The time for true submission to God (1982)
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The Time for True Submission to God
``` In many countries persons have their religion registered on their identity cards.
But how many are really concerned about whether they measure up to the requirements of their religion? Even more important, how many persons feel the need to investigate whether their religion, which they might not have personally chosen, is really pleasing to God?
So why should we think about God and religion? Why should we touch upon a subject that many people do not like to discuss, namely, whether the various religions of mankind are right or wrong? Well, do we not live in a time in which people more than ever need God? Can we not see that world events are developing toward a climax? Do we not feel that the world's problems are getting out of hand? God's Word explains world events and shows us that salvation of humans depends on our having a good relationship with God. In other words, it depends on whether someone has really submitted to God. Yes, it is now the time for mankind really to submit to God.
© 1982
WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY
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The Time for True Submission to God
English (sm-E)
Made in the United States of America
The Time for True Submission to God
DO YOU love righteousness? Do you hate fights, divisions, hostilities and bloodshed? Does it distress you to see some people acting as if they were superior to those of a different race, religion, social class, age or sex? Would you like to see all humans living together in unity, like brothers and sisters? If you can answer Yes to these questions, then this booklet has an important message for you.
2 Needless to say, people today do not live in unity like brothers and sisters. Think of your neighbors or those you work with. How many do you know that are truly honest? How many can you trust? Probably not many. Can you walk the streets alone in the dark without fear? Would you dare to go to bed at night without securely locking your doors? Most of us would not.
3 And what about the nations as a whole? While people suffer and social problems go unsolved, many politicians struggle with each other for wealth and power. While millions are starving, governments spend huge amounts of money on armaments. Meantime, the economy of most countries gets worse and worse, and people fear for the future.
(a) What questions are asked? (b) How do you answer these questions yourself?
2, 3. What problems make life difficult for us today?
4 The truth is, we are living in the most critical time in human history, and thoughtful people recognize this fact. Recently, two authors investigated some of the problems of the modern world: the arms race, inflation, the population problem, the depletion of resources, limitless industrialization, faulty nutrition, environmental pollution and the upset in the balance of nature. They wrote a book about their findings and the title they chose was Is The World Going Down? (by Sezer Duru and Orhan Duru, published in Istanbul, Turkey, 1975). Consider their comment about men's efforts to solve these problems.
5 "Authorities who are constantly telling the tale of good days to come with peace and happiness, refrain from giving tangible proofs for their optimism. . . . One day they gather in Bucharest for the 'World Population Conference.' The next day in Rome they talk about the problem of nutrition. Another day in Stockholm pollution of the environment is discussed. All these conventions and conferences are organized by the United Nations. So these matters must have a real side to them. But these conventions and conferences mostly become the forum for airing conflicting scientific, political, social and economic views."
Can you disagree with these words? Even when experts have the best of intentions, they seem to accomplish very little. It is as if an invisible hand is blocking their good intentions, and meanwhile the world becomes gradually worse. What is the real reason that they cannot solve today's problems?
THE TIME FOR TRUE SUBMISSION TO GOD
WHY THE FAILURE?
1 Suppose you go to a tailor with a piece of material and ask him to make you a suit. However, the suit he makes does not fit you. The tailor says that this is not his fault, but it is because of the poor quality of the cloth you gave him. So you buy the kind of cloth that he wants and go back to him. Again, the suit he makes for you does not fit. How many times would you go back to that tailor before you realized that the problem was not the cloth but the tailor himself?
2 The situation with mankind is similar. During the centuries, many different kinds of government have been tried by man. There have been kingdoms, sultanates, oligarchies, dictatorships and democracies. Just like a customer who keeps going back to the tailor with different material, man has tried all these different kinds of government. And not one of them has "fitted." Not one has brought happiness to the majority of its subjects. Injustices have been rife. Individuals have been trampled on, and sometimes misrule has been so bad that the oppressed have revolted. Yet even governments brought about by revolution have not "fitted."
3 In the last century, it was suggested that the root of most of man's ills was economic. A new system was put forward called communism, which many philosophers felt would eliminate injustice and bring peace. During this century, governments based on the communist theory have been established in many lands. What has been the result?
While not wishing to compare communism with capitalism, or to suggest that one is superior to the other, we have to take note of the fact that communism has been just as unable as capitalism to solve mankind's problems.
4 It has not even brought peace. In Southeast Asia communist governments have recently made war against one another, provoking the following comment in The New York Times:
"The conflict that spread this weekend from Cambodia to the border of China and Vietnam and to hostile exchanges between China and the Soviet Union provides the final proof that no ideology makes men immune to ethnic and racial strife, or aggression and chauvinism. While an impotent United Nations looks on, hotheaded governments with no apparent economic interest at stake risk even major war. Ugly nationalism has triumphed once again in the human family."
5 What is the real reason for the failures of all these forms of government? In our illustration of the tailor and the cloth, it eventually became clear that the tailor himself was the problem. Similarly, if man has tried so many different kinds of government, and they have all failed, then we have to conclude that the problem is with man himself. Man is not capable of ruling himself successfully! As a wise man said many years ago: "It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step."*
8But if man cannot rule himself, who can govern him? There is only one: God himself. Of
course, atheists will argue that there is no God, so it is valueless to talk about God's ruling mankind. But their reasoning is shortsighted. It is impossible to disprove the existence of God. On the other hand, when we see things such as a house, an automobile or an airplane, common sense tells us that someone must have made them. They could not have made themselves. If these ordinary things must have makers, then surely things as wonderful as the human body, this earth, or a bird in flight, must also have a maker. And that Maker must be God.*
7 Now, granted the fact that God exists, do you feel he is pleased with the way his earthly creatures are conducting themselves? If you were a father, would you be happy to see your children lying, cheating, killing and oppressing one another? Of course not. Surely then, neither is God happy to see the humans that he put on this earth doing the same things. For one thing, it shows that they are not submitting themselves to his rule.
