Page 4: Some scholars continue to hold that the Jesus of history was an eschatological Jewish prophet calling for repentance. However, they stop short of calling him Son of God, Messiah, and Redeemer.
Note: Jehovah's Witnesses stop short of calling Jesus Christ God.
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
Psalm 78:35 Then they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer.
Isaiah 44:6 "Thus says the LORD (the Son), the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD (the Father) of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.'"
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word (the Son) was with God (the Father), and the Word was God.
Page 4: Moreover, you need to know who Jesus was and is because he will have a direct effect on your future. You have the opportunity to become a subject of an established heavenly government - the Kingdom of God under Jesus.
Correction: The spiritual kingdom of God is within true Christians.
Luke 17:20-21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."
Page 4: Our beleaguered planet will be restored to its magnificent biodiversity and ecological balance under Jesus' direction. Bible prophecy assures us that Jesus' Kingdom will feed the famished, care for the poor, heal the sick, and bring the dead back to life.
Correction: The spiritual kingdom of God is at work today through true Christians.
Mark 16:17-18 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
Page 5: AFTER learning from his apostles what people thought about him, Jesus asked them: "You, though, who do you say I am?" The Gospel of Matthew records the apostle Peter's answer: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:15, 16) Others were of the same opinion. Nathaniel, who later became one of the apostles, told Jesus: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are King of Israel." (John 1:49)
Note: Jehovah's Witnesses stop short of calling Jesus Christ God.
Zephaniah 3:15 The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more.
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
Page 5: Jesus himself spoke of the importance of his role: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) On various occasions, he referred to himself as "the Son of God." (John 5:24, 25; 11:4) And he backed up this claim by miraculous works, even raising the dead.
Note: Jehovah's Witnesses do not honor Jesus Christ as God.
John 5:22-23 "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."
Page 7: The Gospels - the four Biblical accounts of Jesus' life - portray a man of great empathy. Pity and compassion moved Jesus to help people who were suffering from illness, blindness, and other afflictions. (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 20:34)
Correction: The Gospels portray God in human flesh healing people spiritually and physically.
Matthew 9:3-6 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"; then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
Page 7: The death of his friend Lazarus and the grief this caused to Lazarus' sisters moved Jesus to 'groan and give way to tears.' (John 11:32-36) In fact, the Gospels reveal the wide range of Jesus' feelings - sympathy for a person with leprosy, exuberance over his disciples' successes, indignation at coldhearted legalists, and sadness over Jerusalem's rejection of the Messiah.
Note: Jehovah's Witnesses have rejected Jesus Christ as being God.
Isaiah 42:8 "I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images."
John 11:4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
Page 7: The Gospels also show that Jesus quickly identified with most people that he met. Whether talking with a woman at a well, a religious teacher in a garden, or a fisherman by a lake, he went directly to their heart. After Jesus' opening words, many of these people revealed their innermost thoughts to him. He struck a responsive chord in them. Although people of his time might keep men in authority at a safe distance, in Jesus' case people crowded around him. They liked being with Jesus; they felt comfortable in his company. Children felt at ease with him, and when using child as an example, he did not merely stand the child before his disciples but also "put his arms around it." (Mark 9:36; 10:13-16)
Note: Have you received the spiritual kingdom of God into your life?
Mark 10:15 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
Note: Have you received Jesus Christ into your life?
John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Page 8: Jesus was never demanding. He did not add to people's burdens. Instead, he said: "Come to me, all you who are toiling ... I will refresh you." His disciples found him to be "mild tempered and lowly in heart"; his yoke was kindly, and his load was light. - Matthew 11:28-30.
Note: Have you come to Jesus Christ in prayer to meet with God?
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."
Page 8: Besides giving a real-life picture of Jesus while he was on earth, the Bible shows that he had a prehuman existence as the only-begotten Son of God, "the firstborn of all creation."
Correction: Begotten refers to the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Acts 13:32-34 "And we declare to you glad tidings; that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.' And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'"
Page 8: Twenty centuries ago, God transferred the life of his heavenly Son to the womb of a Jewish virgin for him to be born as a human. (Matthew 1:18)
Note: Jehovah's Witnesses have rejected Jesus Christ as being God.
