Theocratic Submission

11. (a) How might a person respect headship and yet not be really theocratic? Illustrate. (b) What does it mean to be truly theocratic?

¹¹ Theocracy is rule by God. It involves the principle of headship expressed at 1 Corinthians 11:3. But it means more than that.

So being theocratic involves not only being submissive but also being loving. The matter might be summed up as follows: Theocracy is rule by God; God is love; therefore theocracy is rule by love.

Serving With Joy

14, 15. (a) How could an elder deprive certain brothers or sisters of their joy in serving Jehovah, and why would this not be theocratic? (b) How did Jesus show that he appreciates the love expressed by our service, rather than the amount? (c) What should elders take into consideration?

¹⁴ Being theocratic also means serving Jehovah with joy. Jehovah is “the happy God.” (1 Timothy 1:11)