or ordained to preach the good news of the Kingdom to all nations. By the sanctifying power of the holy spirit they were made “saints” or holy ones, “a holy nation.”—Acts 2:1-38; Rom. 8:15-17;1 John 2:20, 27; 1 Pet. 2:9.

ORGANIZING THE CONGREGATION ON THE ROCK-MASS

22. When did Jesus begin building his congregation upon the rock-mass, and whom did he use as secondary foundations?

²² On that Pentecostal day of baptizing his followers on earth with holy spirit Jesus began building his congregation on himself as the rock-mass (petra). Long before then Jehovah had used the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel) to be the foundations of the nation of Israel, composed of twelve tribes. (Gen. 49:1, 2, 28) Copying that as a type, Jesus Christ used his twelve faithful apostles as secondary foundations built upon himself. He pictured his congregation as a city with twelve foundations: “The wall of the city also had twelve foundation stones, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” (Rev. 21:14) But to show that the glorified Jesus in heaven is the all-supporting foundation, the apostle Paul said to the congregation: “You are fellow citizens of the holy ones and are members of the household of God, and you have been built up upon the foundation of the apostles and [Christian] prophets, while Christ Jesus himself is the foundation cornerstone. In union with him the whole building, being harmoniously joined together, is growing into a holy temple for Jehovah. In union with him you, too, are being built up together into a place for God to inhabit by spirit.”—Eph. 2:19-22.

(To be continued)

Pursuing My Purpose in Life

As told by C. D. Leathco

IT WAS late in the summer of 1934. Near Ashland, Oregon, a slim, white-haired lady past seventy years of age descended from a big gray interurban bus. Her arm straightened under the weight of a square black book bag. As she called from house to house her course led to our home; but before she had time to reach the door mother swung it open and invited her in. The neighbors had been talking, and mother was curious. Some had laughed and made fun of the strange message, but mother listened intently and took a subscription for The Watchtower.

Mother’s curiosity had paved the way, and regularly she read the magazine to me as I went off to sleep at night. About a year later, in 1935, I listened to a radio broadcast by J. F. Rutherford from Washington, D.C. How stimulating it was to hear of the earthly blessings in store for the “great multitude”! I began to see the need of making a dedication and getting baptized. After having symbolized my dedication by water immersion, I worked hard as a sixty-hour-a-month publisher.

When the circuit servant visited us he was accompanied by his pioneer family. They all lived and talked the pioneer service. It was just what I needed. With their example and encouragement, I decided to