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The Bible’s Unity as a BookThe Watchtower—1959 | July 15
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find its explanation, it compels us to go behind the fragmentariness of its parts, to the underlying unity of thought and purpose of the whole. The unity of the Bible is not something factitious—made. . . . Bible history is not a mere record of happenings but evinces design, purpose, a goal, indicating a Divine mind in back of it.”
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Questions From ReadersThe Watchtower—1959 | July 15
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Questions From Readers
● At Genesis 3:1 the American Standard Version and other translations say that the serpent was “more subtle” than any beast of the field. Why does the New World Translation say the serpent proved to be “the most cautious”?—S. R., U.S.A.
The New World Translation is in harmony with the facts as well as in harmony with Jesus’ statement at Matthew 10:16 in which he advises his disciples to be not only innocent as doves but also cautious as serpents. The Greek word that Jesus used was phrónimos. On this scripture the book published in German in Zurich, Switzerland, and entitled “Kleine Lichter,” meaning, “Little Lights,” by Ludwig Koehler, the Hebrew lexicographer, has the following to say on pages 78 and 79 under the subheading ‘Cautious Serpents’:
“On what peculiarity of serpents does Jesus think? What is the characteristic of serpents? To all serpents it is peculiar that they are cautious. Anyone, himself, can observe this when he encounters a serpent and every description of serpents verifies this. As soon as the serpent perceives the step of an approaching man he glides away. The serpent is cautious. In Greek this can quite well be expressed with the word ‘phronimos’ for in this cautiousness, watchfulness, the serpent reveals the possession and use of its phrenes. So, also, a person understands the instruction of Jesus. The disciples must work like sheep among wolves. In addition to that they use the artlessness of doves, but also the caution and watchfulness of serpents.”
In harmony with Jesus’ instruction to his disciples, the description of the serpent or snake in Genesis 3:1 must be rendered. Certainly Dr. Koehler, who is the co-author of the Lexicon on the Books of the Old Testament in Hebrew and Aramaic, should know what he is talking about. In harmony with his suggestions, the New World Bible Translation renders the appropriate Hebrew words at Genesis 3:1 as “cautious,” to agree with Jesus.
In Genesis 3:1 the Bible was not referring to Satan the Devil, who is indeed subtle and crafty. It was referring to the literal snake on the ground, which was merely the creature instrumentality used by the invisible Satan the Devil to deceive Eve. The serpent’s shyness and cautiousness led Eve to believe that the animal would be careful about making a mistake or running into trouble. So if the serpent said that the forbidden fruit was good to eat, without penalties attached, Eve felt that she could well believe the creature. The creature’s carefulness, cautiousness, shyness, helped to make an impression upon Eve and make her imagine that the Serpent was right.
In referring to the cautiousness of the serpent, which it had from its beginning there in the garden of Eden, the Lord Jesus Christ was instructing his disciples to exercise a proper trait in the carrying on of the Christian ministry. He was not instructing them to act in a subtle manner like Satan the Devil to cover up their tracks and intentions and stratagems for the purpose of working injury irreparably to an innocent victim. The serpent became a symbol of Satan the Devil only when God cursed it because of the use that the adversary had made of this shy, cautious animal to bring about the fall of mankind into disobedience and sin toward man’s Creator, Jehovah God.
● Is it proper for a brother to conduct the funeral service of an individual who was never associated with Jehovah’s witnesses and who committed suicide?—K. L., U.S.A.
This all depends on the conscientious attitude of the brother in the truth who may be requested to perform the funeral service. If his conscience revolts against the thought because of self-murder, then he should not violate his conscience by performing the ceremony. If another
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