wp11 08/01-E - download.jw.orgdownload.jw.org/files/media_magazines/82/wp_E_20110801.pdfthree questions: (1) What should chil-drenlearn?(2)Whoshouldteachthem? (3) What methods of teaching

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What Should ChildrenWhat Should ChildrenLearn About God?Learn About God?

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:42,162,000 IN 188 LANGUAGES

AUGUST 1, 2011

FROM OUR COVER

3 Should Children Learn About God?4 What Should Children Learn?6 Who Should Teach Children About God?8 How to Teach Children About God

—What Methods Work Best?

REGULAR FEATURES10 Keys to Family Happiness

—Treating Your Mate With Respect

13 Draw Close to God—He Remembers That “We Are Dust”

14 Teach Your Children—Why Dorcas Was Loved

16 Learn From God’s Word—How Can You Recognize True Worship?

18 The Bible Changes Lives

23 Did You Know?

27 Our Readers Ask . . .

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE24 Is the Pope “Saint Peter’s Successor”?

28 A Day of High Hopes and Happy Expectations

SWIFT expressed that thought in the18th century, but many today would

agree with him. In fact, some believethat parents should not have the right toteach their children about God. Theyfeel that children raised in a religioushousehold are somehow disadvantaged.

What do you think? Which of the fol-lowing statements is most reasonable?˘ Parents should not be allowed to

teach their children about God.˘ Parents should wait until their chil-

dren grow up before they discussreligious matters with them.

˘ While the children are young, parentsshould pass on their own beliefsabout God. But as their young onesmature, parents should encouragethem to reason on the matter forthemselves.

˘ Children must adopt their parents’beliefs about God without question.

Does Religion Harm Children?No caring parent wants to harm a

child. But do the facts support the claimsof those who would prevent childrenfrom learning about God? For decadesnow, researchers have intensely studiedthe effect that a parent’s religious beliefshave on children. With what conclu-sion?

Researchers have found that ratherthan being a harmful influence, religioncan have a positive effect on a child’s de-velopment. In 2008 a report published

in the journal Social Science Research�stated: “Religion has been shown to en-hance the parent-child bond for bothmothers and fathers.” This report alsosaid: “Religion and spirituality appear tobe an important part of many children’slives and are vital to family relation-ships.” Notice how similar that findingis to what Jesus Christ said: “Happy arethose conscious of their spiritual need.”—Matthew 5:3.

What about the idea that childrenshould grow up before learning aboutGod and religion? That view ignores thisfact: A child’s mind is like an emptybucket waiting to be filled. Really, par-ents face a choice; either fill that “buck-et” at home with the moral principlesand beliefs that they feel are appropriateor allow the rainstorm of ideas outsidethe home to fill the child’s mind andheart.

What Is the Secret?History proves that religion has the

potential to fuel bigotry and hatred. Sohow can parents avoid the outcome de-scribed by Jonathan Swift? How canthey teach their children beliefs thathelp them to love others?

The secret lies in finding the answer tothree questions: (1) What should chil-dren learn? (2) Who should teach them?(3) What methods of teaching workbest?

� This study was based on information gatheredfrom over 21,000 children living in the United States,as well as from their parents and teachers.

Should Children Learn About God?“We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to

make us love one another.”—JONATHAN SWIFT, ENGLISH AUTHOR.

THE WATCHTOWER ˙ AUGUST 1, 2011 3

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CHILDREN need to be taught thetruth about God. Where can they

learn that truth? From the most widelyrespected religious book in the world,the Bible.

The Bible is like a letter from God. Inthat letter, God reveals his personalityand provides moral guidance for all ofhis children, both young and old. Noticejust some of the teachings containedin the Bible and the lessons that evenyoung children can learn from them.

What ShouldChildren Learn?

“All Scripture is inspired of Godand beneficial for teaching, forreproving, for setting things straight,for disciplining in righteousness.”—2 TIMOTHY 3:16.

What does God want us to knowabout him?˛ What the Bible teaches: “You, whosename is Jehovah, you alone are the MostHigh over all the earth.”—Psalm 83:18.Lesson: God is not an impersonal force, buthe is a real Person who has a distinctive per-sonal name.

˛ What the Bible teaches: “All hearts Jeho-vah is searching, and every inclination of thethoughts he is discerning. If you search forhim, he will let himself be found by you.”—1 Chronicles 28:9.Lesson: Jehovah God cares about all ofus, including small children. (Psalm 10:14;146:9) He wants us to learn about him.

˛ What the Bible teaches: “You people mustnot afflict any . . . fatherless boy. If youshould afflict him at all, then if he cries out tome at all, I shall unfailingly hear his outcry.”—Exodus 22:22-24.Lesson: Jehovah listens to the prayers of evensmall children. We can talk to God regularlyand express our innermost thoughts andfeelings to him.

˛ What the Bible teaches: “Again and againthey would put God to the test, and theypained even the Holy One of Israel.”—Psalm78:41.Lesson: Our speech and actions affect Jeho-vah’s feelings, so we should think before wespeak and act.

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Would you welcome more information or afree home Bible study? Please send yourrequest to Jehovah’s Witnesses, using oneof these addresses. For a complete list ofaddresses, seewww.watchtower.org/address.

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The Watchtower (ISSN 0043-1087) is publishedsemimonthly by Watchtower Bible and Tract So-ciety of New York, Inc.; M. H. Larson, Presi-dent; G. F. Simonis, Secretary-Treasurer; 25 ColumbiaHeights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483, and by Watch Tow-er Bible and Tract Society of Canada, PO Box 4100,Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Periodicals Postage Paid atBrooklyn, NY, and at additional mailing offices. POST-MASTER: Send address changes to Watchtower,1000 Red Mills Road, Wallkill, NY 12589-3299.� 2011 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society ofPennsylvania. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada.

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How should we treat those who aredifferent from us?˛ What the Bible teaches: “God is not par-tial, but in every nation the man that fearshim and works righteousness is acceptable tohim.”—Acts 10:34, 35.Lesson: If God accepts people from all back-grounds, we should not discriminate againstothers just because their skin color or theirfacial features differ from ours.

˛ What the Bible teaches: “Always [be]ready to make a defense before everyone thatdemands of you a reason for the hope in you,but doing so together with a mild temper anddeep respect.”—1 Peter 3:15.Lesson: When discussing religion, we shouldexpress our views with conviction but with-out aggression. We should also show re-spect to those whose religious beliefs differfrom ours.

How should we treat familymembers?˛ What the Bible teaches: “Children, be obe-dient to your parents in everything, for this iswell-pleasing in the Lord.”—Colossians 3:20.Lesson: Obedient children prove not onlythat they love their parents but also thatthey want to please God.

˛ What the Bible teaches: “Continueputting up with one another and forgivingone another freely if anyone has a cause forcomplaint against another. Even as Jehovahfreely forgave you, so do you also.”—Colos-sians 3:13.Lesson: Other people, including our familymembers, will disappoint us at times. But ifwe want God to forgive us, we must learn toforgive others.—Matthew 6:14, 15.

6 THE WATCHTOWER ˙ AUGUST 1, 2011

As these examples show, the lessons con-tained in the Bible can help children tobecome appreciative, respectful, empatheticadults. But who should teach these lessons tochildren?

Why be honest and kind?˛ What the Bible teaches: “Put away false-hood, [and] speak truth each one of you withhis neighbor.”—Ephesians 4:25.Lesson: When we tell the truth, we imitateGod and make him happy. If we develop thehabit of telling lies, we become like God’senemy, the Devil, who is “the father of thelie.”—John 8:44; Titus 1:2.

˛ What the Bible teaches: “Treat others asyou want them to treat you.”—Matthew 7:12,“Contemporary English Version.”Lesson: We should be considerate of thefeelings, thoughts, and needs of our familymembers and others in our community.When we show “fellow feeling,” others aremore likely to treat us in a kind way.—1 Peter3:8; Luke 6:38.

SOME parents feel unqualified toteach their children about God.

They may think that they do not haveenough education or do not knowenough about religion to be good teach-ers. As a result, they may be inclined toleave this vital task to a relative or to areligious leader.

Who, though, is really in the best po-sition to teach children religious truthsand moral principles? Consider whatthe Bible says on this subject, and com-pare those statements with what re-searchers have discovered.

What Is a Father’s Role?What the Bible teaches: “Fathers, don’t

stir up anger in your children, but bringthem up in the training and instructionof the Lord.”—Ephesians 6:4, “HolmanChristian Standard Bible.”

