Does God Really Care About Women?

34567SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

Does God CareAbout Women?

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MAGAZINE, The Watchtower, is to honor Jehovah God, the Supreme Ruler of the universe.Just as watchtowers in ancient times enabled a person to observe developments from afar, so this magazine showsus the significance of world events in the light of Bible prophecies. It comforts people with the good news thatGod’s Kingdom, which is a real government in heaven, will soon bring an end to all wickedness and transform theearth into a paradise. It promotes faith in Jesus Christ, who died so that we might gain everlasting life and who isnow ruling as King of God’s Kingdom. This magazine has been published by Jehovah’s Witnesses continuouslysince 1879 and is nonpolitical. It adheres to the Bible as its authority.This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwide Bible educational work supported by voluntary donations. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripturequotations are from the modern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References.

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Printing Each Issue:42,182,000 IN 195 LANGUAGES

SEPTEMBER 1,2012

FROM OUR COVER3 The Odds Against Women4 Does God Really Care About Women?8 Respect and Dignity Under God’s Care

REGULAR FEATURES16 Learn From God’s Word

—What Will Happen on Judgment Day?

21 Draw Close to God—“The Nations Will Have to Know That I Am Jehovah”

22 Did You Know?

23 Our Readers Ask . . .Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Have Women Ministers?

& 24 A Letter From Greece

30 Teach Your Children—Gehazi Was Ruined by Greed

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE12 Now I Know the God I Worship

18 Kindness—Essential in the Sight of God

& 26 God’s Name Made Known in Swahili

THE words of the young girl, shown at theright, reveal a grim reality—worldwide, vio-

lence and discrimination affect girls and womenthroughout their lives. Consider these facts.˘ Gender discrimination. In Asia, most parentsprefer boys to girls. A 2011 UN report estimatesthat in that part of the world, nearly 134 millionwomen are missing from the population as a re-sult of abortion, infanticide, and neglect.˘ Education. Worldwide, women and girls makeup two thirds of those who had less than fouryears of schooling.˘ Sexual harassment. Over 2.6 billion womenlive in countries where marital rape is still notconsidered a crime.˘ Health. In developing countries, about everytwo minutes, a woman dies from pregnancy orchildbirth complications as a result of the lack ofbasic medical care.˘ Property rights. Although women cultivatemore than half the world’s crops, in many coun-tries they have no legal right to own property orinherit land.

Why havewomen been deprived of such basicrights? Some cultures follow religious beliefsand practices that foster or even justify abuse ofwomen and violence against them. A Frenchdaily quoted Indian lawyerChandraRami Chop-ra, who noted: “All religious laws have some-thing in common: They support discriminationagainst women.”

Do you share this view? Do you think that theBible belittles women, as many other religiousbooks do? To some, certain Bible verses seem togive that impression. But how does the God ofthe Bible really view women? Though this canbe an emotional issue, careful and honest analy-sis of what the Bible sayswill help us find the an-swer.

The OddsAgainst

Women

“When I see how womenare treated, I really don’t

want to become one.”—ZAHRA, 15 YEARS OLD,

quoted in themagazine GEO, French edition.

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anos

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THOSE ancient verses are not from the Bi-ble. For centuries, they have been used

to justify discrimination against women.Even today, some extremists still cite reli-gious texts to legitimize the domination ofwomen, claiming that women are to blamefor mankind’s ills. Did God really purposefor women to be scorned and abused bymen? What does the Bible say? Let us see.˛ Have women been cursed by God?

No. Instead, it is “the original serpent, theone called Devil,” who has been “cursed” byGod. (Revelation 12:9; Genesis 3:14) WhenGod said that Adam would “dominate” hiswife, God was not indicating his approval ofthe subjugation of woman by man. (Genesis3:16) He was simply foretelling the sad con-sequences of sin on the first couple.

Thus, the abuse of women is a direct out-come of the sinful nature of humans, not ofGod’s will. The Bible does not support theidea that women must be subjugated to men

in order to atone for the original sin.—Ro-mans 5:12.˛ Did God create woman inferior to man?

No.Genesis 1:27 states: “God proceeded tocreate the man in his image, in God’s imagehe created him; male and female he createdthem.” So from the very beginning, hu-mans—both male and female—were createdwith the ability to reflect God’s qualities. Al-though Adam and Eve had their own uniqueemotional and physical makeup, they bothreceived the same commission and enjoyedthe same rights before their Maker.—Genesis1:28-31.

Prior to Eve’s creation, God declared: “Iam going to make a helper for him [Adam],as a complement of him.” (Genesis 2:18)Does theword “complement” imply that thewoman was inferior to the man? No, be-cause this Hebrew word can also be rendered“counterpart” or “a help corresponding to”man. Think of the complementary roles

Does God Really Care AboutWomen?

“Sin began with a woman, and thanks to her we must all die.”—ECCLESIASTICUS, SECOND CENTURY B.C.E.

“You are the devil’s gateway: you are the unsealer of that forbidden tree: you arethe first deserter of the divine law . . . You destroyed so easily God’s image, man.”

—TERTULLIAN, ON THE APPAREL OF WOMEN, SECOND CENTURY C.E.

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America, United States of: 25 Columbia Heights, Brook-lyn, NY 11201-2483. Australia: PO Box 280, Ingleburn,NSW 1890. Britain: The Ridgeway, London NW7 1RN.Canada: PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Ger-many: 65617 Selters. Guam: 143 Jehovah St, Barrigada,GU 96913. Jamaica: PO Box 103, Old Harbour, St. Cath-erine. Japan: 4-7-1 Nakashinden, Ebina City, Kanagawa-Pref, 243-0496. Puerto Rico: PO Box 3980, Guaynabo, PR00970. South Africa: Private Bag X2067, Krugers-dorp, 1740. Trinidad and Tobago: Lower Rapsey Street &Laxmi Lane, Curepe.

The Watchtower (ISSN 0043-1087) is published semi-monthly by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of NewYork, Inc.; L. Weaver, Jr., President; G. F. Simonis,Secretary-Treasurer; 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY11201-2483, and by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Societyof Canada, PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Pe-riodicals Postage Paid at Brooklyn, NY, and at addition-al mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changesto Watchtower, 1000 Red Mills Road, Wallkill, NY 12589-3299. � 2012 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society ofPennsylvania. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada.

Vol. 133, No. 17 Semimonthly ENGLISH

4

played by a surgeon and an anesthetist dur-ing surgery. Can one manage without theother? Hardly! Though the surgeon per-forms the actual operation, is he more im-portant? It is hard to say. Likewise, God creat-ed the man and the woman to cooperateclosely, not to compete with each other.—Genesis 2:24.˛ What shows God’s concern for women?

Foreseeing what fallen, sinful men woulddo, God early on expressed his intention toprotect women. Speaking of the Mosaic Law,instituted in the 16th century B.C.E., authorLaure Aynard, in her book La Bible au femi-nin (The Bible in the Feminine Gender),notes: “For the most part, when the Lawcov-enant speaks of the woman, it is to defendher.”

For instance, the Law commanded honorand respect for both father and mother. (Ex-odus 20:12; 21:15, 17) It also required thatdue consideration be shown to pregnant

women. (Exodus 21:22) Even today, the pro-tectionprovided by those laws of God standsin sharp contrast with the lackof legal rightsthat some women experience in many partsof the world. But there is more.

A Law That Reflects God’s View of WomenThe Law that Jehovah God gave the na-

tion of Israel provided the people—menand women—with boundless physical, mor-al, and spiritual benefits. As long as they lis-tened and obeyed, the nation was “highabove all other nations of the earth.” (Deu-teronomy 28:1, 2) What was the woman’splace under the Law? Consider the follow-ing.1. Individual freedom. Unlike women inmany other nations in ancient times, the Is-raelite woman enjoyed a great measure offreedom.Though the husbandwas given therole of the head of the family, the wife, withher husband’s full trust, could ‘consider a

Eve was created as a helper and complement to Adam

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6 THE WATCHTOWER ˙ SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

field and obtain it’ and ‘plant a vineyard.’ Ifshe had skills in spinning and weaving, shecould even run her own business. (Proverbs31:11, 16-19) Women under the Mosaic Lawwere seen as individuals in their own rightand not as just an appendage to man.

