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Avoid the PitfallsThe Watchtower—1961 | September 1
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beware lest we too should develop “a wicked heart lacking faith by drawing away from the living God.” Later on, addressing those who had already “endured a great contest under sufferings,” he makes the appeal: “Do not, therefore, throw away your freeness of speech, which has a great reward to be paid it.” Then again, drawing on the experience of the Israelites, he advises of the sad result “if we turn away from him who speaks from the heavens.” Finally, after a grand word telling why Jesus Christ holds his position, because he “is the same yesterday and today, and forever,” he warns: “Do not be carried away with various and strange teachings; for it is right for the heart to be given firmness by undeserved kindness.” These are worthwhile expressions to keep in mind concerning things against which we should fortify ourselves. Do not gradually drift away or, through lack of faith, draw away from the living God or turn away from listening to him. Do not throw away your freeness of speech on behalf of the truth or get carried away with strange teachings contrary to the truth.—Heb. 2:1; 3:10-12; 10:32, 35; 12:25; 13:8, 9.
16. What positive exhortation is given to help us hold our position?
16 On the positive and constructive side Paul exhorts us who belong to the house over which the Son, Christ Jesus, is the head, to “make fast our hold on our freeness of speech and our exultation over the hope firm to the end,” and to “make fast our hold on the confidence we had at the beginning firm to the end.” After telling of the merciful provisions made through Jesus, the “great priest over the house of God,” he says: “Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that promised.” He is confident we are “not the kind that shrink back to destruction, but the kind that have faith to the preserving alive of the soul.” Finally, after a fitting reminder that the kingdom which we serve is one which “cannot be shaken,” he beautifully summarizes the essential attitude and course of action to be maintained if we are to hold our position before the Son of man, when he says: “Let us continue to have undeserved kindness, through which we may acceptably render God sacred service with godly fear and awe.”—Heb. 3:6, 14; 10:21, 23, 39; 12:28.
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Matthew, Mark or John?The Watchtower—1961 | September 1
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Matthew, Mark or John?
It happens at times that a Bible society must make a choice as to which book of the Bible it will first translate into a new tongue. In such a case it might seem that of all sixty-six books of the Bible the Gospel of Matthew would be the first choice. But not so. Usually there is another consideration, that of convenience. Thus Mark’s Gospel is the first choice in most of such instances because of its simplicity and brevity. The Gospel of John, however, is the Bible book having the widest distribution, it being the most popular.
In this regard it may be observed that of the 1,165 languages into which the Bible is translated, 221 are of the complete Bible, 277 of the Christian Greek Scriptures, and the rest, 667, of one or more Bible books.
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