The Watchtower, January 15, 1955
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The WATCHTOWER
Announcing
JEHOVAH'S
KINGDOM
JANUARY 15, 1955
Semimonthly
GOD'S LOVE TO THE RESCUE
IN MAN'S CRISIS
TRUE CHRISTIANS DEFEAT PERSECUTION
DEFEATING RED PERSECUTION TODAY
IS YOUR BEST GOOD ENOUGH?
MODERN HISTORY
OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
©WTB&TS
"YOU ARE MY WITNESSES," SAYS JEHOVAH.—Isa. 43:12 THE PURPOSE OF "THE WATCHTOWER"
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which watchmen could observe happenings, warn of danger, or announce good news. Our magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is founded on the very pinnacle of wisdom, God's Word. That elevates it above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advances as the light on God's purposes and works increases.—Habakkuk 2:1-3.
It sees things Scripturally. When it observes this generation afflicted with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, war, famine, pestilence, perplexity and fear, and persecution of unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in these things the sign of the world's time of the end. But with bright hope it also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals of a new world.
Thus viewed, "The Watchtower" stands as a watchman atop a tower, alert to what is going on, awake to note signs of danger, faithful to point out the way of escape. It announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christ's enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food, cheers men of good will with glorious prospects of eternal life in a paradise earth, comforts us with the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based on God's Word. It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how well the two match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his own prophecy. In the interests of our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible truth, and views religious news generally.
'Be watchful in these perilous times,' God admonishes. So keep on the watch by regularly reading "The Watchtower".
PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY
117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. KNORR, President
GRANT SUITER, Secretary
"They will all be taught by Jehovah."—John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13
CONTENTS
True Christians Defeat Persecution 35
Defeating Red Persecution Today 36
Why Many Church Pews Are Empty 40
Something Hard to Understand? 40
Is Your Best Good Enough? 41
Modern History of Jehovah's Witnesses
Small Beginnings (1879-1889) Part 2 45
God's Love to the Rescue in Man's Crisis 49
Questions from Readers 62
Group Witnessing in Mountainous Italy 63
Do You Pray to Saints? 63
Announcements 64
Check Your Memory 64
AS- American Standard Version
LXX- The Septuagint Version
AT-An American Translation
Mo-James Moffatt's version
Da-J. N. Darby's version
NW-New World Translation
Dy-Catholic Douay version
Ro-J. B. Rotherham's version
ED-The Emphatic Diaglott
RS-Revised Standard Version
Le-Isaac Leeser's version
Yg-Robert Young's version
Unless otherwise indicated, the Bible used is the King James Version
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TRUE CHRISTIANS DEFEAT PERSECUTION
FOR three and a half years Christ Jesus had served as Jehovah's chief earthly representative. He had agreed at Jordan to do his Father's will, and in spite of all the temptation and persecution that Satan and his agents could bring to bear against him Jesus did not swerve from his agreement one iota. On the last evening that he was with his disciples as a man he said to them: "In the world you will have tribulation, but cheer up! I have conquered the world." (John 16:33, NW) Cheer up while suffering persecution? Yes, because of the comforting and encouraging assurance that persecution can be defeated.
But why did Jehovah allow his beloved Son to suffer persecution? Yes, why should God allow any of his servants to be persecuted? Does he not love his servants? And is he not all-powerful? Then he must have some good reason. What is it? And since the facts indicate that many professed Christians have failed to defeat persecution, what does it take to defeat it?
God has given us the answers to these questions in his Word, the Bible, even as we should expect. Particularly to the point is the record found in the first two chapters of Job. Therein is recorded the conversation between Jehovah and Satan regarding God's upright servant Job. True, Job was serving Jehovah, but what was his motive? God maintained that it was a
love of righteousness; Satan maintained that it was a love of selfish gain. Take away the material rewards for right-doing, Satan contended, and Job would renounce God, yes, curse him to his face. Because this challenge involved Jehovah's name and supremacy as well as the worthiness of his creatures to enjoy life, Jehovah accepted the challenge and gave Satan free rein with Job, short of taking his life. The outcome is well known to all familiar with the Scriptures. Though Job wondered time and again why God permitted him thus to suffer, at no time did Job charge God with wrong but, rather, expressed his supreme confidence in him: "Lo! he may slay me, yet for him will I wait."—Job 13:15, Ro.
Not that Job was the first thus to keep integrity but, rather, that in his case we have the issue highlighted and pinpointed, as it were. The very fact that Jehovah called Job's integrity-keeping course to Satan's attention indicates that the issue had previously been raised; and so it had, in the garden of Eden when Satan succeeded in turning aside the first human pair. That success inspired Satan to think that he could turn aside all God's intelligent creatures. To prove Satan false God permitted Satan to continue his nefarious course.
The apostles and early disciples of Jesus defeated persecution even as he had done.
Their unequivocal stand was: "We must obey God as ruler rather than men." With the stoning of Stephen violent persecution broke out against the Christian congregation at Jerusalem, scattering all save the apostles. But far from being overwhelmed by such persecution, "those who had been scattered went through the land declaring the good news of the word." Jesus had told them to rejoice if persecuted, and the record shows that they did just that.—Acts 5:29, 41; 8:1, 2, 4, NW; Matt. 5:11, 12.
And what violent persecution the apostle Paul defeated! He was repeatedly imprisoned, and "by Jews I five times received forty strokes less one, three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned," and left for dead. In spite of it all he kept on preaching. (2 Cor. 11:23-25, NW) Nor
have examples of true Christians defeating persecution been wanting down through the years. Whether forced underground by pagan emperors or by "Christian" swords of the Roman church they refused to compromise but held fast to their integrity, continuing to "preach the word."—2 Tim. 4:2.
