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Christ’s Active Leadership TodayThe Watchtower—1987 | August 1
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Truly I say to you, He will appoint him over all his belongings.”—Matthew 24:45-47.
7. (a) How have Christ’s “belongings” increased since 1914? (b) What shows that Christ is also the active Leader of the “other sheep”?
7 Christ’s “belongings” have become more numerous since 1914. He has been clothed with “kingly power,” involving increased authority and larger responsibilities. (Luke 19:11, 12) He first proceeded to gather in the remainder of “the sons of the kingdom,” the 144,000 anointed Christians “bought from among mankind” to become kings and priests with him in heaven. (Matthew 13:38; Revelation 14:1-4; 5:9, 10) Then, as historically manifested since 1935, he has been gathering in “a great crowd” of “other sheep” of whom he said: “Those also I must bring.” (Revelation 7:9, 10; John 10:16) Yes, he is the One who brings in these “sheep,” and he becomes their active Leader. Interestingly, the Greek text means literally, “And those it is necessary [for] me to lead.”
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Christ’s Active Leadership TodayThe Watchtower—1987 | August 1
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10. What increased “belongings” have been committed to the slave’s care?
10 These anointed overseers in Christ’s right hand are all a part of the collective “slave” whom He has appointed “over all his belongings.” Because the slave’s Master has himself been clothed with enlarged responsibilities since 1914, “all his belongings” must involve many more things for the slave than in the past. For one thing, as “ambassadors substituting for Christ,” the remnant are now ambassadors of a reigning King ruling over an established Kingdom. (2 Corinthians 5:20) They have been put in charge of all the spiritual things that belong to the Master on earth. They must serve in fulfillment of the prophecies that apply since the establishment of the Kingdom. This includes preaching “this good news of the kingdom . . . in all the inhabited earth for a witness.” (Matthew 24:14) More than ever, they must go on making “disciples of people of all the nations,” thus gathering in the unnumbered “great crowd.” (Matthew 28:19, 20; Revelation 7:9) Yes, these “desirable things of all the nations” are a part of Christ’s increased “belongings” on earth.—Haggai 2:7.
11. (a) What do these increased “belongings” necessitate? (b) Who is directing the work, and how?
11 All of this means more work for the collective “slave,” a larger field of activities, extending literally to “all the inhabited earth.” It also requires larger headquarters and branch facilities for supervising the work and for printing and distributing literature for preaching and personal study. As in the first century, this work is carried out under the active leadership of Jesus Christ, who is figuratively “in the midst of the lampstands,” or congregations. He directs them by means of anointed overseers, whom he holds symbolically “in his right hand.” (Revelation 1:13, 16) As in early Christian times, a group of these anointed overseers makes up the visible Governing Body of Christ’s congregation on earth. His “right hand” of applied power directs these faithful men as they supervise the Kingdom work.
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