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STUDY ARTICLES FOR:JULY 5–AUGUST 1, 2021

DO YOU remember the moment when you first realizedthat you had found the truth? The Bible teachings thatyou were learning seemed so clear—crystal clear! Youfelt that everyone would want to accept the things youhad come to believe. You were convinced that the Bible’smessage would give them a meaningful life now and awonderful hope for the future. (Ps. 119:105) So you en-thusiastically shared the truths you had found with allyour friends and relatives. But what happened? To yoursurprise, many rejected what you told them.

2 None of us should be surprised when others reject themessage we preach. In Jesus’ day, the majority rejectedhim, even though he performed miracles, proving that hehad God’s backing. For example, Jesus resurrected Laz-arus—a miracle that those who opposed him could notdeny. Nevertheless, the Jewish leaders did not accept Je-sus as the Messiah. They even wanted to kill both Jesusand Lazarus!—John 11:47, 48, 53; 12:9-11.

3 Jesus knew that most people would refuse to ac-knowledge him as the Messiah. (John 5:39-44) He told agroup of disciples of John the Baptist: “Happy is the onewho finds no cause for stumbling in me.” (Matt. 11:2, 3,6) Why did so many reject Jesus?

4 In this article, as well as in the following one, we willexamine a number of reasons why many in the first centu-

1. What may have surprised you when you first tried to share the Bi-ble’s message with others?2-3. How did the majority of people in Jesus’ day react to him?4. What will we consider in this article?

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Will You StumbleBecause of Jesus?“Happy is the one who finds no cause for stumbling in me.”—MATT. 11:6.

SONG 54“This Is the Way”

PREVIEW

Even though Jesus wasthe greatest Teacher whoever walked the earth, themajority of people in hisday were stumbled by him.Why? In this article, we willconsider four reasons. Wewill also see why many to-day stumble at what Jesus’true followers say and do.More important, we willlearn why we can havestrong faith in Jesus sothat we are not stumbled.

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ry did not put faith in Jesus. We will alsosee why many today allow themselvesto be stumbled. Most important, we willlearn why we can have strong faith in Je-sus so that we are not stumbled.

(1) JESUS’ BACKGROUND5 Many stumbled because of Jesus’

background. They admitted that Jesuswas an amazing teacher and that he per-formed miracles. But to them, he wasjust the son of a humble carpenter.And he was from Nazareth, a city thatmay have been considered of little im-portance. Even Nathanael, who becamea disciple of Jesus, at first said: “Cananything good come out of Nazareth?”(John 1:46) Nathanael may have beenunimpressed by the city in which Jesusthen lived. Or he may have had in mindthe prophecy found at Micah 5:2, whichforetold that the Messiah would be bornin Bethlehem, not in Nazareth.

6 What do the Scriptures say? Theprophet Isaiah foretold that Jesus’ ene-mies would fail to concern themselves“with the details of [the Messiah’s] gen-eration.” (Isa. 53:8) Many such detailswere prophesied. If those people hadtaken the time to examine all the facts,they would have learned that Jesus wasborn in Bethlehem and that he was a de-scendant of King David. (Luke 2:4-7) SoJesus’ place of birth was in line withthe prophecy found at Micah 5:2. What,then, was the problem? People were tooquick to make a judgment. They did not

5. Why might some have concluded that Jesuscould not be the foretold Messiah?6. What should have helped people in Jesus’ dayto identify Jesus as the Messiah?

have all the facts. Because of this, theywere stumbled.

7 Do we see the same problem today?Yes. As a whole, Jehovah’s people are ofa humble background; they are viewedby many as being “uneducated and ordi-nary.” (Acts 4:13) Some feel that God’speople cannot teach about the Biblebecause they have not graduated fromrecognized theological schools. Oth-ers claim that Jehovah’s Witnesses arean “American religion,” even though, infact, only approximately 1 in 7 of Je-hovah’s Witnesses lives in the UnitedStates. Still others have been told thatthe Witnesses do not accept Jesus. Overthe years, Jehovah’s people have been la-beled “Communists,” “American spies,”and “extremists.” Because those who aretold these stories do not have or do notaccept the facts, they are stumbled.

8 How can one avoid being stumbled?People need to examine the facts.That iswhat the Gospel writer Luke was deter-mined to do. He made it a point to trace“all things from the start with accuracy.”He wanted his readers to “know fully thecertainty of the things” they had heardabout Jesus. (Luke 1:1-4) The Jew-ish people in ancient Beroea were likeLuke. When they first heard the goodnews about Jesus, they consulted theHebrew Scriptures to confirm what theywere being told. (Read Acts 17:11.) In asimilar way, people today need to exam-ine the facts. They must compare whatthey are taught by God’s people with

7. Why do many today reject Jehovah’s people?8. According to Acts 17:11, what should people doif they want to identify God’s servants today?

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what the Scriptures say. They also needto study the record of Jehovah’s peoplein modern times. If they do a proper“background check,” they will not allowprejudice or hearsay to blind them.

(2) JESUS REFUSED TO PERFORMSHOWY SIGNS

9 Some in Jesus’ day were not satisfiedwith his amazing teachings.Theywantedmore.Theydemanded that he prove thathe was the Messiah by displaying “a signfrom heaven.” (Matt. 16:1) Perhaps theybased this demand on a misunderstand-ing of Daniel 7:13, 14. However, it wasnot Jehovah’s time for that prophecyto be fulfilled. What Jesus was teach-ing should have been enough to con-vince them that he was the Messiah. Butwhen he refused to give them the signthey were seeking, they were stumbled.—Matt. 16:4.

9. What happened when Jesus refused to display asign from heaven?

10 What do the Scriptures say? Of theMessiah, the prophet Isaiah wrote: “Hewill not cry out or raise his voice, andhe will not make his voice heard in thestreet.” (Isa. 42:1, 2) Jesus went abouthis ministry in a quiet and modest way.He did not build impressive temples, andhe did not wear distinctive religious gar-ments or demand to be addressed bypretentious religious titles.When he wason trial for his life, Jesus refused to tryto impress King Herod by performing asign for him. (Luke 23:8-11) Jesus didperform some miracles, but his main fo-cus was on preaching the good news.“This is why I have come,” he told hisdisciples.—Mark 1:38.

11 Do we see the same problem today?Yes. Today many are impressed by greatcathedrals containing priceless artwork,

10. How did Jesus fulfill what Isaiah wrote aboutthe Messiah?11. What wrong expectations do some have to-day?

Many were stumbledbecause of (1) Jesus’background, (2) hisrefusal to perform showysigns, (3) his rejection ofsome of their traditions,and (4) his lack of interestin political issues.

How could the samethings stumble sometoday? (See paragraph 5) 1 (See paragraphs 9-10) 2

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by clergymen with high-sounding titles,and by ceremonies the origin and mean-ing of which have been forgotten bymost. But what are people who attendreligious services learning about Godand his purposes? Those who attend ourChristian meetings learn what Jehovahrequires of us and how to act in harmo-ny with his will. Our Kingdom Halls areclean and functional, but theyare not ex-travagant. Those taking the lead do notwear distinctive garb; nor do they takeon pretentious titles. God’s Word formsthe basis for our teachings and beliefs.Even so, many today are stumbled be-cause they think that our way of worshipis too simple and that what we teachdoes not match what they want to hear.

12 How can we avoid being stumbled?The apostle Paul told Christians living inRome: “Faith follows the thing heard.In turn, what is heard is through the

12. As explained at Hebrews 11:1, 6, on whatshould our faith be built?

word about Christ.” (Rom. 10:17) So webuild up our faith by studying the Scrip-tures, not by participating in unscriptur-al religious ceremonies, no matter howpleasing to the eye these ceremoniesmight be. We must acquire strong faithbased on accurate knowledge because“without faith it is impossible to pleaseGod well.” (Read Hebrews 11:1, 6.)Thus, we do not need to see a spectacu-lar sign from heaven to prove that wehave found the truth. A careful exami-nation of the Bible’s faith-strengtheningteachings is enough to convince us andto dispel any doubt.

