Publication date
7/15/18
Volume
39
Number
14
The WatchTower
The New Commandment
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1918/14/1918-14-1.html
 
 
 
IN 
RE 
LITERATURE 
IN 
FOREIGN 
LANGUAGES 
Hereafter 
no 
literature 
in 
a 
foreign 
language 
will 
be 
issued 
from 
this 
oflke. 
The 
names 
of 
all 
subserrbers 
to 
the 
foreign 
TOWERS 
will 
be 
transferred 
to 
the 
English 
WATCH 
TOWER 
list 
for 
the 
remainder 
of 
the 
term 
of 
subscription, 
unless 
the 
sub· 
scriberB 
shall 
notify 
us 
to 
the 
contrary. 
Should 
any 
sub· 
scriber 
to 
a 
foreign 
ToWER 
prefer 
to 
have 
his 
money 
refunded 
for 
the 
unexpired 
term 
of 
subscription, 
this 
will 
be 
done 
upon 
his 
written 
request 
to 
this 
offic!'. 
VOl 
•. 
XXXIX 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
.JULY 
15, 
EnS 
No. 
14 
THE 
NEW 
COMMANDMENT 
"_t 
new 
commandment 
I 
gi1:e 
unto 
VOt~, 
Th4t 
ye 
101:c 
onc 
another; 
as 
I 
have 
loved 
you, 
that 
ye 
also 
love 
one 
another."--J"ohn 
13: 
34. 
The 
New 
Creation 
is 
not 
left 
without 
a 
law. 
It 
is 
a 
very 
special 
love 
which 
we 
feel, 
and 
which 
we 
must 
feel, 
for 
every 
oft 
repeated 
commandment; 
and 
the 
attainment 
of 
all 
the 
one 
who 
has 
covenanted 
to 
lay 
his 
all 
at 
the 
Lord's 
feet. 
Then· 
various 
things 
to 
which 
it 
is 
invited 
rests 
upon 
thc 
keeping 
of 
are 
some 
who 
apparently 
feel 
very 
free 
to 
call 
upon 
the 
Lord's 
it: 
"If 
yc 
keep 
my 
commandments, 
ye 
shall 
abide 
in 
my 
love; 
name, 
but 
who 
do 
not 
have 
the 
spirit 
of 
consecration. 
.. 
!\ot 
.. 
v 
en 
as 
I 
have 
kept 
my 
Father's 
commandments, 
and 
abide 
in 
everyone 
that 
saith 
unto 
me, 
Lonl, 
Lord, 
shall 
enter 
into 
tIl<' 
his 
love. 
This 
is 
my 
commandment, 
that 
ye 
love 
one 
another 
king-uom 
of 
heaven: 
but 
he 
that 
doeth 
the 
will 
of 
lily 
Fathp)' 
as 
I 
have 
loved 
you." 
(.John 
Hi: 
10, 
12) 
This 
new 
command- 
which 
is 
in 
heaven."-lI-ratthew 
7 
:21. 
ment 
of 
the 
Lord 
made 
a 
great 
impression 
upon 
the 
mind 
of 
But 
if 
'VI' 
find 
one 
who 
is 
a. 
true 
believer 
in 
the 
Lonl 
an,l 
the 
loving 
Apostle 
,John. 
III' 
mentions 
the 
injunction 
11 
num- 
who 
has 
ac<~eptcd 
him 
as 
his 
Savior 
and 
Redeemer 
and 
who 
i-; 
her 
of 
time~: 
"This 
commandment 
have 
we 
from 
him, 
That 
trying 
to 
live 
an 
inoffensive 
life. 
we 
are 
to 
count 
him 
as 
a 
he 
who 
loveth 
God 
love 
his 
brother 
also." 
(1 
John 
4:21) 
brother, 
enn 
though 
he 
may 
not 
have 
seen 
the 
privileges 
of 
"For 
this 
is 
the 
commandment 
[marginal 
reading] 
that 
ye 
the 
priesthood 
which 
are 
ours. 
Such 
brethren 
were 
very 
dear 
heard 
from 
the 
beginning, 
that 
we 
should 
love 
one 
another." 
to 
the 
AposUe 
Paul; 
and 
it 
was 
among 
them 
that 
he 
sought 
"And 
this 
is 
his 
commandment, 
that 
we 
should 
believe 
on 
the 
for 
those 
who 
shall 
be 
worthy 
of 
being 
counted 
brethren 
on 
name 
of 
his 
Son 
.J 
csus 
Christ. 
and 
love 
one 
another, 
as 
he 
the 
higher 
plane. 
Thus 
he 
said: 
"I 
beseech 
you 
therefore, 
gave 
Uil 
eommandm<,nt."-l 
,John 
:1:II, 
23. 
brethren, 
by 
the 
mcrcil's 
of 
God 
[tentatively 
justified], 
that 
ye 
A 
great 
deal 
that 
passes 
for 
love 
will 
not 
stand 
the 
test. 
prespnt 
your 
bodies 
a 
living 
sa~rifice. 
holy, 
acceptable 
unto 
"'!any 
people 
have 
had 
largl' 
numuers 
of 
friends 
while 
their 
God"-that 
thus 
you 
may 
become 
~etually 
justified. 
