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What City Is Christianity’s Center?The Watchtower—1966 | February 1
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are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one person in union with Christ Jesus. Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s seed, heirs with reference to a promise.” (Gal. 3:26-29) Yes, they have come to spiritual, heavenly Zion for the truth that sets men free and as the city where the Center of their worship exists.
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What Is a Christian’s Responsibility to the Needy and the Sick?The Watchtower—1966 | February 1
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What Is a Christian’s Responsibility to the Needy and the Sick?
GENEROSITY toward needy persons is a fine expression of the godly quality of love. It was such generosity that John the Baptist urged when he said: “Let the man that has two undergarments share with the man that has none, and let him that has things to eat do the same.” (Luke 3:11) This unselfish action would be one way to demonstrate love for neighbor as God commanded the Israelites: “You must love your fellow as yourself.”—Lev. 19:18.
In the law that God gave to the nation of Israel he made it clear that the poor among them were not to be callously neglected or treated unkindly. He told his people: “In case some one of your brothers becomes poor among you in one of your cities, in your land that Jehovah your God is giving you, you must not harden your heart or be closefisted toward your poor brother. For you should generously open your hand to him and by all means lend him on pledge as much as he needs, which he is in want of.”—Deut. 15:7, 8.
Love is thus revealed in God’s viewpoint of needy persons. As he has generously opened his hand in providing for the needs of mankind, so his people were to open their hands generously to help needy persons among them. This provision was to help a fellow Israelite that suffered some adversity or that had a temporary setback.
Unfair advantage was not to be taken of a needy person by requiring him to pay interest on what was given him as aid, for that would not be opening their hands generously. In this regard God’s instructions were: “In case your brother grows poor and so he is financially weak alongside you, you must also sustain him. As an alien resident and a settler, he must keep alive with you. You must not give him your money on interest, and you must not give your food out on usury.” (Lev. 25:35, 37) To charge interest under such circumstances would not help him but would be selfishly taking advantage of his situation.
Although Jehovah’s instructions to the Israelites pertained to fellow Israelites in need, what he inspired to be written in the Proverbs reveals that the quality
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