What researchers have discovered:How do fathers benefit if they developstrong religious convictions? The arti-cle Fathers’ Religious Involvement andEarly Childhood Behavior, published in2009, stated: “Involvement in a reli-gious community may help men be-come better fathers. Religion provides

Who ShouldTeach ChildrenAbout God?“A pupil is not above his teacher, buteveryone that is perfectly instructedwill be like his teacher.”—LUKE 6:40.


individuals with social support and controlas well as a set of teachings and guidelinesfor how to live one’s life.”

The Bible places great emphasis on the im-portance of a father’s role in raising andtraining children. (Proverbs 4:1; Colossians3:21; Hebrews 12:9) But is that counsel rele-vant today? In 2009 the University of Floridapublished an article that discussed the im-pact that fathers had on their children. Theresearchers found that children with fatherswho were actively involved in their upbring-ing were more likely to be empathetic and tohave a better sense of self-worth. Boys wereless likely to misbehave, and girls were morelikely to have better mental health. Certain-ly, the Bible’s advice is still relevant.

How Important Is a Mother’s Role?What the Bible teaches: “Do not forsake the

law of your mother.”—Proverbs 1:8.What researchers have discovered: In 2006

the Handbook of Child Psychology stated:“On average, mothers spend between 65%

and 80% more time than fathers do in di-rect one-to-one interaction with their youngchildren, and such ratios hold in many dif-ferent lands.” With that amount of contact,a mother’s speech, actions, and attitudeshave a profound effect on a child’s develop-ment.

When a mother and father work togetherto teach their children the truth about God,they give them at least two precious gifts.First, the children gain the opportunity toform a friendship with their heavenly Fa-ther, a friendship that can benefit themthroughout life. Second, the children learnby example how a husband and wife shouldcooperate to reach important goals. (Colos-sians 3:18-20) While others may be able toassist a father and mother, it is the parentswho have the responsibility to teach theirchildren about God and about how Godwants a family to function.

How, though, should parents teach theirchildren? What methods are likely to workbest?


PARENTS may at times feel overwhelmedby the responsibility of training their

children. When they seek advice, however,the sheer volume of counsel on the sub-ject may swamp them further. Relatives andfriends are often keen to pass on their sug-gestions. And books, magazine articles, andInternet sites offer parents a constant streamof sometimes conflicting advice.

The Bible, on the other hand, providesparents not only reliable counsel on what toteach their children but also practical direc-tion on how to teach them. As the Bible vers-es quoted above indicate, parents need tofind some way each day to talk about God totheir children. Discussed below are just fourBible-based suggestions that have helpedthousands of parents to teach their childrenabout God.

1. Draw lessons from creation. The apostlePaul wrote: “[God’s] invisible qualities areclearly seen from the world’s creation on-ward, because they are perceived by the

things made, even his eternal power andGodship.” (Romans 1:20) Parents can domuch to help their children see God as a realPerson by drawing attention to God’s cre-ative works and then helping their childrendiscernwhat qualities of God those creationsreveal.

Jesus used this technique when teachinghis disciples. For example, he said: “Observeintently the birds of heaven, because theydo not sow seed or reap or gather intostorehouses; still your heavenly Father feedsthem. Are you not worth more than theyare?” (Matthew 6:26) Jesus here highlightedJehovah’s qualities of love and compassion.But he did more. He helped his disciples rea-son on how God expressed those qualitiestoward his children.

Wise King Solomonpointed to the instinc-tive wisdom God gave to ants, and he usedthese little creatures to emphasize a valuablelesson. “Go to the ant, you lazy one,” hewrote, “see its ways and become wise. Al-

How to Teach Children About GodWHAT METHODS WORK BEST?

“These words that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart;and you must inculcate them in your son and speak of them when you sit in yourhouse and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when youget up.”—DEUTERONOMY 6:6, 7.


though it has no commander, officer or rul-er, it prepares its food even in the summer; ithas gathered its food supplies even in theharvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-8) What a powerfulway to teach the value of setting worthwhilegoals and thenusing ourGod-given strengthto achieve them!

Parents can imitate the effective teachingof Jesus and Solomon by doing the follow-ing: (1) Ask their children which plants andanimals interest them. (2) Learn more aboutthose plants and animals. (3) Draw lessonsabout God from such creations.

2. Imitate Jesus’ attitude toward thosewhom he taught. Of all the people who everlived, Jesus had themost important things tosay. Yet, he spent much of his time askingquestions. He was keenly interested in thethoughts and feelings of those whom hetaught. (Matthew 17:24, 25; Mark 8:27-29)Similarly, parents have many important les-sons to teach their children. To be effective,though, they need to imitate Jesus and en-courage their children to state freely howthey feel.

What if children display a bad attitude orare slow to learn some valuable lesson? Con-sider the way Jesus dealt with the apostles.They at times argued bitterly among them-selves and were slow to learn the benefits ofbeing humble. Yet, Jesus remained patientand repeatedly spoke about the need for hu-mility. (Mark 9:33, 34; Luke 9:46-48; 22:24,25) Parents who imitate Jesus will patientlycorrect their children and, if needed, will re-peat the same lesson until the children fullygrasp its importance.�

3. Teach by example. Parents do well to lis-ten to the counsel the apostle Paul gave toChristians living inRome. To them he wrote:“Do you, however, the one teaching some-

� The Hebrew word translated “inculcate” at Deuteron-omy 6:7 carries the thought of repeating a point often.

one else, not teach yourself? You, the onepreaching ‘Do not steal,’ do you steal?”—Ro-mans 2:21.

That advice is relevant because childrenare far more impressed by what parents dothan by what they say. In fact, parents whopractice what they preach are more likely tohave children who listen to what their par-ents teach.

4. Start while the child is young. The apos-tle Paul’s missionary companion Timothyhad an excellent reputation inhis communi-ty. (Acts 16:1, 2) One reason was that “frominfancy” he had been taught “the holy writ-ings.” Timothy’s mother and grandmothernot only read the Scriptures to him but alsohelped him to reason on the truths thosewritings contain.—2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14,15.

Where You Can Find HelpJehovah’s Witnesses produce a number of

publications specifically designed to helpparents teach their children the truth aboutGod. Some are written with young childrenin mind. Others can help parents and theirteenage children keep the lines of communi-cation open.�

Of course, before parents can teach theirchildren about God, they need to know theanswers to some of the difficult questionsthat children may raise. For example, howwould you answer such questions as thefollowing: Why does God allow suffering?What is God’s purpose for the earth? Whereare the dead? Jehovah’s Witnesses would behappy to help you learn the answers to thoseand other questions so that you and yourfamily can drawclose to God.—James 4:8.

� For younger children, parents can use the book LearnFrom the Great Teacher, which highlights the teachings ofJesus Christ, or My Book of Bible Stories, which relates insimple language key lessons from the Bible. For youths,parents can use the books Questions Young People Ask—An-swers That Work, Volumes 1 and 2.


Will� says: “When Rachel is upset, she cries for a long time. If we sit down totalk, she gets irritable or even gives me the silent treatment. Nothing seemsto work. I feel like giving up.”

Rachel says: “When Will came home, I was crying. I tried to explainwhy I was upset, but he cut me off. He told me that it wasn’t that serious,and I should just get over it. That made me even more upset.”

CAN you relate to Will orRachel? Both of them

want to communicate, butthey often get frustrated.Why?

Men and women commu-nicate differently, and theyhave unique needs. A womanmay long to share her feel-ings openly and often. Manymen, on the other hand, tryto preserve peace by solvingproblems quickly and avoid-ing thorny issues. How, then,can you bridge these differences and com-municate with your husband or wife? Bytreating your matewith respect.

A respectful person values others andseeks to understand their feelings. Sincechildhood, you may have learned to respectpeople who have more authority or experi-ence than you have. In marriage, however,the challenge is to show respect for some-one with whom you are on more of anequal footing—your mate. “I knew that Philwould listen with patience and understand-

� Names have been changed.

ing to anyone else who spoke to him,”says Linda, who has been married for eightyears. “I wanted him to be just as empathet-ic with me.” Likely, you listen patientlyand speak respectfully to friends and evenstrangers. Yet, are you just as considerate toyour mate?

Disrespect creates tension in thehomeandleads to bitter conflict. A wise ruler stated: “Adry crust of bread eaten in peace and quiet isbetter than a feast eaten where everyone ar-gues.” (Proverbs 17:1, Contemporary EnglishVersion) The Bible tells a husband to treat hiswife with honor, or respect. (1 Peter 3:7)

KEYS TO FAMILY HAPPINESS

TreatingYour MateWith Respect


“Thewife” too “should have deep respect forher husband.”—Ephesians 5:33.

