Our Magazines—Designed to Have Wide Appeal
1. How does the faithful and discreet slave class imitate the apostle Paul?
1 Just as the apostle Paul adapted the way he presented the good news in order to gain “people of all sorts,” the faithful and discreet slave class uses our journals to reach people of different backgrounds and beliefs. (1 Cor. 9:22, 23) So that we can make good use of The Watchtower and Awake! we do well to keep in mind the intended readership of these magazines.
2. Awake! is designed to appeal to whom?
2 Awake!: This journal is aimed at reaching the same type of people as the apostle Paul spoke to when addressing the “men of Athens.” (Acts 17:22) Those men had a non-Christian background, and they had little understanding of the Scriptures. Likewise, the readership for which Awake! is designed has little or no knowledge of the Bible. They may know nothing about Christian teachings, they may be somewhat distrustful of religion, or they may be unaware that the Bible has practical value. A primary objective of Awake! is to convince its readers that the true God exists. The aim of this journal is also to build faith in the Bible and help the reader to understand that Jehovah’s Witnesses are different from other religious groups.
3. What is the intended readership of each edition of The Watchtower?
3 The Watchtower: The intended readership of the public edition of this journal has a measure of respect for God and for the Scriptures. They have some knowledge of the Bible but do not understand its teachings accurately. They are similar to the audience Paul referred to as those who “fear God.” (Acts 13:14-16) The study edition of The Watchtower is written primarily for Jehovah’s Witnesses. Paul assumed that those who read his letters were familiar with the Scriptures and had an accurate knowledge of truth. (1 Cor. 1:1, 2) Likewise, articles in the study edition are written for those who attend our meetings and are familiar with Witness terms and concepts.
4. Why should we become familiar with each issue of the magazines we use in the field?
4 Although we normally offer the magazines as a set, we usually feature only one of them in our presentation. Therefore, make it your goal to be familiar with each issue. Then you will be in the best position to feature what will appeal to those you meet.