The Watchtower Study, «Article 39», 20-26-November-2023, If we are gentle, we are strong, Answers.
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“The slave of the Lord does not have to fight, but must be kind to everyone” (2 TIM. 2:24).
1. What kinds of questions might our co-workers or classmates ask us?
In 2 Timothy 3 1, we see that in the last days there will come critical times that are difficult to endure. Therefore, it will not be strange that we receive questions from our environment, related to our beliefs.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
And those types of questions can be indicative of how the person feels about our beliefs, and this gives us the opportunity to preach. However, sometimes these questions can have a challenging tone, but that should not worry us because perhaps the person has gotten carried away by what they were told about us.
Hence the importance of the words of 2 Timothy 3:1,3, that: "In the last days people will not be willing to reach any agreement and will be fierce." Being clear about this text will help us understand people who have a different point of view than the one we have.
For this reason we must analyze and ask ourselves, What kind of questions are you asking us? It is a sincere question about what we believe, or it is a question in a challenging tone. Depending on the question we are asked, we may have the opportunity to give a testimony about the Bible and Jehovah.
2. Why is it good to be gentle?
It is good to be peaceful, because the person who displays this valuable quality that belongs to the fruit of the spirit does not get angry easily and has the ability to control his nerves in moments of provocation and this quality will also help him not to respond in a bad way to people. any provocation.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We live in the age of the end, and attacks against Jehovah's Witnesses are becoming less hidden. Which is why we must cultivate passivity, so that we can control our nerves when they provoke us.
In Proverbs Chapter 16 verse 32, he tells us: "A patient man is better than a powerful man, and he who controls his temper is better than he who conquers a city." If we believe that being like this is complicated. In this article we will see examples of how to achieve this and help parents so that their children also cultivate that quality.
3. Why do we say that gentle people are actually strong? (2 Timothy 2:24, 25).
We say this because in reality the peaceful person is not weak, as many of us may think. But as the paragraph says, they are strong, and the reason is because staying calm in difficult situations is very complicated, because to do so requires a lot of inner strength and it is something that has to be cultivated.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
In this case, strength is expressed within each person, it is not a physical force, it is an internal strength, which allows us to remain calm in difficult situations. Just like with physical strength, to exercise it we must work and train a lot. Similarly, to cultivate an inner strength that allows us to remain calm in complicated situations, we must exercise ourselves in such a way that we can have an inner strength that will allow us to calm down when difficult moments come.
In Galatians 5:22,23, we see that the fruit of the spirit is love, happiness, Peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness and self-control. Although it may seem difficult to have that inner strength, we have no doubt that Jehovah will help us if we pray to him and ask for it.
4. What do we learn from Isaac's example?
From Isaac's example we learn that mildness is a very valuable quality. And we say this because it is not easy to do what Isaac did. For example, when he lived in Gerar, the Philistines also lived there, and they were very envious of him, so much so that they covered the wells that his father's servants had dug. And instead of fighting to stay with the Wells, what Isaac did was move far away so as not to have problems. To make matters worse, when Isaac moved and dug other wells, the Philistines also wanted to take over the water in that place. Even though the situation became very difficult, Isaac remained calm, this reaction is a great example for each of us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Isaac was a man who feared Jehovah, that is why Jehovah blessed him. As the text mentions, he reaped 100 times more than he had sown. He became very rich and had many flocks of sheep and herds of cows. For this reason, the Philistines began to envy and cover up Isaac's wells. Instead of arguing and fighting over the ownership of his Pozos, he remained calm and went to another place where, with the help of Jehovah, he once again became prosperous.
We see that Isaac was gentle, and surely, it was one of the things that his parents, Abraham and Sarah, taught him, and he knew how to maintain throughout his life.
5. What example shows that parents can teach their children to value gentleness?
In the paragraph we have the example of Maxence who at 17 years old had to deal with rude people at school and in preaching. And what helped him to be able to handle this situation is the patience of his parents, since they helped him to be peaceful, so much so that the parents say that their son has come to understand that it requires more inner strength to control himself. than get angry or pay in kind. Hence the importance of parents teaching their children to value mildness, since as the paragraph mentions, now mildness is already one of Maxence's virtues.
In the experience of the paragraph, we see how the parents of this 17-year-old young man taught him that it is more difficult to have patience, control and get angry with his classmates or pay in the same coin. This young man faced rude classmates every day at school and in preaching, but thanks to his parents, he managed to cultivate mildness.
6. How does prayer help us be more peaceful?
Prayer helps us obtain Jehovah's Holy Spirit and wisdom to respond peacefully. With this help we will be able to control ourselves and thus be able to show peace when tense situations arise.
We know that prayer is the way we can communicate with Jehovah. Therefore, let us ask Jehovah the Holy Spirit to be able to deal with those situations, in which we have to respond to insults or accusations about Jehovah or about what the Bible teaches. Hence the importance of always praying to Jehovah for necessary help.