How can you communicate respectfully?Consider some practical advice found in theBible.When Your Mate Has Something to SayThe Challenge: Many people like to talk

more than they like to listen. Are you one ofthem? The Bible describes as foolish anyonewho is “replying to a matter before he hearsit.” (Proverbs 18:13) So before you talk, lis-ten. Why? “I prefer it when my husbanddoesn’t try to fix my problems right away,”says Kara, who has been married for 26years. “He doesn’t even have to agree or fig-ure out why the problem arose. I just wanthim to listen to me and validate my feel-ings.”

On the other hand, some men and wom-en hesitate to express themselves and feeluncomfortable if their mate pressures themto talk about their feelings. Lorrie, who wasrecently married, discovered that her hus-band takes a long time to share his feelings.“I have to be patient,” she says, “and wait forhim to open up.”

A Solution: If you and your mate need totalk about something potentially divisive,raise the matter when both of you are calmand relaxed.What if your spouse is reluctantto speak up? Recognize that “a person’sthoughts are like water in a deep well, butsomeone with insight can draw them out.”(Proverbs 20:5, Today’s English Version) Ifyou draw a bucket out of a well too quickly,you will lose a lot of water. Similarly, ifyou confront your mate too forcefully, yourmate may become defensive and the oppor-tunity to draw him or her out may be lost.Instead, ask questions gently and respectful-ly, and be patient if your mate does notarticulate feelings as quickly as you wouldlike.

When your spouse does speak, “be swiftabout hearing, slow about speaking, slowabout wrath.” (James 1:19) A good listenerlistens not only with the ears but also withthe heart. When your mate speaks, try tounderstand his or her feelings. Your matewill sense your level of respect—or disre-spect—by theway you listen.

Jesus taught us how to listen. For example,when a sick man approached him for help,Jesus did not immediately solve the prob-lem. First, he listened to the man’s entreaty.Then he allowed what he heard to movehim deeply. Finally, he healed the man.(Mark 1:40-42) When your mate speaks, fol-low the same pattern. Remember, he or sheis likely seeking heartfelt empathy, not aquick solution. So listen closely. Allow youremotions to be touched. Then, and onlythen, respond to your mate’s needs. By do-ing so, you will show that you respect yourmate.

TRY THIS: The next time your mate beginsspeaking to you, resist the urge to respondimmediately. Wait until your spouse has fin-ished talking and you understand what wasexpressed. Later, approach your mate andask, “Did you feel that I was really listeningto you?”

When You Have Something to SayThe Challenge: “Sitcoms make it appear

normal to speak badly about one’s mate andto be insulting and sarcastic,” observes Lin-da, quoted earlier. Some grow up in homeswhere disrespectful speech is typical. Later,when they marry, they find it difficult toavoid this pattern in their own family. Ivy,who lives in Canada, relates: “I grew up inan environment where sarcasm, screaming,and name-calling were the norm.”

A Solution: Whenyou talk to others aboutyour mate, share “whatever saying is good


for building up as the need may be, that itmay impartwhat is favorable to thehearers.”(Ephesians 4:29) Impart a favorable impres-sion of your spouse by the way you speakabout him orher.

Even when you are alone with your mate,resist the urge to use sarcasm and name-calling. In ancient Israel, Michal got angrywith her husband, King David. She spokesarcastically and said that he acted “just asone of the empty-headed men.” Her wordsoffended David, but they also displeasedGod. (2 Samuel 6:20-23) The lesson? Whenyou speak with your mate, choose yourwords carefully. (Colossians 4:6; footnote)Phil, married for eight years, admits that heand his wife still have disagreements. He hasnoticed that, at times, what he says makesthe situation worse. “I have come to real-ize that ‘winning’ an argument is actuallya loss. I find that it is much more satisfy-ing and beneficial to build up our relation-ship.”

Anelderlywidow in ancient times encour-aged her daughters-in-law to “find a resting-place each one in the house of her hus-band.” (Ruth 1:9) When both husband andwife dignify each other, they make theirhome “a resting-place.”

TRY THIS: With your mate, set aside timeto discuss the suggestions under this sub-heading. Ask your spouse: “When I talkabout you in public, do you feel honored orput down? What adjustments can I make toimprove?” Really listen as your spouseshares his or her feelings. Try to apply thesuggestions you hear.

Accept Your Mate’s DifferencesThe Challenge: Some newlyweds have

mistakenly concluded that what the Biblecalls being “one flesh” means that the cou-ple must have one opinion or personality.

(Matthew 19:5) However, they quickly dis-cover that such thinking is idealistic. Oncethey aremarried, their differencesoften leadto arguments. Linda says: “One major differ-encebetweenus is that Philworries less thanI do. Sometimes he is able to relax when I’mworried, so I end up feeling angry because itappears that he doesn’t care about some-thing as much as I do.”

A Solution: Accept each other as you are,and respect what is different about yourmate. To illustrate: Your eyes work different-ly than your ears; yet they cooperate so youcan cross the road safely. Adrienne, who hasbeen married for nearly three decades, says:“As long as our viewpoints don’t violateGod’s Word, my husband and I allow eachother to have differing opinions. After all,we are married, not cloned.”

When your mate has a different opinionor reaction than you do, focus not just onyour own interests. Consider your mate’sfeelings. (Philippians 2:4) Adrienne’s hus-band, Kyle, admits: “I don’t always under-stand or agree with my wife’s opinions onmatters. But I remind myself that I love hermuch more than I love my opinion. Whenshe is happy, I really am too.”

TRY THIS: Make a list of ways that yourmate’s viewpoint or way of handling thingsis superior to yours.—Philippians 2:3.

Respect is one of the keys to a happy andlasting marriage. “Respect brings content-ment and security to amarriage,” says Linda.“It is definitely worth cultivating.”

ASK YOURSELF . . .ˇ How have my mate’s differencesenriched our family?ˇ Why is it good to yield to my mate’spreference whenever Bible principles arenot at issue?


“I HAD not believed that Jehovah could fully for-give me, and I thought that I would carry this

burden for the rest of my life.” So wrote oneChristian woman regarding her past mistakes.Truly, a guilty conscience is a heavy burden tocarry. The Bible, however, offers comfort thatcan ease the pain of repentant sinners. Considerthe words of the psalmist David found at Psalm103:8-14.

David knew that “Jehovah is merciful” anddoes not “keep finding fault” with us. (Verses 8-10) When God finds a basis to show mercy, hedoes so completely and unstintingly. David, aneloquent poet, uses three similes to illustrateGod’s far-reaching mercy toward us.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, hisloving-kindness is superior toward those fearinghim.” (Verse 11) When we look up at the nightsky, we cannot fathom the great distance be-tween the starry heavens and the earth. Davidthus impresses upon us the magnitude of Jeho-vah’s mercy, a facet of his loyal love. This mercy isfor “those fearing” God—those who have “ahumble, hearty reverence of his authority,” saysone scholar.

“As far off as the sunrise is from the sunset, sofar off from us he has put our transgressions.”(Verse 12) Other translations say, “as far as theeast is from the west.” How far is that? As far aswe can imagine. One Bible reference work says:“Fly as far as the wing of imagination can bearyou, and if you journey through space eastward,you are further from the west at every beat ofyour wing.” David here tells us that when Godforgives our sins, he puts them as far away fromus as we can possibly imagine.

“As a father shows mercy to his sons, Jeho-vah has shown mercy to those fearing him.”(Verse 13) David, a father himself, knew what a

loving father feels in his heart. Such a father ismoved to show compassion to his children, es-pecially when they are in pain. David assures usthat our loving heavenly Father shows mercy tohis earthly children, especially when their repen-tant hearts are “broken and crushed” because oftheir sins.—Psalm 51:17.

Following the three similes, David revealswhat moves Jehovah to show mercy to imperfecthumans: “He himself well knows the formationof us, remembering that we are dust.” (Verse 14)Jehovah knows that we are creatures made of

dust, having frailties and limitations. Takinginto consideration our sinful nature, Jehovah is“ready to forgive”—as long as we show heartfeltrepentance.—Psalm 86:5.

Is your heart touched by David’s words aboutJehovah’s mercy? The woman quoted at the out-set made a study of what the Bible says aboutGod’s readiness to forgive, and she was movedto say: “I am starting to feel that I really can drawcloser to Jehovah, and I feel that a weight hasbeen lifted off me.”�Why not learn more aboutGod’s mercy and how you can receive it? Per-haps you toowill feel that a weight is being liftedoff you.