Jesus had forewarned, "in the world you will have tribulation," and Paul, in his second letter to the young minister Timothy, wrote: "All those desiring to live with godly devotion in association with Christ Jesus will also be persecuted." (2 Tim. 3:12, NW) What about our day? Are Christians in this mid-twentieth century suffering like persecution and, if so, are they defeating it? How? For answers to these questions see the next succeeding article.
Defeating RED Persecution Today
Why has Jehovah permitted his servants to suffer violence from the time of Abel down to our day? Into what compromising situations has persecution of professed Christians forced many? Is it possible to keep integrity behind the Iron Curtain? What does it take to defeat persecution?
IT SHOULD not surprise us to find Christians suffering persecution in this twentieth century. Why not? Because in spite of all its claims to Christian civilization the fact remains that Satan is still the "god of this system of things." He still walks about "like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone." And full of wrath, he wages war on those "who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness to Jesus."—2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:17, NW.
Besides, are there not still with us religious leaders whose hatred of the light because it exposes the errors of their teachings and their selfish practices—and whose envy of the prosperity of Jehovah's servants blind them to the justice of freedom of worship?
And are there not still oppressive political powers, totalitarian governments, who resent the Christian's giving his allegiance to Jehovah God and their being told that they will be replaced by God's kingdom? Yes, there certainly are, and these and others of like selfish mind combine to bring persecution upon Jehovah's servants today even as did their counterparts in the days of Jeremiah, Christ Jesus and the apostles.
Of course, we can avoid persecution by compromising. Shortly after World War II a United States official interviewed many of the clergy in Germany endeavoring to ascertain their justification for co-operating with Hitler and his Nazis. In answer to their excuses he reminded them of the fearless course taken by Christ Jesus. Replied one bishop: "Yes, but look what they did to him!"
Organized religion likewise found it convenient to compromise in Japan in connection with the worship of the emperor cult. Although Shinto was the state religion they blithely presumed to believe that it was purely a political matter and that therefore Christians could take part in such rites. How one could bow down to the emperor without bowing down to him as a descendant of the gods when his political office was based on his religious claims, was a question that did not seem to bother their religious consciences.
In Russia, as soon as the avowedly godless government showed a little favor to organized religion by appointing a churchman to an official position, back in 1942, "churchmen vied with one another in sending cordial messages to Stalin."—Saturday Evening Post, September 11, 1954.
In East Germany organized religion gave such support to the Communists' peace
propaganda, "even though the movement took on a political and strictly secular character," that it was easy to identify Jehovah's witnesses by their refusing to have anything to do with it.
In Poland some 2,000 Catholic priests at mass meetings urged all priests to join the Communists' National Front, and in a memorandum dated May 8,1953,the bishops of Poland admitted having leaned over backward in supporting Communists' policies even when such were contrary to church interests,saying:
Bowing to whatever is currently expedient
"We are seeking a positive solution, which would benefit both the Church and the State. Nothing is farther from our minds than to introduce dissension."
But to avoid persecution by compromising is being lukewarm, and Christ warns that all lukewarm ones he will vomit out of his mouth.—Rev. 3:16, NW.
PERSECUTION CAN BE DEFEATED!
In striking contrast with all such compromising is the course of action taken by Jehovah's witnesses throughout the world. The fearless record they made in Nazi Germany, where 10,000 entered the concentration camps and 8,000 returned from them, is well known to all. They lived to see the end of their tormentors. And in Canada, where the work was banned during the greater part of World War II, the end of the ban saw twice as many witnesses as there were when the ban was first imposed. Certainly that was defeating persecution!
In French Equatorial Africa two natives came in touch with the Kingdom message and began preaching to others about Jehovah. The government refused to allow either missionaries or printed literature to enter the country.
Yet, in spite of this ban and much persecution, in six years those two ministers increased to 666 in April of 1954; an increase all the more remarkable in view of racial and language barriers.
At the time the Dominican Republic proscribed the work of Jehovah's witnesses, back in 1949, they had a peak of 274. Though many were imprisoned, the witnesses there have not compromised but have fearlessly kept on preaching underground. As a result, in 1954 a peak of 371 took part in the preaching work, this amounting to an average yearly increase of seven per cent. No question about their defeating persecution.
In 1950 upward of 20,000 witnesses were regularly preaching the good news in Eastern Germany when the Communists banned the work and took into custody all the brothers serving at the headquarters office at Magdeburg, the traveling representatives and the local overseers. In all, more than 2,000 were arrested and at the present time there are 1,283 in prisons. In spite of the increased difficulties of preaching under ban, the threat of imprisonment being always present, their ranks have again filled in so that today there are again upward of 20,000 active witnesses in Eastern Germany. Many are the expressions of joy coming from the witnesses in Eastern Germany, both from those inside and those outside prisons.
The fearless course of Jehovah's witnesses in Eastern Germany arouses the admiration of many. For example, after the New World society conventions in 1953 the house-to-house activity was stressed in Eastern Germany. In one congregation twenty took part in this work, completely covering their town. Two of them, while engaged in this campaign, happened to call upon the mayor. Asked if they were Jehovah's witnesses, they countered by asking
who he thought Jehovah's witnesses were. The mayor then frankly stated: "I know that you are, but you do not need to be timid. I marvel at your zeal and courage." The two witnesses were able to give good testimony regarding their beliefs and work and made arrangements to call further on him. Many such experiences could be related showing how Jehovah's witnesses are defeating persecution in Eastern Germany.
In Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania Poland and Yugoslavia, where the work of Jehovah's witnesses has been banned for years, we see a like defeating of persecution. In 1946 there were 11,131 Christian witnesses of Jehovah active in those lands; in 1950 their numbers had increased to 28,183, and in 1954 there were how many? Almost four times as many as in 1946, that is, 42,767.
