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Deliverance to a Righteous WorldThe Watchtower—1953 | February 1
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27. Does guaranteed deliverance obviate the possibility of suffering or death? Why?
27 Sure deliverance at God’s hand therefore does not mean there will be no suffering, nor even death on the part of those ultimately delivered. (2 Tim. 3:12; 4:5) Only through patiently bearing reproach and persecution in faithful continuance can anyone show his unqualified love for what is right and thus demonstrate his worthiness for deliverance by God. Christ Jesus demonstrated his worthiness to be delivered from the tomb by patient, faithful, obedient preaching, often under very adverse circumstances. He suffered bodily pain and mental distress, for he was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief”. (Isa. 53:3, AS) Yet he was always kind and generous. He did no harm to anyone, but always did that which was good, and spoke words of kindness toward those who had a hearing ear. (1 Pet. 2:23, NW) Under suffering he learned obedience and thus “became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him”. (Heb. 5:8, 9, NW; Rom. 8:17) He stood firmly for Jehovah’s name, and for the honor of his own name Jehovah delivered his Son.
28. Through following what course did Jesus gain the position as Jehovah’s Chief Agent for deliverance?
28 Jesus by the things he experienced and observed was able to more fully appreciate the great need of deliverance on the part of humankind. Having traveled the course of humans himself, he well knows how to sustain and succor those looking for an early deliverance at God’s hand. Moreover, he proved himself qualified to serve as God’s great servant for delivering humankind, showing himself willing to pay the price required to effect that deliverance, according to Jehovah’s equal law. (Deut. 19:21) Out of love for God and man Jesus desired greatly to fulfill the role of deliverer God marked out for him. So he obediently proceeded in the manner described at Philippians 2:7-11, NW: “He emptied himself and took a slave’s form and came to be in the likeness of men. More than that, when he found himself in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient as far as death, yes, death on a torture stake. For this very reason also God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name, so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground, and every tongue should openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” Deliverance therefore requires subjection to the exalted Jesus. To despise his name is to ensure destruction of oneself.
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At Least as Bad as HitlerThe Watchtower—1953 | February 1
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At Least as Bad as Hitler
● Britain’s Manchester Guardian carried the following interesting letter in its August 29, 1952, issue: “Sir.—Your issue of August 13 gives news of eight hundred Jehovah’s witnesses in concentration camps in the Soviet zone. This does not surprise me as I recently met a person whose home was in the Soviet side of Berlin. She has a sister there who is married to a Jehovah’s witness. The sister writes that her husband, some little time ago, attended a home Bible meeting. He did not come back. Fourteen days later she was informed by the authorities that he was serving a nine-year sentence in Siberia. He is allowed to write fifteen lines a month! A photograph of one of his two children was returned—he was not allowed to see it. This information should interest your readers, whether they agree with Jehovah’s witnesses or not.—Yours &c., H. Barlow.”
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