Prove what is true and hold it fast. Separate the straw from the wheat. Identify the wine that has been adulterated. Settle out the muddying, beclouding falsehoods so that only clear waters of truth remain. By studying the Bible, learning the truth, associating with Jehovah’s people, and serving and praising your Creator, “taste and see that Jehovah is good.” Turn a hearing ear to Jehovah’s invitation: “Ho! everyone that is thirsty, come to the waters, and he that has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy grain without money, and wine and milk without price! Why should you spend money for what is not bread, and your earnings for what does not satisfy? If you but listen to me, you shall eat what is good, and shall delight yourselves with rich nourishment.” Rather than be undernourished by and eventually die with false religions, be spiritually strong with the right religion. “Choose life in order that you may keep alive, you and your offspring, by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to his voice and by sticking to him, for he is your life and the length of your days.”—Ps. 34:8, AS; Isa. 55:1, 2, AT; Deut. 30:19, 20, NW.

Questions From Readers

● Paul said that one Christian brother should not go to court against another Christian brother, but should take the case to mature ones of the congregation for decision. But what if one is defrauding another so as to bring extreme hardship upon the victim, yet the offender will not abide by the decision of the congregational representatives?—G. S., United States.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Does any one of you that has a case against the other dare to go to court before unrighteous men, and not before the holy ones? Or do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you unfit to try very trivial matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? Why, then, not things of this life? If, then, you do have matters of this life to be tried, is it the men looked down upon in the congregation that you put in as judges? I am speaking to move you to shame. Is it true that there is not one wise man among you that will be able to judge between his brothers, but brother goes to court with brother, and that before unbelievers? Really, then, it means altogether a defeat for you that you are having lawsuits with one another. Why do you not rather let yourselves be wronged? Why do you not rather let yourselves be defrauded? To the contrary, you wrong and defraud, and your brothers at that.”—1 Cor. 6:1-8, NW.

If Christian brothers are in a controversy over financial matters that are of such serious proportions that a lawsuit might be considered, they should take their difficulty to mature brothers of the congregation for a judgment between them rather than go to a worldly court and let the world see them squabbling over money matters. That would hurt the reputation of the Christian organization, publicly airing such matters and indicating to the world that the Christian spirit is not present. Rather than bring such reproach upon the organization, Paul argues that it would be better to be defrauded. If brothers are going to judge the world and angels, when associated with Christ Jesus in heaven, can they not judge trivial matters among themselves, without having to call in unbelievers, men looked down upon by the congregation, to settle their difficulties? To have to go out into the world and get such men to judge matters instead of settling it within the congregation would certainly be a mocking defeat for the congregation. Better to be defrauded than let that happen!

But suppose the case has been brought before the representatives of the congregation and one of the disputants has been definitely proved in the wrong, shown guilty of working an injurious fraud against a brother, and yet this guilty one will not accept the decision of the congregation and will not repay the amount taken? When the evidence is clear and convincing the congregation cannot ignore it, but