(3) JESUS DISREGARDED MANYJEWISH TRADITIONS

13 In Jesus’ day, the disciples of Johnthe Baptist were puzzled because Jesus’disciples did not fast. Jesus explainedthat they had no reason to fast whilehe was still alive. (Matt. 9:14-17) Even

13. What caused many to condemn Jesus?

(See paragraph 13) 3 (See paragraph 17) 4

so, the Pharisees and other opposers ofJesus condemned him because he didnot follow their customs and traditions.They got angry when he chose to healsick ones on the Sabbath. (Mark 3:1-6;John 9:16) On the one hand, they pious-ly claimed to honor the Sabbath; but onthe other hand, they had no problem do-ing business in the temple. They werefurious when Jesus condemned themfor it. (Matt. 21:12, 13, 15) And thoseto whom Jesus preached in the syna-gogue in Nazareth were incensed whenJesus made unfavorable historical com-parisons that exposed their selfishnessand lack of faith. (Luke 4:16, 25-30) Je-sus’ unexpected behavior caused manyto stumble.—Matt. 11:16-19.

14 What do the Scriptures say? Jehovahsaid through his prophet Isaiah: “Thispeople approach me with their mouthand they honor me with their lips, buttheir heart is far removed from me; andtheir fear of me is based on commandsofmen that theyhave been taught.” (Isa.29:13) Jesus was right in condemninghuman traditions that did not harmo-nize with the Scriptures. Those who putman-made rules and traditions abovethe Scriptures rejected Jehovah and theone whom he sent as the Messiah.

15 Do we see the same problem today?Yes. Many become upset when Jeho-vah’s Witnesses do not join them in cel-ebrating unscriptural traditions, suchas birthdays and Christmas. Others be-come angry when Jehovah’s Witnesses

14. Why did Jesus condemn human traditions thatdid not harmonize with the Scriptures?15. What disturbs many today about Jehovah’sWitnesses?

do not join nationalistic celebrations ordo not follow funeral customs that areout of harmony with God’s Word. Thosewho are stumbled in this way may sin-cerely believe that they are worshippingGod acceptably. But they cannot pleasehim if they prefer the world’s traditionsto the clear teachings found in the Bible.—Mark 7:7-9.

16 How can we avoid being stumbled?We need to develop a strong love forJehovah’s laws and principles. (ReadPsalm 119:97, 113, 163-165.) When welove Jehovah, we will reject any tradi-tions that displease him. We will not al-low anything to interfere with our lovefor Jehovah.

(4) JESUS DID NOT PROVIDE ANIMMEDIATE POLITICAL SOLUTION

17 Some in Jesus’ day wanted an im-mediate political change. They expectedthe Messiah to free them from the ruleof the Roman oppressors. But when theytried to make Jesus their king, he re-fused. (John 6:14, 15) Others—includ-ing the priests—were worried that Je-sus would bring about a political changethat would antagonize the Romans, whohad granted those religious leaders ameasure of power and authority. Suchpolitical concerns caused many Jews tostumble.

18 What do the Scriptures say? Al-though many prophecies foretold thatthe Messiah would eventually be a victo-

16. According to Psalm 119:97, 113, 163-165, whatmust we do and what must we avoid?17. What expectations led many to stumble in Je-sus’ day?18. What Bible prophecies about the Messiah didmany disregard?

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rious Warrior, other prophecies showedthat he would first have to die for oursins. (Isa. 53:9, 12) So why did they havewrong expectations? Many in Jesus’ daydisregarded any of the prophecies thatdid not promise immediate solutions totheir problems.—John 6:26, 27.

19 Do we see the same problem today?Yes. Many today are stumbled becauseof our neutral stand with regard to poli-tics. They expect us to vote in elections.However, we realize that from Jehovah’sstandpoint, if we choose a human leaderto rule over us, we are rejecting Him.(1 Sam. 8:4-7) People may also feel thatwe should build schools and hospitals aswell as perform other charitable works.They are stumbled because we focus ourefforts on the preaching work, not onsolving the world’s immediate problems.

20 How can we avoid being stumbled?(Read Matthew 7:21-23.) Our main fo-cus should be on doing the work that Je-

19. What expectations have stumbled many to-day?20. As highlighted by Jesus’ words found at Mat-thew 7:21-23, what should be our main focus?

sus commanded us to do. (Matt. 28:19,20) Never should we become distractedby the political and social issues of thisworld. We love people and care abouttheir problems, but we know that thebest way to assist our neighbors is byteaching them about God’s Kingdom andby helping them to develop a friendshipwith Jehovah.

21 In this article, we have consideredfour stumbling blocks that caused manyto reject Jesus in the first century andcould cause some today to reject Jesus’followers. But are these the only thingsthat we need to avoid? No. In the nextarticle, we will examine four additionalstumbling blocks. May we be determinedto avoid being stumbled and to keep ourfaith strong!

21. What should be our determination?

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PICTURE DESCRIPTIONS Pages 4-5: (1) Philipencourages Nathanael to meet Jesus. (2) Jesuspreaches the good news. (3) Jesus cures aman with a withered hand as opposers look on.(4) Jesus withdraws to a mountain all alone.

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?

˛ Why were some in the firstcentury stumbled by Jesus?

˛ Why are many today stum-bled by what Jesus’ truefollowers say and do?

˛ Why are we not stumbled?

SONG 56Make the Truth Your Own

TODAY millions claim to believe in Jesus, but they donot accept the things he taught. (2 Tim. 4:3, 4) In fact, awriter once stated: “If there were another ‘Jesus’ amongus today who would say things the way the original Jesussaid . . . , would we reject him today the way we did twothousand years ago? . . . The answer has generally been:Yes, we would.”

2 Many in the first century heard Jesus teach and sawhim perform miracles, but they refused to put faith inhim. Why? In the preceding article, we considered fourreasons why people stumbled at what Jesus said and did.Let us consider four additional reasons. Aswe do, we willsee why people today reject Jesus’ followers and how wecan avoid being stumbled.

(1) JESUS WAS IMPARTIAL3 While on earth, Jesus chose to associate with all

types of people. He dined with the rich and the powerful,but he also spent much of his time with the poor and thedowntrodden. In addition, he was compassionate towardthose who were generally regarded as “sinners.” Someself-righteous individuals stumbled at what Jesus did.They asked his disciples: “Why do you eat and drinkwith tax collectors and sinners?” To this, Jesus replied:

1-2. What comment did one writer make, and what will we discuss inthis article?3. What choice did Jesus make that led some to be stumbled?

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Nothing Can Makethe Righteous Stumble“Abundant peace belongs to those who love your law;nothing can make them stumble.”—PS. 119:165.

SONG 122Be Steadfast, Immovable!

PREVIEW

In the preceding article,we discussed four reasonswhy people rejected Jesusin the past and why theyreject his followers today.In this article, we will con-sider four additional rea-sons. We will also see whyhonesthearted individualswho love Jehovah do notallow themselves to bestumbled.

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“Those who are healthy do not need aphysician, but those who are ill do. Ihave come to call, not righteous peo-ple, but sinners to repentance.”—Luke 5:29-32.

4 What do the Scriptures say? Long be-fore the Messiah came, the prophet Isa-iah described him as one who would notbe accepted by the world. The prophe-cy foretold: “He was despised and wasavoided by men . . . It was as if his facewere hidden from us. He was despised,and we held him as of no account.” (Isa.53:3) The Messiah was to be avoided “bymen,” so those first-century Jews shouldhave expected that Jesus would be re-jected.

5 Do we see the same problem today?Yes. Many clergymen are eager to acceptas members of their congregations indi-viduals who are prominent, wealthy, andviewed as wise by the world. Such clergydo this even though the morals and life-style of those new members often areout of harmony with God’s standards.The same clergymen look with disdainon Jehovah’s zealous, morally clean ser-vants because they are not prominent bythis world’s standards. As Paul said, Godchose those who are “looked down on.”(1 Cor. 1:26-29) However, to Jehovah,all his faithful servants are precious.