But perhaps of greatest interest is the record of Jehovah's witnesses' defeating persecution in Russia. In 1946 there were 6,000 witnesses in Russia; in 1949 there were 10,000. How did they get there? Some became witnesses because of having been witnessed to while serving with the Russian army in Germany, others because of meeting Jehovah's witnesses in German prisons and concentration camps. Most of them, however, came to be within Russia because of Russia's taking over the Baltic States and parts of Poland, Hungary, Romania and Czechoslovakia.
However, to what extent they were defeating persecution was not known, due to the effectiveness of the Iron Curtain, and so year after year since then the witnesses of Jehovah in other parts of the world looked in vain in their annual Yearbook for reports regarding the witness in Russia. In 1951 the president of the Watch Tower Society met a radioman in Vienna, Austria, who had been a prisoner in Russia and who had met many witnesses of Jehovah while in prison.
In December, 1953, one of Jehovah's witnesses, who had been sent to a Russian prison camp in 1948 because of having witnessed to two Russian soldiers, was released on account of ill health, being over sixty years of age. He told of his witnessing to the Russians while at the camp and of meeting some witnesses there who were overjoyed to meet him.
Then, in February, 1954, several articles appeared in The Observer, London, England, on conditions in Russian work camps, written by a German journalist, Frau Brigette Gerland, who had just recently been released from one of them. She had been arrested in 1946 in Eastern Germany and sentenced to seven years at forced labor in Communist prison camps. Eventually she was sent to Vorkuta, capital of Arctic Russia, where there are some half million prisoners.
She gave a fine report of the prisoners at Vorkuta. Among those she described were "the believers, who, refusing to work for the state on grounds of conscience, had, after years of bitter struggle, forced the camp administration to respect their scruples and so employed them only in work that was for their fellow prisoners. Their success proved that resistance was possible within the camp."
She made special mention of one woman believer, a trained technician who had once been a member of the Communist Youth movement but was not contented. Accidentally stumbling across a "New Testament," she was converted thereby to Christianity. At her job in a factory she met a young woman who believed in the gospel and who introduced her to others that likewise did. The two young women abandoned their jobs and went to Central Asia, Siberia, where they worked in a hospital and preached the Bible. The secret police heard of their activity and sentenced
them to fifteen years of hard labor for religious agitation. Says Frau Gerland regarding them: "The story of their conversion [preaching activity] and arrest is typical of the fate of hundreds whom I met and of thousands of others, and it is a story of a movement that is still alive outside the camps."
In reply to an inquiry regarding Jehovah's witnesses in Russia, Frau Gerland replied: "I met a lot of them in the Arctic camps. Most of them had been Western Ukrainians [formerly Polish] or people of the Baltic States, but there were among them also Russians and other Soviet peoples, even Tartars and Armenians. I think that in the camp district of Vorkuta alone there must have been more than two thousand, maybe even three thousand. They have been very kind and helpful people and all the prisoners liked them. By the camp chiefs they were not bothered because of their beliefs."
The foregoing record of Jehovah's witnesses' defeating persecution in Russia calls to mind the confidence expressed regarding them in the 1950 Yearbook, that, "regardless of where they are, they continue to preach the good news. Jehovah's witnesses everywhere will offer prayers to Jehovah to the end that he will bless and guide and direct these faithful brothers that they too may have a share in the vindication of Jehovah's name by maintaining integrity despite the distressing times they endure. Their outstanding faith is a stimulus and inspiration to all of Jehovah's witnesses, for they are faithfully continuing in the service of Jehovah."
And what does it take to defeat such persecution today? First of all, knowledge. Without knowledge of Jehovah and his attributes, purposes and will for them and why he permits them to suffer they could not have resisted the Red terror. And that knowledge must result in a living faith, for one 'can have strength for all things' if he has faith, for it all is "according to your faith."
And it also takes hope, for hope is to the Christian what an anchor is to a ship and a helmet to a soldier, namely, a protection in time of danger.—Phil. 4:13; Matt. 9:29; Heb. 6:19; Eph. 6:17, NW.
To defeat persecution also requires Jehovah's holy spirit, for it cannot be accomplished by human might or power. (Zech. 4:6) And, above all, it requires love, for without love we are nothing. Besides, "there is no fear in love, but perfect love throws fear outside." (1 John 4:18, NW) Yes, true Christians can and do defeat persecution even as is demonstrated by the witnesses of Jehovah throughout the world.
Why Many Church Pews Are Empty
FOR a month in a certain California newspaper appeared the following advertisement: "WANTED men, women and children to occupy slightly used pews, Sunday morning, 10 to 12, at Armona Methodist Church, corner of 14th Ave. and Hanford-Armona Hwy." The following experience may throw some light on why the pews of this church were unoccupied Sundays.
"I attended this church for twenty-five years and each time a minister asked the question, Why are the churches failing? I would feel more convinced that something was wrong with the churches. A year and a half ago I asked the minister, who had placed the above advertisement in the paper, to explain Armageddon to me and also parts of Revelation. Both he and his wife, who is also an ordained minister, told me they did not know, nor were they interested in Revelation, as we were not supposed to know. I was also told that I would lose my mind if I studied with Jehovah's witnesses, as they are the worst false witnesses in the world.
"I had been studying the Bible for a few months with a young witness of Jehovah who had called at my door and she assured me that I would not lose my mind if I kept studying with her. After four months I was baptized, and it is amazing the progress I have been able to make, starting at the age of fifty-four as a Bible illiterate. Now with the help of Jehovah I am able to preach from door to door and conduct Bible studies. At my very first door I obtained a subscription for The Watchtower. I feel that it has been worth every bit of the tests, criticisms, etc., that I have had to go through. Incidentally, the minister and his wife, who had told me I would lose my mind if I studied with Jehovah's witnesses, had to leave their church because of friction. P. S. My mind actually has been much improved!"