� See chapter 26, “A God Who Is ‘Ready to Forgive,’ ” ofthe book Draw Close to Jehovah, published by Jehovah’sWitnesses.

DRAW CLOSE TO GOD

He Remembers That “We Are Dust”

��

SUGGESTED BIBLE READING FOR AUGUST:˛ Psalms 87-118

��

“I am starting to feel that I really candraw closer to Jehovah, and I feelthat a weight has been lifted off me”

WE ALL want people to love us. Doyou feel that way?—� The Bible tells

about Dorcas, a woman whom many lovedvery much.

Dorcas lived in Joppa, a city next to theMediterranean Sea. Jerusalem was onlyabout 35 miles (56 km) inland from Joppa.Dorcas was one of Jesus’ early disciples.

Why, do you think, was Dorcas loved somuch?— Well, the Bible says that she didmany good things and gave fine gifts. Sheapparently made nice clothes for widows,that is, women whose husbands had died.She also spoke to many about the true God,Jehovah, just as Jesus had done.

Do you know what bad thing happensto Dorcas now?— She becomes very sickand dies. Her friends are all sad. So they� 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

Why Dorcas Was Loved

14

send some people to where the apostlePeter is staying, about ten miles (16 km)away. These people ask him to come quick-ly. When Peter arrives, he goes upstairs towhere Dorcas is. The women are all crying,and they show him the clothes that Dorcasmade for them.

Peter then tells everyone to leave theroom. Peter and other apostles have per-formed miracles before, but never has anyone of them brought a dead person back tolife. What do you think Peter does now?—

Peter kneels down next to the dead bodyand prays to Jehovah. Then he tells Dorcasto rise. And Dorcas does! Peter gives her hishand and helps her up. Then he calls in thewidows and the others and shows her tothem. Can you imagine how happy they allare?—

Let us think now what you can learn fromthis story about the resurrection of Dorcas.One thing it shows is that if you help others,you will be loved in return by many of them.But more important, you will be remem-bered and loved by God. He will never for-get the good things you do for other people.And he will reward you with everlasting lifein happiness in his righteous new world.

READ IN YOUR BIBLEActs 9:36-43Revelation 21:3-5

1. Is there only one true religion?Jesus taught his followers only one religion, the

true religion. It is like a road leading to life. Regard-ing that road, Jesus said: “Few are the ones findingit.” (Matthew 7:14) God accepts only worship basedon his Word of truth. All true worshippers are unitedin one faith.—Read John 4:23, 24; 14:6; Ephesians 4:4, 5.

2. Why do so many different religionsclaim to be Christian?

False prophets have corrupted Christianity andhave used it to further their own interests. As Jesusforetold, they present themselves as his “sheep” butact like hungry wolves. (Matthew 7:13-15, 21, 23)False Christianity developed especially after Jesus’apostles died.—Read Acts 20:29, 30.

3. What are some features that distinguish true worship?True worshippers respect the Bible as God’s

Word. They strive to live by its principles. Sotrue religion differs from religion based onmen’s ideas. (Matthew 15:7-9) True worship-pers do not preach one thing and prac-tice another.—Read John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16,17.

The true religion honors God’s name, Je-hovah. Jesus made God’s name known. Hehelped people to know God and taught themto pray that God’s name be sanctified. (Mat-thew 6:9) Where you live, which religion pro-motes the use of God’s name?—Read John 17:26; Romans 10:13,14.

LEARN FROM GOD’S WORD

How CanYouRecognizeTrue Worship?

This article raises questions you mayhave asked and shows where you canread the answers in your Bible.Jehovah’s Witnesses would be pleasedto discuss these answers with you.

“They publicly declare they know God, but theydisown him by their works.”—Titus 1:16

4. How can you recognizetrue worshippers?

True Christians preach about God’s Kingdom. Godsent Jesus to preach about the Kingdom. God’sKingdom is the only hope for mankind. Jesus contin-ued speaking about it until his dying day. (Luke 4:43; 8:1; 23:42, 43) He told his followers to preachabout God’s Kingdom. If someone approaches youto speak about God’s Kingdom, to which religiondoes he likely belong?—Read Matthew 10:7; 24:14.

Jesus’ followers are no part of this wicked world.They take no part in political affairs or socialconflicts. (John 17:16) Also, they do not imitatethe world’s harmful practices and attitudes.—ReadJames 1:27; 4:4.

5. What is the primary markof true Christianity?

True Christians have outstanding love for one an-other. From God’s Word, they learn to respect mem-bers of all ethnic groups. Although false religion hasoften strongly supported the wars of the nations,true worshippers refuse to do so. (Micah 4:1-4)Rather, members of the true religion unselfishly usetheir time and resources to help and encourage oth-ers.—Read John 13:34, 35; 1 John 4:20, 21.

Which group bases all its teachings on God’sWord, honors God’s name, and proclaims God’sKingdom as mankind’s only hope? Which grouppractices love and does not support war? The factspoint to Jehovah’s Witnesses.—1 John 3:10-12.

For more information, see chapter 15 of this book,published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

WHAT DOESTHE BIBLE

Really TEACH?

17


MY PAST: I am from Cotonou, alarge city in Benin. I was raiseda Catholic but did not attendchurch regularly. Many Catholics where Ilived had multiple wives, as polygamy was le-gally recognized back then. I eventually mar-ried four women.

When a revolution broke out in the 1970’s,I thought that it would benefit my country. Igave the revolution my full support and be-came involved in politics. The revolution-aries did not like Jehovah’s Witnesses be-cause the Witnesses remained politicallyneutral. I was among those who persecutedthe Witnesses. When Witness missionarieswere expelled from the country in 1976, I wascertain that they would never return.

HOW THEBIBLECHANGEDMY LIFE: The revolutionended in 1990. To my sur-prise, Witness missionar-ies soon appeared. I beganto think that perhaps Godwas with these people. Aboutthat time, I changed myplace of work. One of mynew coworkers was a Wit-ness, and he wasted no timein sharing his beliefs. Heshowed me Bible verses thatdescribe Jehovah as a God oflove and justice. (Deuterono-my 32:4; 1 John 4:8) Thosequalities appealed to me. Iwanted to learn more about

Jehovah, so I accepted the offer of a Biblestudy.

Soon I began attending the meetings of Je-hovah’s Witnesses. I was impressed by thegenuine love that I saw—there were no dis-tinctions of race or social class. The more I as-sociated with the Witnesses, the more ob-vious it became that these were Jesus’ truefollowers.—John 13:35.

I decided that if I wanted to serve Jehovah,I would need to leave the Catholic Church.That was not an easy step to take, as I wasafraid of what others would think. After along time and with Jehovah’s help, I mus-

THE BIBLE CHANGES LIVES

WHY did a former polygamist and opposer of Jehovah’s Witnesses decideto become a Witness? What moved a pastor of the Pentecostal Church tochange his beliefs? What helped a woman with a tragic upbringing overcomeher self-loathing and draw close to God? Why did a heavy-metal enthusiastbecome a minister of religion? Read these accounts to find the answers.

“I have become abetter husband.”—RIGOBERT HOUETO

YEAR BORN: 1941

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: BENINHISTORY: POLYGAMIST, OPPOSER OFJEHOVAH’S WITNESSES


tered up the courage and withdrew from thechurch.

There was yet another big change that Ineeded to make. My study of the Bibletaught me that God does not approve of po-lygamy. (Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:4-6)In his eyes, only my first marriage was valid.So I legally registered this marriage and dis-missed my other wives, arranging for theirmaterial needs to be met. In time, two of myformer wives became Jehovah’s Witnesses.

HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: Although mywife remains a Catholic, she respects my de-cision to serve Jehovah. We both feel that Ihave become a better husband.

I used to think that I could improve mycommunity through politics, but those ef-forts proved futile. Now I see that God’sKingdom is the only solution to mankind’sproblems. (Matthew 6:9, 10) I am grateful toJehovah for showing me how to lead a trulyhappy life.

MY PAST: I was raised on the out-skirts of Itu, in Sao Paulo State. This part oftownwas known for its high crime rate.

I was extremely violent and immoral.Moreover, I was involved in drug traffick-ing. In time, I came to realize that such alife would lead me either to jail or to thecemetery, so I quit. I then joined the Pente-costal Church, and I eventually became apas-tor.