6 How can we avoid being stumbled?(Read Matthew 11:25, 26.) Do not beinfluenced by the world’s view of God’speople. Recognize that Jehovah uses

4. According to the prophet Isaiah, what shouldthe Jews have expected about the Messiah?5. How do many today view Jesus’ followers?6. How can we imitate Jesus’ attitude, as ex-pressed at Matthew 11:25, 26?

only humble people to do his will. (Ps.138:6) And reflect on how much he hasaccomplished by using those whom theworld does not consider to be wise or in-tellectual.

(2) JESUS EXPOSED WRONG IDEAS7 Jesus courageously denounced the

hypocritical religious practices of hisday. For example, he exposed the hy-pocrisy of the Pharisees, who were moreconcerned with how they washed theirhands thanwith how they cared for theirparents. (Matt. 15:1-11) Jesus’ disciplesmayhave been surprised byhiswords. Infact, they asked him: “Do you know thatthe Pharisees were stumbled at hearingwhat you said?” Jesus answered: “Everyplant that my heavenly Father did notplant will be uprooted. Let them be.Blind guides is what they are. If, then, ablind man guides a blind man, both willfall into a pit.” (Matt. 15:12-14) Jesus didnot allow the negative reaction of the re-ligious leaders to stop him from speak-ing the truth.

8 Jesus also exposed false religiousteachings. He did not say that all re-ligious beliefs are acceptable to God.Rather, he spoke of many who would beon the spacious road that leads to de-struction, whereas only a few would beon the cramped road to life. (Matt. 7:13,14) He made it clear that somewould ap-pear to serve God, but in reality theywere not serving him. He warned: “Beon the watch for the false prophets who

7. Why did Jesus call the Pharisees hypocrites,and how did they react?8. How did Jesus show that not all religious beliefsare acceptable to God?

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come to you in sheep’s covering, but in-side they are ravenous wolves. By theirfruits you will recognize them.”—Matt.7:15-20.

9 What do the Scriptures say? Bibleprophecy foretold that the Messiahwould be consumed by zeal for Jeho-vah’s house. (Ps. 69:9; John 2:14-17)That zeal moved Jesus to expose falsereligious beliefs and practices. For in-stance, the Pharisees believed that thesoul is immortal; Jesus taught that thedead are sleeping. (John 11:11) The Sad-ducees denied the resurrection; Jesusresurrected his friend Lazarus. (John11:43, 44; Acts 23:8) The Pharisees at-tributed everything to fate and to God;Jesus taught that humans can choosewhether to serve God or not.—Matt.11:28.

10 Do we see the same problem today?

9. What are some of the false religious teachingsthat Jesus exposed?10. Why are many stumbled by our teachings?

Yes. Many are stumbled because ourBible-based teachings expose false re-ligious ideas. Clergymen teach theirflocks that God punishes the wicked inhell. They use that false teaching tomaintain control over the people. AsJehovah’s servants, who worship a Godof love, we expose that false teaching.The clergy also teach that the soul isimmortal. We expose the pagan originof that doctrine, which—if true—wouldmake the resurrection irrelevant. Andcontrary to the belief in predestinationthat many religions embrace, we teachthat man has free will and can choose toserve God. How do religious leaders re-spond? Often, they are furious!

11 How can we avoid being stumbled?If we love the truth, we must accept thesayings of God. (Read John 8:45-47.)Unlike Satan the Devil, we stand fastin the truth. We never compromise our

11. According to Jesus’ words found at John 8:45-47, what does God require of his people?

Many were stumbledbecause of (1) Jesus’choice of associates,(2) his condemnationof false beliefs andpractices, (3) his deathon a stake, and (4) hisbetrayal by Judas.

How could the samethings stumble sometoday? (See paragraph 3) 1 (See paragraph 9) 2

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beliefs. (John 8:44) God requires thathis people “abhor what is wicked” and“cling to what is good,” just as Jesus did.—Rom. 12:9; Heb. 1:9.

(3) JESUS WAS PERSECUTED12 What was another stumbling block

to the Jews in Jesus’ day? Paul said: “Wepreach Christ executed on the stake, tothe Jews a cause for stumbling.” (1 Cor.1:23) Why were many Jews disturbedby the way Jesus died? To them, Jesus’death on a stake made him appear to bea criminal and a sinner—not theMessiah.—Deut. 21:22, 23.

13 Those among the Jews who stum-bled at Jesus failed to recognize thathe was innocent, that he was falsely ac-cused, and that he was treated unjustly.Those conducting Jesus’ trial made a

12. Why was the manner of Jesus’ death a causefor stumbling to many Jewish people?13. What did those who stumbled at Jesus fail torecognize?

mockery of justice. The Jewish supremecourt was hastily convened, and the pro-ceedings were most irregular. (Luke 22:54; John 18:24) Rather than impartiallylisten to the charges and the evidenceagainst Jesus, the judges themselvessought “false testimony against Jesus inorder to put him to death.” When thatfailed, the high priest tried to get Jesusto incriminate himself. This was com-pletely out of harmony with accepted le-gal standards. (Matt. 26:59; Mark 14:55-64) And after Jesus was raised from thedead, those unrighteous judges paid theRoman soldiers who were guarding histomb “a considerable number of silverpieces” to spread a false story to ex-plain why the tomb was empty.—Matt.28:11-15.

14 What do the Scriptures say? Al-though many Jews in Jesus’ day did notexpect that the Messiah would need to

14. What did the Scriptures foretell concerning theMessiah’s death?

(See paragraph 12) 3 (See paragraphs 17-18) 4

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die, notice what had been prophesied inthe Scriptures: “He poured out his lifeeven to death and was counted amongthe transgressors; he carried the sin ofmany people, and he interceded for thetransgressors.” (Isa. 53:12) So the Jewshad no reason to be stumbled when Je-sus was executed as a sinner.

15 Do we see the same problem today?Absolutely! Jesus was charged and con-victed unfairly, and Jehovah’s Witness-es have been subjected to similar unjusttreatment. Note some examples. Dur-ing the 1930’s and 1940’s in the Unit-ed States, our freedom to worship Godwas time and again challenged in thecourts. Some judges were shamelesslyprejudiced against us. In Quebec, Can-ada, Church and State worked hand inglove in opposition to our work. Manypublishers were jailed simply for speak-ing to their neighbors about God’s King-dom. In Nazi Germany, a number offaithful young brothers were put to deathby that godless regime. And in recentyears, many of our brothers in Russiahave been convicted and imprisoned fordiscussing the Bible, which has been clas-sified as an “extremist activity.” Even theNew World Translation of the Holy Scrip-tures in the Russian language has beenbanned and classified as “extremist ma-terial” because it uses the name Jehovah.

16 How can we avoid being stumbled?Learn the facts. In his Sermon on theMount, Jesus warned his listeners that

15. What accusations against Jehovah’s Witness-es have caused some to stumble?16. As highlighted at 1 John 4:1, why should wenot be misled by false stories about Jehovah’speople?

some would “lyingly say every sort ofwicked thing against” them. (Matt. 5:11)The source of these lies is Satan. He in-fluences opposers to spread maliciousslander about those who love the truth.(Rev. 12:9, 10) We must reject the liestold by our opponents. Never should weallow such lies to intimidate us or to un-dermine our faith.—Read 1 John 4:1.

(4) JESUS WAS BETRAYEDAND ABANDONED

17 Just before his death, Jesus was be-trayed byone of his 12 apostles. Anotherapostle denied Jesus three times, and allhis apostles abandoned him on the eve-ning before his death. (Matt. 26:14-16,47, 56, 75) Jesus was not surprised. Hehad even foretold that this would hap-pen. (John 6:64; 13:21, 26, 38; 16:32) Onseeing this, some could have been stum-bled, reasoning, ‘If that is the way Jesus’apostles behave, I want no part of thatgroup!’