8True, many today claim to worship God, but does that mean that they have submitted to him and accept him as their ruler? Some store owners, for example, hang up an inscription proclaiming: "What God Says Occurs." But does that sign guarantee that the store owner will not cheat you, or that he will pay his taxes honestly—as God would want him to do? Similarly, many statesmen say that they will accomplish certain things with the help of God. But how many statesmen act in a truly God-fearing way?
In times of war, is it not true that statesmen on each side of the conflict often belong to the same religion, even to the same sect? How could people who had truly submitted to God and looked to him for guidance fight wars against one another?
9 Hence, an individual's claim to worship God is no guarantee that he has really submitted to God's rule. However, it cannot be denied that, throughout history, religion has had a great effect on events. In most countries, kings, princes, politicians, as well as ordinary folk, have been powerfully influenced by their religious affiliations, and by what their religious leaders have told them. This raises the question: To what extent have the world's religions helped individuals to submit to God's rule?
Nevertheless, what power has religion had over mankind through the centuries?
THE PART RELIGION HAS PLAYED
1 Today, about one and a half billion people claim to belong to one of three religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Judaism is the religion of the Jews, who claim to be followers of the Law of Moses. Christians claim to follow Jesus of Nazareth, whom they view as the Messiah, or Christ. One who adheres to Islam is called a Muslim, or Mussulman. These two words have an interesting meaning. In one authoritative work they are defined like this: "Muslim (Mussulman): person surrendered to God."—Lexicon of a Translation of the Qur'an, Volume 2, page 439, by Muhammad Bin Hamza, published by the Turkish Ministry of Culture.
THE TIME FOR TRUE SUBMISSION TO GOD
2 Of course, believers in all these religions claim that their religion is the true one. Yet we have to ask ourselves: Why have none of these religions prevented mankind from coming into the critical situation that we see around us today? A close look at the followers of these religions will help us to understand.
3 Let us examine, first, the adherents of Judaism: Have these really followed the Law of Moses and served God the way Moses did? Have they acted in harmony with his words? For example, Moses said to the forefathers of the modern-day Jews who lived in his day: "A prophet from your own midst, from your brothers, like me, is what Jehovah your God will raise up for you—to him you people should listen." (Deuteronomy 18:15) When did that prophet appear? Well, he did not appear during the time that the holy books of the Jews were being written. In fact, some Jews are still waiting for him.
4 But consider. About fifteen hundred years after Moses pronounced that prophecy, a man did appear who, in his ministry, bore a striking resemblance to Moses. Moreover, there were more than three hundred prophecies in the books accepted as holy by the Jews that were fulfilled in this remarkable man.
5 This man himself said to the Jews: "If you believed Moses you would believe me, for that one wrote about me." (John 5:46) In spite of this, the Jews of those days rejected him. Who was this man? Jesus, who was called the Christ, or anointed one.
Surely, those who rejected the one promised by Moses cannot really be viewed as worshiping God the way Moses worshiped him, can they?
What about those who claim to be Christians, who say that they do accept Jesus? Look at the hundreds of millions of persons around the world who belong to the countless confusing sects that claim to be Christian. Can you actually believe that they are all worshiping God the way Jesus did?
7 Many religions claiming to be Christian use icons or images in their worship. Would Jesus have done this? Moses, who prophesied the coming of Jesus, warned: "You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath or that is in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them nor be induced to serve them." (Exodus 20:4, 5) A close friend and follower of Jesus, the apostle John, said to worshipers of God in his day: "Little children, guard yourselves from idols." (1 John 5:21) Can you see the difference between what Moses and Jesus' friend, John, said, and what those who claim to be Christians are doing?
8 Additionally, have you noticed that most of the great wars of this century have started either between "Christian" nations, or between a "Christian" and a non-Christian nation? Think, too, of the Crusades, and the Thirty Years' War. One was "Christian" aggression against Muslims, and
the other was vicious aggression between peoples claiming to be Christian. Jesus would never have acted in such a way.
9 Jesus straightforwardly warned: "Those who take the sword will perish by the sword." (Matthew 26:52) For more than a thousand years, Christendom (those nations claiming to be Christian) has relied on the "sword," or on warfare. Even today, the nations of Christendom are prominent in stockpiling the many kinds of weapons of modern warfare.
19 Jesus also told his followers: "I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves." (John 13:34, 35) When you look at the "Christian" nations, do you feel that they love one another? Surely not, when throughout history they have fought so many wars among themselves. And within these nations crime, oppression, lying, cheating, stealing and other unloving acts are just as rampant as in the non-Christian nations. We can only conclude that these nations are not made up of true disciples of Christ.
11 But what about those who adhere to Islam? As pointed out above, a Muslim is one who feels he has "surrendered to God." "To surrender" means to yield oneself to someone, to submit to him. It says in the Great Islamic Catechism (by Ömer Nasuhi Bilmen): "As for the word Islam, its lexical meaning is obedience, submission, surrender to something. In particular: 'obedience to God the Most High.'
This meaning is significant. If all Muslims had truly submitted themselves to God, would not an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood prevail among them? Yet we find bitter hatreds between different sects, and even wars between Muslim nations. Doubtless many upright Muslims, on seeing such things, have asked themselves: 'How many Muslims among us have truly surrendered to God?'
