JUNE 15, 1929 The WATCH TOWER 183
says "For this", For what cause? may be properly asked. The answer is, Because of love, thou shalt not commit adultery, kill, steal, bear false witness or covet. The things here mentioned which the Christian is not to do are crimes against the law of God. It is true that in most of the Geentile nations these same things are denounced by the law as wrong. If, however, a Christian would refrain from committing the crimes here mentioned merely because the law of the land would punish and does punish those who commit such crimes, then the Christian's motive is wrong. 29 What would induce any person to commit the crime of adultery, murder, theft or purjury? Selfishness, of course; and selfishness is the very opposite of love. If the person loves God and his fellow man he will not commit these wrongs. If he lows his neighbor he will do no injury to his neighbor. It is to satisfy some selfish or wrongful desire that leads men to do these wrongful arts. If a man loves his neighbor as himself he will be unselfish toward his neighbor and therefore will not wilfully do any wrong against his neighbor. For this reason the Christian obeys every law of the land that is in harmony with God's law. He does not obey merely because it is the law of the land, but because to obey is right. 30 "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Verse 10) In this verse the apostle could not have been referring to the laws of the Gentiles or so-called Christian nations, for the reason that not all the laws of all the nations could be fulfilled by one who is prompted wholly by love. If a nation commands that a Christian shall go to war and kill, love, could not be a fulfilment of that law. If a nation commands that a man shall not hand to his neighbor, who is sick and suffering, a glass of wine which would relieve him, love could not fulfil that law. 31 But every law of God is fulfilled by love or complete unselfishness because all the laws of God are right. Every law of every nation of earth that is in harmony with God's law should be gladly obeyed by the Christian whether he be a citizen of that nation or not. But where the law of the nation or government is contrary to God's law, then there is no compromise by the Christian: he must obey the law of God. If he does obey the law of God he will do not wrong or injury.
WAR
"2 Ylwt, tlll'll, is the Pl'OlH't' attitude of the anointeu sons of Uod toward and with l'efel'enrr to participat· ing' in yar whl're the pmpose of so doing is to kill human brings? The thirtl'enth chapter of Romans and the words of Peter (1 Pet. 2: 13, 17) liaYe heen repratedly usell to prove that Christians are compelled to eng'age in the l1l'adly combat of war because the law of the land sa."" so. ~l1ch application is entirely wrong. leithel' of these scriptures has any reference
lS3
to the 1<1's of thl' nations. as the forrgoing proot clearly rstahlishes. Both of these scriptures haw r('f· rrl'Jll~e to the g'oYC'l'J1ml'nt, order and discipline in tho organization of the Lonl. .ppl~"ing these ,ranis to earthl~' gOYC'rnnH'nts has been misleading' and ,TOllgiul so far as Christians arc roncerned, TIl'.' Yorc! (ll Cod is cxplieit cOlll'l~rning his prople when he snys to thcm: .. Thou shalt not kilL" The Cln'dian who kili..; in war breaks not only the expressed eommand () L God, as above set forth, hut hl'l'uks also Uod's eYC'l'lasting ron'nant and therefore recrivrs the disapprov. al of God and is barred from haying a part in hi,; king·dam.-Gen. 9: 5, 7; Ex. :20: 13; ::Uatt. 5: 2]; Isa. 2-1: 5; 1 John 3: 1;). ".J Those who eompose ., the Society", "ithin tJII) mealling of that term as defil1ell herein, and who arc therefore of God's anointed on earth, and which com· pany of Christians is otherwise spoken of as lnte-r. national Bible Students, while still in the flrsh must be g-oycmed hy thl' law of God. His las as expressed in his Word arc therefore the rules of t he Bible Students, and thl'se rules absolutely forbid such anointl'd ones to engage in warfare with carnal weapons. For this reaSOn the Bihle Students arc misundrrstood by the ruling powers of this world. TI1('y have no dl'sir.) to interfere with worldly go,'ernments or the action thereof, nor can they willingly break God's law. It IS not the prerogative of the Bible Studl'nts as Christians to say that the nations and peoples of earth shall not engage in war. That is none of their affair. It would be wrong for them to attempt to interfere with the nations' engaging in war or drafting' men to engage in war. So far as the action of a nation is concerned in selecting and drilling an army, no Christian has a right to interfere. 'l'hat is a matter that the nation itself must determine. "" ro truly consecrated Christ ian, hO'l'(('I', ('an en· gage in literal warfare and at the same time maintain his integrity toward God. IIis duty is to hold aloof from the affairs of the nations that are r<nT~'ing on w:.tr amongst themselves and to devote himself to the Lord and be obcdil'nt to his commandments. If commanded by the ruling powers of the nation to go to war and kill, in order to be faithful to the commandment of God he must refuse to go to war. 'l'hat refusal will in all pl'obability bring down upon the Christian the Hath of the gOYl'rnment eommanuing him to go to war. The wrath of an cal'thJ~> gowrnment is to be IH'efl'l'l'ed b~' the Christian rather than to br suhjeetl'll to the 'Tath of God for disobeying his law. "", The conserrated and anointed Christian Imu s that he must die in order to be made a member of tIt,) glorious bolly of Christ. If he dil's because of his faith· fulness unto God and his cownant it will be well with him. If he disobe~'s God and willingly obeys rather an earthly ruling power, gars to war and dies therein, his OPPol'tll1lit~, for a place in the kingdom of God is for ('"er gone. He must therefore choose to ob<';> man
