effort to break their integrity to God.—1 Cor. 7:5; 2 Cor. 2:11; 12:7; compare Luke 4:1-13.

Against false teachings

The apostle Paul also spoke of a warfare that he and his associates were waging, in carrying out their commission as those appointed to care for the Christian congregation. The congregation at Corinth had been wrongly influenced by presumptuous men called by Paul “false apostles” who, by giving undue attention to personalities, had caused divisions, sects, in the congregation. (2 Cor. 11:13-15) They became, in effect, followers of men such as Apollos, Paul, Cephas and others. (1 Cor. 1:11, 12) The members of the congregation lost the spiritual viewpoint, that these men were merely representatives of Christ, unitedly serving the same purpose. They became fleshly. (1 Cor. 3:1-9) They viewed men in the congregation ‘according to what they were in the flesh,’ their appearance, natural abilities, personalities, and so forth, instead of regarding them as spiritual men. They failed to recognize that God’s spirit was operating in the congregation, and that men such as Paul, Peter and Apollos were accomplishing what they did by God’s spirit, for His glory.

Therefore Paul was impelled to write them: “Indeed I beg that, when present, I may not use boldness with that confidence with which I am counting on taking bold measures against some who appraise us as if we walked according to what we are in the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage warfare according to what we are in the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful by God for overturning strongly entrenched things. For we are overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God; and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ.”—2 Cor. 10:2-5.

Paul wrote to Timothy, whom he had left in Ephesus to care for the congregation there: “This mandate I commit to you, child, Timothy, in accord with the predictions that led directly on to you, that by these you may go on waging the fine warfare; holding faith and a good conscience.” (1 Tim. 1:18, 19) Timothy not only had before him the conflict because of sinful flesh, and the opposition of the enemies of the truth, but he also had to wage warfare against the infiltration of false doctrine and those who would corrupt the congregation. (1 Tim. 1:3-7; 4:6, 11-16) This would fortify the congregation against the apostasy that Paul knew would occur after the apostles passed off the scene. (2 Tim. 4:3-5) So it was a real fight that Timothy had to wage.

Paul was able to say to Timothy: “I have fought the fine fight, I have run the course to the finish, I have observed the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7) Paul had maintained his faithfulness to Jehovah and Jesus Christ by right conduct and service against opposition, suffering and persecution. (2 Cor. 11:23-28) He had additionally discharged the responsibility of his office as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, fighting the war to keep the Christian congregation clean and spotless, as a chaste virgin, and as “a pillar and support of the truth.”—1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Cor. 4:1, 2; 2 Cor. 11:2, 29; compare 2 Timothy 2:3, 4.

God’s material support of the Christian

In the warfare of the Christian, God views the Christian as his soldier, and therefore provides him with the necessary material things. The apostle argues, with regard to the authority of one serving as a minister to others: “Who is it that ever serves as a soldier at his own expense?”—1 Cor. 9:7.

CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE TOWARD THE WARS OF THE NATIONS

Christians have always maintained strict neutrality as to fleshly warfare between nations, groups or factions of any kind. (John 18:36; 1 Cor. 5:1, 13; Eph. 6:12) For examples of the attitude of the early Christians in this respect, see ARMY (Early Christians).

OTHER USES

In the song of Barak and Deborah, after the victory over the army of Jabin, king of Canaan, a circumstance is recalled that sets forth a principle: “They [Israel] proceeded to choose new gods. It was then there was war in the gates.” (Judg. 5:8) As soon as they forsook God for false worship, trouble came, with the enemy pressing at the very gates of their cities. This is in harmony with the psalmist’s declaration: “Unless Jehovah himself guards the city, it is to no avail that the guard has kept awake.”—Ps. 127:1.

At Ecclesiastes 8:8, Solomon wrote: “There is no man having power over the spirit to restrain the spirit; . . . nor is there any discharge in the war.” In the day of death the dying person cannot restrain the spirit or force of life and keep it from returning to God the Giver and Source, so as to live longer. Dying humans cannot control the day of death and prevent it from ever reaching them. They cannot, by any human efforts, be discharged from the war that the enemy Death wages against all mankind without exception. Sinful man cannot get some other sinful man to substitute for him in death and thus enjoy a furlough from Death. (Ps. 49:6-9) Only through Jehovah’s undeserved kindness by means of Jesus Christ is relief possible, for: “Just as sin ruled as king with death, likewise also undeserved kindness might rule as king through righteousness with everlasting life in view through Jesus Christ our Lord.”—Rom. 5:21.

WAR CLUB

See ARMS, ARMOR.

WARP

In weaving, the group of threads running the length of the fabric is called the warp. The set woven alternately over and under these at right angles across the cloth constitutes the woof. When Israel’s priests tested woven materials for leprosy, they inspected both the warp and the woof.—Lev. 13:47-59; see LEPROSY; WEAVING.

Upon completing the cloth, the weaver cuts across the warp threads, removing the material and leaving the “thrums” or ends of the warp threads fastened to the loom. King Hezekiah alluded to this in recalling his severe illness when he thought that God, apparently, was about to cut short his life, cutting Hezekiah off “from the very threads of the warp” in untimely death.—Isa. 38:9-12.

WARS OF JEHOVAH, BOOK OF THE

See BOOK.

WASHING OF FEET

In the generally warm climate of the ancient Middle East where persons customarily wore open sandals, walked on dry soil and traveled on foot along dusty roads, the Oriental gesture of washing the feet was a welcome and hospitable act that often preceded the eating of a meal. In the average home of the common people, the host provided needed vessels and water and visitors washed their own feet. (Judg. 19:21) A wealthier host usually had his slave do the foot washing, and this was considered a menial task. Abigail indicated her willingness to comply with David’s wish that she become his wife by saying: “Here is your slave girl as a maidservant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” (1 Sam. 25:40-42) Especially was it a display of humility and affectionate regard for guests if the host or hostess personally washed the visitors’ feet.

Foot washing was not only a host’s gesture of hospitality toward his guest (2 Sam. 11:8), but the feet were also customarily washed before retiring to bed. (Song of Sol. 5:3) Especially noteworthy was the requirement that Levite priests wash their feet and hands before going into the tabernacle or before officiating at the altar.—Ex. 30:17-21; 40:30-32.

When Jesus Christ was on earth, a host might offer his guest water for washing the feet, give him a