12 Perhaps part of the reason for the above situation in these three religions is the attitude of the clergy—whatever their religion—toward material things. Do they supply their religious services free, or do their followers have to pay? Is it not true that the longer prayers are more expensive? Do clergymen willingly go to the funerals of poor men without taking money? Weddings and other religious ceremonies also have to be paid for, do they not? Often, you can only do the things prescribed by your religion in proportion to the amount of money you can afford. It has been made to appear that God's kindness can be bought for money, and the clergy are the ones who benefit from that money. The truth is, many have been led to hate religion for this reason.
13 There is a saying, "Do what the priest says. Don't do what he does." This betrays the fact that many clergymen act contrary to the way they teach. But think: If someone who was without a single hair on his head claimed that he had a drug to make hair grow again, would you buy the drug from him? If the drug is really effective, then why is the man who is selling it still bald?
As long as he stays bald, no one is going to buy his supposedly hair-restoring drug.
14 The case is similar to that of many of the clergy—and remember, we are speaking about the clergy of all religions. While what they say often sounds impressive, nevertheless, in their lives they do not live up to their own teachings. It is as if they were selling a hair-restoring drug but were bald themselves.
15 Jesus once spoke about the religious leaders of his day. Read what he said, and see if you agree that, in principle, it applies to many of the clergy in most of the religions with which you have come in contact.
"They bind up heavy loads and put them upon the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to budge them with their finger. All the works they do they do to be viewed by men . . . They like the most prominent place at evening meals and the front seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called Rabbi [Teacher] by men. But you, do not you be called Rabbi, for one is your teacher, whereas all you are brothers." —Matthew 23:4-8.
Can you see now at least one reason why the influence of religion throughout history has done little to bring mankind closer to God?
(a) What was Jesus' comment about the religious leaders of his day? (b) Do you feel this applies to many religious leaders today?
ONE GOD, ONE RELIGION
1 If we really wish to surrender ourselves to God, we have to settle in our mind an important problem regarding religion. Is it God's will that there are so many religions in the world?
Is he content to see people trying to worship him in many different organizations, with different beliefs, religious rituals and even different moral standards?
2The answer has to be No. God is a God of harmony. But the different religions of mankind are not in harmony with each other. They fight one another, persecute one another and contradict one another. Imagine that you were lost, and you asked four different people how you could get home. What would you think, if one told you to travel north, another said to travel south, the third said you had to go eastward, and the fourth, westward, in order to arrive back home? Could they all be right? Of course not. And similarly, all the religions of this world cannot be right, either, when they give contradictory instructions as to what we should do to submit to God.
3 It is interesting, however, that the three main religions mentioned earlier, although they disagree about many things, all agree on one point: there is only one God. True, Christendom confuses this with her doctrine of the Trinity, teaching that there is one God made up of three persons. But the Bible, which Christendom accepts as holy, does not teach the Trinity. The Bible teaches the oneness of God.
Thus it is that in the Hebrew Bible we read: "Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah." (Deuteronomy 6:4) In the Christian Scriptures we read: "There is . . . one God and Father [Life-Giver or Creator] of all persons, who is over
all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:4, 6) In the Qur'an (also spelled Koran), it is written in the Unity (Al-Ikhlas) chapter, in the first verse: "Say: Allah is One."*
5 However, these three religions all describe God differently. It is as if you wished to learn about a certain important official, and you asked three different neighbors what kind of man he was. One said he was tall and blond, the other said he was small and dark, and the third one said he was of average height and gray-haired. While all your three neighbors would thus show that they believed this official existed, it would be obvious that at least two of them did not really know him personally.
6 In the same way, when different religions describe God in contradictory ways, we have to ask ourselves: 'Which one is true, and which ones are mistaken?' If we really wish to submit ourselves to God, we will be anxious to find the answer to that question. The most important subject we can ever study is the truth about God.
5, 6. Why is it not possible that we could come to know the true God equally well through all three of these religions?
THE NEED TO SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH
1 Actually, we need to know the truth about everything we have dealings with. A businessman wants to know the truth when he is settling accounts. He does not let sentiment or prejudice blind him, otherwise he is likely to lose money.
When we get married, we want to know the truth about our future partner. If we allow ourselves to be deceived, we will likely be unhappy later on. Yes, if we do not know the truth about a matter, we invariably lose out in one way or another. This is also true with respect to religion. The problem is, many people for one reason or another are not inclined to discuss religious matters.
2 Here someone may say: 'But I have a religion. I belong to the same religion my parents and my grandparents belonged to. How can that be wrong? Yes, at birth most of us received some religious faith as a heritage from our parents. Often, the name of that religion is put on our identity papers without our even being asked.
3 But do we deserve honor or credit for belonging to a religion that we received from our parents, if we have never done anything to check whether that religion is right or wrong? A man born in Italy would likely be born into a Catholic family, and he would grow up a Catholic. A man born in Burma would likely be of the Buddhist religion. If a man is born in a Muslim family, he will likely grow up as a Muslim.
4 Surely all of this means nothing as to his submitting himself to God. It is purely an accident. The man who truly surrenders himself to God is the one who carefully examines all aspects of the religion he was born into. If he finds it is true, he remains with it. But if he finds it is false, he sets out to find the true religion.
8 However, to see the true facts in a sports engagement, you have to be impartial. And this is even more so in the case of religion. If our mind is captive to prejudice, we will never see the truth. Is it reasonable to say whether something is right or wrong before you have looked into it, or before you have even thought about it?
Some find it hard to reason on the subject of religion. They are strongly convinced theirs is the right religion and no more discussion is needed. In this, we may be a little like a fanatical supporter of a certain sports team. As you know, when a fanatical supporter watches his own team play another one, he supports his own, however badly it plays. If the opponents win, he may say that they cheated, or the referee was on their side, or something else happened. He thus ignores the good qualities of the other team, and all the bad qualities of his own.