No wonder church pews are empty! Why take the trouble to go to church if we are not supposed to understand the Bible? And if we are, it is apparent that we must look elsewhere than to the places of worship where such ministers hold forth.
Something Hard to Understand?
Do you find an occasional article in this magazine that seems a little deep for you, a little difficult to understand? Did you ever stop to think why that material is there? The apostle Paul stated the principle to the Hebrews: "For everyone that partakes of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their perceptive powers trained to distinguish both right and wrong." (Heb. 5:13, 14, NW) Thus the mature Christian must use his perceptive powers, must meditate upon and discuss difficult matters. So do not ignore an article because it is difficult, but take advantage of it to aid your progress toward spiritual maturity.
Is Your Best Good Enough?
THERE is a proverb that speaks of four things as never being satisfied, as never saying, "Enough." Sometimes Jehovah's witnesses, as they listen to congregation servants discuss field service, may think these servants could have been listed as a fifth class that never says, "Enough." It may seem that they are never satisfied, as they urge better meeting attendance, more home Bible studies and increased door-to-door activity. But this is as it should be. To have servants who say "It is enough" before the work is finished would be disastrous to the congregation. Servants should encourage us to greater activity and urge us to improve our ministry, should keep us from becoming self-satisfied and overconfident. Remember, "let him that thinks he has a firm position beware that he does not fall." 1 Cor. 10:12, NW; Prov. 30:15, 16.
But you may say, "I'm doing my best now. How can I do more? Isn't my best good enough?" It may be, it may not. Is your best the best possible for you? Does your best get better? Your best may be poor because you do not try to improve it. Should you not make an advance toward greater maturity so that your future best will be much better than your present best? Sometimes it is a question of Can we do better? but more often it is a question of Will we do better? Are we getting the most from the abilities we possess, or could our best be better if we applied ourselves more diligently? A doctor may have ability but be mediocre because he failed to apply himself at medical school and during his internship. He may do his best with the knowledge he has, but his patients die because he has not developed to the full the ability he has. His best is not good enough, since he could have made it much better. So it is with the minister engaged in spiritual healing. He has a certain amount of ability. Has he developed it by study, by regular meeting attendance, by participating in the training program for his improvement? Does his best measure up to the fullness of his ability? If through negligence or laziness we do not develop, and because of that our best is poor, it is not good enough.-Matt. 25:15.
To improve your best improve your love. We say we love Jehovah. Do we really love him? Real love is not mere sentimentality, but finds expression in action: "This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments." Just as the body without the breath is dead, and faith without works is dead, so also love without works is dead. To show a lively love for Jehovah we must obey his commands, and his commands embrace everything we have, all we are: "Jehovah our God is one Jehovah, and you must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind and with your whole strength."
In answer to Jewish religionists Jesus quoted this from Deuteronomy 6:4,5. They knew the words well, for they were in the phylacteries or scripture-containing cases they tied on their arm and forehead, and they repeated the words in their morning and evening prayers. But Jesus told the people that it was not the ones merely saying "Master, Master" that would enter the kingdom of heaven, but those that did Jehovah's will. So their hypocritical and repeated declarations of love for Jehovah were valueless when unsupported by obedience to Jehovah's commands.—1 John 5:3; Mark 12: 29, 30; Matt. 7:21, NW.
We do not want to be two-faced like the hypocritical Pharisees. Can we say the words they quoted so much and mean them? Do we love Jehovah with our whole strength, whole mind, whole soul and whole heart? Remember, to love means to obey. Do we love him with our whole strength, which means using our physical energies in his service? In witnessing to others about the truth we might exhaust ourselves walking, knocking, talking, doing it at door after door for hour after hour. We would be loving Jehovah with our whole strength, but it would not be enough. It would be commendable physical zeal, as industrious as energetic ants that sluggards are told to consider. (Prov. 6:6) But more than physical strength is needed. Army ants, for example, march in columns, and in unusual circumstances sometimes go in circles, the head of the column swinging around and following the rear members. They march themselves to death, milling in this circle for days until they drop in their tracks. They use up their whole strength, but not very wisely. We should love Jehovah with our strength, showing zeal in his service. But to exhaust ourselves
walking and knocking and talking is not enough. We must love with our whole mind also.
Jehovah gives certain commands for our minds. If our minds love Jehovah they will obey these instructions. Joshua was told to read to himself God's law day and night. The righteous are to meditate in it day and night. Christians are told what to fill their minds with: "Whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things." Does your mind show it loves Jehovah by obediently considering these things continually and meditating in his Word day and night?—Phil. 4:8, NW; Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:2.
Or is your mind cluttered with worldly thinking? Satan is sending out his propaganda to shape men's minds to his purposes. It pours forth from newspapers and magazines, blares out of radios, flashes from television screens, and even saturates the comic books. Satan is seeking to brainwash all humanity with floods of propaganda, to drown godliness from men's minds by his torrents of dirty water of demonic expressions. As a result, minds that turn from the old world to rely on Jehovah's new world need a cleansing "with the bath of water by means of the word."
Has your mind taken this turn for the better? Then you must "quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over." Does your mind resist Satan's brainwashing, turning instead to a bath in truth waters that cleanses it of filth and lies? Has it obeyed the command to be made over and transformed, no longer being fashioned and shaped by worldly thinking? Satan and his system hate minds that think for themselves, that do not conform to the mass mind molded by propaganda.
If a person thinks deeply he may be called names, such as "egghead." But neither physical violence nor psychological warfare will cave in the mind that loves Jehovah, for there is no fear in love, but perfect love throws fear outside, because fear exercises a restraint." Love enables us to overcome restraining fear and "have freeness of speech in the day of judgment."—Eph. 5:26; Rom. 12:2; 1 John 4:18, 17, NW; Rev. 16:13, 14.