I felt that I could really help peoplethrough my ministry with the church. Ieven broadcast a religious program over thecommunity radio and thus became well-

known in the area. Yet, I grad-ually came to believe thatthe church, as a whole, wasnot concerned about the wel-fare of its members—it waseven less concerned abouthonoring God. I felt that thechurch’s only aimwas to raisemoney. I decided to resignfrom the church.HOW THE BIBLE CHANGEDMY LIFE: When I started tostudy the Bible with Jeho-vah’s Witnesses, I could seeright away that they are dif-ferent from other religions.

To me, two things stood out. First, Jehovah’sWitnesses do not simply talk about love ofGod and neighbor; they show it. Second,they do not become involved in politics orwarfare. (Isaiah 2:4) Those two facts con-vinced me that I had found the true religion—the cramped road that leads to everlastinglife.—Matthew 7:13,14.

I realized that if I wanted to be pleasing toGod, I would have to make some big chang-es. I needed to give more attention to myfamily. I also needed to become more hum-ble. It was not easy to make the needed

“It was not easy tomake the neededchanges.”—ALEX LEMOS SILVA

YEAR BORN: 1977

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: BRAZILHISTORY: PENTECOSTAL PASTOR


changes, but with Jehovah’s help, I succeed-ed. My wife was impressed by these changes.She had begun to study the Bible before me,but now she progressed more quickly in herstudies. Soon we both knew that we wantedto become Jehovah’s Witnesses. We werebaptized on the same day.

HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: My wife and Ihave the joy of helping our three children todevelop a close friendship with Jehovah. Weare a happy family. I thank Jehovah for hav-ing drawn me to the truth found in hisWord, the Bible. It really does change peo-ple’s lives! I am living proof.

MYPAST: I grewup inNewcastle,New South Wales. I am the eldestof seven children born to a violent, alcoholicfather and a violent mother. My motherabused me both physically and verbally. Sherepeatedly told me that I was bad and that Iwould be tormented in hellfire. Such threatsterrified me.

The physical injuries my mother inflictedonmeoften causedme tomiss school. At age11, I was taken from my parents and placedfirst in a government institution and later ina convent. When I turned 14, I ran awayfrom the convent. I did not want to go backhome, so I livedon the streets of Kings Cross,a Sydney suburb.

While living on the streets, I becameinvolved with drugs, alcohol, pornogra-

phy, and prostitution. Oneexperience really frightenedme. I had been staying inthe flat of a nightclub own-er. One evening, two mencame to see him. He sentme to the bedroom, but Icould overhear their conver-sation. The club owner wasmaking arrangements to sellme to these men. They weregoing to hide me aboard acargo ship and take me to Ja-pan to work in a bar. I pan-icked, jumped from the bal-cony, and ran forhelp.

I found a manwhowas vis-iting Sydney, and I explained my situation,hoping he would give me some money. In-stead, he invited me to the place where hewas staying so that I could take a shower andeat something. As things turned out, I neverleft. One year later, we were married.HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE:When I began to study the Bible with Jeho-vah’s Witnesses, I experienced a range ofemotions. I felt angrywhen I learned that Sa-tan is the cause of evil; I had always beentaught that it is God who makes us suffer. Ifelt great relief when I learned that he doesnot punish people in hellfire, a teaching thathad terrified me for as long as I could re-member.

“I feel clean, alive,and whole.”—VICTORIA TONG

YEAR BORN: 1957

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: AUSTRALIAHISTORY: TRAGIC CHILDHOOD


I was impressed by how the Witnesses letthe Bible affect their every decision. Theylive their faith. I was a difficult person, butno matter what I said or did, the Witnessestreated me with love and respect.

Mygreatest struggle hasbeenwith feelingsof worthlessness. I had a real self-loathing,and these feelings persisted long after I wasbaptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Iknew that I loved Jehovah, but I was con-vinced that he could never love someonelike me.

A turning point came about 15 years after Iwas baptized. During a talk at a KingdomHall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the speaker re-ferred to James 1:23, 24. Those verses likenGod’s Word to a mirror in which we can seeourselves the way Jehovah sees us. I began towonder if what I saw in myself was differentfromwhat Jehovah saw.At first, I resisted thisnew idea. I still felt that loving me was toomuch to expect of Jehovah.

A few days later, I read a scripture thatchanged my life. The verse was Isaiah 1:18,where Jehovah is quoted as saying: “Come,

now, you people, and let us set mattersstraight between us. . . . Though the sins ofyoupeople shouldprove to be as scarlet, theywill be made white just like snow.” I felt as ifJehovahwere speaking tome, saying: “Comeon, Vicky, let’s set matters straight betweenus. I know you, I knowyour sins, I know yourheart—and I love you.”

I was unable to sleep that night. I stilldoubted that Jehovah could love me, but Ibegan thinking about Jesus’ ransom sacri-fice. All of a sudden, it dawned onme that Je-hovah had beenpatient with me for so long,showing me that he loved me in so manyways. Yet, I was, in effect, saying to him:“Your love is not great enough to reach me.Your Son’s sacrifice is not enough to coverme.” It was as if I had been throwing the ran-som back at Jehovah. But now, at last, bymeditating on this gift of the ransom, I be-gan to feel loved by Jehovah.HOWIHAVEBENEFITED: I feel clean, alive,and whole. My marriage has improved, and Iam happy that I can use my experiences tohelp others. I am coming to feel ever closerto Jehovah.

MY PAST: I was born in Vot-kinsk, the birthplace of thefamous composer Pyotr IlichTchaikovsky. Our family waspoor. My father had manygood qualities, but he wasan alcoholic, so there was al-ways a tense atmosphere inthe household.

I was not a very good stu-dent, and as the years wentby, I developed an inferiori-ty complex. I became with-drawn and distrustful of oth-ers. Attending school was

“This was theanswer to myprayer.”—SERGEY BOTANKIN

YEAR BORN: 1974

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: RUSSIAHISTORY: HEAVY-METAL ENTHUSIAST


very stressful.When I had to deliver a report,for example, I was often unable to explaineven basic concepts that I could express atother times. When I graduated from theeighth grade, my report card read: “Limitedvocabulary, unable to express his thoughts.”Those words crushed me and left me feelingeven more worthless. I began to wonderabout the purpose of my life.

During my teenage years, I started drink-ing alcoholic beverages. At first, drinkingmade me feel good. But when I drank toomuch, my conscience bothered me. My lifeseemed meaningless. I began to feel moredepressed, sometimes not leaving my housefor days. I started thinking about suicide.

When I reached the age of 20, a new buttemporary respite came. I discovered heavy-metal music. I felt energized by the musicand sought out others who listened to it. I letmy hair grow long, had my ears pierced, anddressed like the musicians whom I admired.Gradually, I became reckless and aggressive,often arguing with my family.

I thought that listening to heavy-metalmusic would make me happy, but just theopposite was happening. I was becoming adifferent person! And when I learned somebad things about themusic starswhomIhadlooked up to, I felt betrayed.

Once again, I began to think about suicide—this time seriously. The only thing thatstopped me was the thought of how mymother wouldbe affected. She lovedmeverymuch, and she had done so much for me.The situationwas torturous. I didnotwant tocontinue living, but I could not end my life.

To distract myself, I started reading classicRussian literature. One story involved a herowho served in a church. Suddenly I felt aburning desire to do something for God andfor other people. I poured out my heart toGod in prayer, something that I had never

done before. I asked God to show me how Icould live a purposeful life. During thatprayer, I felt an amazing sense of relief. Evenmore amazing, though, was what happenednext. Just two hours later, one of Jehovah’sWitnesses knocked on my door and offeredme a Bible study. I believe that this was theanswer to my prayer. That was the first dayofa new, happy life for me.HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE: Al-though it was very difficult, I threw awayeverything I owned that was associated withheavy-metal music. Yet, the music stayed inmy mind for a long time. Whenever I hap-pened to walk by a place where that musicwas playing, I immediately thought of mypast. I did not want to mix those unpleasantmemories with everything good that wasnow taking root in my mind and heart.So I intentionally avoided such places. Andwhenever I was tempted to dwell on the past,I prayed fervently. Doing so helped me to ex-perience “the peace of God that excels allthought.”—Philippians 4:7.

As I studied the Bible, I learned that Chris-tians have an obligation to share their faithwith others. (Matthew 28:19, 20) I sincerelybelieved that I could never do that. At thesame time, the new things I was learn-ing brought me great happiness and innerpeace. I knew that others needed to learnthese truths too. Despite my fear, I began totalk to others about what I was learning. Tomygreat surprise, telling others about the Bi-ble actually boosted my self-confidence. Italso strengthened these new beliefs in myown heart.HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: I am now happi-ly married and have had the joy of helping anumber of people learn about the Bible, in-cluding my sister and my mother. ServingGod and helping others to learn about himhave given my life true meaning.