Yes, we may have received our religion from our parents, and we respect our parents. We owe them much, and many of the things they have given us are very good. But that does not mean we have to accept everything they say without thinking. Our parents are human, as we are. They make mistakes, as we do. In fact, many of the problems that we have to live with today are because of things that our parents' generation did. They did not do them deliberately to make things hard for us. They just made mistakes, because of being human.
8 Hence, a wise man will examine the things he has received from his parents, including his religion.
He will keep the good things and reject those things that are not good. This is essential if he is to find the truth about religion.
IDENTIFYING THE BOOK OF TRUTH
1 How can we learn the truth about religion? Take the example of a new employee starting work in a firm. Who tells him what work he should do and what rules he has to obey? Why, the employer, of course. The employer will either speak to him personally, send him a memorandum, or perhaps let him read a book of instructions giving him the needed information. Now, since God created us and put us on the earth, he is the one who should tell us what he wants us to do. How does he do this? Since he does not speak to each of us individually, it follows that he must tell us his will in writing.
2 Where can we find God's written instructions for us? Readers of the Qur'an will already have some ideas about this, for there is frequent mention made in that book of writings of what is called "God's Word." In the beginning of the Qur'an we read: "[The righteous] trust what has been revealed to you [Mohammed] and to others before you, and firmly believe in the life to come." —Sura 2, Al-Baqara [the Cow], verse 4.
3 What is meant by "what has been revealed . . . to others before you?" Three separate writings are mentioned in the Qur'an. One is alluded to in the fifth Sura, Al-Ma'ida [The Table], in verses 43 and 44. There, we read: "How will they come to you for judgement, when they already have the
Torah which enshrines Allah's own judgement? Soon after they are bound to ignore you: they are no true believers. There is guidance, and there is light, in the Torah which We have revealed." Hence, the Torah, the writings of Moses, are referred to in the Qur'an as the Word of God.
4 Again, we read in the Qur'an: "Your Lord is best aware of all who dwell in heaven and earth. We have exalted some prophets above others. To David We gave the Psalms." (Sura 17, Al-Isra' [The Night Journey], verse 55) Noteworthy, too, are the following words: "We have revealed Our will to . . . Noah and to the prophets who came after him; . . . to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and . . . David, to whom We gave the Psalms." (Sura 4, Al-Nisa' [Women], verse 163) Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob are all referred to in the writings of Moses, the Torah.
The third writing referred to in the Qur'an is called the "Gospel." On this, the Qur'an reads: "After those prophets We sent forth Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the Torah already revealed, and gave him the Gospel, in which there is guidance and light, corroborating that which was revealed before it in the Torah, a guide and an admonition to the righteous. Therefore let the followers of the Gospel judge in accordance with what Allah has revealed therein. Evil-doers are those that do not base their judgements on Allah's revelations."—Sura 5, Al-Ma'ida [The Table], verses 46, 47.
a Every careful reader of the Qur'an has seen that the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel are time and again shown to be God's Word.
In the one hundred fourteen Suras, or chapters, of the Qur'an, at least sixty-two verses point out that these three writings come from God. And at least twelve other verses say that the Qur'an was written for the purpose of confirming these books.
7 Here are some of these verses. "Children of Israel . . . Have faith in My revelations, which confirm your Scriptures." (Sura 2, Al-Baqara [The Cow], verse 41) "A Book confirming their own has come to them from Allah." (Sura 2, Al-Baqara [The Cow], verse 89) "When it is said to them: 'Believe in what Allah has revealed,' they reply: 'We believe in what was revealed to us.' But they deny what has since been revealed, although it is the truth, corroborating their own scriptures." (Sura 2, Al-Baqara [The Cow], verse 91) "He has revealed to you the Book with the truth, confirming the scriptures which preceded it; for He has already revealed the Torah and the Gospel for the guidance of men, and the distinction between right and wrong." (Sura 3, Al-Imran [The Imrans], verses 3, 4) "This is a blessed Book which We have revealed, confirming what came before it." (Sura 6, Al-An'am [Cattle], verse 92) "If you doubt what we have revealed to you, ask those who have read the Scriptures before you." (Sura 10, Yunis [Jonah], verse 94) "What We have revealed to you in the Book is the truth confirming previous scriptures."—Sura 35, Al-Fatir [The Creator], verse 31.
8 However, the Qur'an makes the additional point that merely knowing which books are God's Word is not enough. We have to do what those books say. "Say: 'People of the Book, you shall
not be guided until you observe the Torah and the Gospel and that which is revealed to you from your Lord.' " (Sura 5, Al-Ma'ida [The Table], verse 68. See also Sura 3, Al-Imran [The Imrans], verse 93. The Qur'an also says: "Those to whom the burden of the Torah was entrusted and yet refused to bear it are like a donkey laden with books."—Sura 62, Al-Jum'a [Friday], verse 5.
To sum up, the Qur'an teaches that these three writings, the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel, are from God. They should be both recognized and obeyed. Do you know where we can find these writings today? They have been collected together into one book, which has become the most widely distributed publication in the whole world. This book the whole or in part has been translated into more than seventeen hundred languages. It is the Bible. But before confirming that this book really does contain the Word of God, let us get to know it a little better.
Where are the writings located that are identified in the Qur'an as God's Word?
WHAT IS THE BIBLE?
1 The Bible is viewed in the East as made up of three different books, namely, Tevat (Torah), Zebur (Psalms) and Injil (Gospel). If you examine a Bible, you will find that each of these three books is divided into several smaller books. In fact, the word "Bible" comes from the Greek word biblia, which means "little books." In all there are sixty-six "little books" in the Bible, Tevat, according to the way the Bible is spoken of in the Qur'an, consists of thirty-nine "little books."
and includes the book of Psalms, or Zebur. Injil consists of twenty-seven "little books."