In ancient Israel, women were also free tohave a personal relationship with God. TheBible speaks of Hannah, who prayed to Godabout a personal matter and secretly made avow. (1 Samuel 1:11, 24-28) A woman fromthe city of Shunem used to consult theprophet Elisha on Sabbath days. (2 Kings 4:22-25) Women, such as Deborah and Hul-dah, were used by God as his represen-tatives. Interestingly, prominent men andpriests were willing to seek advice fromthem.—Judges 4:4-8; 2 Kings 22:14-16, 20.2. Access to education. As party to theLaw covenant, women were invited to listento the reading of the Law, which provid-

ed them with opportunities to learn. (Deu-teronomy 31:12; Nehemiah 8:2, 8) Theycould also receive training for participationin certain aspects of public worship. For ex-ample, some women likely did “organizedservice” at the tabernacle, while others per-formed in a mixed choir of singers.—Exodus38:8; 1 Chronicles 25:5, 6.

Many women had the knowledge and skillneeded to run a profitable business. (Prov-erbs 31:24) Contrary to the culture in othernations at that time—in which the fatheralone taught his sons—the Israelite motherwas to share in educating her male childrenuntil adulthood. (Proverbs 31:1) Obviously,women in ancient Israel were far from beinguneducated.3. Honored and respected. The Ten Com-mandments clearly stipulated: “Honor yourfather and your mother.” (Exodus 20:12) Inthe proverbs of wise King Solomon, we read:

Women in ancient Israel participated in business

THE WATCHTOWER ˙ SEPTEMBER 1, 2012 7

“Listen, my son, to the discipline of your fa-ther, and do not forsake the law of yourmother.”—Proverbs 1:8.

The Law included detailed regulations re-garding conduct among unmarried persons,showing respect for females. (Leviticus 18:6, 9; Deuteronomy 22:25, 26) A good hus-band had to take into account his wife’sphysical and biological limitations.—Leviti-cus 18:19.4. Rights to be protected. In his Word, Jeho-vah portrays himself as “a father of father-less boys and a judge of widows.” In otherwords, he was the Protector of those whoserights were not safeguarded by a father or ahusband. (Psalm 68:5; Deuteronomy 10:17,18) Thus, in one case when the widow of aprophet was treated unfairly by a creditor, Je-hovah intervened with a miracle so that shecould survive and keep her dignity.—2 Kings4:1-7.

Before the Israelites entered the Prom-ised Land, the family head Zelophehad diedwithout leaving a son. His five daughterstherefore requested Moses to give them “apossession” in the Promised Land. Jehovah’sresponse went far beyond their request. Hetold Moses: “Give them the possession of aninheritance in the midst of their father’sbrothers, and you must cause their father’sinheritance to pass to them.” From that timeon, women in Israel could receive an inheri-tance from their father and pass it on to theiroffspring.—Numbers 27:1-8.

God’s View of Women MisrepresentedUnder the Mosaic Law, women enjoyed an

honorable status, and their rights were re-spected. However, from the fourth centu-ry B.C.E. on, Judaism started to be influencedby Greek culture, which regarded wom-en as inferior.—See the box “DiscriminationAgainst Women in Ancient Writings.”

For ex ample , Greek poet Hes iod(eighth century B.C.E.) imputed all man-kind’s ills to women. In his Theogony, hespoke of “the deadly race and tribe of womenwho live amongst mortal men to their greattrouble.” This idea gained ground in Judaismearly in the second century B.C.E. The Tal-mud, compiled from the second century C.E.on, gave this warning to men: “Do not con-verse much with women, as this will ulti-mately lead you to unchastity.”

Throughout the centuries, this distrust hashad a profound effect on women’s role inJewish society. In Jesus’ day, their accessto the temple precincts had already beenlimited to the Court of Women. Religious

Discrimination Against Womenin Ancient WritingsFrom the first century C.E. onward, writerssuch as Philo of Alexandria began to useGreek philosophy to reinterpret the Genesisaccount. For Philo, Eve was guilty of sexualsin and was therefore condemned to a lifethat “utterly deprives her of her freedom andsubjects her to the dominion of the manwho is her companion.” Such contempt forwomen infiltrated Judaism, as well as thewritings of the Church Fathers.In the Midrash Rabba, a second-century Jew-ish text, a rabbi explained why he felt wom-en should wear a veil, saying: “She is like onewho has done wrong and is ashamed of peo-ple.” Theologian Tertullian, whose writingswere influential as early as the second centu-ry C.E., taught that women should walkabout “as Eve mourning and repentant.”Such teachings, often wrongly regarded ascoming from the Bible, have contributed tomuch discrimination against women.

WHEN on earth, Jesus perfectly reflectedhis heavenly Father’s personality and

wayof doing things.He said: “I donothing ofmy own initiative; but just as the Fathertaught me I speak . . . I always do the thingspleasing to him.” (John 8:28, 29; Colossians1:15) Thus, by noting the way Jesus inter-acted with women and his attitude towardthem, we have a window into understandingGod’s view of women and his expectationsfor them.

Based onwhat is recorded in the Gospel ac-counts, a number of scholars have acknowl-edged Jesus’ view of women as nothing shortof revolutionary. How is that so? And moreimportant, do his teachings still have a liber-ating influence onwomen today?

How Jesus Treated Women˛ Jesus did not consider them to be meresexual objects. In the view of some Jewish re-ligious leaders, contact with the opposite sexcould lead only to lust. Since women were

Respect and DignityUnder God’s Care

education was solely for men, and womenwere likely separated from men in the syna-gogues. The Talmud quotes one Rabbi as say-ing: “Whoever teaches his daughter Torah[the Law] teaches her obscenity.” By mis-representing God’s viewpoint, Jewish reli-gious leaders instilled a contempt for womenin many men.

When on earth, Jesus noted such preju-dices, which were deeply rooted in traditions.(Matthew 15:6, 9; 26:7-11) Did such teach-ings influence theway he dealt with women?What can we learn from his behavior and at-titude? Has true Christianity brought relief towomen? The next article will answer thesequestions.


feared as a source of temptation, they werenot allowed to talk to men in public or to goout without wearing a veil. On the otherhand, Jesus advised men to control their ownfleshly desires and treat women with dignityinstead of cutting them off from social rela-tions.—Matthew 5:28.

Jesus also said: “Whoever divorces hiswife and marries another commits adulteryagainst her.” (Mark 10:11, 12) He thus reject-ed the prevailing rabbinic teaching that al-lowed men to divorce their wives “on everysort of ground.” (Matthew 19:3, 9) The con-cept of committing adultery against his wifewas alien to most Jews. Their rabbis taughtthat a husband could never commit adulteryagainst his wife—only a woman could be un-faithful! As one Bible commentary puts it,“Jesus, by putting the husband under thesame moral obligation as the wife, raised thestatus and dignity of women.”The effect of his teaching today: In the Chris-tian congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses,women associate freely with men at meet-ings. However, they need not fear indecentlooks or undue familiarity, because Christianmen are careful to treat “older women asmothers, younger women as sisters with allchasteness.”—1 Timothy 5:2.˛ Jesus took time to teach women. In con-trast with the prevalent rabbinic view thatkept women in ignorance, Jesus taught themand encouraged them to express themselves.By refusing to deprive Mary of the joy of be-ing taught, Jesus showed that a woman’splace is not only in the kitchen. (Luke 10:38-42)Mary’s sister, Martha, also benefited fromhis teaching, as shown by her intelligent an-swers to Jesus after Lazarus’ death.—John 11:21-27.