Matthew 1:21-23 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
Page 8: During his earthly ministry, Jesus proclaimed God's Kingdom as the only hope for distressed humanity, and he trained his disciples to continue this preaching work.
Note: The kingdom of God concerns Jesus Christ.
Acts 28:23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.
Page 8: On Nisan 14 (about April 1), 33 C.E., Jesus was arrested, tried, sentenced, and executed on the false charges of sedition. (Matthew 26:18-20, 48-27:50) Jesus' death serves as a ransom, releasing believing mankind from their sinful state and thus opening the way to eternal life for all who exercise faith in him. (Romans 3:23, 24; 1 John 2:2)
Note: The exercise of faith is through sincere belief not obeying the law.
Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.
Page 8: On Nisan 16 Jesus was resurrected, and shortly thereafter he ascended back to heaven. (Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:6-9) As Jehovah's appointed King, the resurrected Jesus has full authority to carry out God's original purpose for man. (Isaiah 9:6, 7; Luke 1:32, 33) Yes, the Bible presents Jesus as the key figure in the outworking of God's purposes.
Correction: Jesus Christ came forth to save sincere believers.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 12:27 "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour."
John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Page 8: In the first century, multitudes accepted Jesus for what he was - the promised Messiah, or Christ, sent to earth to vindicate Jehovah's sovereignty and to die as a ransom for mankind.
Correction: Jesus Christ came forth to save sincere believers.
Luke 19:9-10 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Page 8: In the face of fierce persecution, people would hardly have been motivated to become Jesus' disciples if they had been unsure of his identity. Courageously and zealously, they took up the commission he gave them, to "make disciples of people of all the nations." - Matthew 28:19.
Note: In the face of fierce persecution, true Christians then and now are Jesus' Witnesses.
Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Page 8: Today, millions of sincere and informed Christians know that Jesus is no legendary figure. They accept him as the enthroned King of God's established Kingdom in heaven, who is about to take full control of the earth and its affairs. This divine government is welcome news because it promises relief from world problems. True Christians manifest their loyal support of Jehovah's chosen King by declaring "this good news of the kingdom" to others. -Matthew 24:14.
Correction: True Christians declare the good news of the kingdom by declaring Jesus Christ.
Acts 28:30-31 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.
Page 8: Those who support the Kingdom arrangement through Christ, the Son of the living God, will live to enjoy eternal blessings. These blessings can be yours too! The publishers of this journal will be happy to help you know the real Jesus.
Note: The publishers of the Watch Tower magazine are under a curse from God the Father.
Galatians 1:3-8 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different good news, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the good news of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other good news to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
Page 9: YOU would probably agree that too much stress is bad; it amounts to distress. The Bible points out that all human creation is so weighed down with burdens that many anxiously await release from today's stressful life. (Romans 8:20-22) But the Scriptures also show how we can gain considerable relief from distress right now.
Note: Have you come to Jesus Christ in prayer to meet with God?
Mat 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Page 9: This man, Jesus of Nazareth, was not guided by the sophisticated learning that some sought in ancient Rome, Athens, or Alexandria. Still, his teachings are renowned. They had a theme: the government by which God will successfully rule our earth.
Correction: Jesus Christ came forth to save sincere believers.
John 6:47 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."
Page 9: Jesus spoke to many who were desperately trying to do what was lawful but who were "loaded down" because the Jewish leaders made religion a burdensome thing. (Matthew 23:4) They focused on endless rules for virtually all aspects of life. Would you not find it stressful to keep hearing "you must not" do this or that?
Note: The Watch Tower like the Jewish leaders have "loaded down" Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Watch Tower's publications have often spoken in very negative terms about the development among the Jews of a Talmud based on rabbinical interpretations of the Mosaic Law. Yet over the past four decades the organization has developed its own body of law, one of remarkable extent and complexity. This has all been done in the name of "keeping the congregation clean" and "separate from the world," thereby assuring its righteousness before God. The organization itself acknowledges the existence of such law. IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM, Raymond Franz, page 238.
Pages 9-10: In contrast, Jesus' invitation was to truth, to righteousness, to a better life by listening to him. Yes, the way to know the true God involved paying attention to Jesus Christ, for in him, humans could - and can - see what Jehovah is like. Jesus said: "He that has seen me has seen the Father also." - John 14:9.