ˇ In Bible times, farmers used goads toguide their draft animals while plow-ing. The goad was a pointed stick, per-haps eight feet (2.5 m) long. One endof the stick contained a sharp metalspike. If the animal pushed against thegoad, it would injure itself. The otherend often held a chisellike blade thatcould be used to remove dirt, clay, orvegetation from the plowshare.

At times, goads served as weapons.The Israelite judge and warrior Sham-gar slew 600 Philistines “with a cattlegoad.”—Judges 3:31.

The Scriptures also mention this in-strument in a metaphoric sense. For ex-ample, King Solomon wrote that thewords of a wise person can be “like

oxgoads,” prodding a companion tomake the right decision.—Ecclesiastes12:11.

The resurrected Jesus painted a simi-lar word picture. He advised Saul, apersecutor of Christians, to stop “kick-ing against the goads.” That expressionevokes the image of a stubborn animalthat resists the proddings of its owner.Wisely, Saul responded to Jesus’ coun-sel and changed his course of life, be-coming the apostle Paul.

DID YOU KNOW?

What did Jesus mean when he said to Saul: “To keep kickingagainst the goads makes it hard for you”?—Acts 26:14.

ˇ Jews living in the first century C.E.could use a sundial to track the passingof time on a clear day. However, whenclouds blocked the sun or when nightfell, they used a clepsydra, or waterclock. Besides the Jews, the ancientEgyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Ro-mans also used this device.

According to The Jewish Encyclope-dia, both the Mishnah and the Talmudmention the clepsydra “under variousnames, perhaps to distinguish differentforms and designs, all, however, signi-fying one thing; namely, the slow es-cape—literally the stealing away—of thewater, drop by drop, which is themeaning of ‘clepsydra’ in Greek.”

How did a clepsydra work? Waterflowed out of one vessel through asmall hole at the bottom and into an-other. An observer could measure thepassing of time by noting the water lev-el in either the upper or the lower ves-sel, both of which could be markedwith degrees of measurement.

Roman military camps used suchclocks to determine the night watches.The changing of the watch was indicat-ed by a trumpet blast. Anyone withinearshot would have been aware ofwhen each of the four night watchesbegan and ended.—Mark 13:35.

How did first-century Jews keep time at night?


According to a Roman Catholic defini-tion, “Christ constituted St. Peter chief ofall the apostles.” The Catholic Church fur-ther asserts that “Christ established that Pe-ter should have perpetual successors in thisprimacy; and that the Roman bishops arethese successors.”—New Catholic Encyclope-dia (2003), Volume 11, pages 495-496.

Those are important claims. Have you ex-amined their validity for yourself? Considerthe answers to three questions: (1) Does theBible support the claim that Peter was thefirst pope? (2) What does history teach aboutthe origin of the succession of popes? (3) Dothe conduct and teachings of the popes sup-port their claim to be Peter’s successor?

Was Peter the First Pope?To prove that the church is founded on Pe-

ter, Catholics have long pointed to Jesus’words recorded at Matthew 16:18: “You arePeter, and on this rock-mass I will build mycongregation.” In fact, those words are in-scribed in Latin under the dome of St. Peter’sBasilica in Rome.

Augustine, a revered Church Father, at onetime held that the congregation was built onPeter. However, toward the end of his life, hechangedhis viewofwhat Jesus’words meant.In a work known as Retractations, Augustineargued that it was Jesus onwhomthe church,

that is the Christian congregation, was built,not Peter.�

True, the apostle Peter features prominent-ly in the Gospels. Jesus singled out three ofhis apostles—John, James, and Peter—to bepresent with him on a few special occasions.(Mark 5:37, 38; 9:2; 14:33) Jesus entrusted Pe-ter with “the keys of the kingdom of theheavens,” which Peter used to open up theway to the Kingdom—first to the Jews andproselytes, then to the Samaritans, and final-ly to the Gentiles. (Matthew 16:19; Acts 2:5,41; 8:14-17; 10:45) In accord with his out-going personality, Peter at times served asspokesman for the apostles as a whole. (Acts1:15; 2:14) But do these facts make Peter headof the early congregation?

The apostle Paul did write that Peter wasentrusted with an “apostleship to those whoare circumcised.” (Galatians 2:8) However,the context of Paul’s words shows that hewasnot saying that Peter directed the congrega-tion. Paul’s comments were about Peter’s rolein preaching to the Jews.

AlthoughPeter was given great responsibil-

� Jesus’ discussion with Peter centered on identifyingthe Christ and his role, not on the role that Peter wouldplay. (Matthew 16:13-17) Peter himself later stated thatJesus was the rock upon which the congregation wasbuilt. (1 Peter 2:4-8) The apostle Paul confirmed that Je-sus, not Peter, was “the foundation cornerstone” of theChristian congregation.—Ephesians 2:20.

Is thePope“Saint Peter’s Successor”?

IN 2002, Pope John Paul II wrote a letter to the bishop of Limburg,Germany, overruling a decision by the bishop in connection with abortion.

The pope introduced his directive by stating that he was responsible for“the well-being and unity of all individual churches according to the will ofJesus Christ.” He claimed authority to overrule the bishop’s decision becauseas pope, he is said to be “Saint Peter’s successor.”


ity, nowhere in the Bible do we find himclaiming to be the head of the congregationand, as such, making decisions for the disci-ples as a group. In his letter, he called himself“an apostle” and “an older man”—nothingmore.—1 Peter 1:1; 5:1.

What Does History TeachAbout the Origin of the Papacy?

When and how, then, did the concept of apapacy come about? The idea that it was ac-ceptable for one man to seek prominenceover his fellow believers began to take rootwhile the apostles were still alive. How didthe apostles view such thinking?

The apostle Peter himself told the menwhowere taking the lead in the congregationnot to be “lording it over thosewho are God’sinheritance”; they were to gird themselveswith lowliness of mind toward one another.(1 Peter 5:1-5) The apostle Paul warned thatfrom within the congregation, men wouldrise whowould “speak twisted things to drawaway the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:30) Toward the end of the first century C.E.,the apostle John wrote a letter in which hestrongly denounced a disciple by thenameofDiotrephes. Why the reprimand? One reasonwas that this man ‘liked to have the firstplace’ in the congregation. (3 John 9) Suchcounsel from the apostles acted as a restraint,

thwarting for a time the ambitions of thosewho were seeking prominence.—2 Thessalo-nians 2:3-8.

Shortly after the last of the apostles died,individuals began to gain more prominence.The Cambridge History of Christianity says:“Probably there was no single ‘monarchical’bishop in Rome before the middle of the sec-ond century.” By the third century, the bish-op of Rome established himself as the high-est authority, at least for parts of the church.�To add weight to the claim that the bishopof Rome has superior authority, some havecompiled a list of Peter’s successors.

However, this list provides little support forthe claim. Why? First, some names on thelist cannot be verified. More important, thefoundationof the list is flawed.How so? Evenif Peter did preach in Rome, as some secularliterature from the first and second centuriesimplies, there is no proof that he was head ofthe congregation there.

One evidence that Peter was not head ofthe congregation in Rome is that when theapostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans,

� Both Jesus and the apostles warned that the Chris-tian congregation would be overrun by men who taughtapostate doctrine. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; 2 Timothy4:3; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 2:18) Those statements came truewhen the church, or congregation, of the second centu-ry began adopting pagan customs and blending Biblicaldoctrine with Greek philosophy.

Does theevidence

indicate thatthe popes

havefollowedPeter’s

example?


he included an extensive list of Christiansthere. Yet, he did not mention Peter at all.(Romans 16:1-23) If Peter were head of thecongregation, could we imagine that Pauloverlooked Peter or snubbed him?

Note, too, that about the time that Peterwrote his first inspired letter, Paul wrote a sec-ond letter toTimothy. In that letter, Paul didnot hesitate to mention Rome. Actually, Paulwrote six letters from Rome, all without anymention of Peter.

Some 30 years after Paul wrote his letters,the apostle John wrote three letters and thebook of Revelation. Nowhere in these writ-ings did John mention that the congregationin Rome was the most prominent one, nordid he refer to a leader of the church whoheld the supreme office of an alleged succes-sor of Peter. Neither the Bible nor the evi-dence from history supports the claim thatPeter established himself as the first bishopof the congregation in Rome.