What women thought mattered to Jesus.At that time, most Jewish women believedthat the key to happiness was to have a wor-

thy son, if possible one who was a prophet.Whenoneof thewomencriedout: “Happy isthe womb that carried you!” Jesus seized theopportunity to tell her about something bet-ter. (Luke 11:27, 28) By indicating that spiri-tuality was more important, Jesus pointedher to something more than the traditionalrole imposed uponwomen.—John 8:32.The effect of his teaching today: Teachersin the Christian congregation welcome thecomments by women at congregation meet-ings. They respect mature women for being“teachers of what is good,” both in privateand by example. (Titus 2:3) They also rely onthem to tell publicly the good news of God’s

“Let the women keep silent in the congre-gations,” wrote the apostle Paul. (1 Corinthi-ans 14:34) What did he mean? Was he belit-tling their intelligence? No. In fact, he oftenreferred to the wholesome teaching of wom-en. (2 Timothy 1:5; Titus 2:3-5) In his letterto the Corinthians, Paul advised not onlywomen but also individuals who had the giftof tongues and prophecy to “keep silent”when another believer was speaking.�(1 Corinthians 14:26-30, 33) Likely someChristian women were so enthusiastic abouttheir newfound faith that they interruptedthe speaker to ask questions, as was the cus-tom in that part of the world. In order toavoid such disorder, Paul encouraged themto “question their own husbands at home.”—1 Corinthians 14:35.

� For further discussion of women’s role in the congrega-tion, see the article “Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Have WomenMinisters?” on page 23.

Did the Apostle Paul ForbidWomen to Speak?

Kingdom.—Psalm 68:11; see the box “Did theApostle Paul Forbid Women to Speak?” onpage 9.˛ Jesus cared for women. In Bible times,daughters were not valued as much as sons.The Talmud reflects this view, saying: “Hap-py is hewhose children are males, andwoe tohim whose children are females.” Some par-ents regarded a girl as a greater burden—theywould have to find her a mate and give adowry, and they would not be able to dependon her for support in their old age.

Jesus showed that a little girl’s life is asimportant as a boy’s—he resurrected Jairus’daughter, as he did the son of the widow atNain. (Mark 5:35, 41, 42; Luke 7:11-15) Afterhealing a woman troubled by “a spirit ofweakness for eighteen years,” Jesus called her“a daughter of Abraham,” an expression al-most unknown in Jewish writings. (Luke 13:10-16) By using this respectful and kind ex-pression, he not only regarded her as a full-fledged member of society but also recog-nized her great faith.—Luke 19:9; Galatians3:7.The effect of his teaching today: An Asiansaying goes: “Raising a daughter is like water-

ing the neighbor’s garden.” Far from beinginfluenced by that mentality, loving Chris-tian fathers care well for all their children,sons and daughters. Christian parents makesure that all their children receive proper ed-ucation and health care.˛ Jesus trusted women. In the Jewish courts,the testimony of a woman was consideredequal only to that of a slave. Josephus, a first-century historian, advised: “From women letno evidence be accepted, because of the levi-ty and temerity of their sex.”

In sharp contrast, Jesus chose to havewomen bear witness to his resurrection.(Matthew 28:1, 8-10) Though these faithfulwomen had been eyewitnesses of the execu-tion and burial of their Lord, to the apostles,the women’s words were hard to believe.(Matthew 27:55, 56, 61; Luke 24:10, 11) How-ever, by appearing first to women, the resur-rected Christ regarded them as worthy ofbearing witness as his other disciples were.—Acts 1:8, 14.The effect of his teaching today: In congrega-tions of Jehovah’s Witnesses, men who haveresponsibilities show consideration for wom-en by taking into account their observations.

Jesus gave MaryMagdalene

the honor ofreporting his

resurrection tothe apostles


For their part, Christian husbands ‘assignhonor’ to their wives by listening carefully tothem.—1 Peter 3:7; Genesis 21:12.

Bible Principles Contributeto Women’s Happiness

When men imitate Christ, women aregiven the respect and freedom that Godoriginally purposed for them. (Genesis 1:27,28) Instead of supporting male chauvinism,Christian husbands let themselves be guidedby Bible principles, which contribute to theirmate’s happiness.—Ephesians 5:28, 29.

When Yelena began to study the Bible, shewas silently suffering harsh treatment fromherhusband.He hadbeen brought up in a vi-olent environment, where the kidnapping ofbrides and physical abuse were commonpractices. “What I learned from the Biblegaveme strength,” says Yelena. “I understoodthat there was someone who loved me verymuch and valued and cared about me. Ialso understood that if my husband studiedthe Bible, it could change his attitude to-ward me.” Her dream came true when her

husband eventually agreed to study the Bi-ble and then got baptized as one of Jeho-vah’s Witnesses. “He became an example ofself-control and restraint,” Yelena says. “Welearned to forgive eachother freely.”Her con-clusion? “Bible principles have truly helpedme to feel needed and protected in my mar-riage.”—Colossians 3:13,18,19.

Yelena’s experience is not unique. Millionsof Christian women are happy because theyand their husbands together endeavor to ap-ply Bible principles in their marriage. Theyfind respect, comfort, and freedom in theassociation of fellow Christians.—John 13:34, 35.

Christian men and women both recognizethat as sinful and imperfect humans, they arepart of God’s creation that has been “subject-ed to futility.” However, by drawing close totheir loving God and Father, Jehovah, theyhave the hope of being “set free from en-slavement to corruption” and enjoying “theglorious freedom of the children of God.”What amarvelous prospect for bothmenandwomen under God’s care!—Romans 8:20, 21.

Those whofollow Bibleprinciplesrespect anddignifywomen


IWAS born in Ilocos Norte, Philippines,on December 10, 1968, the seventh of

ten children. Like most Filipinos, we werebrought up as Catholics. I graduated fromhigh school in1986, andmy ambitionwas tobe a nurse. However, because I contracted asevere illness, that dream did not material-ize. In fact, I thought I would die. In my des-peration, I implored God for help and toldhim that if I recovered, I would serve him allmy life.

After a long recovery, I remembered mypromise to God. So, in June 1991, I enrolledin a Pentecostal Bible school. The school reg-imen was said to include acquiring “the freegift of the holy spirit.” I wanted to have thepower to heal. The school taught us thatthis could be obtained through fasting andprayers. Once, in my effort to give the im-pression that I had a “gift,” I secretly listenedto one of my classmates praying aloud in acorner during a prayer session. When shewas about to finish, I quickly went back towhere I had been kneeling. Afterward, I toldher exactly what she had been asking for inher prayer, and she believed that I now hadthe “free gift”!

While continuing my studies at theschool, I had many questions. For example,Matthew 6:9 speaks of the “Father” and his“name.” I asked such questions as “Whois the Father mentioned by Jesus?” and“Whose name should be sanctified?” My in-structors’ answers were often quite vagueand not satisfying. They talked about theTrinity and said that it is a mystery. I found itquite confusing. Despite that, I continuedmy training to be a pastor.

Exposure to Jehovah’s WitnessesIn Bible school, we were taught that Jeho-

vah’s Witnesses promoted the worst kind offalse religion. They were also referred to asthe antichrist. I developed a revulsion forthis religion.

During my second year in the school, Iwent home to visit my parents during aschool break. One of my older sisters, Car-men, heard that I was home and came to vis-it too. She was already a baptized, full-timeminister of Jehovah’s Witnesses. When shetried to teach me about God, I responded fu-riously: “I already know the God I am serv-ing!”After loudly insulting her, I pushed her

NOW I KNOWTHE GOD I WORSHIPAS TOLD BY MARIETA MANUEL BACUDIO

A Pentecostal evangelist who was said to have the power to healcame to visit. When he touched me, I fell down unconscious, “slainin the spirit.” When I came to, I seemed to have what I wanted—thepower to heal. What led me to this experience, and how did it affectmy life? Before I tell you about that, let me explain my background.


away and did not give her another opportu-nity to speak to me.

After I returned to the Bible school, Car-men sent me a copy of the brochure ShouldYou Believe in the Trinity?� I immediatelycrumpled it up and threw it in the fire. I wasstill angry with her.