2 Some call the first thirty-nine books of the Bible the "Old Testament," because the writing of these was finished hundreds of years before the next section was begun. They view this as less important than the second part, which they call the "New Testament." However, it is not logical to view one part of the Word of God as more important than another part. All the Word of God is important. A verse in the so-called New Testament says: "All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16) We use the term "Hebrew Scriptures" to refer to the first thirty-nine books of the Bible, since they were written in that language. And as the final part of the Bible was written in Greek, we call that section the "Greek Scriptures."
3 The twenty-seven "little books" of the Greek Scriptures (injil) are made up of five history books, several letters written by followers of Jesus, and one book consisting almost entirely of prophecies. This section is called Injil, or Gospel, because the first four books are Gospels (which word means "good news"). The writers of these Gospels were disciples of Jesus, named Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each Gospel contains an account of the life and death of Jesus Christ.
4 At this point, you may ask: 'But why should there be four accounts of Jesus' life? Why not just one?' Perhaps you feel this shows that the account of Jesus' life has been distorted. Some
people apparently stop their investigation of the Bible at this point. But let us remind you again of what was said earlier about prejudice. Before deciding what to think about this subject, consider what the Bible itself says.
5 In the Hebrew Scriptures (Tevat) we are told that when an important matter must be established, there should be more than one witness. It says: "At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses the matter should stand good." (Deuteronomy 19:15) Now, the life of Jesus was extremely important historically. Hence, God provided not three witnesses, but four. We can be sure that what we read of Jesus, his sayings and his life, is the truth.
But you might say: 'Suppose these four witnesses contradict one another?' Here is the wonderful thing: Although there are four, and they each give us an account of the life of Jesus from a different point of view and to suit different audiences, they do not contradict one another. The account that emerges is unified and it inspires confidence.
7 That brings up a matter having to do with the writing of the Bible that many do not understand. Some feel that, for a book to be God's Word, every sentence should be dictated by God and come "from above," as it were. However, most of the Bible was not written that way. Some words in the Bible were directly dictated by God through the medium of angels. But at other times, men were commanded by God to write in their own words the things they had heard or seen. Hence, different parts of the Bible are written in different styles. Does this mean that there is a possibility of error?
Not at all, because as was mentioned in the scripture quoted above. "all Scripture is inspired of God." (2 Timothy 3:16) Human writers wrote under the influence of God. God, who is Almighty, is able to produce a book in this way since that is his will.
8 About forty persons were used in the writing of the Bible. They were from many different walks of life, including shepherds, herdsmen, fishermen, farmers, a doctor and a tax collector. At least two were kings. Others were priests, prophets or scribes. They all "spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit." (2 Peter 1: 19-21) Each one wrote in total honesty, sometimes even describing his own personal faults.
9The time between the writing of the first and the last books of the Bible is about sixteen hundred years. Yet, despite this, the Bible is basically just one book. There is one major theme. And nowhere does it contradict itself. Surely, this is proof that there was only one Author behind the forty persons who wrote the sixty-six "little books!"
10 But is the Bible complete in itself? Well, if you have a copy of the Bible, open it to the very first page, at the beginning of the Hebrew Scriptures, or Tevarat. There it says: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) The book starts at the very beginning of creation with reference to our earth. Nothing on this subject could come before that. Hence, the Hebrew Scriptures were not the continuation of another
book. They must have been the commencement of the written Word of God.
11 Now look at the very end of the Tevat, or Hebrew Scriptures. The final words are: "Remember, you people, the law of Moses my servant with which I commanded him in Horeb concerning all Israel, even regulations and judicial decisions. Look! I am sending to you people Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah. And he must turn the heart of fathers back toward sons, and the heart of sons back toward fathers; in order that I may not come and actually strike the earth with a devoting of it to destruction." (Malachi 4:4-6) Do these words sound like the end of a book? Or just the conclusion of an episode, with more to come? Yes, these concluding words of the Hebrew Scriptures show that the Word of God did not end with the book of Malachi.
12 Now, what about the Injil, or Greek Scriptures? Should this be viewed as a book on its own? Let us read the very first words of this part of the Bible: "The book of the history of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham: Abraham became father to Isaac." (Matthew 1:1, 2) If the Greek Scriptures had been a book complete in itself, it would have been necessary to explain who Abraham, Isaac and David were, and why it was so important that Jesus be descended from them. It is only when we read the Tevat, or Hebrew Scriptures, that we can understand these things. Hence, the Greek Scriptures are obviously meant to be viewed as an addition to the Hebrew Scriptures.
But should we expect an addition to the Greek Scriptures?
13 Well, the closing part of the Greek Scriptures reads: "I am bearing witness to everyone that hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this scroll; and if anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life and out of the holy city, things which are written about in this scroll. He that bears witness of these things says, "Yes; I am coming quickly." 'Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.' May the undeserved kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ be with the holy ones."—Revelation 22:18-21.
14 Surely, that sounds like a conclusion. On the hopeful note of awaiting the second coming of Jesus Christ, notice how we are warned against adding to or taking away from the writings. That must be the conclusion of the written Word of God.
15 Some may have heard of the word "parakletos" and wonder where that fits into the picture. Jesus on one occasion informed his followers: "Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth, It is for your benefit I am going away. For if I do not go away, the helper [parakletos] will by no means come to you; but if I do go my way, I will send him to you." (John 16:7) Was this "helper" a book, a person, or something else that Jesus was going to send?
16 The Greek word for "helper" is parakletos. Some have suggested that what Jesus really said
was periklutos, but because of poor pronunciation, parakletos is what came to be written in the Bible. Periklutos means, according to ones reasoning this way, "the one commended, or praised." Hence, Jesus could be viewed as prophesying here the coming of some other person. But is this what he himself had in mind?
