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The World—God’s Field of WorkThe Watchtower—1964 | January 15
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present period of time to gain life in the coming system of things. Jesus told his apostles who had left all to follow him: “No one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news who will not get a hundredfold now in this period of time [this kairós], houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, with persecutions, and in the coming system of things [aión] everlasting life.” (Mark 10:29, 30; Luke 18:29, 30) That life will be in association with Jesus Christ, who will then have a position and name above all other creatures. In that regard the apostle Paul says of Jesus:
32 God “raised him up from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above every government and authority and power and lordship and every name named, not only in this system of things, but also in that to come.”—Eph. 1:19-21.
33. To whom can we give glory for this coming system of things?
33 For the providing of this wonderful coming new system of things under Christ, we have Jehovah God to thank, for he has made this his eternal purpose. We can join the apostle Paul in ascribing glory to this wonderful, loving God, in these words: “Now to the one who can, according to his power which is operating in us, do more than superabundantly beyond all the things we ask or conceive, to him be the glory by means of the congregation and by means of Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever [literally, of the age of the ages]. Amen.”—Eph. 3:11, 20, 21.
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Why God’s Field Will Be ProductiveThe Watchtower—1964 | January 15
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Why God’s Field Will Be Productive
1. What other Greek word now comes in for discussion, and how frequently is it used in the Christian Greek Scriptures?
WITH now a more correct appreciation of the word aión used by the inspired writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures, we can better distinguish between that word and the other Greek word that we have under study, namely, kósmos. This word is used 187 times by the inspired writers, mainly by the apostle John, and in every case the King James Version translates it as “world” except in one case, namely, in 1 Peter 3:3, where kósmos is translated “adorning.” The same thing is true with the New World Translation: 186 times it renders kósmos by the English word “world,” and once, in 1 Peter 3:3, “adornment.” Hence the word cosmetic (kosmétikos).
2. Why is the expression “new kósmos” never used in the inspired Scriptures?
2 It is interesting to note that the inspired writers speak of new heavens and a new earth and New Jerusalem, but they never use the expression new kósmos. The reason for this dawns upon us when we discern that in the Bible the word kósmos implicates or revolves around the human family, the race of mankind, the people,
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