Advancement as a PastorAs I continued my studies in the Bible

school, I was able to make some converts. Iwas especially proud when my mother andmy brother joined me in the Pentecostal reli-gion.

In March 1994, I graduated from the Pen-tecostal Bible school. As mentioned at theoutset, a visiting evangelist was present atthat time. All of us graduates wanted tobe with him because we believed he hadthe gift of healing. We joined him on thestage, jumping and clapping with him to thebeat of a band. Then, each one he touchedfell down, “slain in the spirit.”� When hetouched me, I too fell down and lost con-sciousness.When I regained my senses, I wasin fear, but I sensed that I now had the powerto heal, so I was happy.

� Published by Jehovah’s Witnesses but now out ofprint.� “Slain in the spirit” refers to a phenomenon in some

religions where it is believed that the “spirit” comes on be-lievers with such force that they fall to the ground.

Soon thereafter, I used this power to heal achild who was very sick with a high fever.When I offered a prayer, the child immedi-ately began to perspire and the fever dis-appeared. At last, I felt that I could fulfill mypromise to God. Strangely, though, I felt a

void. Deep inside, I believed that there isonly one God, but I did not really know whohe is. And I had nagging doubts about manyof the doctrines of the church.

Things That Changed My ThinkingAfter those events, my hostility toward Je-

hovah’s Witnesses became even more in-tense. Whenever I found Witness publi-cations, I burned them. Then, somethingunexpected happened. I was shocked to findthat Mother no longer wanted our religion.Carmen had been studying the Bible withher! I was so angry with my sister.

Then I found an Awake! magazine atMother’s house. Normally I would haveburned it. But curious about what she wasreading, I flipped through the pages.Myeyesfell upon an article about an individual whowas a firm believer in what the churchtaught. However, when he began readingthe Witnesses’ publications along with theBible, he became convinced that the teach-ings of the Trinity, hellfire, and the immor-tality of the soul were unscriptural. My heartwas touched. These were the very thingsI wanted to understand. Starting then, Ilonged for the time when I would under-stand Bible truth.

After reading another life story in theAwake! magazine about an alcoholic and

I used this power to heala child who was very sick witha high fever

When Igraduatedas a pastor


drug addict who made bigchanges for the better be-cause of studying the Bi-ble, I began reading more ofthe Witnesses’ publications.I found a copy of the bro-chure The Divine Name ThatWill Endure Forever.� Read-ing that, I learned that God’sname is Jehovah. Itmade meso happy to learn the truthabout the only true God!—Deuteronomy 4:39; Jere-miah 10:10.

I kept reading secretly andlearned many more Bibletruths. For example, in the Pentecostalschool, I had been taught that Jesus is God,but I learned from the Bible that he is “theSon of the living God.”—Matthew 16:15, 16.

A Change of HeartWhen I saw Carmen again, she was sur-

prised when I asked for a personal copy ofthe brochure The Divine Name That Will En-dure Forever and some other literature. I hadspent many years in that Bible school, but Iwas not taught the truth there; I had beenblinded. My heart now overflowed with joybecause of the truths I was learning from theBible. I fully felt the impact of Jesus’ words:“You will know the truth, and the truth willset you free.” (John 8:32) Those truths werebeginning to change my life.

For a while, I thought that I could secretlyworship Jehovah God and continue as a pas-tor. Soon I realized that I could no longerteach many of the church’s doctrines. None-theless, I was fearful. What would happen tomy livelihood if I resigned as a pastor? Howembarrassing for the church if one of theirpastors became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses!

� Published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

So I continued teaching as a pastor, but Iavoided the church’s false doctrines.

When I saw my sister Carmen again, shesuggested that I attend a meeting of Jeho-vah’s Witnesses. Since I usually reportedto our mother church in Laoag City, I se-cretly looked for the Witnesses’ meetingplace, the Kingdom Hall, there. I was intro-duced to Alma Preciosa Villarin, nicknamed“Precious,” a full-time minister in that con-gregation. Although I still had negative

feelings about the Witnesses, I accepted heroffer to teach me the Bible.

My sister had been very patient in shar-ing Bible truths with me. Now I saw thissame patient spirit in Precious. She helpedme so much to understand the Bible, eventhough I got irritated, tried to argue withher, and sometimes raised my voice, insist-ing on some of the things I had formerly

These truths werebeginning to changemy life

Precious studied the Bible with me


been taught. The personal interest, humility,and mildness shown by Precious and otherWitnesses touchedmyheart. Thismoved metowant toworship Jehovah.

In July 1995, I realized that there was norecourse but to leave my position as pastor.Why?Revelation18:4 speaks of false religionsymbolically and says: “Get out of her, mypeople, if you do not want to share with herin her sins, and if you do not want to receivepart of her plagues.” What about my meansof living? Hebrews 13:5 taught me that if wedo God’s will, he promises: “I will by nomeans leave you nor by any means forsakeyou.”

Though my father and brother now vehe-mently opposed me, two weeks before mybaptism as a Witness, I mustered up thecourage to go home to burn all the things Ihadused inmy former work as a pastor. Afterdoing so, I realized that any special powerspreviously given to me were gone. In thepast, when I slept, I felt that something wasconstantly pressing down on me. That feel-ing was gone too. The shadows I used to seeat the window of my room never appearedagain. My study of the Bible had taught me

that any so-called gifts today, like the powerto heal, are not from God but from wickedspirits. I am so happy that I broke free fromtheir influence, just as the servant girl didwhom Paul freed from “a demon of divina-tion.”—Acts 16:16-18.

What a joy it was to be side by side withMother as we presented ourselves for bap-tism as Jehovah’s Witnesses in Septem-ber 1996! After my baptism, I enrolled as afull-time minister of Jehovah’s Witnesses

and enjoyed many years of serving in thatway.

I am now married to my husband, Silver.Together, we are working hard to train ourdaughter in the way of Bible truth. Some ofmyother siblings have also joined us in serv-ing Jehovah. Although I regret that for manyyears I didn’t really know God, I am veryhappy that now I know the God I worship.

It made me so happyto learn the truth aboutthe only true God!

When my motherand I were baptized

As a full-time ministerof Jehovah’s Witnesses

With my husband, our daughter, and many of myrelatives who have joined us in true worship

1. What is Judgment Day?As depicted in the picture on the right, many

people imagine that on Judgment Day billions ofsouls will be brought before God’s throne to bejudged according to their former deeds—some tobe rewarded with life in heaven, others to be tor-mented in hell. The Bible shows, however, that thepurpose of Judgment Day is to rescue people frominjustice. (Psalm 96:13) God has appointed Jesus tobe the Judge who will restore justice to mankind.—Read Isaiah 11:1-5; Acts 17:31.

2. How will Judgment Dayrestore justice?

When the first man, Adam, deliberately rebelledagainst God, he subjected all his offspring to sin,suffering, and death. (Romans 5:12) To correct thatinjustice, Jesus will bring back to life, or resurrect,billions from the dead. The book of Revelation re-veals that this will take place during the thousand-year rule of Christ Jesus.—Read Revelation 20:4,11,12.

The resurrected ones will be judged, not on thebasis of what they did before they died, but onwhat they do when the contents of the “scrolls”mentioned in Revelation chapter 20 are revealed.(Romans 6:7) Among those who will come back tolife and have the opportunity to learn about Godare “both the righteous and the unrighteous,” saidthe apostle Paul.—Read Acts 24:15.

LEARN FROM GOD’S WORD

What Will Happen onJudgment Day?

This article considers questions youmay have raised and shows where youcan read the answers in your Bible.Jehovah’s Witnesses would be pleasedto discuss these answers with you.

“THE LAST JUDGEMENT,”BY GUSTAVE DOR

´E, 1832-1883Engravings by Dore

3. What will Judgment Day accomplish?Those who died without ever having come to

know Jehovah God and serve him will have the op-portunity to change and do good. If they do so,their resurrection will turn out to be “a resurrectionof life.” Some of the resurrected ones, however, willnot want to learn Jehovah’s ways. Theirs will turnout to be “a resurrection of judgment.”—Read John5:28, 29; Isaiah 26:10; 65:20.

