IG4
'The
WATCH TOWER
different power or authority to these different nations 'I In the United States, in time of peace no citizen can, by law, be drafted and required to render military serYice. In Italy and other countries called Christian, even in time of peace all citizens are subject to military serYice, and refusing- to render such service are subject to severe punishment. 'Vhich one of the nations is making and enforeing the military law in harmony with Uod's law, seeing that their laws art~ different? 7 In the United States, in time of war a law is made compelling pt'rsons within a certain age limit to engage in military service. Is the law of God different at different times and in diffC'rent countries? The scripture ansY'rs: 'Cod chang'es not.' (Mal. 3:6) Of necessity God must be, and is, at all times consistent. S God says to h is anointed sons: "Thou shalt not kill." (Matt. 5: 21, 22) He that kills is a murderer. Furthermore, it is written: "'Vhosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ~-e know that no murderer hath etC'rnallife abiding in him." (1 John 3: 15) All the Gentile governments of the world in time of war eompel their respective ~mbjects or citizens to participate in war and to kill. Has God dclpgated the power to these gowrnments to order men to kill each other, and are the anointed sons of God bound to obey tho 1,l's of the land which require killing, when at the snme time God's own law commands that he shall not kill? If the child of God engagps in war and delilll'ratt'ly kills, he precludes himself from enterin~ t Ill' kingdom, according to God's law. U If a worldly government can enact a law forbidding the use of ('('rtain drinks, that natiOli or government can also enact a law, and enforce it, forbidding the llse of certain foods, even including bread. Jesus directed his follo ers to pray to God: ., (; ive us this day our daily bn'ad." 'Vould God delegate to a nation or gowrnment a power that would permit that nation to make and enforce a law forbidding the use of the wry thillg fOl' which the ehildrt'n of God -,pre dirC'cted to pray'? If it is lawful to drink beer while eating ehC'C'sC' in (;erman~·, and unlawful to drink bl'er while enting chC'C'se in the lTnited States, whieh one of thpse nations is eXl'rcising the power dC'legated by the Lord? If the anSWl'r be, Both, then the question is properly asked: Is God declaring' that the doing of a eertain act is right in one part of the earth and wrong in another part of the earth? 10 Russia and the Cnited States are both pOYl'rs of this world, othC'rwise ealled nations or governments; and both claim to be Christian nations, eYen thoug-h they are not. The fundamental law of the l~nited States declares that a man may exercise his rl'ligion in any manner he may choose. Contrary to this fundamental law, some of the states enact a law that the gospel can not be preached in certain places or under certain conditions, and arrest and punish those who
BROOKLYN,
N. Y.
attempt thus to preach it. In Russia the law is that one can not preach the gospel at all without a permit from the government. God's commandment to his sons, which eommandment is given through Jesus Christ, is that his gospel shall be preached in all the nations as a witness. (Matt. 24: 14) Shall the child of God be obedient to the law of the Unitcd Statcs or of Russia, or to the law of God 1 Is it possible that God has dplt'g-ated to these various nations the' right and authority to make and enforce laws that are inconsistent with and in derogation of his Ovn expressed will ? 11 Is it not thel'cfol'e clear that there has been a deeidedly improper application of the words of the Apostle Paul v]1('n applird to the gO'ernments of this yorld? 'YI1<'n he says, "The ]l()Y(.'rs that be are ordained of Cod," dol'S hr havl' an.' reference whatsoever to the (ientile natiOlls of tIll' earth? Is it not mon' reasonable that hl' dired.., his words exclm:i'ely to the powers po,;ses-;e,l and l'xercised in nod's organization, and llot to those that arc eXl']'cised in Satan's organization? GOD'S
ORGA~IZATIO~
12 Aside from Jehovah himsdf his organization consists of Jesus Cln'ist, his holy angels, cherubim, the resurrected members of the bod.- of Christ, and those who have been brought into the ehureh and anointed of the spirit and who arc diligently putting forth their best endeavors to be olJl'dil'nt to nod..A t the Jordan, at the time of his consecration, Jesus was anointed to the high office of "priest for ever after the order of lIelchizedek". lie was then and there elothed with eertain powers as the man Christ Jesm on earth. Speaking to his dis('iples .Jesus said tha~ "the Son of man hath power on C'arth to forgive sins". (Mark 2: 10) After Jesus had been raised from the dead he said to his disciples: ".ll power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (1att. 28: 18) That pOWl'r he rC'ceived from Jehovah. lIanifestly God permitted Jl'SUS to grant some pover to his servants or disciples, because Jesus said: "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gaw authority to his serYants, and to every man his work, and eommanded the porter to watch."Mark 13: 34. 13 The word "po"'er'" is translated from the Greek rxousia: and Paul's arguml'nt set forth in the text and contC'xt shows that the power there mentioned has reference to the authority that is possessed and exercised in God's org'anization. It is the institution which .Jehovah himself employs to carry out his pur. post's. '1'he forpgoing sCl'iptlll'es are in point, as well as those that fullow: "For by him were all things crl'ated, that arc in h('a"('n, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were crcated by him, and for him." (Col. 1: 16) "Thou