Do the Conduct and Teachingsof the Popes Support Their Claim?

We would rightly expect someone whoclaims to be “Saint Peter’s successor” and“the Vicar of Christ” to follow the conductand teachings of both Peter and Christ. Forexample, did Peter accept special treatmentfrom his fellow believers? No. He refused toallow any special expressions of reverence tobe bestowed on him. (Acts 10:25, 26) Whatabout Jesus? He said that he came to serveothers, not to be served. (Matthew 20:28) Bycontrast, what record do the popes have? Dothey shun prominence, refuse grand titles,and avoid ostentatious displays ofwealth andpower?

Both Peter and Christ were morally uprightmen who promoted peace. Compare theirrecord with what the Catholic encyclope-dia Lexikon fur Theologie und Kirche (Lexi-con for Theology and Church) says about

Pope Leo X: “Involved in political and oftennepotistic transactions and devoted to lavishworldly pleasures, LeoX neglected the urgenttasks of a spiritual nature.” Karl Amon, Cath-olic priest and professor of church history,says that verified reports regarding Pope Al-exander VI betray “a terrific amount of un-scrupulousness, abuse of authority, simony,and immorality.”

What about the teachings of the popes?How do they compare with the teachings ofPeter andChrist? Peter did not believe that allgood people go to heaven. With reference togood King David, he plainly said: “David didnot ascend to the heavens.” (Acts 2:34) Nordid Peter teach that infants should be bap-tized. Rather, he taught that baptism is a stepthat a believer takes conscientiously.—1 Peter3:21.

Jesus taught that none of his disciplesshould try to be more prominent than anyother. “If anyonewants to befirst,” Jesus said,“he must be last of all and minister of all.”(Mark 9:35) Shortly before his death, Jesusgave this clear directive to his followers: “Donot you be calledRabbi, for one is your teach-er, whereas all you are brothers. Moreover, donot call anyone your father on earth, for oneis your Father, the heavenly One. Neither becalled ‘leaders,’ for your Leader is one, theChrist.” (Matthew 23:1, 8-10) Do you feelthat the popes have upheld the teachings ofPeter and Christ?

Some say that the succession of popes ismaintained even if the officeholder does notlead a Christian life. Do you think that argu-ment is reasonable? Jesus said: “Every goodtree produces fine fruit, but every rotten treeproduces worthless fruit; a good tree cannotbear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten treeproduce fine fruit.” Based on the evidence,do you think that Peter or Christ would wantto be associated with the fruits that the popeshave produced?—Matthew 7:17,18, 21-23.


ˇ Various religions describe God as omnipres-ent, a term suggesting that God dwells in allplaces simultaneously. For example, the NewCatholic Encyclopedia refers to God as the one“who is actually present in all existing placesand things.” Likewise, John Wesley, founder ofthe Methodist Church, wrote a sermon entitled“On the Omnipresence of God” in which hestated that “there is no point of space, wheth-er within or without the bounds of creation,where God is not.”

What does the Bible teach? Is God omnipres-ent, existing in all places in heaven, on earth,and even in humankind at the same time?

Actually, the Bible speaks of God as having aspecific place of dwelling—the heavens. It re-cords a prayer of King Solomon in which hecalled upon God: “May you yourself listen fromthe heavens, your established place of dwell-ing.” (1 Kings 8:43) When teaching his discipleshow to pray, Jesus Christ told them to addresstheir prayers to “Our Father in the heavens.”(Matthew 6:9) After his resurrection, Christ en-tered “into heaven itself, now to appear beforethe person of God,” states the Bible.—Hebrews9:24.

These verses clearly indicate that JehovahGod dwells, not everywhere, but only in heav-en. Of course, “the heavens” mentioned inthese passages does not refer to the atmo-sphere surrounding the earth nor to the vast ex-panse of outer space. The physical heavens can-not contain the Creator of the universe. (1 Kings8:27) The Bible tells us that “God is a Spirit.”(John 4:24) He resides in the spiritual heavens, a

realm independent of the physical universe.—1 Corinthians 15:44.

What, though, of Bible passages that seem tosuggest that God is present everywhere? For ex-ample, as recorded at Psalm 139:7-10, Davidsaid regarding God: “Where can I go from yourspirit, and where can I run away from your face?If I should ascend to heaven, there you wouldbe; and if I should spread out my couch in She-ol, look! you would be there. Were I to take thewings of the dawn, that I might reside in themost remote sea, there, also, your own handwould lead me.” Do these verses indicate thatGod is, in fact, omnipresent, dwelling in each ofthe places mentioned?

Note that David first asked: “Where can I gofrom your spirit?”� By means of his holy spirit,God can see anything and exert his power any-where, without literally going there or dwellingthere. To illustrate: In recent years scientistshave been able to examine soil on the planetMars, millions of miles (kilometers) from Earth.How? Not by traveling there personally, but bystudying detailed photos and other informationtransmitted back to Earth by probes sent toMars’ surface.

Likewise, Jehovah God does not have to bepresent everywhere, or omnipresent, in order toperceive what is happening at any point in theuniverse. God’s Word says: “There is not a cre-ation that is not manifest to his sight.” (Hebrews4:13) Yes, Jehovah’s powerful active force, orholy spirit, can extend anywhere, allowing himto be all-seeing and to accomplish his purposefrom a fixed location, his “holy dwelling” in theheavens.—Deuteronomy 26:15.

� The Hebrew word here translated “spirit” refers toGod’s active force, the power God uses to accomplish hiswill.

OUR READERS ASK . . .

Does God dwell in one place?

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WITHOUTa doubt, the graduation of the130th class of the Watchtower Bible

School of Gilead inspired hopes and expec-tations. On Saturday, March 12, 2011, anaudience of over 8,500 gathered to attendthe graduation, including the students alongwith their families and friends. Anticipationwas keen—not only for the day but also forthe future of the well-trained missionaries,whowere soon tobe sent all over theworld toteach people the truths of the Bible.

“Happy Are All Those Keepingin Expectation of” Jehovah

That comforting thought, taken from Isa-iah 30:18, was the theme of the talk deliv-ered by Geoffrey Jackson, a member of theGoverning Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses andchairman of the program. With warmth anda touch of humor, he congratulated the stu-dents on surviving the rigors of the Gileadcourse and reassured them of the likelihoodof surviving this exciting day. What real-istic expectations could the students holdabout the future? He developed three practi-cal thoughts from Isaiah 30:18-21.

First, Brother Jackson said, “You can expectthat Jehovah will hear your prayers.” Hepointed out the assurance found in verse 19:“[God] will without fail show you favor at thesound of your outcry.” Noting that in theoriginal Hebrew, the pronoun “you” in thissentence is singular, not plural, Brother Jack-son said that Jehovah treats our prayers indi-vidually. “As a Father, Jehovah doesn’t ask,‘Why can’t you be strong like that other per-son?’ Instead, he listens attentively to eachone. And he answers.”

Second, the speaker acknowledged thatwe can expect problems. “Jehovah doesn’tpromise that life will be easy, but he willhelp us.” As verse 20 shows, God foretoldthat when Israel came under siege, distressand oppression would become as familiar asbread and water. Still, Jehovah would alwaysbe ready to come to the people’s rescue. TheGilead students too will face problems andchallenges, though not necessarily the onestheyexpect! Brother Jackson added, “But youcan expect that Jehovah will be there for youto help you handle each challenge.”

Third, Brother Jackson reminded the stu-dents that as verses 20 and 21 show, “you canexpect direction—so look for it!” Today, henoted, each Christian needs to listen careful-ly as Jehovah speaks through the pages of theBible and through Bible-based publications.The speaker warmly urged the students tokeep applying themselves to daily Bible read-ing, for it means life.

“Let the Dread ofJehovah Be Upon You”

Anthony Morris of the Governing Bodyexplained the meaning of the Scripturalphrase “the dread of Jehovah.” (2Chronicles19:7) Those words do not refer to any kind ofmorbid terror but, rather, to an intense de-sire to do what is right, a respect so intenseand sincere as to be characterized by nervoustrembling. “Take that kind of dread withyou to your missionary assignment,” Broth-er Morris exhorted the students. How canthey show such reverence for Jehovah? Thespeaker focused on two practical ways.

130TH GILEAD GRADUATION

A Day of High Hopesand Happy Expectations


First, Brother Morris urged the students toapply the counsel found at James 1:19: “Beswift about hearing, slow about speaking.”He noted that the students had learned agreat deal during the five-month course, butthey had to be careful not to go to their as-signment and show off all that they hadlearned. “You need to listen first,” he said.“Listen to your local congregation and tothose taking the lead in the land where youserve; listen towhat they say about the coun-try and its culture. Do not hesitate to say, ‘Idon’t know.’ If your education has been ef-fective, then the more you learn, the moreyou realize how little you really know.”