By the end of the thousand-year-long Day ofJudgment, Jehovah will have restored obedientmankind to its original perfect condition. (1 Corin-thians 15:24-28) What a marvelous prospect that isfor all obedient ones! In a final test, God will releasefrom the abyss Satan the Devil, who will have beenconfined there for a thousand years. Satan willagain try to turn people away from Jehovah, butthose who reject Satan will enjoy life on earth for-ever.—Read Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 20:7-9.

4. What other day of judgmentwill benefit mankind?

The Bible also uses the term “day of judgment” torefer to the event that will bring the present systemof things to its end. This day of judgment will comeas suddenly as the Flood of Noah’s day, whichswept away an entire wicked generation. Happily,the imminent destruction of “ungodly men” willclear the way for a new earthly society in which“righteousness is to dwell.”—Read 2 Peter 3:6, 7, 13.

For more information, see pages 213-215 of thisbook, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

WHAT DOESTHE BIBLE

Really TEACH?

17


AYOUTH in Japanwas moved by the kind-ness of a gentle elderly man. The man, a

missionary, had not been in this Asian coun-try for many years and was still limited in hisuse of Japanese. Yet, each week he visited theyoung man’s home to discuss the Bible.Withfriendly smiles and kindly manners, he pa-tiently answered the many questions that thecurious young student raised.

The kind ways of the elderly missionaryleft an indelible impression on the youngman. ‘If the Bible makes a man so kind andloving,’ thought the young man, ‘then by allmeans I should learn about it.’ This gave himthe incentive he needed to study somethingtotally foreign to him. Yes, kindness touchesthe human heart and speaks to it, often morepowerfully thanwords can.

A Quality in the Image of GodIt is natural for us to be kind to those close-

ly related to us, for kindness basically meansaffection arising from kinship.� However,kindness is fundamentally a divine quality.Jesus said that his heavenly Father is kind notonly to those who love Him but also “towardthe unthankful.” Jesus urged his followers toimitate God in this regard: “Be perfect, asyour heavenly Father is perfect.”—Luke 6:35;Matthew 5:48; Exodus 34:6.

Humans, created in God’s image, are capa-ble of reflecting or manifesting the quality ofkindness. (Genesis 1:27) Yes, we can imitateGod and broaden the reach of our kindness

� The Oxford English Dictionary shows that the originalmeaning of “kindness” is “kinship; near relationship; nat-ural affection arising from this.”

beyond those related to us. The Bible de-scribes kindness as part of the desirable fruit-age of God’s holy spirit, or active force. (Gala-tians 5:22) Hence, it can be developed andcultivated as one learns more about God, theCreator, and comes closer to him.

Since kindness is not only woven into thefabric of human nature but also highly es-teemed by God, it is, therefore, reasonablethat God tells us to “become kind to one an-other.” (Ephesians 4:32) We are also remind-ed: “Do not forget hospitality,” or “kindnessto strangers.”—Hebrews 13:2, footnote.

In today’s largely unkind and unthankfulworld, is it possible for us to be kind to others,even strangers? What can help us to do so?In fact, why should we even be concernedabout it?

Essential Before GodInterestingly, the apostle Paul, after speak-

ing about showing kindness to strangers,went on to say: “Through it some, unknownto themselves, entertained angels.” Can youimagine how you would feel if you were giv-en the opportunity to entertain angels? ButPaul prefaced this with the expression “un-known to themselves.” Putting it anotherway, his point was that if we have the habitof showing kindness to others, includingstrangers or people we do not really know, wemight be rewarded in unexpected ways.

Most Bible versions with cross-referenceslink Paul’s words with the accounts aboutAbraham and Lot in Genesis chapters 18and 19. In both cases, we read about an-

KindnessEssential in the Sight of God


gels appearing to them asstrangers with importantmessages. In Abraham’s case,the message was about thefulfillment of God’s prom-ise of a son, and in Lot’scase, it was about deliverancefrom the impending destruc-tion of the cities of Sodomand Gomorrah.—Genesis 18:1-10; 19:1-3, 15-17.

If you read the scriptures cited above, youwill note that both Abraham and Lot ex-tended kindness to passersby who were un-known to them. Of course, in Bible times,showing hospitality to travelers and passers-by—whether friends, relatives, or strang-ers—was a matter of custom and duty. In fact,the Mosaic Law required that Israelites notoverlook the needs of non-Israelites in theland. (Deuteronomy 10:17-19) Even so, it isapparent that Abraham and Lot went beyondwhat later came to be required by law. Theyput forth extraordinary effort to show kind-ness to strangers, and they were blessed fordoing so.

Abraham’s acts of kindness brought bless-ings not only for himself in that he had a sonbut also for us. In what way? Abraham andhis son Isaac played a vital role in the out-working of God’s purpose. They became keyfigures in the family line leading to the Mes-siah, Jesus. And their faithful course fore-shadowed how the basis for human salvationwas to be provided through God’s love andundeserved kindness.—Genesis 22:1-18; Mat-thew 1:1, 2; John 3:16.

Those accounts impressively indicate whatGod expects of people whom he favors andhow much he esteems the quality of kind-ness. It is not optional but essential in thesight of God.

Exercising Kindness Helps Usto Know God Better

The Bible states that in our day, manywould be “unthankful, disloyal, having nonatural affection.” (2 Timothy 3:1-3) Nodoubt you are confronted with such peopleevery day. Still, that is no reason to suppressour kind feelings for others altogether. Chris-tians are reminded: “Return evil for evil to noone. Provide fine things in the sight of allmen.”—Romans 12:17.

We can expend ourselves and be open-hearted in extending kindness. The Biblesays: “Everyone who loves . . . gains theknowledge of God,” and one way our love isdisplayed is by being kind to others. (1 John4:7; 1 Corinthians 13:4) Yes, by being kindto our fellow humans, we come to knowGod better, and that makes us happier. Jesussaid in his Sermon on the Mount: “Happythe kind—because they shall find kindness.

Abraham’s kindnesswas richly rewarded

Happy the clean in heart—because they shallsee God.”—Matthew 5:7, 8, Young’s LiteralTranslation.

Consider the example of Aki, a young Japa-nese housewife with two sons. After sud-denly losing her mother, she became seri-ously depressed. At times, she felt so badthat she had to see a doctor. Then, a fami-

ly moved into her neigh-borhood. They had recent-ly lost their father in anaccident, and the motherwas left with five minorchildren. Aki felt very sor-ry for the family and ex-tended herself to becomefriends with the motherand her children. Doingeverything she could to

help the family—sharing food, outgrownclothing, and so on—Aki regained her ownemotional stability. She felt the truthfulnessof what the Bible says: “There is more happi-ness in giving than there is in receiving.”(Acts 20:35) Yes, showing kindness to otherscan be the best thing you can do for yourselfwhenyou feel down.

“Lending to Jehovah”Showing kindness does not necessari-

ly cost much. Neither does it depend onyour ability or even your physical strength.A smile, a compassionate word, a helpinghand, a small thoughtful gift, or just lettingothers gofirst in a line canoftenmeanmuch.When you are not sure of the right thing tosayor do under a certain circumstance, sayordo the kind thing. The young man men-tioned at the beginning of this article wasdeeply touched by the older missionary’skind demeanor, which transcended the lan-guage barrier. No wonder one of God’s re-quirements for his worshippers is that they“love kindness”!—Micah 6:8.

“One kind word can warm three wintermonths.”As eloquently expressed in this Ori-ental saying, a small kindness can go a longway. When it comes with a proper motive,and especially when coupled with one’s lovefor God, it can warm the hearts of all in-volved. Even when your kindness is not ap-preciated, that does not mean it is wasted. Itis valued in the sight of God. The Bible as-sures us that kindness shown to others is ac-tually “lending to Jehovah.” (Proverbs 19:17)Why not watch for opportunities to expresskindness to those around you?

