12. What counsel once published in this journal will help an elder to avoid the misuse of the tongue?

¹² Guard your trust as an elder, too, by avoiding pitfalls. One of these is misuse of the tongue as a teacher. The need for caution in this regard has long been emphasized by Jehovah’s organization. For example, in its issue of May 15, 1897, this journal discussed James 3:1-13 and said especially of elders: “If they possess an eloquent tongue it may be a channel for a great blessing, swaying large numbers to the Lord, the truth and the way of righteousness; or, on the other hand, if contaminated with error, the tongue can do almost untellable harm​—injury to faith, to morals, to good works. It is indeed true, that whoever exercises the gift of teaching lays himself open to increased responsibility in the sight of God and men. . . . Whoever would be a fountain from which would go forth the divine Word, carrying blessing and refreshment and strength, should see to it that bitter waters, false doctrines that would cause a curse, an injury​—dishonoring God and perverting his Word—​should not find in them a channel of utterance. In the choice of leaders for meetings the ‘tongue’ qualification, as here laid down should not be overlooked. The fiery tongued should not be chosen, but the meeker, the moderate, who ‘bridle’ their tongues and endeavor carefully to ‘speak as the oracles of God’ only.” How important it is that an elder use his tongue aright!

17, 18. What counsel published in this magazine some 80 years ago still applies to Christian elders?

¹⁷ More than 80 years ago, The Watch Tower (March 1, 1909) quoted the foregoing counsel of Paul to fellow elders and commented: “The Elders everywhere need to take special heed; because in every trial the most favored and most prominent have the severest besetments and tests. Hence [James] exhorts, ‘Be not many of you teachers, brethren, knowing that a man shall receive the more severe testing.’