17 Jesus actually explained what the parakletos is in another scripture. Just before his death, he said: "The helper [parakletos], the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you." (John 14:26) A little earlier, he had said: "If you love me, you will observe my commandments; and I will request the Father and he will give you another helper [parakletos] to be with you forever, the spirit of truth."—John 14:15-17.
18 Hence, the parakletos is not a person or another book. It is active force from God, the holy spirit. Jesus referred to it again when he was speaking to his followers after his miraculous resurrection from the dead. He told them: "John, indeed, baptized with water, but you will be baptized in holy spirit not many days after this." (Acts 1:5) Were these words fulfilled?
19 Well, read for yourself the account of what happened to those followers about ten days later. The record tells us: "Now while the day of the festival of Pentecost was in progress they were all together at the same place, and suddenly there occurred from heaven a noise just like that of a rushing stiff breeze, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting. And tongues as if of fire became visible to them and were distributed about, and one sat upon each one of them, and they all became filled with holy spirit and started to speak with different tongues, just as the spirit was granting them to make utterance."
Acts 2:1-4.
20 This event occurred in the year 33 CE. At that time, none of the Greek Scriptures (Injil) had been written. Hence, as Jesus promised, that holy spirit was now available to ensure that all the things to be written down would be accurate and trustworthy. Obviously, this parakletos is not a person. It is active force coming from God himself. Since Jesus was no longer physically with his followers, this active force helped them to remember all the things that he had said and it strengthened them to apply these things in their lives.
21 Hence, now we know a little about the Tevrat and the Injil, which the Qur'an identifies as the Word of God, and which together make up the Bible. The Bible was completed with the writing of the last book of the Injil, and Jesus' promise of the coming parakletos did not mean we should expect something in addition to that. However, some people have objections to believing in the Bible. Let us now discuss some of those objections.
What have you learned so far about the Word of God?
THE BIBLE AND CHRISTENDOM
1 Many refuse to accept the Bible as God's Word because the nations that claim to believe in the Bible have acted so badly. It cannot be denied
that the so-called Christian nations, usually referred to as "Christendom," have caused much suffering to mankind. Does this mean that the Bible is wrong too? No, for Christendom long ago abandoned the Bible and has not lived according to the teachings of Jesus. Hence, it would not be proper to condemn the Bible because of the things Christendom has done.
2 To show that Christendom has largely rejected the teachings of the Bible, consider some of her beliefs. For example, a fundamental doctrine of Christendom is the Trinity. According to this, God is made up of three persons; the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit. These three are coequal and coeternal, three persons in one God. Christendom's theologians call this doctrine a mystery.
3 Mystery or not, is this what the Bible teaches? Far from it. Jesus on one occasion stated: "The Father is greater than I am." (John 14:28) On another occasion, Jesus' follower, the apostle Paul, stated: "I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn the head of a woman is the man; in turn the head of the Christ is God." (1 Corinthians 11:3) Those two statements leave no room for believing that Jesus is equal to God. The idea of "three persons in one God" is completely foreign to the Hebrew Scriptures (Tevrat) and the Greek Scriptures (Injil). In fact, the word "Trinity" never appears in the Bible.
4 Consider another teaching of Christendom. The outstanding symbol of Christendom is the cross. This is claimed as a symbol because it is taught that Jesus died on a cross. Hence, members of Christendom's churches even bow down before images of the cross in their religious services.
Is this what the Bible teaches?
5 Definitely not. For one thing, there is evidence that Jesus did not die on a cross shaped like the one usually used in Christendom. Some scriptures in the Bible say that Jesus died on a tree. Others say he was hanged on what the original Greek language calls a stauros. What does stauros mean? An authoritative reference work states: "Homer [an ancient Greek poet] uses the word stauros of an ordinary pole or stake, or a single piece of timber. And this is the meaning and usage of the word throughout the Greek classics. It never means two pieces of timber placed across one another at any angle, but always of one piece alone. Hence, the use of the word xulon [or xylon, meaning "timber" or "tree"] in connection with the manner of our Lord's death . . . The evidence is thus complete, that the Lord was put to death upon an upright stake, and not on two pieces of timber placed at any angle."—Appendix to The Companion Bible, page 186.
4 Of course, even if Jesus had died on a cross, would the way Christendom uses it be reasonable? If someone you loved very much was stabbed to death, would you worship the knife that killed him? Of course not. It would be an object of abhorrence to you. Further, according to the Bible, it is wrong to worship anything or anyone apart from God himself. The apostle John stated: "Little children, guard yourselves from idols." (1 John 5:21) Yet Christendom has made an idol of the cross.
7 Many other doctrines and practices of Christendom could be mentioned to show that it is not truly Christian. For example, the adoration of Mary, the belief that the souls of the wicked will burn eternally in hellfire, and the celebration of Easter and Christmas are all derived from pagan practices and prove that Christendom's worship is not in harmony with the Bible.
Should we be surprised that God would let such a thing happen? No. Jesus himself prophesied that it would. He told the Jews of his day: "Not everyone saying to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?' And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness." (Matthew 7:21-23) Christendom, while claiming to follow Jesus, has worked great lawlessness. Hence, God has abandoned her.
Name some other beliefs and practices of Christendom that are unscriptural.
IS THE BIBLE STILL THE WORD OF GOD?
How did Jesus foretell that there would be many claiming to serve him but who would in fact be workers of lawlessness, not true servants of God?
1 Sometimes a different objection is raised. Some feel that the Bible was the Word of God, but it has been distorted and corrupted by men so that now we can no longer trust it. Can this be true?
2Let us repeat a verse from the Qur'an that was quoted earlier.