18 What do the Scriptures say? Cen-turies earlier, Jehovah revealed in hisWord that the Messiah would be be-trayed for 30 pieces of silver. (Zech. 11:12, 13) The betrayer would be one of Je-sus’ close companions. (Ps. 41:9) Theprophet Zechariah also wrote: “Strikethe shepherd, and let the flock be scat-tered.” (Zech. 13:7) Instead of beingstumbled by these events, honestheart-ed ones should have been strengthenedby seeing these prophecies fulfilled inJesus.

17. In what way could the events prior to Jesus’death have stumbled some?18. What prophecies were fulfilled in the eventssurrounding Jesus’ death?

19 Do we see the same problem today?Yes. In modern times, a few well-knownWitnesses have left the truth, becomeapostate, and then tried to turn oth-ers away. They have spread negative re-ports, half-truths, and outright liesabout Jehovah’s Witnesses through thenews media and the Internet. But hon-esthearted ones are not stumbled. Onthe contrary, they realize that the Bibleforetold that such things would happen.—Matt. 24:24; 2 Pet. 2:18-22.

20 How can we avoid being stumbled?We need to keep our faith strong bystudying regularly, by praying continu-ally, and by keeping busy in the workthat Jehovah has given us to do. (Read2 Timothy 4:4, 5.) If we exercise faith,we will not panic when we hear negativereports. (Isa. 28:16) Our love for Jeho-vah, his Word, and our brothers will help

19. What do honesthearted ones realize?20. How can we avoid being stumbled by thosewho have left the truth? (2 Timothy 4:4, 5)

us to avoid being stumbled by those whohave left the truth.

21 In the first century, many were stum-bled, and they rejected Jesus. Yet, manyothers accepted him. These included atleast one member of the Jewish Sanhe-drin and even “a large crowd of priests.”(Acts 6:7; Matt. 27:57-60; Mark 15:43) Likewise today, millions have notbeen stumbled. Why not? Because theyknow and love the truths found in theScriptures. God’s Word says: “Abundantpeace belongs to those who love yourlaw; nothing can make them stumble.”—Ps. 119:165.

21. Even though the majority of people today re-ject our message, of what can we be confident?

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PICTURE DESCRIPTIONS Pages 10-11: (1) Jesusshares a meal with Matthew and tax collectors.(2) Jesus drives the merchants out of the tem-ple. (3) Jesus is made to bear the torturestake. (4) Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?

˛ Why were some in the firstcentury stumbled by Jesus’words and actions?

˛ Why are many todaystumbled?

˛ How can we avoid beingstumbled?

SONG 124Ever Loyal

JESUS maintained a positive attitude throughout hisministry on earth, and he wants his followers to remainpositive about the ministry as well. (John 4:35, 36)While Jesus was with his disciples, they were enthusi-astic about the preaching work. (Luke 10:1, 5-11, 17)With the arrest and death of Jesus, however, the disci-ples temporarily lost their desire to preach. (John 16:32) After his resurrection, Jesus urged them to focuson preaching. And after his ascension to heaven, theypreached with so much zeal that their enemies com-plained: “Look! you have filled Jerusalem with yourteaching.”—Acts 5:28.

2 Jesus directed the work done by those first-centuryChristians, and Jehovah blessed them with growth. AtPentecost 33 C.E., for example, about 3,000 got bap-tized. (Acts 2:41) And the number of disciples continuedto grow dramatically. (Acts 6:7) Still, Jesus foretold thatthe preaching work would have even greater successin the last days.—John 14:12; Acts 1:8.

3 All of us try to keep a positive view of the ministry. Insome lands, it is easy to do that. Why? Because so manyare interested in having a Bible study that some of themmust be placed on a waiting list until a Witness is avail-

1. What example did Jesus set for his followers, and how did they re-spond? (See cover picture.)2. How has Jehovah blessed the preaching work?3-4. Why may some find the preaching work to be challenging, andwhat will we consider in this article?

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Maintain a PositiveAttitude TowardYour Ministry“Sow your seed . . . and do not let your hand rest.”—ECCL. 11:6.

SONG 70Search OutDeserving Ones

PREVIEW

How can we remain pos-itive in the ministry evenwhen many either are notat home or seem to be in-different to our message?This article will providesuggestions that can helpus to maintain a positiveoutlook.

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able! But in other parts of the earth,publishers find the preaching work to bemore of a challenge; people are seldomat home, and thosewho are at home mayshow little interest in the Bible.

4 If you live in an area where thepreaching work is challenging, the sug-gestions in this article will likely helpyou. We will consider what some havedone to contact more people in theirministry. And we will examine why wecan remain positive whether people re-spond to our message or not.

REMAIN POSITIVE IF PEOPLEARE HARD TO FIND

5 Many Witnesses find it increasing-ly difficult to contact people in theirhomes. Some publishers live in areaswhere there are many high-securityapartment buildings or gated communi-ties. There may be a doorman or a se-curity guard who denies entry to any-one who does not have an invitationfrom a specific householder. Other pub-lishers can go from door to door with-out any interference, but they find fewpeople at home. Still other publisherspreach in rural or remote areas wherefew people live. The publishers may cov-er great distances just to try to contactone householder—who may not even beat home! If we face these types of chal-lenges, we must not give up. What canwe do to overcome such obstacles andhave a productive ministry?

6 Jesus compared the preaching workto the work of a fisherman. (Mark 1:17)

5. What challenges do many Witnesses face?6. How are preachers like fishermen?

Some fishermen might go for days with-out finding any fish. But they do not giveup; they adapt. They change the time,location, or method of fishing. We canmake similar adjustments in our minis-try. Consider these suggestions.

7 Try reaching people at a differenttime. We will contact more people if wepreach when they are likely to be athome. After all, everyone returns homesometime! Many brothers and sistersfind it practical to preach in the after-noon or in the evening because they findmore people. In addition, household-ers may be more relaxed and ready totalk during those times. Or perhaps youwould find it helpful to apply a sugges-tion from an elder named David. He saysthat after preaching for a while in a ter-ritory, he and his companion call backon those who did not answer the doorthe first time. He says, “I am surprisedhow many of the householders are athome when we make the second call.”�

8 We should not give up. Our themetext reminds us of the attitude thatwe need to have. (Read Ecclesiastes11:6.) David, mentioned earlier, did notgive up. At one house, he finally foundthe householder after a number of un-successful attempts. The man was inter-ested in discussing the Bible and said,“I have lived here for about eight years,and I have never met one of Jehovah’s

� Publishers should carry out the various forms of theirministry as discussed in this article in a way that com-plies with applicable data protection laws.

7. What may result if we preach at different times?8. How can we apply Ecclesiastes 11:6 to our min-istry?

MAY 2021 15

Witnesses at my door.” David says, “Ihave found that when you finally reachpeople at home, they are often receptiveto the message we preach.”

9 Try a different location. In order tocontact people who are hard to reachat home, some publishers have changedthe location where they preach. For ex-ample, street work and the use of lit-erature carts have proved to be effec-tive methods to meet people who live inlarge apartment buildings where door-to-door witnessing is not permitted.This allows the Witnesses to speak face-to-face with people who may other-wise be unreachable. Also, many pub-

9. How have some Witnesses contacted peoplewho are hard to reach?

lishers have found that people are morelikely to converse or to accept litera-ture in public parks, markets, and busi-ness districts. Floiran, a circuit overseerin Bolivia, says: “We go to the marketsand businesses between 1:00 p.m. and3:00 p.m. when the vendors tend to beless busy. We usually have good conver-sations and even start Bible studies.”