Second, Brother Morris read Proverbs 27:21: “The refining pot is for silver, and the fur-nace is for gold; and an individual is accord-ing to his praise.” He explained that as goldand silver need to be refined, or purified, wemay be refined by praise. How so? Praise canbe a test of character. Itmay lead to pride anda spiritual downfall, or it may move us to ac-knowledge that we are indebted to Jeho-vah and to become more determined neverto fall short of his standards. Thus, Broth-er Morris urged the students to take anypraise they might receive in the right way—as an opportunity to prove that they havethe proper “dread of Jehovah.”

“Cherish Your Mission”Guy Pierce of the Governing Body gave

the main talk of the program. He discussedthe above theme, explaining that the word“missionary” means “one who is sent on amission.” Little wonder, he noted, that thereare many different kinds of missionarieswith a wide variety of missions. Many focuson physical healing and seek political solu-tions to the world’s problems. “You’re differ-ent,” he said. How so?

In their study of the Bible, the studentshad learned a great deal about physical heal-

ing. When Jesus resurrected a young girl, theparents were “beside themselves with greatecstasy.” (Mark 5:42) Likewise, when blindpeople were healed miraculously, their joywas intense.One of the reasons for suchmir-acles was to show us today what Christ willaccomplish in the coming new world, atwhich time the “great crowd” of righteoushumans, who survive the end of the presentwicked system of things, will be healed ofany physical ailments. (Revelation 7:9, 14)Their loved ones, whom they will welcomeback in the resurrection, will likewise behealthy in a physical sense. Imagine the joy!

However, as Brother Pierce explained,physical healing will never be the most im-portant kind of healing. The sick whom Je-sus cured eventually got sick again. The deadhe resurrected died again. Even the blind hehealed ultimately became blind again, atleast at death. Far more important was thespiritual healing that Jesus accomplished.Gilead missionaries also have a mission ofspiritual healing. They help people becomereconciled to our heavenly Father so thatthey come to life spiritually. Only those whoare spiritually healed will reach the goalof everlasting life. “That spiritual healing,”Brother Pierce stated, “is what praises God. Itmakes you a success in your ministry.”

Three More Highlights of the Day“Will This Be a Good Day?” Robert Rains

of the United States Branch Committee ad-dressed that timely question. He encouragedthe students to make sure that each day intheir missionary assignment is a goodday byusing their time wisely, by looking to God’sWord when facing anxieties, and by relyingon Jehovah through prayer.

“Will You Make the Old New?” Gileadinstructor Mark Noumair posed that ques-tion in his talk. He discussed 1 John 2:7, 8,


wherein the apostle John mentioned “an oldcommandment” that was also “a new com-mandment.” Both referred to the same com-mandment—that Christ’s followers love oneanother unselfishly, with a self-sacrificingspirit. (John 13:34, 35) The command wasold in that it had been laid upon Jesus’ fol-lowers decades earlier by Christ himself; itwas also new, though, in that Christians werefacing new challenges and needed to showlove in new and fuller ways. Missionaries tooface a new set of circumstances and need tolearn to show love in new ways. What is thekey to doing so?

“Don’t become the thing you hate,” ex-horted Brother Noumair. He warned that ifwe see behavior we hate yet respond in kind,we become what we hate, which is a self-destructive course. On the other hand, if werespond to such challenges by finding newways to show love, we shine “the true light”and dispel spiritual darkness.

“Tote the Load.” Another Gilead instruc-tor, Michael Burnett, developed this practi-cal theme. He told of people in African landswho tote heavy loads on their heads. Theyuse a kata, a small rolled-up cloth placedatop the head to help provide comfort andbalance, leading to a graceful walk. The Gile-ad missionaries will have a heavy load of re-sponsibilities to carry in their foreign assign-ments, but they have been given somethingthat can be likened to the kata: extensiveBible-based training. As they apply whatthey learned, they will be able to balancetheir load and carry it effectively.

Experiences and InterviewsGileadSchool training includes time spent

in the ministry with local congregations ofJehovah’s Witnesses. William Samuelson,overseer of the Theocratic Schools Depart-ment, reviewed someof the students’ experi-

ences, using as his theme “Do Not Let YourHand Rest.” (Ecclesiastes 11:6) By means oflively reenactments, the students showedhow they had been industrious in the minis-try, finding occasions to preach the goodnews on airplanes, in restaurants, and at gasstations. They witnessed from door to door,in informal conversations, and by letter.They certainly did not let their hands rest,and the results were excellent.

Gilead staff member Kenneth Stovall nextinterviewed three men with extensive mis-sionary experience—Barry Hill served in Ec-uador and the Dominican Republic, EddieMobley inCote d’Ivoire, andTabHonsbergerin Senegal, Benin, and Haiti. Together, theybeautifully developed the theme “Test Jeho-vah and Reap Blessings.” (Malachi 3:10) Forexample, Brother Hill related how he and hiswife faced the challenge of adapting to anEcuadoran climate that ranged from hot anddusty to hot and muddy. For two and a halfyears, he recalled, they had to take baths us-ing buckets. But they never considered leav-ing; they felt that their assignment was ablessing from Jehovah. “It was our life,” hesaid.

At the program’s end, one of the studentsread a touching letter from the graduatingclass expressing heartfelt appreciation forthe school. “Our faith has been elevated tonew heights,” the letter said, “and yet weknow we are only a work in progress.”All thestudents received their diplomas, and theclass was assigned to a wide variety of coun-tries. Brother Jackson concluded the pro-gram by reassuring the students that theycould expect to see Jehovah’s help in theirlives ahead, especially when they face chal-lenges. All in attendance left with higherhopes and brighter expectations. Withoutquestion, Jehovah will use these new mis-sionaries to accomplish great good.

In the list below, rows are numbered from front to back, and names are listed from left to right in each row.(1) Molina, Z.; Bassolino, S.; Alatsis, C.; Arroyo, A.; Nino, L.; Merkling, S.; Clark, M.(2) Little, C.; Tibaudo, S.; Jakobsson, S.; Moreno, J.; Rodriguez, A.; Lee, K.; Cardenas, H.; Aguilar, L.(3) Clairbush, A.; Polley, A.; Caldwell, S.; Adame, J.; Hildebrandt, S.; Shoemaker, I.; Grohman, N.; Galvez, G.(4) Clark, J.; Bassolino, A.; Packham, K.; Adame, J.; Knaus, M.; Nino, M.; Moreno, R.; Galvez, J.(5) Rodriguez, D.; Geynes, M.; Molina, J.; Aguilar, A.; Alatsis, I.; Manno, A.; Grohman, R.; Packham, J.(6) Geynes, S.; Cardenas, M.; Arroyo, C.; Manno, C.; Merkling, J.; Lee, H.; Clairbush, X.; Jakobsson, P.(7) Little, J.; Hildebrandt, B.; Shoemaker, M.; Knaus, K.; Caldwell, J.; Tibaudo, F.; Polley, C.

130th Graduating Class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead

CLASS STATISTICS9 countries represented

34.0 average age18.6 average years since

baptism13.1 average years in the

full-time ministry

Class assigned to the countries shown below

ARGENTINA

ARMENIA

BURKINA FASO

BURUNDI

CONGO(KINSHASA)

CZECH REPUBLIC

HAITI HONG KONG

INDONESIAKENYA

LITHUANIA

MALAYSIA

MOZAMBIQUE

NEPAL

PAPUANEW GUINEA

ROMANIA

SENEGAL

TANZANIA

UGANDA

ZIMBABWE

MISSIONARY ASSIGNMENTS

www.watchtower.org wp11 08/01-E

How can children benefit if they are taughtabout God? SEE PAGES 4-6.

What can a married couple do to increase the amountof respect that they give to each other? SEE PAGES 11-12.

Why do so many religions claim to be Christian? SEE PAGE 16.

What helped one woman to overcome a tragic childhoodand draw close to God? SEE PAGES 20-21.

Was Peter the first pope? SEE PAGES 24-25.

Would you welcome a visit?

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wp11 08/01-E - download.jw.orgdownload.jw.org/files/media_magazines/82/wp_E_20110801.pdfthree questions: (1) What should chil-drenlearn?(2)Whoshouldteachthem? (3) What methods of teaching