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Organized to Serve “the God of Peace”God’s Kingdom Rules!
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3, 4. What problem was addressed in the Watch Tower of November 15, 1895, and what far-reaching change was announced?
3 An extensive article published in the Watch Tower of November 15, 1895, laid bare a problem: Stormy waves of trouble were disrupting the peace in the association, or organization, of Bible Students. Brothers increasingly argued about who should be the leader in the local congregation. To help the brothers see what was needed to correct that divisive spirit of rivalry, the article compared the organization to a ship. Then it candidly admitted that those taking the lead had failed to prepare the shiplike organization for stormy weather. What had to be done?
4 The article noted that a capable captain makes sure that life preservers are aboard and that the crew is ready to batten down the hatches when a storm is coming. Similarly, those leading the organization needed to make sure that all congregations were prepared to handle stormy conditions. To accomplish that, the article announced a far-reaching change. It directed that starting immediately, “in every company, elders be chosen” to “‘take the oversight’ of the flock.”—Acts 20:28.
5. (a) Why was the first elder arrangement a timely step forward? (b) What questions will we consider?
5 That first elder arrangement signified a timely step forward in establishing a stable congregation structure. It helped our brothers to navigate through the raging waves stirred up by World War I.
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Organized to Serve “the God of Peace”God’s Kingdom Rules!
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How Christ Leads the Congregation
11. (a) A study of the Scriptures led to what adjustment in understanding? (b) What were the brothers of the governing body determined to do?
11 From 1964 to 1971, the governing body supervised an extensive Bible study project that examined, among many other subjects, how the first-century Christian congregation functioned.a As to organization structure, it was learned that the oversight of congregations in the first century was carried out by a body of elders instead of just by one elder, or overseer. (Read Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 4:14.) When that point was better understood, the governing body realized that their King, Jesus, was guiding them in making improvements in the organizational structure of God’s people—and the brothers of the governing body were determined to yield to the King’s direction. They promptly made adjustments to bring the organization into fuller harmony with the elder arrangement set out in the Scriptures.
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