10 Try a different approach. Supposeyou have tried repeatedly to contactsomeone in person. You have called atdifferent times but have still not foundhim at home. Are there other ways toreach such a person? Katarına, says, “Iwrite personal letters to those I neverfind at home, expressing what I would

10. What methods can you use to reach people?

When preaching inareas where peopleare seldom at home,try to reach themat different times,in different locations,or with differentmethods(See paragraphs 7-10)

16 THE WATCHTOWER

MAY 2021 17

have told them in person.” The point?Try to reach everyone in your territoryin one way or another as you carry outyour personal ministry.

REMAIN POSITIVE WHEN PEOPLEARE INDIFFERENT

11 Some people are indifferent to ourmessage. They do not see the need forGod or the Bible. They do not believein God because they see so much suf-fering in the world. They reject the Bi-ble because they see the hypocrisy ofreligious leaders who claim to live bythat book. Others are preoccupied withtheir jobs, families, or personal prob-lems, and they fail to see how the Bible

11. Why are some people indifferent to our mes-sage?

can help them. Howcanwe maintain ourjoy when those whom we preach to seelittle value in our message?

12 Show personal interest. Many whowere at first indifferent later respondedto the good news when they felt thata publisher was genuinely interested inthem. (Read Philippians 2:4.) For ex-ample, David, quoted earlier, says, “Ifsomeone says that he is not interested,we put away our Bible or our literatureand say: ‘I am interested in knowing whyyou feel this way.’” People can sensewhen someone cares about them. Theymay forget exactly what we said, butthey will likely remember how we madethem feel. Even if householders do notlet us speak, we can show by our atti-tude and facial expressions that we careabout them.

13 We show personal interest when weadapt our message to the needs and in-terests of the householder. For instance,do we see evidence that children live inthe house? The parents may be interest-ed in the Bible’s advice about raisingchildren or its practical suggestions onhow to have a happier family life. Dowe see several locks on their door? Wemay decide to talk about the crime andthe fear prevalent in the world, afterwhich the householder might appreciatelearning about the permanent solutionto crime. Whatever the case, try to helpthose who listen to see how the Bi-ble’s advice can help them. Katarına,

12. How can applying the words of Philippians 2:4help us in the ministry?13. How could we adapt our message to meet theneeds of each householder?

18 THE WATCHTOWER

mentioned earlier, says, “I remind my-self of how the truth made my life bet-ter.” As a result, Katarına speaks withconviction, and the people she talks tono doubt sense that.

14 Benefit from the assistance of oth-ers. In the first century, Paul shared hispreaching and teaching methods withTimothy, and he encouraged Timothyto use those methods to help others.(1 Cor. 4:17) Like Timothy, we can ben-efit from experienced ones in our con-gregation. (ReadProverbs 27:17.)Con-sider the example of a brother namedShawn. For awhile, he pioneered in a ru-ral area where most people were sat-isfied with their religion. How did hemaintain his joy? “Whenever possible, Iworkedwith a companion,” he says. “Weused the time traveling between housesto help each other improve our teach-ing skills. For example, we would reviewhow we had handled a call. Then we dis-cussed how we might respond different-ly if we faced that situation again.”

15 Pray to Jehovah for help. Look toJehovah for guidance every time youshare in the ministry. Without the helpof his powerful holy spirit, none of uswould be able to accomplish anything.(Ps. 127:1; Luke 11:13) When you ask forJehovah’s help in prayer, be specific. Forexample, ask him to direct you to any-one who may be rightly disposed andready to listen. Then work in harmo-ny with your prayer by preaching to allwhom you meet.

14. Based on Proverbs 27:17, how can preachingcompanions assist each other?15. Why is prayer essential to our ministry?

16 Make time for personal study. God’sWord says: “Prove to yourselves thegood and acceptable and perfect will ofGod.” (Rom. 12:2) The more convincedwe are that we know the truth aboutGod, the greater will be our convictionwhen we talk to others in the ministry.Katarına, mentioned earlier, says: “A lit-tle while ago, I realized that I needed tostrengthen my faith regarding some ba-sic Bible teachings. So I studied in detailthe evidence that there is a Creator, thatthe Bible is really God’s Word, and thatGod has an organization that representshim today.” Katarına says that her per-sonal study strengthened her faith andincreased her joy in the ministry.

WHY WE REMAIN POSITIVEIN OUR MINISTRY

17 Jesus remained positive and keptpreaching even though some were indif-ferent to his message. Why? He knewhow much the people needed to knowthe truth, and he wanted to give asmany as possible an opportunity toaccept the Kingdom message. He alsoknew that some who initially were indif-ferent would eventually respond. Con-sider what happened in his own family.During Jesus’ entire three-and-a-half-year ministry, none of his brothers be-came his disciples. (John 7:5) Yet, afterhis resurrection, they became Chris-tians.—Acts 1:14.

18 We do not know who will eventuallyaccept the Bible truths we teach. Some

16. Why is personal study vital to our ministry?17. Why did Jesus remain positive in his ministry?18. Why do we continue preaching?

people take longer than others to re-spond to our message. Even those whochoose not to listen to us see our goodconduct and positive attitude, and theymay eventually begin to “glorify God.”—1 Pet. 2:12.

19 As we plant and water, we must rec-ognize the role that God plays.(Read 1 Corinthians 3:6, 7.) Getahun,a brother who serves in Ethiopia, says:“For more than 20 years, I was the onlyWitness in a seldom-worked territory.But now there are 14 publishers here.Thirteen of them got baptized, includ-ing my wife and three children. We havean average of 32 people at the meet-ings.” Getahun is glad that he continuedpreaching while he patiently waited forJehovah to draw honesthearted peopleto His organization!—John 6:44.

20 Jehovah views all human life as pre-cious. He gives us the privilege of work-ing along with his Son in gathering peo-ple from all nations before the endof this system comes. (Hag. 2:7) Our

19. According to 1 Corinthians 3:6, 7, what mustwe recognize?20. In what way are we like rescuers?

preaching work could be likened to arescue mission. And we are like mem-bers of a rescue team sent to free peo-ple trapped in a mine. Although onlya few miners may be found alive, thework done by all the rescuers is valuable.The same is true of the work we do inour ministry. We do not know how manypeople will yet be rescued from Satan’ssystem. But Jehovah can use any one ofus to help them. Andreas, who lives inBolivia, says, “I see each person wholearns Bible truths and gets baptized asthe result of a group effort.” May wemaintain a similar positive attitude to-ward ourministry. If we do, Jehovahwillbless us, and our ministry will be a realsource of joy.

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PICTURE DESCRIPTIONS Pages 16-17 (from topto bottom): A husband and wife preach where it isdifficult to find people at home. The first house-holder is at his job, the second one is at a medi-cal clinic, and the third one is out shopping. Theyreach the first householder by visiting himat a later hour of the day. They meet the secondone while sharing in public witnessing near theclinic. They reach the third householder by givingher a phone call.

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?

˛ What may help us contactpeople who are hard to find?

˛ How can we assist peoplewho initially seem to be in-different to Bible truths?

˛ Why do we remain positivein our ministry?

SONG 66Declare the Good News

THE apostle Paul encouraged Timothy and by extensionall Christians to accomplish their ministry fully. (2 Tim.4:5) All of us take Paul’s counsel seriously. Yet, there arechallenges. For many of our brothers and sisters, it takesreal courage to share in the preaching work. (2 Tim. 4:2)Think, for example, of our brothers who live in landswhere our work is restricted or even banned. They sharein the ministry at the risk of their freedom!

2 Jehovah’s people must deal with a variety of prob-lems that could dishearten them. For instance, manyhave to work long hours just to provide the basic neces-sities for their family. They would like to do more in theministry, but they have little energy at the end of theweek. Others are severely limited inwhat they can do be-cause of chronic illness or advancing age; they may evenbe confined to their home. Still others are constantlyplagued by feelings of worthlessness. Mary,� a sister wholives in the Middle East, says: “It takes so much effort tofight my negative feelings that I’m left emotionally ex-hausted. Then I feel guilty because it takes time and en-ergy away from my ministry.”

