principles of God’s Word. We must show a high regard for the weaker consciences of some of our less mature brothers in the faith. But we must not let the defiled and faithless consciences of worldlings be our guides, nor allow them to turn us from rightdoing. To hold to our godly conscience may call for fortitude, but that will be agreeable to us and to God: “If someone because of conscience toward God bears up under afflictions and suffers unjustly, this is an agreeable thing.” (1 Pet. 2:19, NW) At all times and under all circumstances, “Hold a good conscience.”—1 Pet. 3:16, NW.

The Memorial—Are You Entitled to Partake?

Every year early in the northern spring the nations have witnessed the celebration of religious meals by certain systems of belief and which seem to be related. This year the Jews eat their passover meal Wednesday night, April 9, and the Roman Catholics and Protestants celebrate Good Friday on April 11, whereas the Greek Catholic systems celebrate on the following Friday, April 18.

The thousands of companies of Jehovah’s witnesses throughout the earth in 121 lands celebrate the supper memorializing Christ’s death Thursday night, April 10. The reason that the Jewish celebration and professed Christian celebrations are so close as to time is that the meal for memorializing Christ’s death was instituted on the passover night, right after Jesus and his faithful apostles had partaken of the passover supper, as they were all Jews by nature. There Jesus Christ gave out instructions for his followers to celebrate yearly on that anniversary date. Jehovah’s witnesses strictly obey his instructions, celebrating the memorial meal on the anniversary date, namely, the 14th day of the Jewish month Nisan, whereas the Catholic and Protestant sects hold a celebration on the day of the week, Friday, nearest to Nisan 14, Friday being the day he was nailed to the stake on Calvary to die a martyr’s death.

“First let a man approve himself after scrutiny, and thus let him eat of the loaf and drink of the Cup.”—1 Cor. 11:28, NW.

 1, 2. What is here the question, and what did Paul say for our advice?

TO PARTAKE or not to partake—that is the question. Catholic or Protestant, Christian or not Christian, you must decide the answer to this question respecting the Lord’s Memorial evening meal. Here is what the apostle Paul says for the advice of us all:

² “I received from the Lord that which I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf and, after giving thanks, he broke it and said: ‘This means my body which is in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.’ He did likewise respecting the cup also, after he had the evening meal, saying: ‘This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood. Keep doing this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives. Consequently, whoever eats the loaf and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty respecting the body and the blood of the Lord. First let a man approve himself after scrutiny, and thus let him eat of the loaf and drink of the cup. For he that eats and drinks eats and drinks judgment against himself if he does not discern the