When youare not sure

of what to door say, do orsay the kind

thing

Showing kindness toothers is like “lendingto Jehovah”


HOW would you feel if you were accused ofa crime you did not commit? And what if

that crime caused much suffering to others, in-cluding many innocent people? Surely youwould want to clear your name! Are you awarethat Jehovah faces a similar challenge? Todaymany wrongly blame God for the injustice andsuffering in this world. Is Jehovah concernedabout clearing his name? Indeed, he is! Con-sider what is said in the book of Ezekiel.—ReadEzekiel 39:7.

“I shall no more let my holy name be pro-faned,” Jehovah says. When humans blamehim for injustice, they are profaning his name.How so? In the Bible, “name” often denotesreputation. One reference work says that God’sname refers to “what is known of him—his rev-elation of himself; it also represents his fame,and then his honour.” Jehovah’s name em-braces his reputation. What is known of Jeho-vah when it comes to injustice? He hates it! Healso has compassion for its victims.� (Exodus22:22-24) When humans claim that God isresponsible for the very things he abhors,they are sullying his reputation. They are thus“treating [his] name with disrespect.”—Psalm74:10.

Notice that Jehovah twice uses the expres-sion “my holy name.” (Verse 7) In the Bible, Je-hovah’s name is associated with the terms“holy” and “holiness” numerous times. Theword “holy” conveys the idea of separateness;it also denotes cleanness and purity. Jehovah’s

� See the article “Draw Close to God—A Lover of Justice,”in the November 1, 2008, issue of The Watchtower.

name is holy because the God who bears it isholy—completely separated from anything thatis sinful and unclean. Can you see why thosewho blame Jehovah for wickedness are heap-ing the greatest possible reproach upon his“holy name”?

Jehovah’s purpose to clear his name bymeans of his Kingdom is the main theme of theBible. That theme is emphasized in the book ofEzekiel, which repeatedly states that “the na-tions will have to know that I am Jehovah.”(Ezekiel 36:23; 37:28; 38:23; 39:7) Notice thatthe nations will not choose whether to knowthat he is Jehovah or not. Rather, they “willhave to know.” In other words, Jehovah pur-poses to take action that will compel the na-tions on earth to recognize that he is who hesays he is—Jehovah, the Sovereign Lord, whosename stands for all that is holy, pure, and clean.

The oft repeated promise “the nations willhave to know that I am Jehovah” is good newsfor those who long to see the end of injusticeand suffering. Jehovah will soon fulfill thatpromise and clear his name of all reproach. Hewill eliminate wickedness and those who pro-mote it but will preserve alive those who recog-nize and respect his name and what it standsfor. (Proverbs 18:10) Are you moved to learnhow you can draw closer to Jehovah, the holyGod, who is “a lover of justice”?—Psalm 37:9-11, 28.

DRAW CLOSE TO GOD

“The Nations Will Have to KnowThat I Am Jehovah”

��

SUGGESTED BIBLE READING FOR SEPTEMBER:˛ Ezekiel 39–Daniel 3

��


ˇ The nation’s economy was mainlybased on farming, herding, and barter-ing. The Bible mentions markets atcity gates—“the Sheep Gate,” “the FishGate,” and “the Gate of the Potsherds.”(Nehemiah 3:1, 3; Jeremiah 19:2) Thesenames appear to refer to the merchan-dise sold in each location. The Scrip-tures also mention Jerusalem’s “streetof the bakers,” as well as a number oftrade goods.—Jeremiah 37:21.

What about prices? One Bible com-mentary states: “Prices naturally fluctu-ated through the centuries, and it isdifficult to ascertain how much a partic-ular commodity may have cost at a giv-en time and place.” Still, informationfrom ancient sources, including the

Bible, shows that even back then, priceswere subject to inflation. For example,slaves were commonly traded in an-tiquity. Joseph was sold for 20 silverpieces, which may have been shekels,probably the average price for a slaveduring the 18th century B.C.E. (Gene-sis 37:28) Three hundred years later, theprice was 30 shekels. (Exodus 21:32) Bythe eighth century B.C.E., the price was50 shekels. (2 Kings 15:20) Two centu-ries later, during the Persian period,prices went as high as 90 shekels ormore. Apparently, rising prices are notjust a plague of modern-day life.

How were buying and selling donein ancient Israel?

RELIEF OF AFRUIT MARKET

˘ DeA Picture Library / ArtResource, NY

ˇ Official Persian government dis-patches dealing with national interestswere entrusted to a State postal service.The Bible book of Esther describes howthe Persian system worked: “[Morde-cai] proceeded to write in the name ofKing Ahasuerus and do the sealing withthe king’s signet ring and send writtendocuments by the hand of the courierson horses, riding post horses usedin the royal service, sons of speedymares.” (Esther 8:10) The Roman Em-pire had a similar service for adminis-trative and military dispatches.

Private mail, such as letters written bythe apostle Paul or others, did not qual-ify to be carried by such means. If

one was wealthy, he could dispatch aslave to deliver a letter. Most, how-ever, would have letters conveyed byacquaintances, or even strangers, whowere traveling in the right direction.Family, friends, soldiers, or merchantswere all potential postmen. An impor-tant concern, of course, would be howtrustworthy the letter carrier was andwhether he would convey the messagecarefully and intact. The Bible suggeststhat Paul entrusted at least some of hisletters to fellow Christians who weretraveling.—Ephesians 6:21, 22; Colos-sians 4:7.

DID YOU KNOW?

How were letters sent in Bible times?

A PERSIAN MAILCOURIER


ˇ Yes, worldwide Jehovah’s Witnesses have sev-eral million women ministers. They are a greathost of preachers of the good news of God’sKingdom. Psalm 68:11 says prophetically ofthose ministers: “Jehovah himself gives the say-ing; the women telling the good news are alarge army.”

However, do not confuse the ministry of wom-en who are Jehovah’s Witnesses with the minis-try performed by female clerics of other reli-gions. There is a striking contrast that sets themapart. In what ways are they different?

The audience of their ministry is different.Clergywomen, particularly of Christendom, as-sume leadership roles within their congrega-tions, and their main audience is made up ofmembers of the flock. For women ministers ofJehovah’s Witnesses, the main audience of theirpreaching is outside the congregation, namelythe public, whom they meet in their house-to-house ministry and elsewhere.

Another way in which women ministers of Je-hovah’s Witnesses differ from those in other reli-gions is their activity in the congregation. Fe-male clerics of Christendom and other churchespreside over and instruct members of their con-gregation in the dogma of their religion. Wom-en ministers of Jehovah’s Witnesses, however,do not teach in the congregationwhen baptizedmen are present. Only men who are appointedas teachers do so.—1 Timothy 3:2; James 3:1.

The Bible describes only men as beingcharged with oversight of a congregation. No-tice the pattern set by the apostle Paul when hewrote to a fellow overseer, Titus: “For this reasonI left you in Crete, that you might . . . make ap-pointments of older men in city after city.” Pauladded that each man so appointed had to be

“free from accusation, a husband of one wife.”(Titus 1:5, 6) Paul gave similar instructions toTimothy in his pastoral letter: “If any man isreaching out for an office of overseer, he is desir-ous of a fine work. The overseer should thereforebe irreprehensible, a husband of one wife, . . .qualified to teach.”—1 Timothy 3:1, 2.

Why are oversight functions in the congrega-tion limited to men? Paul says: “I do not permit awoman to teach, or to exercise authority over aman, but to be in silence. For Adam was formedfirst, then Eve.” (1 Timothy 2:12,13) Thus, the or-der of creation indicates God’s purpose in thedelegation of teaching and oversight.

Ministers of Jehovah follow the example oftheir Leader, Jesus Christ. The disciple Lukewrote about Jesus’ ministry: “He went journey-ing from city to city and from village to village,preaching and declaring the good news of thekingdom of God.” Later, Jesus sent out hisfollowers to do the same work: “They wentthrough the territory from village to village, de-claring the good news.”—Luke 8:1; 9:2-6.