7. When tense situations arise, how can knowing some biblical texts by heart help us? (Proverbs 15:1, 18).
Knowing some Biblical texts can help us speak mildly when tense or difficult situations arise. And the book of Proverbs contains many principles that will greatly help us to be peaceful, and this same book also shows the advantages we find if we control ourselves in stressful situations.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
As we have read in the text, speaking with good words can prevent us from getting into any trouble. For this reason, in Proverbs 21:23, we see that he who watches his mouth and his tongue is saved from many problems. Let us always remember that among those words that we have to use, it is advisable to memorize and quote some Biblical text.
But if we are afraid of not remembering which text would best apply in that situation, let us trust in what John 14:26 tells us, that the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send, will teach us all things and will make us remember everything. what he has said. From this we learn that the holy spirit can make us remember that text that is so convenient in that situation.
INSIGHT HELPS US TO BE GENTLE
8. What is good to keep in mind when someone questions our beliefs?
We must keep in mind that before responding, when someone questions our beliefs, it is good to keep in mind that we may not know why the person brought up the topic. Let's remember that if we are discerning we can control ourselves when someone questions our beliefs.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
In Proverbs 19:11 we see that insight restrains his fury, and that it is a beautiful gesture for him to overlook an offense. With these words, we understand that we have to be very careful with the questions that they may ask us, since we do not really know the reason why they ask us those questions and we do not really know the reason why they ask us them, or with what real intentions they did it to us.
Imagine that we didn't know the answer at that moment, and if we rush we could say anything, and thus we could invite people to make fun of us. For this reason, the paragraph urges us to be discerning when situations arise in which we have to answer a question about our beliefs.
An example that will help us when someone questions our beliefs is that of an iceberg, since when we see it we only see the tip, the largest part is hidden under the water. When someone asks a question, something similar can happen, because we only perceive what we hear but not their intentions, in many cases we do not know what the real reason was why they asked us that question. Hence, the importance of being perceptive when responding.
9. How did Gideon demonstrate that he was insightful and gentle?
Gideon proved to be insightful and gentle when on one occasion Gideon was fighting with the Israelites, and he decided not to invite the men of Ephraim to fight with them. For this reason they became angry and reproached him, but insight helped Gideon to respect his feelings and respond with mildness, since when he spoke to them like this, the text of Judges 8: 1-3, mentions that they calmed down. .
Following the line of the previous paragraph, we can see that Gideon was insightful, possibly, he thought: what could be hidden behind the reproaches he received, or perhaps he thought that they reacted this way because there would be a wounded pride. What Gideon did is use insight, because the easiest thing to do is to get angry or offended, but he responded with mildness and the result was very positive.
10. What can help us react well when we are asked about our beliefs? (1 Peter 3:15).
What can help us react well when asked about our beliefs is to see these questions as opportunities in which we can discover what worries the person. Hence the importance of not seeing the questions as criticism, since we should not care what the reason for the question was, but the most important thing of all is that we respond in a kind and calm way, because if we do so this will possibly lead to the person, even to question his own opinion.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We must always keep in mind that our goal is to treat people with kindness. When asked about our position on a moral issue, we must defend our beliefs, but we must always do so respecting the opinions of others.
In Romans 12:17, he reminds us not to repay evil for evil to anyone. These situations could give us the opportunity to give a good testimony about Jehovah, and to understand the other person's point of view.
11, 12. What is the first thing we should do before responding? Give an example of how that can lead to a pleasant conversation. (See also the image).
First of all, before answering, let's think about the different possibilities that person has to ask us that question.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Secondly, once this is done, we could remember the words of one Peter 217, Where he tells us that we should honor people of all kinds, showing love to the entire brotherhood and having the fear of God. If we keep these words in mind, we will probably have the opportunity to talk and explain to that person why it is good to follow the rules of the Bible.
It may be the case that a coworker may ask us why we don't celebrate birthdays. If this is the case, we could think before responding, since possibly they think that our religion does not allow us to have a good time or perhaps they are worried that we will spoil the good work environment that exists.
Now after thinking, we have to take action. We could start by telling him that we are very grateful for the interest in his colleagues, and then we could assure him that we also like to have a good work environment. These words will most likely calm him down, opening the door to having a pleasant conversation, and when that happens we can take that opportunity to talk to him about what the Bible implies about birthdays.
ILLUSTRATION
A sister is working in her office and a colleague offers her a piece of birthday cake. In the office next door there are more people eating, drinking and having a good time. If someone invites you to a birthday, think first about the possible reasons. That will help you respond better. (See paragraphs 11 and 12).
