*** w96 3/15 16-19 Meeting the Challenge of Loyalty ***
Loyalty to Jehovah’s Organization
9 We now come to the matter of being loyal to Jehovah’s visible organization. Certainly, we owe loyalty to it, including “the faithful and discreet slave,” through which the Christian congregation is fed spiritually. (Matthew 24:45-47) Suppose that something appears in Watch Tower publications that we do not understand or agree with at the moment. What will we do? Take offense and leave the organization? That is what some did when The Watch Tower, many years ago, applied the new covenant to the Millennium. Others took offense at what The Watchtower once said on the issue of neutrality. If those who stumbled over these matters had been loyal to the organization and to their brothers, they would have waited on Jehovah to clarify these matters, which he did in his due time. Thus, loyalty includes waiting patiently until further understanding is published by the faithful and discreet slave.
10 Loyalty to Jehovah’s visible organization also means having nothing to do with apostates. Loyal Christians will not be curious about what such people have to say. True, those being used by Jehovah God to direct his work on earth are not perfect. But what does God’s Word tell us to do? Leave God’s organization? No. Brotherly affection should keep us loyal to it, and we should continue to “love one another intensely from the heart.”—1 Peter 1:22.
Loyalty to Loyal Elders
11 When something is said or done in the congregation that we have difficulty understanding, loyalty will keep us from judging motives and will help us to take the position that perhaps it is a matter of judgment. Is it not far better to dwell on the good qualities of the appointed elders and other fellow believers rather than on their shortcomings? Yes, we want to guard against all such negative thinking, for it is related to being disloyal! Loyalty will also help us to obey Paul’s directive “to speak injuriously of no one.”—Titus 3:1, 2.
12 Loyalty presents particular challenges to elders. One of these challenges is the matter of confidentiality. A member of a congregation may confide in an elder. Loyalty to that one will keep the elder from violating the principle of confidentiality. He will heed the counsel at Proverbs 25:9: “Do not reveal the confidential talk of another.” That means not even to his own wife!
13 Elders also have other tests of loyalty to meet. Will they be men pleasers, or will they courageously and mildly assist those who need correction, even if they are blood relatives or close friends? Loyalty to Jehovah’s organization will cause those of us who are elders to try to help any who need spiritual assistance. (Galatians 6:1, 2) Though we will be kind, loyalty will make us candid with our fellow elder, just as Paul spoke to the apostle Peter candidly. (Galatians 2:11-14) On the other hand, overseers want to be careful, lest by acting unwisely or showing partiality or in some other way abusing their authority, they make it difficult for those in their charge to be loyal to God’s organization.—Philippians 4:5.
14 There are other aspects to the matter of meeting the challenge of loyalty to the congregation and its elders. If there are somewhat troubled conditions in the congregation, this gives us opportunity to display loyalty to Jehovah and to those representing him. (See The Watchtower, June 15, 1987, pages 15-17.) When there has been a disfellowshipping, loyalty requires that we back up the elders, not trying to second-guess whether there were sufficient reasons for the action taken.
15 Loyalty to the congregation also calls on us to support all five weekly meetings to the extent of our circumstances and ability. Loyalty requires that we not only attend them regularly but also prepare for them and make upbuilding comments as opportunity affords.—Hebrews 10:24, 25.
"As every one knows, there are mistakes in the Bible" - The Watchtower, April 15, 1928, p. 126
Believe in yourself, not mythology.
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