Today, ministers of Jehovah—male and fe-male—have an active share in carrying out whatJesus foretold: “This good news of the kingdomwill be preached in all the inhabited earth for awitness to all the nations; and then the end willcome.”—Matthew 24:14.

OUR READERS ASK . . .

Do Jehovah’s Witnesses have women ministers?

THE imposing Levka Mountains of the is-land of Crete slowly slip away as our boat

heads for a small plateau jutting out from thedepths of theMediterranean.Onboard is ourgroup of 13, who are looking forward to apreaching trip to the island of Gavdos, atiny dot on the map, which marks Europe’ssouthernmost frontier.

It seems that we should have a smoothjourney on this hot summer day. But soongusts of wind lash the sea into a fury, causingthe boat to bob like a cork. Feeling sick, I re-call the Bible account of the apostle Paul,who experienced a violent storm in these wa-ters centuries ago—when Gavdos was knownas Cauda. (Acts 27:13-17) I only hope that wewill make it safely to Gavdos.

At last we see our destination, a rocky out-crop with cliffs plunging into the sea. It is rel-atively flat, only about 1,000 feet (300 m)high, with no defining peaks. Thick growths

of pine trees and scrub cover most of this is-land of roughly ten square miles (26 sq km).In some areas, coastal junipers go right downto the shores.

At one time the island had about 8,000 in-habitants. Today, the number of permanentresidents is fewer than 40 people. Moderncivilization seems to have bypassed Gavdos.Even though freighters and tankers often sailby its coasts, the island has only an infre-quent ferry connection with Crete, often de-layed or canceled because of bad weather.

We have come to Gavdos to offer the peo-ple something cheerful and uplifting—a surehope for a better future and the prospect ofendless life in perfect health. As our boat getsready to dock, we are eager to go ashore toshare such good news.

Having been tossed about for four and ahalf hours, our pale faces betray that the tripto Gavdos was hardly a relaxing cruise. But a

refreshingnap and a cupof coffeeperk us up nicely. After a brief re-view of the Bible account aboutthe apostle Paul’s trip, as well asan earnest prayer, we are ready tobegin our work.

A LETTER FROMGREECE

Preaching in Europe’sPreaching in Europe’sSouthernmost FrontierSouthernmost Frontier

Trypitı Cape, the southernmosttip of Europe


The local people are friendly and hospita-ble. They invite us into their homes and offerus refreshments. In addition to sharing thegood news from the Bible with them, werespond by extending practical help whenneeded. While speaking to a woman, onemember of our group who is an electriciannotices a broken appliance in her place ofbusiness and offers to fix it. The woman istouched. She accepts the Bible literature weoffer and commends us and our ministry.Another woman expresses her appreciationand says, “Your work is from God, not frommen, and this is obvious because you came topreach on this remote island.”

The Bible literature we brought alongseems to be greatly appreciated by the peo-ple. One man accepts the Watchtower andAwake! magazines and wants more literatureto read during the winter months. Anothermannotonly wants some ofour literature forhimself but also asks for more to put in hisshop for his clients to read. He gives us hiscontact details so that we can mail him themagazines every month. One family is veryimpressed when they are shown that theirsmall island is mentioned in the Bible. Theyalso happily accept our magazines.

Although such responses are very encour-aging, the visit toGavdos brings back sad per-sonal memories for some of us. Near Sa-rakıniko Bay, there is a building that oncehoused political exiles. Emmanuel Lionou-dakis, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was exiledhere in the late 1930’s forhis preaching activ-ity.� Gavdos of that time has been describedas a “barren island producing only deadlyscorpions, a place where many . . . died ofstarvation, privations and diseases, [a place]which has been rightfully called the island ofdeath.” Lionoudakis fished for food, though

� For the life story of Emmanuel Lionoudakis, see TheWatchtower, September 1, 1999, pages 25-29.

he was also busy preaching to other detain-ees, being the only Witness here. Seeing theplace where he stayed some 70 years ago, hisdaughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter aretouched to the heart. For us his example is aninspiration to remain loyal and active in theministry.

For those exiled here, Gavdos was hardly atourist paradise. But for us, it proves to be awelcoming place as we preach in every partof the island this weekend, placing 46 maga-zines and nine brochures with the warm-hearted people there. How we look forwardto seeing our new friends again!

Before we know it, the time has come forus to leave. But once again the weather isagainst us, and our 5:00 p.m. departure ispostponed. We embark at midnight, prepar-ing ourselves for another rough trip. Finally,we depart at 3:00 a.m., and after being tossedabout for five hours on stormy seas, we makeit toCrete. We are exhausted as we set our un-steady feet on dry land, but we are glad thatwe were able to make Jehovah’s name knownon the island of Gavdos. (Isaiah 42:12) All inthe group agree that the effortwaswellworthit. The hardship we experienced willsoon be forgotten, but we are surethat the memory of this trip willremain indelibly embedded in ourhearts.

Sarakıniko Bay, showing a building that housedthe exiles and a plaque commemorating them

CourtesyofH

ellenicPost


SWAHILI is a language spoken by as many as 100 millionpeople in at least 12 countries across central and eastern

Africa.� It is the national or official language in several coun-tries, such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. And in the sur-rounding lands, it serves as a common tongue, enablingpeople from different regions to carryon commerce and com-municate easily.

Swahili has played a very important role in unifying thepeople of East Africa. For example, inTanzania alone there areat least 114 different tribal languages spoken. Imagine travel-ing just 25 to 50 miles (40-80 km) from your home and meet-ing people who speak a language completely different fromyours! And in some cases all the people who speak a certainlanguage live in only a few small villages. How would youcommunicate with them? It is not hard to see why having acommon language is so beneficial.

History of SwahiliIt is believed that Swahili has been spoken since at least the

tenth century. It became a written language in the 16th cen-

� Swahili in various forms is used in these countries.

GOD’S NAME MADE KNOWN IN SWAHILI“Swahili.” To many that language brings to mind visions of Africa and wild

animals roaming the grasslands of the Serengeti. Yet, there is much more toSwahili and the people who speak it.


tury. Those who learn to speak Swahili soonrealize that a number of the words have anArabic feel. In fact, at least 20 percent of thewords in Swahili are of Arabic origin, whilethe majority of the remainder are of Africanorigin. Thus, it is not surprising that for sev-eral hundred years, Swahili was written withArabic script.

Today, Swahili is written in the Romanscript. What happened? Why the change?For the answer, we must go back to the mid-19th century when the first European mis-sionaries arrived in East Africa, intent onsharing the message of the Bible with the na-tive inhabitants.

God’s Word First Arrives in East AfricaIn 1499, during Vasco da Gama’s epic voy-

age around the southern tip of Africa, Portu-guese missionaries introduced Catholicismto East Africa by setting up a mission in Zan-zibar. However, within 200 years, the Portu-guese along with “Christianity” were oustedfrom the region by local opposition.

It would be another 150 years before God’sWord again made the journey to East Africa.This time it was brought there by a Germanmissionary, Johann Ludwig Krapf. When hearrived in Mombasa, Kenya, in 1844, the reli-

gious practice on the coast of East Africa waspredominately Muslim, while many of thepeoples who lived inland held to their tradi-tional, animistic religious beliefs. Krapf be-lieved that it was vital that the Bible be madeavailable to all.

Krapf didnotwaste any time getting startedwith a study of the Swahili language. InJune 1844, shortly after his arrival, he beganthe challenging task of translating the Bible.Sadly, the very next month, he suffered atragic loss—the death of his wife of two years,followed by that of their infant daughter justa few days later. Though no doubt grieved bythis, he continued the vital task of translat-ing the Bible. In 1847, the first three chaptersof the book of Genesis were published andbecame the first printed text in the Swahililanguage.