13. How can you help someone who says believing in God is ridiculous?
Since our goal is not to debate or prove that we are right, the most reasonable thing we can do in that case is to send you a link to a jw.org article or video about creation. It is possible that after having seen the video or the article, the person is willing to see other information or another video, but this time together. Without a doubt, speaking with respect will encourage the person to rethink their current opinion of us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Many people today think that believing in God is ridiculous and a waste of time. But perhaps these people have not researched what they are talking about, so it would be very interesting to tell them something that makes them think. Maybe what we could do is send you a link to a jw.org article or video.
Be that as it may, we must keep in mind the words of Titus 3:2, where it reminds us that we should not speak evil of anyone and that we should not be confrontational, but reasonable and that we should always be gentle with all men.
14. How did Niall use jw.org to help a colleague who had the wrong idea about the Witnesses?
The young woman in the experience used the section: "The Bible and Science" of jw.org, with the aim of helping a classmate who had wrong ideas about Jehovah's Witnesses.
She had a partner who did not allow her to explain her beliefs. Then, seeing that her companion had closed the door to dialogue, She did not remain with her arms crossed, but encouraged him to see the jw.org page in the section: the Bible and science. Later Nial realized that her partner had read the information, which made it easier for her to talk to him about the origin of life. If we imitate Niall's example, we have no doubt that we, too, can do just as well.
PRACTICE AS A FAMILY
15. What can parents do to help their children respond mildly?
If parents want to help their children respond with mildness, they should have practice sessions during family worship, and then they could discuss some topics related to an issue that may arise at school, and they could role-play the responses that our children they can give in the event that someone questions their beliefs.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
A good help for our children is to have some time during family worship, in which they can act out, or practice possible issues, questions or situations, in which our children could find themselves involved.
Another thing parents can do is have prepared answers to questions like: If it is true that there is a creator, who created him? or statements like: "Only ignorant people believe in God." To achieve this we must apply with our children the words that we read in Proverbs 9:9, where it says: Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be wiser; teach someone righteous and his knowledge will increase. If our children are prepared, they will be able to face any complicated situation.
ILLUSTRATION
In family worship, a child gives a response to his father during a practice session.
Practice Sessions Can Help Your Family
Many have found it helpful to discuss controversial topics that might arise at school or work during family worship. (Prov. 9:9) Think about how you would respond if someone said something like this to you:
“Only ignorant people believe in God.”
“Evolution is a fact that is more than proven.”
“If it is true that there is a Creator, who created him?”
“Jehovah's Witnesses hate homosexuals.”
“Why do Jehovah's Witnesses pressure people to change their religion?”
“You have changed the Bible to fit your beliefs.”
16, 17. How can practice sessions help young people?
Practice sessions can help young people present compelling arguments to convey to people, and not only that, but also convince themselves that their beliefs have merit.
It also makes them aware of what they learn, and thus they achieve a solid foundation on what they have learned. In the youth section of jw.org you can find many helps to strengthen the faith of our children and help them explain their beliefs in their own words.
18. According to Colossians 4:6, what should we give importance to?
We must give utmost importance, not only to having logical arguments to convince others, but also to expressing ourselves with tact and mildness. An example that helps us better understand this issue is the one we see in the paragraph, there we can see that talking about our beliefs with someone is like throwing the ball to someone, we have two options: throw it gently or throw it hard, If we decide to throw it gently, the other person will easily catch it and want to continue playing. Similarly, when we talk about contact and gentleness, it is very likely that the person will want to continue listening and will not stop the conversation.
According to the text, we must give importance to our words, and we do so by expressing ourselves with tact and mildness, with pleasant words seasoned with salt. If we apply this in our conversations and in our ministry, the person we talk to will be more likely to want to continue listening and not cut off the conversation. Let's remember what we read in Proverbs 26:4, where he tells us, do not respond to a fool according to his foolishness so that you do not become equal to him.
19. What can motivate us to be gentle when defending our beliefs?
A respectful and gentle response can have a very positive effect on some people, to the point that they may reconsider their opinion about us and about biblical teachings. Which motivates us to be gentle when defending our beliefs.
In 1 Peter 315 he is telling us to sanctify Christ as lord of our hearts. Therefore that should be our greatest motivation. Hence the importance of sanctifying Christ with our words, and to achieve this we can ask Jehovah to give us strength to be peaceful when others bring up controversial topics or criticize us unfairly. Let us respond with possibility and respect, trying to give our opinion on the Biblical teachings.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
How can we develop mildness?
Mildness is the fruit of the spirit, which requires a lot of inner strength to be able to apply it. So we need to ask Jehovah for his spirit.
How does insight help us respond with gentleness?
The insightful person knows how to control himself when someone questions his beliefs. Therefore, this insight will make us respect the point of view of the person we are talking to.
What can parents do to help their children defend their faith with gentleness?
What some parents do is have practice sessions during family worship. They analyze topics that could arise at school and role-play how to respond.
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