Correction: Jesus' invitation was to personally know the Son who is the eternal truth.
John 14:6-7 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."
Page 10: Clearly, Jesus' invitation to all who were "toiling and loaded down" would have been most appealing to many listeners back then. (Matthew 4:25; Mark 3:7, 8) And recall that Jesus added the promise is in effect today. It can apply to us if we are "toiling and loaded down." And it can apply to our loved ones, whose situation is likely similar.
Note: Have you come to Jesus Christ in prayer to meet with God?
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
Page 11: When Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you," he could have been likening himself to one who provided well-made yokes that would be "kindly" to a workman's neck and shoulders. Thus, Jesus added: "My load is light." This signified that the yoke bar was not unpleasant to use, and the work was not slavish either.
Correction: True Christians will suffer while proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.
Acts 5:40-41 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
Page 11: A key application of Jesus' illustration of the yoke became apparent regarding the disciple-making work. There is no doubt that Jesus' main activity was that of teaching others, with the emphasis being on God's Kingdom. (Matthew 4:23)
Correction: True Christians will suffer while proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 4:14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
Page 12: Basically, you can respond in a similar way. The work of teaching people Bible truth is still going on. About six million of Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide have accepted Jesus' invitation to "take (his) yoke upon" them; they have become "fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19) Some make it their full-time occupation; others do as much as they can part-time.
Note: There are no Jehovah's Witnesses in Red China a land of 1.5 billion people. WT 01/01/02.
Page 12: All find it refreshing, so their life becomes less stressful. It involves doing what they enjoy, telling others good news - "the good news of the kingdom." (Matthew 4:23) It is always a pleasure to talk about good news but especially this good news.
Correction: True Christians declare the good news of the kingdom by declaring Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the good news which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you; unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
Page 12: The Bible contains the primary material we need to convince many that they can lead a less stressful life. - 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
Correction: Jesus Christ came forth to save sincere believers.
2 Timothy 3:14-15 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Page 13: Recall the rich ruler who asked Jesus Christ: "By doing what shall I inherit everlasting life?" When Jesus reviewed vital requirements of God's Law, the man responded that he was already meeting these. Still, he realized that he needed to do more. Jesus called upon him to put forth greater effort to apply godly principles in practical ways, to be an active disciple. Apparently, the man was not ready to go that far. (Luke 18:18-23)
Note: True Christians serve and follow Jesus Christ. Are you?
Luke 18:22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
John 12:26 "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."
Page 15: You can see that Jesus' yoke, while not weightless, is truly kindly. The load of his teachings and of discipleship is light. After more than 60 years of personal experience, the apostle John, Jesus' dear friend, concurred: "This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3)
Note: True Christians serve and follow Jesus Christ. Are you?
Revelation 2:13 "I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells."
Page 15: JESUS CHRIST always thought, taught, and acted appropriately. His time on earth was short, but he remained happy. He gathered disciples and taught them how to worship God, love humanity, and conquer the world. (John 16:33)
Note: True Christians serve and follow Jesus Christ. Are you?
John 15:1-2 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."
Page 15: He filled their hearts with hope and "shed light upon life and incorruption through the good news." (2 Timothy 1:10) If you count yourself among his disciples, what do you think it means to be a disciple?
Answer: True Christians declare the good news of the kingdom by declaring Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 1:8-11 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the good news according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the good news, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
Page 17: But wanted to help her. He said to her: "Your sins are forgiven." Then he added: "Your faith has saved you; go your way in peace." (Luke 7:48-50) Here the account ends. Someone may object that Jesus did not do much for her. Basically, he sent her away with his blessing.
Note: Jehovah's Witnesses have rejected Jesus Christ as being God.
2 Chronicles 6:39 "then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You."
Psalm 86:5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Page 18: From a study of Biblical and secular evidence, we can conclude that the Pharisees thought highly of themselves as guardians of the public good and the national welfare. They were not satisfied that God's Law was fundamentally clear and easily understood. Wherever the Law seemed to them to be unspecific, they sought to plug apparent gaps with defined applications to eliminate any need for conscience. These religious leaders attempted to devise a precept to govern conduct in all issues, even trivialities.
Note: The Governing Body tries to govern the conduct of Jehovah's Witnesses, even trivialities.