There must be freeness of speech of the right kind, not just glib wordiness. Jehovah commands our mind to be able to answer: "Always ready to make a defense before everyone that demands of you a reason for the hope in you." Has our mind shown love for Jehovah by obeying this command, by absorbing the knowledge necessary to defend our beliefs and give strong reasons for the hope we have concerning the new world? Can we answer, not to our satisfaction, but to the questioner's satisfaction? Have we applied our mind to the utmost in study so that we can handle the truth effectively, with no cause for shame at being unable to refute opposers? "Do your utmost to present yourself approved to God, a workman with nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of the truth aright." Does our mind serve up answers approved by God or shameful to us? Does our mind not only contain the words of truth but handle them rightly? A mind that really loves Jehovah will be so trained.—1 Pet. 3:15; 2 Tim. 2:15, NW.
Of what good is it to use our whole strength going in the service if our mind cannot direct our tongue to say the right things when we get to the doors? Willingness or an untrained best is not good enough. Willingness to prove the trinity false is not enough, but the knowledge to show it false is also needed. When witnessing we do not want to be always walking from house to house, climbing stairs, knocking on doors, talking to people, and failing to convince. We want to walk, climb, knock, talk and succeed. We must train our mind to direct our tongue to defeat false doctrines, to show trinity false, immortal soul pagan, purgatory nonexistent, and to paint a glorious picture of the new world, to give hope and comfort. Can it do so? Does its best fall short of that? If so, its best is not good enough. Our mind's best must become better, be improved, be trained by meditation and study and instruction so that the words it directs the tongue to utter will uproot entrenched traditional dogmas and overturn false reasonings and bring thoughts into conformity with Biblical truth. Our mind can do this if it obeys Jehovah's commands concerning its training, and the mind that loves will obey.—2 Cor. 10:4, 5.
One might use the greater part of his strength in Jehovah's service, and effectively use a mind well trained in handling the word of truth, yet nullify all this by improper conduct from time to time. Such a person would not be loving Jehovah with his whole soul. "Soul" refers to one's life, one's conduct at all times. We must love Jehovah with our whole soul or life, not just a part of it. A Christian is never off duty from Christianity; it is a twenty-four-hours-a-day service. We must not only preach and attend meetings and study, but also conform to Jehovah's moral laws and measure up to his principles in our everyday living. The apostle Paul was aware of this, and said: "I browbeat my body and lead it as a slave, that, after I have preached to others, I myself should not become disapproved somehow." His preaching work would not save him from disapproval if he did not live a morally clean life at all times.
There is a battle between the mind educated according to Jehovah's law and the body of flesh with its inborn sinful tendencies and desires, and Paul browbeat his body to keep it enslaved to the divine law in his mind. The figurative garments that identify us as Jehovah's witnesses cannot be set aside while we temporarily clothe ourselves with the works of worldly immorality. Our love is not like a clerical garment that can be laid aside while the wearer dons civilian clothes to go on a fleshly spree. That would not be loving Jehovah with our whole soul, with our whole life.—1 Cor. 9:27, NW; Rom. 7:15-25.
Certainly this would seem to cover everything, but it does not. In addition to loving Jehovah with our whole strength and whole mind and whole soul, we must also love him with our whole heart. The heart refers figuratively to feelings or affections, and is called the seat of motive, the source that motivates us to act one way or another. And since love is expressed by action, since it impels us to act and is a strong motive for acting in certain ways, the heart symbolizes the seat of love. So to love Jehovah with the whole heart means to obey him out of motives of love, love for him or for our fellow man. One might use strength and mind and conduct himself daily as Jehovah decrees, but do it all out of selfishness. That would not be acceptable. Service must be from the heart, done out of love and with a spirit of joy and cheerfulness. "Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."—2 Cor. 9:7, NW.
Just as love without works is dead, so works without love are dead. Paul said that if he spoke in tongues of men and angels it would not amount to anything if he did not have love. If he prophesied and had all knowledge and understanding and faith
sufficient to transplant mountains but had no love, it would be as nothing. If he gave all his belongings to feed others, spent his body in the service, or handed it over to persecutors for destruction, yet lacked love, he would have no profit at all. Love must motivate our service.—1 Cor. 13:1-3.
Again it is asked, Do we really love Jehovah? With whole strength, whole mind, whole soul, whole heart? Does service have first call on our strength? Are our minds filled with scriptures? If they are in the Bible, why are they not in our minds? Too much material? Perhaps. Too little study? More likely. Does our everyday living reflect our love for Jehovah? And is it from the heart? The requirements are heavy when carefully analyzed, are they not? Even our best is not always good enough, and we must improve. For example, in 1918, when Christ came to the temple, the anointed on earth were trying to do their best, but it was not good enough. Why, the Bible even says that if the tribulation of Armageddon had come then, no flesh would have been saved! But because the anointed were sincerely trying to do the best they knew how, Jehovah extended mercy, corrected them, purged them of wrong ideas, and allowed time for them to improve their service so that it would be acceptable. Their best had to become better before he could accept it.—Matt. 24:22.
So always do your best, and always try to make it better. Appreciate servants that encourage you to do more, to do better, rather than lull you into a false feeling of security by saying you are doing enough now and should be satisfied with that. Be diligent to make your present best better, for there is room for improvement until we become perfect, and full and complete perfection in Jehovah's sight will not come to earth's inhabitants until the end of Christ's thousand-year reign. Then our best will always be good enough.
