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WATCH TOWER
without an~' rxrrption. This alone ,vould confine the judgment to Cod's organization by the autho1'itirs in God's organization canst ituted to do judging'. G "For rulers are not a terror to good '"orks, but to the evil. 'Yilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that ,vhieh is good, and thou shalt haw Jlraise of the samr." (Yrrse 3) ,rho are the rul'l';; hrre mentioned? The ,vord "rnlrr" is deriwd from the Greek (/I'el/Ooll. and i;; al;;o tran;;lated princt' or princes. Satan is till' ehit'f rUI'l' or l)1'ince of this world. If the word "rulers" used In' Paul in Romans 13: 3 docs not apply to tIl(' al'l'an~'ement in the church, then the ,vord must al)pI~' to Satan and hi;; organization. Is Satan, the pril1('e of evil, 01' any part of his organization a terror to evil ,varkel'S in the ehureh? Most assuredly not. If a man in the chureh does that whicl! i;; evil and therefore against nod's organization, that is the wn' thing' that Satan the prince of this world ould h: e him do. Did not the rulers of the (Ientile powers induer Ilwmhers of the enrly ('hurch to do evil h~' joining' alliaml' with the Devil's organization? Instead of the De'il's organization or ({entile l)o'ers' punishing men for so doing, the J' 'YC're commended and exalted for so doing'. 7 Farthermore, can it he said that the rulers of the present govenmwnts of earth "arc not a t error to good works"? Fully consecrated and anointed 011('S of God go about the country doing good by preachin~ the good news concerning God and his kingdom, and the rulers of the Gentile powcrs arn'st, fine and imprison them for so doing good. Do faithful colporteurs and elass workers, ,vho go from door to door and thus do good by carrying the message of the kingdom to the people of the earth, 'reeeive praise' from thr prinees ai, rulers of this world? Ko one ever heard of their receixing prai;;e for so doing'. Yhen Paul saJ's, "",yilt thou then not be afraid of the powed" can it be Raid that hp nwant that the anointed of God are to fear the prin!'l's of this world and the rulers in his organization '! If that be true, then ewry one ,Yould Tefrain from IH'ing' a witness to the glory of Cod, That is exactly ,YIHlt the Devil ,Yould ,vant them to do, S .s an illustration: Rl'el'ntly the Society's representatiw, and ow' of Uod's childn'n, in the far away country or Lilwria. <fripn, hegan to Ill'each the gospl'l by ,Yonl of month and b~' lllacing in the hands of the people of that lawl the printed book;; containing the gosjH'L Th· gon'l'lll1wnt informt'll him that he 111nst dcsi:-,t, that 11(' must cin:ulate no books 01' palllllhlets or literatur('. 01' gin any Jlublic addresses, until such time n;; the ruling pO'.'Crs should grant a permit therefor. IIp 'H'nt on anJ'way and plact'd in the hands of the lH'OP](' a gn'at ll1unlwr of hooks. lIad he oheyeLl the (:('ntile powers, he wonld not han preached the gospel. Ht' oheyed the Lord and ,va;; llroteeted. He did good, bnt he recein'tl no praise from the Gentik gon'l'nors.
BnOOKLYX, N.
Y.
9 It is therefore allparent that Paul's words mean this: You who are anointed of Uod should fear tht' poCr (Christ the Judge); that the rulers (Christ, and those who act under his direction) arc not terrors to good 'Yorks but to evil, and if you do that ,vhich is good you will receive praise of that power (Christ, and those of his organization clothed with authority to praise). One may ask. Arc we to expect pra ise of the po'ers in the church for doing good? In answer to such question, and in proof that the apostles had authority to praise the doer;; of good, and did praiSe them, and that the doers of good shall have praise, note the follo,ving t('xts: "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and 'Yill make manife;;t the coun;;e!s of the hearts: and then shall enry man have praise of God." (1 Cor. 4: G) "And ,ve lwve Rent 'Yith him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churehes." (2 Cor. H: IS) "Now I praise you, brethren, that ye n'Jlll'mbel' me in all things, and keep the ordinances, a;; I deliwred them to you. "-1 Cor. 11: ~. 10 Vhen the members of the church come together for any purpose other than to do good, they do not receive praise, as thc apostle stated: "Now in this that I declare unto you, I praise J'ou not, that ye come together, not for the better, but for the worse." (1 Cor. 11: 17) It is therefore manifest from the ;;eriptures above cited that the evil,docrs receiYe judgment by God's arrangement, and that those who do good receive praise by the same arrang'cment, 11 "For he [the power] is the minister 01' God [God's servant: see Diaglott and Rothel'ham translations1 to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid: for he [the power] bearcth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God [God ':-. servant], a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth eviL" (Hom. 13: 4) This text eonld haye no reference to the power that the Gentiles execnte. Sure. Iv God has not committed to Satan or anyone in Sat'un's organization the power to act as G~d's servant or minister for good in the ehureh. Nor has he appointed allY of that same ,vicked organization to act as anonger to exec'ute wrath upon him that doeth evil in tho- church. Yhat, then, do the ,Yol'lls of Paul in this text mean? 12 The answer i;;, that the authority and order in the chnreh is arranged by the Lord for good to those who are of the ehurch and for the judgment of those who tlo e'i1. (~ Cor. 10: S; 13: 10) What is evil in the ellllJ'('h i;; illustrated b J' the following scriptures: " ...lexander the coppersmith did me much evil; tht' Lord reward him aecording to hi;; works." (2 Tim. 4: J..l) "For he that will love life, and see good days. let him refrain hi;; tongue from m'il, and his lips that tht'y speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek }1eaee, and ensue H." (1 Pd. 3: 10,11) "TIut and if that evil sel'Yant shall say in his heart,