But now we will discuss it from a different angle. "After those prophets We sent forth Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the Torah already revealed, and gave him the Gospel, in which there is guidance and light, corroborating that which was revealed before it in the Torah, a guide and an admonition to the righteous. Therefore let the followers of the Gospel judge in accordance with what Allah has revealed therein. Evil-doers are those that do not base their judgements on Allah's revelations."—Sura 5, Al-Ma'ida [The Table], verses 46, 47.
If, at the time these words were written, the Bible had already been corrupted, how could believers in the Gospel judge in accordance with what Allah had revealed therein? Thus believers in the Qur'an accept that the Bible was uncorrupted at the time the Qur'an was written (about one thousand three hundred years ago). On the other hand, there exist manuscripts of the Bible written four hundred or five hundred years before that time that are on public display in museums today. When comparing our modern Bibles with these ancient manuscripts, it is easily seen that there is no significant difference. The Bible is substantially the same. Certainly, the Bible has not changed since those words were written in the Qur'an saying that in the Gospel "there is guidance and light."
4 Thus, a person who believes in the Qur'an will agree that the Bible has not been corrupted and that it is still the Word of God. But even for people who do not believe in the Qur'an
there is abundant proof that the Bible has not been corrupted by men since its original writing. What proof? Why, those ancient manuscripts mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Regarding the preserving of the Greek Scriptures (Injil) until our day, a scientist pointed out: "The interval then between the dates of original composition and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed." (The Bible and Archaeology, by Sir Frederic Kenyon) Sir Frederic Kenyon is here expressing the widely accepted fact that we can read in the Greek Scriptures (Injil) substantially what the original writers, under inspiration, put there. There has been no gross distortion.
Regarding the Hebrew Scriptures (Tevat), the external proof is equally strong that they have been preserved faithfully. The ancient copyists of those scriptures were renowned for their accuracy. Today there are seventeen hundred ancient manuscripts of the Hebrew Scriptures of the Bible in existence, and comparison shows them to be substantially the same. In 1947, some very ancient manuscripts were discovered in the region of the Dead Sea. They included some that were a thousand years older than any hitherto extant. Yet a comparison of these ancient manuscripts with our modern Bible shows little significant variation, especially with regard to teaching and doctrine. After examining these newly discovered ancient documents, Professor Millar Burrows said: "The general reader and student of the Bible may be satisfied to note that nothing in all this changes our understanding of the religious teachings of the Bible .
. . The essential truth and the will of God revealed in the Bible, however, have been preserved unchanged through all the vicissitudes in the transmission of the text."—The Dead Sea Scrolls, by Millar Burrows.
7 Is this not reasonable? Should we not expect that the Almighty God would be able to preserve his Word uncorrupted? The Bible itself says: "The green grass has dried up, the blossom has withered; but as for the word of our God, it will last to time indefinite."—Isaiah 40:8.
Why is it reasonable to believe that the Bible we now have is substantially the same as the original that was written under God's inspiration?
DOES THE BIBLE CONTRADICT ITSELF?
1 Some critics of the Bible claim that it contradicts itself. Is this true? No it is not. If you ask these critics which parts of the Bible are contradictory, they usually have no specific example in mind. When examples are mentioned, they often turn out to be cases where different Bible writers tell the same story from different angles.
2 For example, on one occasion Jesus miraculously healed the manservant of a Roman army officer. In the account by the apostle Matthew, we read: "When he entered into Capernaum, an army officer came to him, entreating him and saying: 'Sir, my manservant is laid up in the house with paralysis, being terribly tormented.'"
(Matthew 8:5, 6) Jesus then agreed to go and heal the man. In the disciple Luke's account, we read: "When he [the army officer] heard about Jesus, he sent forth older men of the Jews to him to ask him to come and bring his slave safely through." (Luke 7:3) Once again, according to Luke's account, Jesus agreed to go. Is it a contradiction that one account says the army officer asked Jesus, and the other says that he sent older men of the Jews to represent him?
3 A reasonable person would not think so. This is typical of what happens when two honest people tell of the same event. To Matthew, the important thing was that the army officer made the request of Jesus. Luke merely added the detail that he did not ask him personally, but sent Jews to represent him. This is similar to the way we often speak. For example, we may say that the mayor of a certain city built a new road. Now, did the mayor build the road himself? Or was the road built by a contractor, using many workers and engineers? Obviously, the latter is the case. Nevertheless, it is not wrong to say that the mayor built the road, since he is the one who initiated the work. Similarly, in this instance, the army officer made a request of Jesus, but he did it through certain representatives.
4 Another alleged contradiction has to do with the two sons of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. The firstborn was named Cain, and the second, Abel. In a fit of rage, Cain committed the first murder and killed his brother, Abel. Afterward, the record says that Cain married and produced children. The question often asked is: 'Where did Cain get his wife?
Surely, Eve was the only woman alive then.'—Genesis 4:1-17.
5 Such a question springs from a limited knowledge of the Bible. In fact, Adam and Eve had many children. We read: "And the days of Adam after his fathering Seth [another son] came to be eight hundred years. Meanwhile he became father to sons and daughters." (Genesis 5:4) Hence, there were other women in those days, apart from Eve. Cain married one of his sisters. Later, of course, God forbade marriage among such close relatives.—Leviticus 18:9; 20:17.
IS THE BIBLE SCIENTIFIC?
1 Another objection sometimes raised against the Bible is that it is unscientific. Today, science is highly thought of. Scientists have sent men to the moon. They have made life more comfortable for some. And they have made great strides in medicine, so that many sick people now recover from sicknesses that fifty years ago would have killed them. Hence, men tend to look down on things that they feel are not "scientific."