MODERN HISTORY of Jehovah's Witnesses
SMALL BEGINNINGS (1879-1889) Part 2
IN THE year 1879 it became evident which of the many early voices announcing Christ's second coming were being chosen by Jehovah to be united in action as his witnesses. Now, 75 years later, it clearly appears that in those early days Jehovah's hand was upon the small Pittsburgh (Pa.) Bible group under C. T. Russell's chairmanship. For the eight years prior to 1879 these "layman" students of the Bible had gained much experience as to right Christian doctrine, prophetic time, and in preaching to the public as well as in printing their new-found truths. They were tested, too, as to their loyalty to the Bible on the issue of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, even though it meant severing of company with former religious affiliates.
By 1879 they had become sure that Christ's second coming would begin his invisible presence; that a hard time of world distress was ahead; that thereafter would follow a millennium the thousand-year reign of Jehovah's Christ, to bring about restoration (restitution) of paradise conditions on earth with everlasting life for men of good will from all nations; and that the glad tidings of such "restitution" blessings should be heralded the world over. Their field experiences taught them that, as people soon forgot sermons and lectures they heard, it was advisable to add an educational service with the aid of books, pamphlets and magazines. They also came to realize that it was necessary for them to become better equipped to do their own writing, printing and publishing instead of leaving these operations to other so-called "Bible groups." Those policy-forming experiences have influenced the Society of Jehovah's witnesses ever since.
Having now withdrawn their editorial and financial support from the Rochester group's monthly, The Herald of the Morning, the Pittsburgh Bible class decided to embark upon a great project, that of publishing for the first time their own monthly magazine. July 1, 1879, saw release of the first issue of Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence. Soon 6,000 copies had been distributed.a Class chairman C. T. Russell was chosen to be the editor, with five other mature Bible students serving as regular contributors. The new journal's first words were—
"This is the first number of the first volume of 'ZION's WATCH TOWER,' and it may not be amiss to state the object of its publication.
That we are living 'in the last days'—'the day of the Lord'—'the end' of the Gospel age, and consequently, in the dawn of the 'new' age, are facts not only discernible by the close student of the Word, led by the spirit, but the outward signs recognizable by the world bear the same testimony, and we are desirous that the 'household of faith' be fully awake to the fact."—Page 1.
Here, then, we have the story of the birth of The Watchtower, which since its commencement has been regularly issued to this day. In 1892 it was changed from a monthly to a semimonthly, to keep pace with the ever-expanding flow of new Scriptural material. The record of its circulation is most interesting. From 6,000 copies in 1879, by 1 9 0 4 b there were 25,000 copies regularly printed; and by 1949 the phenomenal peak of 500,000 copies per issue had been reached. But that is not all; by 1955 the world-wide circulation in forty languages had skyrocketed to 1,950,000 copies for every issue. The long, faithful record in the publishing of the Watchtower magazine itself further bears testimony of the fact that Jehovah had chosen the small Pittsburgh group to start a grand publishing work more than seventy-five years ago. Truly now for many decades this journal has proved to be a channel of spiritual communication that is singular and divinely blessed. c
Russell having spent the years 1877 and 1878 largely in preaching afield, zealously going from city to city, and also by this time having closed out most of his previously successful business interests, which had netted him more than a quarter of a million dollars, it became necessary, in 1879, for him permanently to locate in
Pittsburgh. d Furthermore, in that year he was married to Maria Frances Ackley, who had become a colaborer and a contributor of articles to the Watch Tower magazine. They came to have no children. Nearly eighteen years later, in 1897, due to Watch Tower Society members' objecting to a woman's teaching and being a member of the board of directors contrary to 1 Timothy 2:12, Russell and his wife disagreed about the management of the journal, Zion's Watch Tower. Thereupon she voluntarily separated herself from him after they had arranged a financial settlement to enable her to live apart from the Society's headquarters. This agreed separation, however, had absolutely nothing to do with a much later divorce proceeding (1906), charging "adultery," as clerical enemies of Russell slanderously tried and still try to maintain. The court records plainly fix the lie to all those who falsely accused and even now accuse Russell as having been an immoral man, divorced for adultery. e
During 1879 and 1880 efforts were made to organize small congregations of interested ones, that is, Watch Tower subscribers. More than thirty congregations had come into existence in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Delaware, Ohio and Michigan. In 1880 Russell visited these congregations, spending at least six hours of study with each group. A special congregational songbook had been prepared, called "Songs of the Bride." By this time it had become understood from the Scriptures that the Lord's "evening meal" should be celebrated as a Memorial only once each year on Abib (Nisan) 14, the Passover date.
h This was quite contrary to the unscriptural custom of churches that held the "Lord's Supper" or "Mass" many times each year. In 1879 and for a few years thereafter all the interested associates traveled to Pittsburgh to meet with this first and largest of the early congregations to celebrate jointly what they called the "Anniversary Supper." At the same time they conducted a small convention for Christian study and fellowship, which annually strengthened the growing association. 1
These early congregations were called by the name in the Greek Scriptures, "ecclesias," and sometimes "classes." They were organized on the congregational and presbyterian style of church government. All members democratically voted on certain matters of business and also elected a board of seven or more "elders" (presbyters) who directed the general governmental interests of the congregation. (The first-century theocratic form of congregational control was not restored to Jehovah's witnesses until 1938.) These ecclesias were loosely tied together merely by accepting the leadership and pattern of activity of the Pittsburgh congregation where Russell and other Watch Tower writers were elders. The Pittsburgh ("Allegheny") congregation held meetings on Sundays from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. to hear Bible lectures; on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 "Cottage Meetings" for prayer and personal testimony were held, and Friday evenings "Dawn Circles" were conducted for Bible study.