The Governing Body at that time was, in reality, both a judicial court and also - because its decisions and definitions had force of law for all Jehovah's Witnesses - a legislative body. It was a "Governing Body" in the sense that the Sanhedrin of Bible times might be called such, its functions being similar. Just as all major questions involving Jehovah's name people of that period were brought to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem for settlement, so with the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn. CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE, Raymond Franz, pages 54-55.
Pages 18-19: Jesus castigated the scribes and Pharisees as hypocritical. "They bind up heavy loads and put them upon the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to budge them with their finger." Yes, the load was heavy, and the yoke imposed on the people was harsh. Jesus went on to call the scribes and Pharisees "fools." A fool is a menace to the community. Jesus also called the scribes and Pharisees "blind guides" and asserted that they had "disregarded the weightier matters of the Law, namely, justice and mercy and faithfulness." Who would want Jesus to think of him as Pharisaic? - Matthew 23:1-4, 16, 17, 23.
Note: Watch Tower theology says that heaven is closed to the majority of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Matthew 23:13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in."
Page 19: Pick, pick, pick. That was the Pharisaic way. The Pharisees looked for every flaw - real or imagined. They kept people on the defensive and reminded them of their failures. The Pharisees prided themselves on tithing the tiniest herbs, like mint, dill, and cumin. They advertised their piety by their dress and tried to direct the nation. Surely, if our actions are to be in harmony with Jesus' example, we must avoid the tendency of always looking for and highlighting the flaws in others.
Note: The Watch Tower theology says that Jehovah's Witnesses must be well dressed.
6/01/01 Watchtower Magazine, page 6: When the interview was aired on BBC television, the reporter concluded the program by saying: "I've learned a lot more about why Jehovah's Witnesses come knocking on our door. And I don't think I've seen 25,000 people so well dressed and so well behaved all together in one place at the same time." Fine testimony indeed from an outside observer to the wisdom of abiding by God's unchangeable standards!
Page 20: Essentially, people felt refreshed by Jesus, uplifted and encouraged. Where God's Law was definite, it meant what it said. If it seemed general, their conscience would come more into play and they could show their love for God by their decisions. The Law gave them room to live and breathe. (Mark 2:27, 28)
Correction: True Christians live for Jesus Christ and are justified by faith not works of the law.
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Correction: Jesus Christ has delivered true Christians from the law.
Romans 7:6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Correction: True Christians have attained righteousness through sincere belief in Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Page 20: Moreover, many were deeply impressed with the importance of remaining in union with Christ and adopting the spirit he showed. He told his disciples: "Just as the Father has loved me and I have loved you, remain in my love. If you observe my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love."
Correction: True Christians are dependent upon Jesus Christ.
John 15:4-6 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."
Note: A vine and branches are not equals. Is Jesus Christ your Lord?
Page 20: If they were to be successful as ministers and servants of God, they would have to apply diligently what they had learned from Jesus, both in preaching and teaching publicly about God's wonderful good news and in dealing with family and friends. As the brotherhood grew into congregations, they would time and again need to remind themselves that his way was the right way. What he taught was the truth, and the life they had observed embodied in him was truly the life to aspire to. - John 14:6; Ephesians 4:20, 21.
Correction: Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.
Ephesians 4:20-24 But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Page 20: As you now reflect on some of the things we have been discussing, do you see ways in which to improve? Do you agree that Jesus always thought, taught, and acted appropriately? Then, take heart. His encouraging words to us are: "If you know these things, happy you are if you do them." - John 13:17.
Correction: True Christians are dependent upon Jesus Christ. Is Jesus Christ your Lord?
John 13:13 "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am."
Page 21: A MOB seize a defenseless man and begin beating him. They think that he deserves to die. Just when that outcome seems certain, soldiers appear and with difficulty snatch the victim from the violent crowd. The man is the apostle Paul. His attackers are Jews who vehemently object to Paul's preaching and accuse him of defiling the temple.
Note: Would you object to the preaching of Jesus Christ?
Acts 22:8 "So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord (Jehovah)?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'"
Page 22: At that point Paul revealed his Roman citizenship. An uncondemned Roman could not be scourged, so Paul's assertion of his rights had an immediate effect. Abusing or punishing a Roman citizen could cost a Roman officer his post. Understandably, from then on, Paul was treated as an unusual prisoner, one who could receive visitors. - Acts 22:25-29; 23:16, 17.