3 Regardless of our circumstances, Jehovah can em-power us to cope with personal challenges and still servehim to the extent that our circumstances allow. Beforewe consider how Jehovah can help us, let us examinehow he strengthened Paul and Timothy to accomplishtheir ministry despite challenges.

� Name has been changed.

1-2. What challenges do many Witnesses face?3. What will we consider in this article?

STUDYARTICLE 21

Jehovah Will GiveYou Strength

“When I am weak, then I am powerful.”—2 COR. 12:10.

SONG 73Grant Us Boldness

PREVIEW

We are living in challengingtimes, but Jehovah pro-vides the help we need toendure them. In this arti-cle, we will consider howJehovah helped the apos-tle Paul and Timothy tocontinue serving himdespite their problems.We will discuss four provi-sions Jehovah has madeavailable to help us enduretoday.

20

STRENGTH TO ACCOMPLISHTHE PREACHING WORK

4 Paul faced many challenges. He es-pecially needed strength when he wasbeaten, stoned, and imprisoned. (2 Cor.11:23-25) Paul openly admitted thathe at times battled negative emotions.(Rom. 7:18, 19, 24) He also endured “athorn in the flesh” of some sort, whichhe desperately wanted God to remove.—2 Cor. 12:7, 8.

5 Jehovah empowered Paul to carryout his ministry despite all the chal-lenges he faced. Consider what Paul ac-complished. For example, while he washousebound—in custody in Rome—hezealously defended the good news be-fore Jewish leaders and perhaps beforegovernment officials. (Acts 28:17; Phil.4:21,22) He also preached to many in thePraetorian Guard, and he witnessed toall who visited him. (Acts 28:30, 31; Phil.1:13) During that same time, Paul wroteinspired letters that benefit true Chris-

4. What challenges did Paul face?5. What did Paul accomplish despite the chal-lenges he faced?

tians to this day. Furthermore, Paul’s ex-ample strengthened the congregation inRome, which resulted in his brothers’having “all the more courage to speakthe word of God fearlessly.” (Phil. 1:14)Although at times Paul was limited inwhat he could do, he made the most ofhis situation, and it “actually turned outfor the advancement of the good news.”—Phil. 1:12.

6 Paul realized that everything he didin Jehovah’s service was with God’sstrength, not his own. He acknowledgedthat God’s power was “made perfect inweakness.” (Read 2 Corinthians 12:9,10.) By means of His holy spirit, Jeho-vah gave Paul the power to accomplishhis ministry fully—despite the perse-cution, imprisonment, and other chal-lenges he faced.

7 Timothy, Paul’s younger companion,also had to rely on God’s power to carryout his ministry. Timothy accompanied

6. According to 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10, what en-abled Paul to accomplish his ministry?7. What challenges did Timothy have to overcomein order to accomplish his ministry?

What enabled Paul and Timothyto carry out their ministry?(See paragraphs 5-7)

22 THE WATCHTOWER

Paul on long missionary journeys.Moreover, Paul sent him on additionaltrips to visit and encourage congrega-tions. (1 Cor. 4:17) Timothy may havefelt inadequate. Perhaps that is why Pauladmonished him: “Never let anyone lookdown on your youth.” (1 Tim. 4:12) Fur-thermore, during this time,Timothy hadhis own thorn in the flesh—“frequentcases of sickness.” (1 Tim. 5:23) ButTimothy knew that Jehovah’s powerfulholy spirit would give him the strengthhe needed to preach the good news andserve his brothers.—2 Tim. 1:7.

STRENGTH TO REMAIN FAITHFULDESPITE CHALLENGES

8 Today, Jehovah gives his people“power beyond what is normal” so thatthey can continue to serve him faith-fully. (2 Cor. 4:7) Let us consider fourprovisions Jehovah makes available tostrengthen us and to help us remainfaithful to him: prayer, the Bible, Chris-tian association, and our ministry.

9 Strengthened through prayer. As re-corded at Ephesians 6:18, Paul encour-ages us to pray to God “on every occa-sion.” In response, God will strengthenus. Jonnie, who lives in Bolivia, experi-enced that support when he underwenta series of trials. His wife and both of hisparents became seriously ill at the sametime. Jonnie struggled to care for theneeds of the three of them. His moth-er died, and it took a long time for hiswife and father to recover from theirillnesses. Looking back, Jonnie says,

8. How does Jehovah strengthen his people to-day?9. How can prayer help us?

“When I was under extreme pressure,what always helped me was to be specif-ic in my prayers.” Jehovah gave Jonniethe strength he needed to endure. Ron-ald, an elder in Bolivia, learned that hismother had cancer. She died a monthlater. What helped him to cope? Hesays: “Praying to Jehovah allows me topour my heart out and vent my feelings.I know that he understands me betterthan anybody, even better than I un-derstand myself.” At times, we may feeloverwhelmed or unsure about what weshould pray for. But Jehovah invites usto pray to him even if we find it hardto put our thoughts and feelings intowords.—Rom. 8:26, 27.

10 Strengthened by means of the Bible.Just as Paul relied on the Scripturesfor strength and comfort, we too canrely on them. (Rom. 15:4) As we readGod’s Word and meditate on it, Jehovahcan use his spirit to help us understandbetter how the Scriptures apply to oursituation. (Read Hebrews 4:12.) Ron-ald, mentioned earlier, says: “I’m grate-ful that I cultivated the habit of readinga portion of the Bible every night. I med-itate a lot on Jehovah’s qualities and hisloving dealings with his servants. Thishelps me to regain my power.”

11 We can develop the right attitudeabout our circumstances by meditatingon God’s Word. Consider how the Bi-ble benefited a grieving widow. An eldersuggested that she could learn helpful

10. As indicated at Hebrews 4:12, why is readingthe Bible and meditating on what we read so im-portant?11. How did the Bible strengthen a distressed sis-ter?

Jehovah strengthens us by means of(1) prayer, (2) the Bible, (3) Christianassociation, and (4) the ministry(See paragraphs 9-10, 12, 14)

1

2

3

4

24 THE WATCHTOWER

lessons from reading the book of Job.As she did, she was at first quick tocriticize Job for his wrong thinking. Inher imagination she warned him: “Job!Don’t be so negative!” But then she real-ized that her attitude had been very sim-ilar to that of Job.This helped her to re-adjust her viewpoint and strengthenedher to cope with the pain of losing herhusband.

12 Strengthened by means of Christianassociation. Another way that Jeho-vah strengthens Christians is by meansof fellow worshippers. Paul wrote thathe was longing to have “an interchangeof encouragement” with his spiritu-al brothers and sisters. (Rom. 1:11, 12)Mary, mentioned earlier, treasures suchassociation. She says: “Jehovah hasused brothers and sisters who were noteven aware of my struggles. They saidsomething encouraging or sent a card,and it was exactly what I needed. Italso helps to open up to other sisterswho have had similar struggles and learnfrom their experiences. And the eldersalways make me feel that I am a valuablepart of the congregation.”

13 One of the best places to encour-age one another is at congregation meet-ings. When you attend meetings, whynot take the initiative to strengthenothers with sincere expressions of af-fection and appreciation? For example,before one meeting an elder named Pe-ter said to a sister with an unbelievingmate: “You cannot imagine how encour-

12. How does Jehovah strengthen us by means offellow worshippers?13. How can we strengthen one another at con-gregation meetings?

aging it is to see you here. You alwayshave your six children ready and pre-pared with comments.” Her eyes filledwith tears of gratitude as she replied:“You have no idea howmuch I needed tohear that today.”

14 Strengthened by means of the minis-try.Whenwe share Bible truthswith oth-ers, we feel refreshed and invigorated,whether they respond positively or not.(Prov. 11:25) A sister named Stacy expe-rienced how strengthening the ministrycan be. When a family member was dis-fellowshipped, she was distraught, andshe kept asking herself, ‘Could I havedone more to help?’ Stacy could bare-ly think of anything else. What helpedher to cope with this distressing situa-tion? The ministry! As she engaged inthe preaching work, she began to focuson the people in the territory who need-ed her help. She says: “During that time,Jehovah gave me a Bible student whomade rapid progress. That encouragedme greatly.The most stabilizing factor inmy life is to get out in the ministry.”

