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Serve Loyally as “Fellow Workers in the Truth”The Watchtower—1983 | April 1
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who have borne witness to your love before the congregation. These you will please send on their way in a manner worthy of God. For it was in behalf of his name that they went forth, not taking anything from the people of the nations.
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Serve Loyally as “Fellow Workers in the Truth”The Watchtower—1983 | April 1
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12. (a) In what manner were the traveling Christians to be sent on their way? (b) In behalf of whose name had these brothers gone forth? (c) What contrast is there between the way the faithful brothers and the apostates should be treated?
12 The apostle urged Gaius to send the traveling Christians on their way “in a manner worthy of God,” in whose service they were exerting themselves. They should be furnished with such things as food and funds for their journey. (Titus 3:13) These brothers should be assisted because they had gone forth in behalf of “the name,” according to the Greek text. Here John apparently meant God’s peerless name, Jehovah, since he urged that they be sent on their way “in a manner worthy of God.” (Compare New World Translation; Kingdom Interlinear Translation; RS.) Although traveling apostate teachers were not to be received hospitably, these faithful visiting brothers deserved to be treated as loyal witnesses of Jehovah God and his Son.—Isaiah 43:10-12; Acts 1:6-8; 2 John 9-11.
13. (a) The fact that the Christian travelers were “not taking anything from the people of the nations” meant what? (b) So how could others become “fellow workers in the truth”?
13 The hardworking Christian travelers were “not taking anything from the people of the nations.” Like the apostle Paul, they evidently wanted to “furnish the good news without cost” by not placing a financial burden on those to whom they were preaching the truth. (1 Corinthians 9:18; 2 Corinthians 11:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:9)
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