During 1880 Russell and his helpers were further busy in writing several tracts, each being numbered. After 1891 this tract series first regularly marked "Bible Students Tracts" also were called Old Theology Quarterly. They were provided free for general public distribution by Watch Tower readers to expose fallacies of church doctrines. k Soon it was recognized that there was need for organizing a definite society to guide and direct the growing publishing work. So early in 1881 ZION's WATCH TOWER TRACT SOCIETY was established as an unincorporated administrative agency with Russell as its manager. Russell and others liberally contributed $35,000 to get this tract-publishing organization going.1They then moved from their 1879 headquarters located at 101 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, to new and larger premises in the 40 Federal Street building from where he had formerly directed his early chainstore enterprise. Through this new arrangement began to flow millions of Bible tracts and the printing of additional Watch Tower issues put out as pamphlets. By 1881 Russell had completed writing the large pamphlets entitled Tabernacle Teachings and Food for Thinking Christians, the latter being a 162-page booklet which was printed and distributed as a special edition of the Watch Tower for September, 1881.m
Russell, still under thirty years of age, and his enthusiastic associates were eager to get their message spread broadcast as quickly as possible. This is manifest in the following 1881 Watch Tower announcement, especially so when one recalls that then there were only about a hundred active associates with the movement:
"Wanted 1,000 Preachers. A vast field is open for the employment of the time and talent of every consecrated man and woman to whom the Lord has committed a knowledge of His truth.
. . To those so situated that they can give one-half or more of their time exclusively to the work of the Lord, we have a plan to suggest. . . viz: That you go forth into large or small cities, according to your ability, as Colporteurs or Evangelists, seek to find in every place the earnest Christians, . . . As few could afford to travel, pay their board and clothe themselves without some income, we propose to furnish the TRACTS and DAY DAWNS [bound books] free, and to allow any such person to take subscriptions for the WATCH Tower, using the money obtained from both of these sources, . . . in defraying necessary expenses."n
Eventually by 1888 fifty had volunteered for this full-time service toward the "1,000" eagerly desired. They were requested to submit weekly field reports to the Pittsburgh office. o So here we have the beginning of the full-time pioneer (colporteur) service which in the course of years many thousands have joined as a valiant band of blessed Kingdom preachers. In fact, by 1954, the world over, there were 17,265 of these full-time educators.
An effort also was made to get all Watch Tower readers and especially all congregation-meeting attenders to commence a share in the field witness work by distributing tracts to their friends and neighbors. Note the following early instructions of 1881 as to field preaching:
"To those who would go forth to use either much or little of their time, we would say: It is a matter of great importance not only to teach the right thing but to present truth in a proper manner and order. . . . Present first the Restitution and the beauties of God's unfolding plan; then show that all this awaits and is dependent on the King and kingdom coming. Then, when your hearer or reader has come to love the King and to long for his kingdom, may be quite soon enough to present the manner of His coming—that it is not Jesus the man but Jesus a spiritual [creature], who comes, unseen, . . . And lastly present 'the time,' that now we are 'in the days of the Son of Man.'"p
In this way gradually hundreds of Christian witnesses were nursed and trained to have a share in the field service. Here again we have the glimpse of a publishing work destined to swell like a mighty flood in our time, to cover the entire earth with a host of over half a million witnesses of Jehovah regularly going from house to house spreading Bibles, tracts and other Bible study aids.
But even today's swift-moving mass communication seems foreshadowed in what young Watch Tower Society workers shared in projecting in 1881 for serving populous centers with the newly found Bible truths. Those early beginnings included unusual methods. Two examples:
"The manager of the principal paper of New York City agreed to send a copy of the tract [Food for Thinking Christians] to their entire list of subscribers, and several other papers of Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and New York favored us similarly in the work, for which they have our sincere thanks. [We omit the names of the papers only to save them inconvenience from applications from others. They say they have never before granted such privileges to any.] "q
Additionally, for this far-flung task
"from an apparently small beginning, the tract work has spread to the immense proportions of 1,200,000 copies, . . . employed hundreds of men, women and boys in preparation and distribution, nearly 500 boys being employed to distribute in London [England], and about 300 in New York-other cities in proportion. The distribution was made in the larger cities at the church doors on Sundays."r
Also in 1881 two brothers were sent to Britain to augment spreading the work to Europe and they reported the distribution of 100,000 pamphlets in London and 65,000 in Scotland's Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen. s
(To be continued) God's Love to the Rescue In Man's Crisis
Any crisis is a time for anxiety. In a sickness that might prove fatal the physician intently watches the course of the sickness to the crisis, looking then for a decisive change of symptoms to determine by it whether certain death will follow or there will be a recovery to life. Thankful he is if the outward manifestations of the sickness are for a restoration to good health and a prolongation of precious life. You may not be sick physically, but are you sick spiritually? Have you reached the crisis, and do the signs in your course of life mark you for a hopeless, lasting death? With the developments in mankind's history as they are, you, yes, all of us, have reached the turning point. Which way shall we go? The message of this article is to help all its readers to pass the crisis successfully so as to have the brightest hopes for a happy future in a better world. This good news has been heard by more than 427,000 persons in upward of 80 district conventions of Jehovah's witnesses held world-wide in the summer and fall of 1954.
MAN can be glad that there is such a thing as divine love, God's love. Especially so now, for man has reached his crisis. That is, he is at a critical time and occasion. The world or system of things is going its way and where it will end is certain. For it there will be no turning. So the crisis is not with respect to this world. The question is not whether it will have a turn for the better or for the worse. Men in ignorance of God's purpose and of what he has foretold anxiously hope for a turn
for the world's betterment and recovery, but the persons informed of God's purpose and believing what he has foretold know that there is no hope for this world's betterment and recovery. Its destruction soon is certain; its violent death in the worst kind of trouble imaginable is in the decree of the Supreme Power of the universe and is beyond recall. Divine love alone can save mankind from destruction.
