiality is a characteristic of “the wisdom from above,” the wisdom that is so vital for elders serving on judicial committees. (James 3:17; Proverbs 24:23) Such wisdom will help them to discern the difference between weakness and wickedness.

12. In what sense do judges need to be not only righteous men but good men?

¹² Elders “must judge with righteousness,” in accordance with Jehovah’s standards of right and wrong. (Psalm 19:9) Yet, while endeavoring to be righteous men, they should also try to be good men, in the sense of the distinction Paul makes at Romans 5:7, 8. Commenting on these verses in its article on “Righteousness,” the work Insight on the Scriptures states: “The use of the Greek term shows that the person noteworthy for, or distinguished by, goodness is one who is benevolent (disposed to do good or bring benefit to others) and beneficent (actively expressing such goodness). He is not merely concerned with doing what justice requires but goes beyond this, being motivated by wholesome consideration for others and the desire to benefit and help them.” (Volume 2, page 809) Elders who are not only righteous but also good will treat wrongdoers with kind consideration. (Romans 2:4) They should want to show mercy and compassion. They should do what they can to help the wrongdoer to see the need to repent, even though he may at first seem not to respond to their efforts.

Proper Attitude at Hearings

13. (a) When an elder acts as a judge, what does he not cease to be? (b) What counsel by Paul applies also at judicial hearings?

¹³ When a situation requires a judicial hearing, overseers should not forget that they are still shepherds, dealing with Jehovah’s sheep, under “the fine shepherd.” (John 10:11) The counsel Paul gave for regular help given to sheep who are in difficulty applies with equal force at judicial hearings. He wrote: “Brothers, even though a man takes some false step before he is aware of it, you who have spiritual qualifications try to readjust such a man in a spirit of mildness, as you each keep an eye on yourself, for fear you also may be tempted. Go on carrying the burdens of one another, and thus fulfill the law of the Christ.”​—Galatians 6:1, 2.b

14. How should overseers view judicial hearings, and what should be their attitude toward a wrongdoer?

¹⁴ Rather than considering themselves to be superior judges meeting to administer punishment, elders serving on a judicial committee should view the hearing as another aspect of their shepherding work. One of Jehovah’s sheep is in trouble. What can they do to save him or her? Is it too late to help this sheep that has strayed from the flock? We would hope not. Elders should keep a positive view toward showing mercy where this would be proper. It is not that they should lower Jehovah’s standards if a serious sin has been committed. But their being conscious of any mitigating circumstances will help them to extend mercy where possible. (Psalm 103:8-10; 130:3) Sad to say, some wrongdoers are so stubborn in their attitude that the elders are obliged to show firmness, though never harshness.​—1 Corinthians 5:13.

The Purpose of Judicial Hearings

15. When a serious problem arises between individuals, what should first be determined?

¹⁵ When a serious problem arises between individuals, wise elders will first determine whether those involved have tried to settle the matter privately, in the spirit of Matthew 5:23, 24 or Matthew 18:15. If this has failed, perhaps counsel by one or two elders will suffice. Judicial action is necessary only if a gross sin has been committed that could lead to disfellowshipping. (Matthew 18:17; 1 Corinthians 5:11) There must be a sound Scriptural basis for forming a judicial committee. (See The Watchtower, September 15, 1989, page 18.) When one is formed, the best qualified elders should be selected for the particular case.

16. What do elders try to achieve by means of judicial hearings?

¹⁶ What do elders try to achieve by means of judicial hearings? First, it is impossible to judge with righteousness unless the truth is known. As in Israel, serious matters must be ‘searched thoroughly.’ (Deuteronomy 13:14; 17:4) So one aim of a hearing is to find out the facts of the case. But this can and should be done with love. (1 Corinthians 13:4, 6, 7) Once the facts are known, the elders will do whatever is necessary to protect the congregation and maintain within it Jehovah’s high standards and the free flow of his spirit. (1 Corinthians 5:7, 8) However, one of the purposes of a hearing is to save, if at all possible, an endangered sinner.​—Compare Luke 15:8-10.

17. (a) How should an accused person be treated during a hearing, and with what purpose? (b) What will this require on the part of the members of the judicial committee?

¹⁷ An accused person should never be treated otherwise than as a sheep of God. He or she should be treated with tenderness. If a sin (or sins) has been committed, the purpose of the righteous judges will be to help the sinner to readjust, to understand the error of his way, to repent, and thus to be snatched from “the snare of the Devil.” It will require “art of teaching,” “instructing with mildness.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26; 4:2) What if the sinner then recognizes that he has sinned, is truly stabbed to the heart, and asks Jehovah for forgiveness? (Compare Acts 2:37.) If the committee is convinced that he sincerely wants help, generally there would be no need to disfellowship him.​—See The Watchtower, January 1, 1983, page 31, paragraph 1.

18. (a) When should a judicial committee show firmness in disfellowshipping a wrongdoer? (b) In view of what heartrending situation should elders exert themselves in behalf of straying sheep?

¹⁸ On the other hand, when members of a judicial committee are confronted with a clear case of remorseless apostasy, willful rebellion against Jehovah’s laws, or sheer wickedness, their duty is to protect the other members of the congregation by disfellowshipping the unrepentant offender. The judicial committee is not obliged to meet repeatedly with the wrongdoer or put words in his mouth, trying to force him to repent, if it is obvious he lacks godly sorrow.c In recent years disfellowshippings worldwide have been approximately 1 percent of publishers. That means that out of about a hundred sheep that remain in the fold, one is lost​—at least temporarily. Considering the time and effort it takes to bring a person into the fold, is it not heartrending to know that tens of thousands are ‘handed back to Satan’ every year?​—1 Corinthians 5:5.

19. What should elders serving on a judicial committee never forget, so what will be their aim?

¹⁹ Elders starting out on a judicial case should remember that most cases of sin in the congregation involve weakness, not wickedness. They should never forget Jesus’ illustration of the lost sheep, which he concluded with the words: “I tell you that thus there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance.” (Luke 15:7) Truly, “Jehovah . . . does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) With Jehovah’s help, may judicial committees throughout the world do their utmost to cause joy in heaven by helping wrongdoers see the need to repent and start their feet back on the narrow road that leads to everlasting life.​—Matthew 7:13, 14.

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