Loving Attitude Overcomes Opposition

◆ A young man in the Philippine Islands became the only one in his family to accept the truth about God’s kingdom. When he became one of Jehovah’s witnesses, he soon faced severe opposition from his wife. He stated: “The opposition was so fierce at times that I felt I could not go on, but I was strengthened by scriptures such as Romans 12:21: ‘Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good.’

“After my dedication and baptism my wife’s hatred of the Bible truths as taught by the Witnesses became more intense. When she saw me regularly attending congregational meetings and sharing in ministerial activity, she told me that if I did not stop attending the meetings she would go to the Kingdom Hall and cause a scene in front of all the other Witnesses to embarrass me. Still I did not retaliate or get angry but showed a loving attitude and continued my service to Jehovah.

“During the next few months my wife did her best to hinder my ministerial work. She refused to wash and iron my clothes or to prepare my food when I was going out in the field ministry. Instead of repaying her in the same way, I remembered the scripture in Romans and showed her even more loving consideration than ever before. I helped her in home duties and did not complain when I had to prepare my own food and clothes. As a result of this loving attitude, she began to realize that I was practicing right Christian conduct and she changed her entire attitude. Now she cooperates in helping me prepare for meetings and is happy that I am serving Jehovah. You can imagine my joy at this time to see her studying the Bible along with me.”

Questions From Readers

● In speaking of Jehovah God, Psalm 104:3 says: “The One building his upper chambers with beams in the very waters, making the clouds his chariot.” How can God be said to be building in “the very waters”?

Psalm 104:3, together with its context, has reference to things above; that is, to things higher than the earth and which are in the heavens. Hence this verse speaks of Jehovah as building his upper chambers with beams. These may be said to be in the very waters, inasmuch as the clouds that bear water float about in the upper atmospheric regions or in Jehovah’s upper chambers, as compared with man away down on the earth. Thus it is added in poetic language that Jehovah makes the clouds his chariot upon which to ride.

● How can it be said that God’s visible organization was made strictly theocratic or was fully theocratic in structure by 1938, when there are revisions and changes from time to time in organization instructions?

First of all, we must recognize what is meant when we say God’s visible organization was made strictly or fully theocratic. The term “theocracy” means “God rule” or “rule by God.” Therefore, if an organization is to be fully theocratic it must be directed and controlled altogether by God or by the forces that he operates. Of course, Jehovah was directing his organization before 1938, and it was accomplishing his purpose for that time, but he allowed his servants considerable latitude as to the control of the organization, even permitting them to elect by democratic vote those who would serve as their representatives. However, this was not the way the early congregation operated in the days of the apostles. It was the apostles themselves, not the congregation, who made appointments to service positions and it was through the apostles that the active force of God was transmitted. (Acts 14:23; 19:6) Also, it was the governing body of the apostles and older men at Jerusalem, moved by God’s spirit, who made decisions as to how the congregations were to conduct themselves. (Acts 15:28) So, after Jehovah came to his temple in 1918, he began to restore this fully theocratic arrangement and to put into effect stricter controls on the visible organization. It was a gradual process; so it was not until 1932 that the untheocratic, democratic method