15 Because of their circumstances,some may feel that they are not ableto do much in the ministry. If that ishow you feel, remember that Jehovah ispleased if you do your best. Consideragain the example of Mary. When shemoved to a foreign-language field, shefelt very limited. She says, “For sometime, all I could do was offer a sim-ple comment or read a Bible verse orgive a tract in service.” This left herfeeling inadequate in comparison with

14. How does sharing in the ministry affect us?15. What do you learn from Mary’s comments?

fluent speakers. However, she adjustedher point of view. She began to real-ize that Jehovah could use her despiteher limited abilities. She says, “The life-saving truths are elegantly simple, andthose truths are what change people’slives.”

16 Jehovah sees and appreciates ourdesire to share in the ministry even if weare housebound. He can open opportu-nities for us to give a witness to caregiv-ers or medical personnel. If we compareour present activity with what we wereable to do in the past, we may becomediscouraged. But if we recognize howJehovah is helping us now, we will havethe strength we need to endure any trialwith joy.

17 We do not know which of the seedsof truth that we plant may take rootand start to grow. (Read Ecclesiastes11:6.) For example, Barbara, a sisterin her 80’s, regularly witnesses by tele-phone and by letter. In one of her let-ters, she enclosed The Watchtower ofMarch 1, 2014, with the article “What

16. What can help those who are housebound togain strength?17. According to Ecclesiastes 11:6, why should wecontinue in our ministry even if we do not see im-mediate results?

God Has Done for You.” Unbeknownstto her, she had sent the letter to a mar-ried couple who were no longer Jeho-vah’s Witnesses.They read the magazineover and over. The husband felt as ifJehovah were speaking directly to him.The couple started to attend meetingsand eventually became active Witnessesagain—after more than 27 years. Justimagine how encouraged and strength-ened Barbara was to see such positiveresults from that one letter!

18 Jehovah provides us with ample op-portunity to receive his abundant pow-er. When we use his provisions—suchas prayer, the Bible, Christian associa-tion, and the ministry—we show that wetrust in Jehovah’s ability and desire tohelp us. Let us always rely on our heav-enly Father, who delights “to show hisstrength in behalf of those whose heartis complete toward him.”—2 Chron.16:9.

18. What can we do to benefit from God’s power?

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PICTURE DESCRIPTIONS Page 21: While underhouse arrest in Rome, Paul writes letters to sever-al congregations and preaches the message ofgood news to his visitors. Timothy encourages thebrothers as he visits congregations.

HOW CAN WE GAIN STRENGTH THROUGH . . .

˛ prayer and Bible reading? ˛ Christian association? ˛ the ministry?

SONG 61Forward, You Witnesses!

26 THE WATCHTOWER

That scary event changed my life because itmarked the beginning of my quest for theCreator. But before I relate what happenednext on that dark night, let me tell youabout the childhood experiences that influ-enced my thinking and prepared my heartto search for God.

EARLY LESSONS FROM MY FATHERI was born in 1937 in Guesnain, a mining

town in northern France. From my father,a coal miner, I learned the value of hardwork. I also adopted his strong sense ofjustice, which moved him to act in behalf ofminers who endured poor working condi-tions. In an effort to improve their situation,Father got involved in trade unions andstrikes. He was also upset by the hypocrisyhe saw among local priests. Many lived inrelative luxury; yet, they asked for food andmoney from miners who were struggling tomake a living. Father was so disgusted withthe priests’ behavior that he gave me noreligious education. In fact, we never evenspoke about God.

LIFE STORY

“I Have LearnedSo Much From Others!”AS TOLD BY LOUIS BREINE

IT WAS a pitch-black night inthe mountains of Algeria, where myFrench regiment was camped, andthe battles in Algeria had becomeespecially fierce. Machine gun inhand, I was alone at my guard post,a stack of sandbags. Suddenly, thesilence was broken by the crunch ofapproaching footsteps. I froze. I wasjust out of my teens and had nodesire to kill or to be killed. I criedout: “God! Oh, God!”

As I grew up, I too began to hate in-justice. That injustice included the prejudiceshown by some against the foreigners livingin France. I played soccer with the childrenof immigrants and enjoyed their company.Besides, my mother was Polish, not French.I longed for racial peace and equality.

I BEGAN TO THINK MORE SERIOUSLYABOUT LIFE

I was conscripted into the military in1957. That is how I ended up in the Algerianmountains on the dark night described ear-lier. After I cried “God! Oh, God!” I cameface-to-face, not with an enemy soldier, butwith a wild donkey! What a relief that was!Still, that event—and the war itself—mademe think more seriously about the mean-ing of life. Why are we here? Does God careabout us? Will we ever have lasting peace?

Later, while I was on leave at my parents’home, I met one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Hegave me a copy of La Sainte Bible, a FrenchCatholic translation of the Bible, which I be-gan to read after I returned to Algeria. Aparticular passage that struck me was Rev-elation 21:3, 4. It reads: “The tent of God iswith mankind . . . And he will wipe outevery tear from their eyes, and death will beno more, neither will mourning nor outcrynor pain be anymore.”� These words sur-prised me. ‘Could they be true?’ I wondered.At the time, I knew practically nothing aboutGod and the Bible.

After I completed my military service in1959, I met a Witness named Francois,who taught me many Bible truths. For ex-ample, he showed me in the Bible thatGod has a personal name, Jehovah. (Ps.83:18) Francois also explained that Jehovahwill bring justice to the earth, turn the earthinto a paradise, and fulfill the words of Rev-elation 21:3, 4.

� NewWorld Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

Those teachings made a lot of sense, andthey touched my heart. But I also becamevery angry at the priests and wanted todenounce them for teaching things that arenot in the Bible! It seems that I was still in-fluenced by my father’s views, and I wasimpatient. I wanted to do something imme-diately!

Francois and my other newfound Witnessfriends helped me to calm down. They ex-plained that our work as Christians is not tojudge but to offer hope by means of thegood news of God’s Kingdom. That is thework Jesus did and the work he gave his fol-lowers to do. (Matt. 24:14; Luke 4:43) I alsohad to learn to speak to people kindly andtactfully, regardless of their beliefs. The Bi-ble says: “A slave of the Lord does not needto fight, but needs to be gentle toward all.”—2 Tim. 2:24.

I made the needed changes and got bap-tized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1959at a circuit assembly. There I met a young

When I was in the army

MAY 2021 27

28 THE WATCHTOWER

sister named Angele, whom I was attractedto. I started visiting the congregation sheattended, and we got married in 1960. Sheis truly an excellent woman, a wonderfulwife, and a precious gift from Jehovah.—Prov. 19:14.

I LEARNED MUCH FROM WISE ANDEXPERIENCED MEN

Over the years, I have learned many im-portant lessons from wise and experiencedbrothers. High on the list is this: To succeedin any challenging assignment, we have tobe humble and apply the wisdom found atProverbs 15:22, which states: “There is ac-complishment through many advisers.”

In 1964, I started to see just how truthfulthose inspired words are. In that year, I be-gan serving as a circuit overseer, visitingcongregations to encourage the brothersand build them up spiritually. However, Iwas 27 years old at the time and lacked ex-perience. So I made mistakes. But I tried tolearn from them. Above all, I learned manyvaluable lessons from capable and experi-enced “advisers.”

An early example comes to mind. AfterI visited a congregation in Paris, a spiritual-ly mature brother asked me if he could havea private word with me. “Sure,” I said.

He asked, “Louis, when a doctor makesa home visit, whom does he go to see?”

