Questions From Readers
● The Commentary on the Letter of James, on page 47, states: “Besides being the God of Christians, Jehovah is also their Father, for he has begotten them by means of his spirit to be his sons.” And the question on page 57 relating to this reads: “How is God also the Father to Christians?” Does this mean that all dedicated and baptized Christians have been begotten by God’s holy spirit to be his sons?
No, this is not the thought that should be gathered from this, as though we now had a change of understanding in this matter. Such a change would nullify the Scriptural teaching as to two separate destinies for those gaining salvation, a heavenly one and an earthly one. Rather, the Commentary takes it for granted that the student reading James 1:1 and the comments made on the expression in that verse “to the twelve tribes” (see pages 12 and 13) would appreciate that the restrictive number of those making up spiritual Israel are begotten by means of God’s spirit to be his sons.—Gal. 6:16; Rev. 14:1.
To avoid ambiguity, the Commentary could have inserted the word “anointed” in this sentence on the bottom of page 47. Thus it could have read: “Besides being the God of anointed Christians, Jehovah is also their Father, for he has begotten them by means of his spirit to be his sons.” Then the question on page 57 on this portion could have read: “How is God also the Father of anointed Christians?”
Christendom, with its beliefs that man has an immortal soul, that at death all go to either heaven or hell (or, purgatory) and that someday the earth will be destroyed by fire, does not allow for an earthly destiny for any of God’s faithful servants. But those who have a clear understanding of Jehovah’s purposes regarding the earth and man are convinced that someday there will be an earthwide paradise peopled by faithful human servants of God.
In this regard it might also be observed that Jehovah God, while being the Father in a unique way to spirit-begotten, anointed Christians (Rom. 8:14-17; 1 John 3:2), is also spoken of in the Scriptures as the Father of those whose destiny will be earthly. Thus Isaiah 63:16 reads: “For you are our Father; although Abraham himself may not have known us and Israel himself may not recognize us, you, O Jehovah, are our Father.” Therefore all the “great crowd” of “other sheep” may rightly pray: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.”—Matt. 6:9; John 10:16; Rev. 7:9.