2 However, there are more important things than science. Loving our neighbor and serving God are more important. With all the progress of science today, men still fight wars and oppress and kill one another. In fact, because of science, warfare is much more destructive than it used to be. Hence, we have a greater need than ever to learn about God and his purposes.
3 The Bible tells us about God. That is why it is so valuable. It is not a book about science. Nevertheless, when it touches on things that have to do with science, it often agrees with modern scientific thinking. For example, in Bible times there were many theories about the shape of the earth and how it was supported. Some thought it was held up by a huge turtle. Others taught that the Titan, Atlas, held it in place. What does the Bible say? "[God] is stretching out the north over the empty place, hanging the earth upon nothing." It also says about the shape of the earth: "There is One [God] who is dwelling above the circle of the earth."—Job 26:7; Isaiah 40:22.
4 Does that sound unscientific to you? Or is that not exactly what the American and Russian astronauts see when they venture into outer space in their rocket ships? How could people thousands of years ago have known that the earth was hanging in empty space unless God himself had revealed it to them?
Another instance where the Bible is largely in agreement with modern science is in the handling of disease. Of course, in the days when the Bible was written the medicines that are available today were unknown. But within the limitations of the times, God's Word protected his worshipers from the worst effects of sickness. In the days of Moses, for example, leprosy was a serious threat. The Bible gives detailed instructions that many modern doctors would agree with about how to quarantine someone suspected of having leprosy, and so keep the rest of the nation clean. (Leviticus 13:1-14:57) In fact this part of the Bible contains many laws about cleanliness that suggest a knowledge of sanitary principles far in advance of that early time. This, of course, is what we would expect when we remember that it was God who gave them these laws.
Hence, the objections raised by some that the Bible is contradictory or unscientific are no reason for rejecting this book as the Word of God. Most of these objections spring from a lack of understanding, and when investigated, they only add to the evidence that the Bible truly is divinely inspired. But there is greater evidence than what has been mentioned so far that the Bible (Tevrat and Injil) comes from God.
To what conclusion does a consideration of the above material lead us?
THE BIBLE'S PROPHECIES
1 The most powerful proof that the Bible is truly God's Word is its prophecies. As you know, to prophesy means to tell in advance things that are going to happen. Men try to guess what is going to happen in the future. Sometimes they succeed, but most of the time they fail. There is only One who has the power to foretell infallibly what the future holds, and that is God. Hence, when we read literally hundreds of prophecies in the Bible, and can testify that they all came true in their due time, we have to admit that this is by the power of God.
2 Consider, for example, God's pronouncements against the city of Babylon. We read: "There is
a sword against the Chaldeans,' is the utterance of Jehovah, 'and against the inhabitants of Babylon and against her princes and against her wise ones. There is a devastation upon her waters, and they must be dried up. For it is a land of graven images, and because of their frightful visions they keep acting crazy. Therefore the haunters of waterless regions will dwell with the howling animals, and in her the ostriches must dwell; and she will nevermore be dwelt in, nor will she reside for generation after generation. Just as with God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah . . . no man will dwell there.' "Jeremiah 50:35, 38-40.
3 What a vivid description of abandonment and desolation! Yet this prophecy was written when Babylon was at the height of her authority. She was the mightiest military power in the world. But God warned that she would become like a desert. Was the prophecy fulfilled? You can see its fulfillment for yourself. In the country of Iraq, between the modern cities of Baghdad and Basra, there is a large tract of uninhabited ruins. That is all that remains of the mighty city of Babylon. God's prophecy, as recorded in the Bible, was completely fulfilled.
4 Another impressive prophecy has to do with the succession of world powers after the fall of Babylon. If you have access to a Bible, open it to the book of Daniel and read the vision that Daniel was given in chapter 8. The angel who explained the meaning of that vision showed that Babylon would be succeeded by an empire ruled by the kings of Media and Persia. This kingdom in its turn would be overthrown by a conqueror from Greece.
However, this Greek empire would soon be divided into four smaller empires.—Daniel 8:1-8, 20-22.
5 Was this parade of world powers fulfilled? It was indeed. Under King Cyrus the Great, Persia overthrew the Babylonian Empire in 539 BCE. This Persian Empire was eventually overtaken by Greek armies under the young Alexander the Great. However, when Alexander died, his empire was weakened, and eventually four of his generals became rulers in four divisions of it. Can you imagine a man being able to prophesy such coming events in so great detail?
It has already been mentioned that many, many prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, including details such as where he would be born, what tribe he would be born into, how he would die and his betrayal by a close follower for thirty pieces of silver. Obviously, such prophecies could only have been by divine power. A man could not organize his own life to fulfill such details.
7 There are prophecies being fulfilled in our own day, too. Read these words of the apostle Paul: "In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, head-strong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly
devotion but proving false to its power." (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Can you discern the fulfillment of that prophecy today? We are sure you can.
8 Then, too, there are the words of Jesus himself. When asked about the "sign" of the end of this world system, he related many things that would happen just before the end. Are his prophecies coming true today? Read some examples and see for yourself. Here is one: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another pestilences and food shortages."—Luke 21:10, 11.
9 You may say: 'But there have always been wars.' That is true, as Jesus himself knew. But he was speaking of unusual wars, such as we have seen only since 1914. Regarding the first world war, which started in that year, a military analyst wrote: "In its scope, its violence, and above all, in its totality, it established a precedent. World War I ushered in the century of Total War, of—in the first full sense of the term—global war. . . Never before 1914-1918 had a war absorbed so much of the total resources of so many combatants and covered so large a part of the earth. Never had so many nations been involved. Never had the slaughter been so comprehensive and indiscriminate." (World War I, by H. W. Baldwin) Needless to say, the carnage of the first world war was multiplied many times over in the second.
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