The crisis is with regard to man or mankind. The question is, Which way will the individual man go? This is where it is a crisis for you, for the word "crisis," in the language from which it was taken, means "judgment" or "decision," and now it is a time of decision for each individual. All mankind is at the turning point. Will it make the right turn? Neither all of mankind nor the majority of mankind will make the turn in the right direction. For that reason you cannot afford to follow them, though it may mean a hard decision for you. Yet you have reached the point of time when you must decide whether your
personal state of affairs and your course of action must go on being what they are or must undergo some change or must end and something new, with a different goal and outcome, must be taken up by you.
You are under pressure of both the times and circumstances to take action. That is why you have reached a crisis. The time of crisis will not go on indefinitely. It will end with consequences with what kind for you? It is high time to make up your mind and act, if you want to avoid going where the world will end up.
3 Why has the crisis been forced upon us? Is it because we have suddenly been hurled into the "Hydrogen Age" by the recent explosion of terrifying hydrogen bombs, and because worse bombs, the cobalt bomb and the nitrogen bomb, have come under discussion? Is it because atomic warfare, which would be the form World War III would take, means the destruction of civilization and imperils the very existence of humanity, according to the word of military and political leaders? No; for the mere fear of those terrible things does not in itself push man to the right decision.
The crisis existed before we were catapulted into the hydrogen age. The crisis is upon us because we have reached what God's Word calls the "time of the end." It is the "time of the end" for this old world, and it takes in both invisible things and visible things on earth. (Dan. 11:35; 12:4) Hence it corresponds with a crisis over four thousand years ago in the days of the forefather of the present human race, Noah, a faithful man who, by his course in life, "walked with God." A world catastrophe worse than the bursting of countless hydrogen bombs came in his day. It was a deluge that covered the entire globe and completely wiped out the civilization of that time, because it was degraded and corrupt. Humanity was becoming more and more tainted by the invasion of
disobedient spirit persons from the invisible heavens; violence was filling the earth; man's badness had become great, every inclination of the thoughts of human hearts was only bad all the time; and men were hypocritically "calling on the name of Jehovah," thus belittling the name of the one and only living, true God. (Gen. 4:26, NW) To correct the wrong ideas about the true God and to give the human race a righteous new start, Jehovah God brought on the global deluge, of which there are evidences in the earth even to this day. To preserve a nucleus or seed from which mankind could have a fresh start, Jehovah God ordered Noah to build an immense ark or chest. In this He preserved Noah and the seven members of his family and hundreds of specimens of the animal life of the earth, that they might fill the earth with their offspring after the flood had passed.—1 Pet. 3:20.
Today, after four thousand years of existence of Noah's descendants, the situation is even worse. The conditions in the earth are too well known to need our describing them here. Mankind in general may not know, appreciate or believe it, but now one new thing has been added and it helps to explain the reason for all this continual worsening of world conditions in spite of the League of Nations, the United Nations and all the other remedies that human society proposes and applies today. The added new thing is this: That the great originator of badness has been cast down, together with all the demons or spirit persons that he has turned to wickedness. All these have been cast down from a high and powerful position in the invisible heavens to the vicinity of our earth, where they are kept in custody for destruction in due time. This has taken place since A.D. 1914, the year that World War I began. For our warning the cry has rung out in heaven and has been written down in sacred Scripture: "On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them!
Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time." (Rev. 12:12, NW) Our day is the time of his great anger, because of the shortness of the period of time until he and his demons will be put completely out of action. So he is determined to concentrate into this short period all the wickedness and damage to earth's occupants that he can. He knows his time is getting shorter all the while, but he tries to keep mankind in ignorance of this, for he schemes for their destruction to occur at the same time that he himself is crushed in the universal war of Armageddon. Hence "woe for the earth and for the sea."
6 Not this world or system of things, therefore, but man, the human race, is at the crisis. They could easily all be wiped out in view of the terrible things ahead. As far as the Devil or Satan is concerned, if he could have his own way about it, they would all be wiped out with him and his demons. His insanely mad policy is, "Rule or ruin!" If he cannot rule mankind, then he will ruin it. He is not humane. He has no love for mankind. By his power over the open minds of worldly men he secretly induces them to plot their own destruction, not only by the perfecting of the hydrogen bomb and other deadly weapons of mass slaughter, but especially by their refusing to take the only way for human salvation, regardless of whether hydrogen bombs are dropped directly upon human targets or not. Man-made bombs can merely destroy the present life of men, but man's refusal of the offer of God's love for human salvation results in the loss of eternal life in happiness in a righteous new world.
Persons properly instructed in the sacred Scriptures, "The Holy Bible," know that the destruction of this world or system of things was foretold nineteen centuries ago by the greatest prophet ever on earth, Jesus, the Son of God. His many prophecies concerning it reached a high point when he said: "Then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short." (Matt. 24:21, 22, NW) Centuries earlier than that Jehovah's prophet Daniel had foretold this, and Jesus quoted from Daniel's prophecy in which he said concerning the "time of the end": "At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: . . . But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." In fulfillment of this prophecy we have increased understanding of the "time of the end" and its meaning.—Dan. 12:1, 4, AS.
But even farther back than Daniel, yes, even before the flood of Noah's day, the end of this world or system of things had been foretold, for instance, by Enoch, another man that "walked with God." In sacred Scripture we read: "Yes, the seventh man in line from Adam, Enoch, prophesied also regarding them, when he said: 'Look! Jehovah came with his holy myriads, to execute judgment against all and to convict all the ungodly concerning all their ungodly deeds that they did in an ungodly way and concerning all the shocking things that ungodly sinners spoke against him.'" (Jude 14, 15, NW; Gen. 5:21-24; Heb. 11:5, 6) But Jehovah God himself was first to tell of the world's end, away back there in the paradise of Eden when the first man took a condemned course of action and his Creator pronounced the judgment of suffering and death upon him.
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