Note: Would you use your citizenship to preach Jesus Christ?
Acts 23:11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome."
Page 23: Paul defended himself point by point. 'I have caused no disturbance. True, I belong to what they call a "sect," but this implies observance of Jewish precepts. Certain Asian Jews provoked the riot. If they have a complaint, they should be here to make it.' Paul essentially reduced the charges to a religious dispute among Jews, over which Rome had little competence. Wary of rankling already restive Jews, Felix adjourned, effectively forcing a judicial stalemate. Paul was not delivered to the Jews, who claimed competence, nor was he judged by Roman law, nor was he freed. Felix could not be compelled to pass judgment, and in addition to wanting to curry favor with the Jews, he had another motive for delay - he hoped that Paul would bride him.
Note: Would you use every opportunity to preach Jesus Christ?
Acts 24:24 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
Page 23: There the Jews asserted that Paul "ought not to live any longer," yet they presented no evidence, and Festus perceived that Paul had done nothing deserving of death. "They simply had certain disputes with him concerning their own worship of the deity and concerning a certain Jesus who was dead but who Paul kept asserting was alive," Festus explained to another official.
Note: Would you use every opportunity to preach Jesus Christ?
Acts 25:18-19 "When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive."
Page 24: Festus was glad to get rid of Paul. As he admitted to Herod Agrippa II some days later, the case perplexed him. Festus then had to compose a statement of the case for the emperor, but for Festus, the charges involved incomprehensible complexities of Jewish law. Agrippa, however, was an expert in such matters, so when he expressed an interest, he was at once asked to help draft the letter. Unable to grasp Paul's subsequent exposition before Agrippa, Festus exclaimed: "You are going mad, Paul! Great learning is driving you into madness!" But Agrippa understood perfectly well. "In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian," he said. Whatever they felt about Paul's arguments, Festus and Agrippa agreed that Paul was innocent and could have been released had he not appealed to Caesar. - Acts 25:13-27; 26:24-32.
Note: Would you use every opportunity to preach Jesus Christ?
Acts 26:23 "that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."
Page 24: On arriving in Rome, Paul summoned the principal men of the Jews not only to preach to them but also to see what they knew of his prosecutors' intentions. It was not uncommon for the authorities in Jerusalem to seek the help of Roman Jews in the prosecution of a case, but Paul heard that they had no instructions about him. Pending trial, Paul was allowed to rent a house and to preach freely. Such leniency might have meant that in Roman eyes, Paul was an innocent man. - Acts 28:17-31.
Note: Would you use every opportunity to preach Jesus Christ?
Acts 28:30-31 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.
Page 24: Opponents of truth have long 'framed mischief by law' to hinder the Christian preaching work. This should not surprise us. Jesus said: "If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also." (Psalm 94:20, King James Version; John 15:20)
Note: True Christians will suffer for the name of Jesus Christ.
John 15:21 "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me."
Page 24: Yet, Jesus also guarantees us freedom to tell the whole world the good news. (Matthew 24:14) Thus, just as the apostle Paul resisted persecution and opposition, Jehovah's Witnesses today 'defend and legally establish the good news.' - Philippians 1:7.
Note: True Christians will suffer for the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake."
Note: Would you use every opportunity to preach Jesus Christ?
Philippians 1:18 Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
Page 25: The chairman of the program was Theodore Jaracz, a graduate of the seventh class of Gilead School, who now serves as a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. His opening remarks highlighted the fact that as an organization, we have never lost sight of the objective of training students at Gilead, namely to preach the good news of the Kingdom in all the inhabited earth. (Mark 13:10)
Note: Theodore Jaracz is a organizational man not a Christian.
Mark 13:13 "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."
Page 27: John E. Barr, who serves on the Governing Body, gave the principal talk of the day, entitled "Sing to Jehovah a New Song." (Isaiah 42:10) Brother Barr pointed out that the expression "a new song" appears in the Bible nine times. He asked the question, "What is this new song all about?"
Answer: True Christians will sing praises to Jesus Christ in heaven.
Revelation 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."