Krapf was the first to use Roman script in-stead of the customary Arabic script for writ-ing Swahili. Among the reasons he gave forabandoning the Arabic script were that “theArabic alphabet would only be an encum-brance on the Europeans” who would laterbe learning the language and that “the Ro-man script would make it easier for ‘the Na-tives in studying European languages.’” TheArabic script continued to be used by some

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Johann Krapf’s 1847 translation ofGenesis 1:1-3 into Swahili

African CountriesWhere SwahiliIs Spoken

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for many years; portions of the Bible werepublished in it. However, using the Romanscript has indeed made it easier for many tolearn Swahili. No doubt many missionariesand other students of Swahili are very happythat this change was made.

In addition to pioneering the translationof God’s Word into Swahili, Krapf laid thegroundwork for later translators. He pro-duced the first grammar book on Swahili, aswell as a dictionaryof that language.

God’s Name in SwahiliIn the initial publication of the first three

chapters of Genesis, God’s name was simplytranslated “Almighty God.” However, towardthe end of the 19th century, several othermen arrived in East Africawho carried on thework of translating the entire Bible into Swa-hili. Among them were Johann Rebmann,William Taylor, Harry Binns, Edward Steere,Francis Hodgson, and Arthur Madan.

Noteworthy in some of those early transla-tionswas the inclusion of God’s name, not injust a few places but throughout the HebrewScriptures! Those translating in Zanzibar ren-dered the divine name “Yahuwa,” while theones based in Mombasa translated it “Je-hova.”

By 1895 the entire Bible was availablein Swahili. In the following decades, sever-al other translations were made available,

though some of them did not receive a largedistribution. During the early years of the20th century, much effort was put into stan-dardizing Swahili in East Africa. This led tothe production of the Swahili Union Versionof the Bible in 1952, which has becomethe translation with the widest circulation.This also resulted in “Yehova” becomingthe most commonly accepted translation ofGod’s name in Swahili.

Regrettably, as those early translationsceased to be printed, the divine name beganto disappear along with them. Some of thenewer translations have removed it entirely,while others retain it in just a few locations.For example, in the Union Version, God’sname appeared only 15 times, and in its 2006revision, that name is found but 11 times.�

While that translation omits nearly everyoccurrence of the divine name, it does have anoteworthy feature. Prominently displayedon one of the opening pages is a clear state-ment that God’s name is Jehovah. This hasproved to be very useful in helping truth-seekers to learn the personal name of ourheavenly Father from their own copy of theBible.

This, though, is not the end of the story. In1996 the New World Translation of the Chris-

� It is found at Genesis 22:14; Exodus 6:2-8 (two times);17:15 (as Yahweh); Judges 6:24; Psalm 68:20; 83:18; Isaiah12:2; 26:4; 49:14; and Jeremiah 16:21.

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A section of Matthew chapter 1in Swahili Arabic script, 1891

Early translations showing the divine name rendered “Yahuwa” and “Jehova”

The paragraph containing God’s name,Jehovah, on an opening page of the

“Swahili Union Version”

tian Greek Scriptures was released in Swahili.This is the first Swahili translation to restoreJehovah’s name in 237 places from Matthewto Revelation. That was followed up in 2003by the release of the New World Translation ofthe Holy Scriptures, the complete Bible, inSwahili. To date, all told, some 900,000 copiesof Swahili editions have beenprinted.

No longer is God’s name buried under cer-tain titles or relegated to an explanatory notein the foreword. Now, when honestheartedpeople open up the New World Translation inSwahili, they are drawn closer to Jehovaheach time they read one of the more than7,000 occurrences of his name.

This translation has also endeavored to usean easy-to-understand, modern Swahili thatis accessible to all Swahili speakers in East Af-rica. In addition, a number of Scriptural er-rors that have crept into many other transla-tions have been removed. As a result, thereader can feel confident that he or she isreading “correct words of truth” as they wereinspired by our Creator, Jehovah God.—Eccle-siastes 12:10.

Many have expressed their appreciation forthe New World Translation in Swahili. Vicent,a 21-year-old full-time minister of Jehovah’sWitnesses, said, “I was overjoyed because ofthe simple Swahili in the New World Transla-tion and because it has put Jehovah’s nameback in the places from which others re-moved it.” Frieda, a mother of three, feelsthat this translation has made it easier for herto explain Bible truths to people.

From its humble beginnings, the task oftranslating God’s Word into Swahili has con-tinued on for over 150 years. Jesus said thathe ‘had made his Father’s name manifest.’(John 17:6) Now, by using the New WorldTranslation, the more than 76,000 Swahili-speaking Witnesses of Jehovah in central andeastern Africa rejoice to have a share in mak-ing Jehovah’s name known to all.

Many enjoy using the“New World Translationof the Holy Scriptures”in Swahili

29

HAVE you ever wanted something verymuch?—� If so, you are like most people. Butshould you try to get what you want by tell-ing a lie?— No, you shouldn’t. A person whodoes that is greedy. Let’s see how a mannamed Gehazi was ruined by greed. He wasa servant of Elisha, a prophet of the trueGod, Jehovah.

Elisha and Gehazi lived long ago, about athousand years before God’s Son, Jesus, wasborn on earth. Jehovah used Elisha to doreally wonderful things—to perform mira-cles! For example, the Bible tells about animportant man in the Syrian army who hadthe bad disease leprosy. No one could healhim, but Elisha does.

When Elisha is used by God to help peo-ple get well, he never accepts money. Doyou know why?— Because Elisha knowsthat those miracles come from Jehovah—nothimself. When Naaman is healed, he is sohappy that he wants to give Elisha gifts ofgold, silver, and fine clothes. Elisha won’ttake anything, but Gehazi wants these giftsvery much.

After Naaman leaves, Gehazi chases afterhim without telling Elisha. When he catchesup with Naaman, do you know what Geha-zi tells him?— ‘Elisha sent me to tell you thattwo visitors just came. He would like to havetwo changes of clothes so that he can givethem to the men.’� If you are reading with a child, the dash provides a remind-

er to pause and encourage the child to express himself.

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN

Gehazi Was Ruined by Greed

30

But that is a lie! Gehazi has made up thestory about the two visitors. He tells it be-cause he wants to have the clothes that Naa-man tried to give to Elisha. Naaman, ofcourse, does not know this. So he is happy togive Gehazi the gifts. Naaman even givesmore things to Gehazi than Gehazi asks for.Do you know what happens next?—

When Gehazi gets back home, Elisha askshim: ‘Where have you been?’

‘Oh, nowhere,’ Gehazi answers. Jehovah,however, has let Elisha know what Gehazihas done. So Elisha says: ‘This is no time toaccept money and clothes!’

Gehazi has taken money and clothes thatdo not belong to him. So God makes Naa-man’s leprosy come upon Gehazi. What doyou think we can learn from this?— Onething it teaches us is that we should notmake up and tell stories that are not true.

Why did Gehazi make up a story thatwas, in fact, a lie?— It was because Gehaziwas greedy. He wanted to have what didnot belong to him, and he tried to get thosethings by lying. Because of this he suffered aterrible disease for the rest of his life.

Really, Gehazi suffered something worsethan leprosy. Do you know what that was?—It was the loss of God’s favor, the lossof his love. May we never do any-thing to cause us to lose that! In-stead, let us be kind and ready toshare the things we have.

READ IN YOUR BIBLE2 Kings 5:5, 20-27; Jude 21John 15:10

Even in this troubled world, you can gain happiness from accurate Bible knowledge of God, his Kingdom,and his wonderful purpose for mankind. If you would welcome further information or would like to havesomeone visit you to conduct a free Bible study, please write to Jehovah’s Witnesses at the appropriateaddress listed on page 4.

www.jw.org wp12 09/01-E

Would you welcome a visit?

How will true respect and dignity come to all women?SEE PAGES 4-11.

Should you be concerned about being kind to all people?SEE PAGES 18-20.

Learn about the eventful history of how God’s name, Jehovah,came to be in the Swahili Bible. SEE PAGES 26-29.

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