An old idea being resurrected, if you don't preach you are bloodguilty
*** uw chap. 20 p. 156 par. 5 Life and Blood—Do You Treat Them as Sacred? ***
In the case of God’s servants whom he has commissioned to warn of coming destruction in the great tribulation, their remaining free from bloodguilt requires that they faithfully proclaim that message. (Compare Ezekiel 3:17-21.) The apostle Paul viewed himself as a debtor to people of all sorts because of the ministry assigned to him. He felt free of responsibility for their blood only after he had borne thorough witness to them about God’s provision for salvation. (Rom. 1:14, 15; Acts 18:5, 6; 20:26, 27) Does your diligence in the field ministry reflect a similar awareness of the responsibility that rests on all of Jehovah’s Witnesses?
*** w74 2/15 pp. 123-124 Widening Out in Our Love for Mankind ***
THE VITAL WORK OF KINGDOM-PREACHING AND DISCIPLE-MAKING
14 Of greater importance than material giving is the help Christians can render in a spiritual way. Especially now is this an urgent matter—one involving life and death. How so? Bible prophecy and the physical facts in fulfillment thereof prove that since 1914 C.E. the generation now living is in the “time of the end.” (Matt. 24:3-14, 32-34; Luke 21:25, 26; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Rev. 6:2-8) This means that all who are not servants of Jehovah God as devoted disciples of his Son stand in danger of losing their lives.
15 People everywhere need to be made aware of this danger. Their situation is different from that of persons who faced execution during certain earlier divine judgments. For example, the thousands who perished when Jehovah God used the Babylonians to execute judgment upon unfaithful Judah and Jerusalem would have died eventually anyway. Their death did not mean total annihilation. But the judgment expressed against those who refuse to know God and obey the “good news” about Jesus Christ in this generation is final. The Bible tells us: “These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength.” (2 Thess. 1:9) “These will depart into everlasting cutting-off.” (Matt. 25:46) And survivors of the destruction will not live just a few years longer and die. No, before them is the prospect of everlasting life, free from sickness, sorrow and pain.—Rev. 7:14-17; 21:3-5.
16 Considering what is at stake, do not Jehovah’s Christian witnesses today have reason to put forth their best efforts to reach people with the lifesaving message from God’s Word? Their doing so would show proper regard for God’s desire that all men repent and live in harmony with accurate knowledge. Before Jehovah God allowed the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and devastate the land of Judah he had warning given. He considered the few additional years of life to be enjoyed by those heeding the warning as precious. He wanted to spare as many as possible from experiencing a horrible death as a result of war or its effects. He therefore placed a weighty responsibility upon his prophet Ezekiel, saying: “A watchman is what I have made you to the house of Israel, and you must hear from my mouth speech and you must warn them from me. When I say to someone wicked, ‘You will positively die,’ and you do not actually warn him and speak in order to warn the wicked one from his wicked way to preserve him alive, he being wicked, in his error he will die. but his blood I shall ask back from your own hand. But as for you, in case you have warned someone wicked and he does not actually turn back from his wickedness and from his wicked way, he himself for his error will die; but as for you, you will have delivered your own soul.”—Ezek. 3:17-19.
17 In view of the far greater danger in which humans are today, should we think that our responsibility for the lives of people is less than Ezekiel’s? Surely not! The commission to preach and make disciples given by Jesus Christ over nineteen centuries ago was to continue in force “until the conclusion of the system of things.” (Matt. 28:19, 20) Do you keenly sense your responsibility in carrying out this commission?
18 Does this mean that people would perish everlastingly were you to fail as an individual? No, for the work is not man’s but God’s. He is opening the hearts of individuals, and it is our grand privilege to be his “fellow workers.” (Acts 16:14; 1 Cor. 3:9) To sound the warning, Jehovah God could cause the ‘stones to cry out.’ (Luke 19:40) So while individuals may fail, nothing will prevent God’s purpose from being carried out to reach people to the extent he desires before the destruction of the present system of things. And Jehovah’s Christian witnesses as a body will not fail to sound the warning. Their love for him and fellowmen is strong enough to move them to do their best in aiding people to find the way of salvation before it is too late. They are willing to arrange their personal affairs, even adjust their circumstances, to accomplish this. No, the stones will not have to cry out.
19 But this will not free from bloodguilt individuals who fail to show real love and concern for fellowmen. To illustrate, if a father neglected his child so that it came into a perilous situation, he would not be without guilt even if someone else rescued the child from death. Similarly, one professing to be a servant of Jehovah but failing in his duty toward others would not be guiltless. His loveless, unconcerned attitude would be tantamount to murder. He would not be able to excuse himself on the basis that he did some preaching, for Jehovah God would know the degree of negligence and would pass judgment accordingly.—Rom. 14:12.
20 Now is no time for anyone to try to get by with mere token service or to involve himself with cares of life or business ventures to such an extent that he has no time for people. The greatest lifesaving work in the history of mankind is rapidly drawing to a close. Is it not right, therefore, for us to make sacrifices, to forgo personal pleasures and desires? Is that not what people do during times of disaster? They do not allow the clock to govern their rescue work but continue putting forth their best efforts as long as there is a need and they have a reasonable measure of strength.
*** lv chap. 7 p. 85 Do You Value Life as God Does? ***
VALUE LIFE BY PREACHING THE KINGDOM MESSAGE
26 The situation of God’s people in our day calls to mind that of the ancient prophet Ezekiel, whom Jehovah commissioned to serve as a spiritual watchman to the house of Israel. “You must hear [my] word and give them warning from me,” said God. If Ezekiel were to neglect his commission, he would be held personally responsible for the blood of those executed when Jerusalem was called to account. (Ezekiel 33:7-9) But Ezekiel was obedient and incurred no bloodguilt.
27 Today, we face the end of Satan’s entire world. Thus, Jehovah’s Witnesses count it both an obligation and a privilege to proclaim God’s “day of vengeance” in conjunction with the Kingdom message. (Isaiah 61:2; Matthew 24:14) Do you have a full share in this vital work? The apostle Paul took his preaching commission seriously. As a result, he could say: “I am clean from the blood of all men, for I have not held back from telling you all the counsel of God.” (Acts 20:26, 27) What a fine example for us to imitate
*** w88 1/1 pp. 28-29 Keep On Preaching the Kingdom ***
Avoiding Bloodguilt
13 The responsibility of Jehovah’s dedicated Witnesses to warn people of God’s coming judgment can be compared to that of Ezekiel in his time. He was designated a watchman to the house of Israel. His assignment was to warn the Israelites that execution was coming upon them if they did not turn away from their bad ways. If he as a watchman failed to sound the warning, execution would still come upon the wicked people, but their blood would be upon the head of the negligent watchman. In this Jehovah shows his attitude toward executing judgment: “I take delight, not in the death of the wicked one, but in that someone wicked turns back from his way and actually keeps living. Turn back, turn back from your bad ways, for why is it that you should die, O house of Israel?”—Ezekiel 33:1-11.
14 The apostle Paul acknowledged his responsibility as a watchman, stating to the elders from Ephesus: “Hence I call you to witness this very day that I am clean from the blood of all men.” Why could he say that? He continues: “For I have not held back from telling you all the counsel of God.” (Acts 20:26, 27) So it is with the watchman class today, the remnant of anointed followers of Jesus Christ. All of these, together with more than three million of their companions who have the hope of surviving the end of this system of things and receiving everlasting life on earth, must never slack off from preaching the good news of God’s Kingdom and warning of the coming execution of his judgment. In this way they avoid bloodguilt.