“The sick,” I replied.He said: “That’s right. But I have ob-

served that you spend most of your timewith ones doing well spiritually, such as thecongregation overseer. Our congregationhas many brothers and sisters who are dis-couraged, new, or shy. They would deeplyappreciate your spending time with them,even going to their homes for a meal.”

That dear brother’s counsel was bothvalid and invaluable. His love for Jehovah’ssheep touched my heart. So I swallowedmy pride and immediately began to applywhat he said. I thank Jehovah for brotherslike that.

In the years 1969 and 1973, I was ap-pointed to oversee the Food Service De-partment at two international conventionsin Colombes, Paris. At the 1973 convention,

On our wedding day

In the circuit work in France, 1965

MAY 2021 29

about 60,000 people had to be fed for fivedays! I was intimidated, to say the least. Butonce again, the key to success was Prov-erbs 15:22—consult the wise. I sought theadvice of spiritually mature men who hadexperience in the food industry. They includ-ed butchers, vegetable growers, cooks, andpurchasers. Together, we were able to fulfilla mountainlike assignment.

In 1973, my wife and I were invitedto serve at Bethel in France. My first assign-ment there proved to be yet another bigchallenge. I had to get literature to ourbrothers in the African country of Camer-oon, where our work was banned between1970 and 1993. Again, I felt overwhelmed.Perhaps detecting that, the brother thenoverseeing the work in France encouragedme, saying: “Our brothers in Cameroon arein great need of spiritual food. Let’s feedthem!” And feed them we did.

I made several trips to countries bor-dering Cameroon to meet with elders fromthat country. Those courageous and discreetmen helped me to make the needed arrange-ments to get a regular supply of spiritualfood into Cameroon. Jehovah blessed our ef-forts. In fact, for some 20 years, his peoplein that land never missed a single issue ofThe Watchtower and of a monthly publicationthen called Our Kingdom Service.

I LEARNED MUCH FROM MYPRECIOUS WIFE

From the very start of our courtship,I observed Angele’s spiritual qualities. Thosequalities became even more evident in ourmarried life. In fact, on the very evening ofour wedding day, she asked me to prayabout our desire to serve Jehovah to thefull as a married couple. Jehovah answeredthat prayer.

A. At a special meeting in Nigeria withWitnesses from Cameroon, 1973

B. In 1977, Angele and I enjoyed visiting inNigeria with circuit overseers and theirwives from Cameroon

A B

Angele has also helped me to trust morefully in Jehovah. To illustrate: When in 1973we were invited to serve at Bethel, I hesitat-ed because I loved the circuit work. ButAngele reminded me that we had dedicatedour lives to Jehovah. Should we not dowhatever his organization asks us to do?(Heb. 13:17) How could I argue with that! Sooff to Bethel we went. Throughout our longlife together, my wife’s discretion, sound-ness of mind, and spiritual outlook havestrengthened our marriage and helped usto make good decisions.

In our advancing years, Angele continuesto be an excellent, supportive wife. For

example, in order to attend theocraticschools, many of which are conducted inEnglish, Angele and I began working hardto improve in that language. That includedjoining an English-speaking congregation,even though we were in our mid-70’s at thetime. Because of my responsibilities as amember of the France Branch Committee,studying another language was a challenge.But Angele and I helped each other. Now inour 80’s, we continue to prepare for ourcongregation meetings in both English andFrench. We also try to share as often aswe can in the meetings and ministry withour congregation. Jehovah has blessed ourefforts to learn English.

One outstanding blessing came alongin 2017. Angele and I had the privilege ofattending the School for Branch CommitteeMembers and Their Wives, held at theWatchtower Educational Center at Patter-son, New York.

Jehovah truly is the Grand Instructor.(Isa. 30:20) So it is no surprise that his peo-ple—old and young—get the very best edu-cation possible! (Deut. 4:5-8) Indeed, Ihave observed that young ones who listenboth to Jehovah and to experienced broth-ers and sisters make fine spiritual progressand become successful adults. Proverbs 9:9reminds us: “Share with a wise person, andhe will become wiser. Teach someone righ-teous, and he will add to his learning.”

Occasionally, I reflect on that dark, scarynight in the mountains of Algeria some60 years ago. Little did I know then whatgood lay ahead for me. I have learned somuch from others! Jehovah has truly givenme, as well as Angele, a rich and reward-ing life. So we are determined never to stoplearning from our heavenly Father and fromwise and experienced brothers and sisterswho love him.

With Angele in the garden of Bethel, France

30 THE WATCHTOWER

IT IS well-known that papyrus was the chiefwriting material in ancient Egypt. The Greeksas well as the Romans wrote on papyrus.� Itis less known that papyrus was used notonly for writing but also for boatbuilding.

Over 2,500 years ago, the prophet Isaiahwrote that people living “in the region of therivers of Ethiopia” sent “envoys by sea,across the waters in papyrus vessels.” Later,the prophet Jeremiah foretold that whenthe city of Babylon would be invaded bythe Medes and the Persians, they wouldburn “the papyrus boats” of the Babyloniansto prevent their escape.—Isa. 18:1, 2; Jer.51:32.

The Bible is inspired of God, so it does notcome as a surprise to Bible students that ar-chaeological finds show that papyrus wasindeed used for boatbuilding in Bible times.(2 Tim. 3:16) What has been discovered?Archaeologists have found detailed evidenceof papyrus-boat production in Egypt.

HOW WERE PAPYRUSBOATS MADE?

Paintings and reliefs in Egyptian tombsdescribe the process of harvesting papyrusand making boats. Men would cut the papy-rus stems, tie them in bundles, and thenlash the bundles together. Papyrus stemsare triangular. So when tied tightly togeth-er, the stems form a compact, strong bun-dle. According to the book A Companion toAncient Egypt, papyrus boats could reach alength of over 55 feet (17 m), allowing for 10or 12 oars per side.

� Papyrus plants flourish in marshlands and in slow-moving waters. A plant can grow some 16 feet (5 m)tall, and the stem can have a diameter of some 6 inches(15 cm) at its base.

WHY DID BOATBUILDERS USE PAPYRUS?Papyrus was a readily available raw ma-

terial in the Nile Valley. Moreover, papyrusboats were relatively easy to make. Evenwhen wood became the main building ma-terial for large vessels, it seems that fisher-men and hunters continued to employ papy-rus rafts and small boats.

Ancient papyrus boats remained popularfor a long time. According to Greek authorPlutarch, who lived between the first and thesecond centuries C.E., papyrus rafts werestill familiar to the readers of his day.

DID YOU KNOW?

Was papyrus used forboatbuilding in Bible times?

A. Papyrus plantB. Two models of papyrus boats

found inside an Egyptian tombC. Egyptian relief describing

the making of a papyrus boat

A B

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MAY 2021 31

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The Watchtower (ISSN 0043-1087) May 2021 is published by Watchtower

Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.; Harold L. Corkern, Pres-

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PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. ˘ 2021 WatchTower Bible and Tract

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May 2021 � Vol. 142, No. 7 ENGLISH

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from themodern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

COVER PICTURE:After Jesus ascends to heaven, his discipleszealously preach in Jerusalem and beyond(See study article 20, paragraph 1)

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In JW Library, go to PUBLICATIONS˛ARTICLE SERIES˛ BIBLE QUESTIONSANSWERED.

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HOW YOUR DONATIONS ARE USEDVideoconferencing forCongregation MeetingsHow has the organization helped congrega-tions acquire secure Zoom licenses to holdmeetings via videoconferencing?

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IN THIS ISSUE��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Study Article 18: July 5-11 2Will You Stumble Because of Jesus?��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Study Article 19: July 12-18 8Nothing Can Make the Righteous Stumble��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Study Article 20: July 19-25 14Maintain a Positive AttitudeToward Your Ministry��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Study Article 21: July 26–August 1 20Jehovah Will Give You Strength��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

LIFE STORY 26“I Have Learned So Much From Others!”

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DID YOU KNOW? 31Was papyrus used forboatbuilding in Bible times?