(Romans 
conditions 
were 
prosperous, 
and 
have 
been 
greatly 
surprised 
12: 
1) 
Those 
who 
have 
taken 
neIther 
of 
these 
steps 
are 
not 
in 
the 
hOllr 
of 
reversal 
to 
find 
that 
they 
could 
count 
their 
our 
brethren 
as 
yet, 
but 
are 
"by 
nature 
the 
children 
of 
wrath, 
true 
fril'nds 
llpon 
the 
finger" 
of 
one 
hand 
and 
have 
fingprs 
to 
even 
as 
ot?e.rs."-Ephe~ians 
2: 
3. 
. 
. 
. 
spare, 
The 
Lord 
dol'S 
not 
wish 
hi" 
pcople, 
however, 
to 
culti- 
The 
prJvllege 
of 
belllg 
sons 
of 
the 
<hvlne 
famIly 
and 
of 
vate 
an 
outward 
love 
for 
the 
fellow-members 
of 
the 
~ew 
being 
recognized 
as 
sueh 
by 
other 
members 
of 
the 
family 
and 
Creat:-:)ll 
but 
a 
heart 
love; 
nor 
would 
he 
have 
them 
as 
new 
of 
enjoying 
the 
blessings 
of 
such 
fellowship 
is 
limited. 
It 
did 
creature~ 
love 
each 
other 
coldly 
and 
indifferently, 
but 
fer- 
not 
exist 
before 
our 
Lord's 
day; 
it 
was 
limited 
then 
to 
one 
vently: 
"Seeing 
ye 
have 
purified 
your 
souls 
in 
obeying 
the 
nation 
an.d. 
to 
t~e 
few 
in 
that 
na~i~n 
who 
eO~lld 
and 
did 
meet 
truth 
through 
the 
spirit 
unto 
unfeigned 
love 
of 
the 
brethren, 
th~ 
con~ltlOns 
I~~sed. 
The 
~Ivllle 
sonsh~p 
could 
no~ 
be 
see 
that 
ye 
love 
one 
another 
with 
a 
pnre 
heart 
fervently."-l 
reestablished 
untIl 
}o 
ather 
~dam 
s 
ransom 
prIce 
was 
prOVIded. 
Peter 
I: 
22. 
The 
terms 
of 
the 
heavenly 
salvation 
are 
not 
stated 
in 
the 
Old 
A 
first 
consideration 
to 
the 
keeping 
of 
the 
new 
command- 
Testament; 
and 
until 
Pentecost 
not 
one 
Jew 
could 
be 
trans­ 
ment 
is 
that 
the 
one 
we 
are 
invited 
to 
love 
as 
a 
new 
creature 
fer 
red 
from 
the 
house 
of 
servants 
to 
the 
house 
of 
sons. 
At 
should 
be 
one 
who, 
like 
ourselves, 
is 
a 
partaker 
of 
God's 
holy 
Pentecost, 
howeve,r, 
the. 
new 
family 
relationship 
began; 
and 
Spirit; 
for 
"if 
any 
man 
have 
not 
the 
Spirit 
of 
Christ, 
he 
is 
"as 
many 
as 
receIved 
hIm, 
to 
them 
gal'': 
he 
powe~ 
to 
bec~:ne 
none 
of 
his." 
(Romans 
S:!J) 
This 
love 
for 
those 
who 
have 
our 
the 
sons 
of 
God, 
even 
to 
them 
that 
belIeve 
on 
hIS 
name. 
- 
Father's 
likeness 
is 
as 
superior 
to 
any 
earthly 
love 
as 
the 
John 
1: 
12. 
. 
heavenly 
relationships 
are 
superior 
to 
the 
earthly 
relation- 
:Many 
wh? 
suppose 
that 
they 
are 
chIldren 
of 
God, 
or 
at 
ships. 
In 
the 
history 
of 
our 
Lord's 
life 
is 
an 
incident 
whieh 
least 
calculatIOn 
ar~ 
:very 
worthr 
and 
very 
acceptable 
servan~s, 
brings 
this 
fact 
forward 
with 
great 
prominence. 
While 
he 
was 
do. 
~ot 
ha;ve 
the 
spmt 
of 
so~shlp 
at 
all, 
but 
have 
an 
opposIte 
engaged 
ill 
seeking 
those 
who 
should 
ultimately 
become 
mem- 
SpIrIt 
derIved 
from 
an 
opposIte 
source, 
and 
for 
that 
reason 
are 
bel'S 
of 
the 
heavenly 
family 
messengers 
came 
to 
him 
inform- 
designated 
the 
children 
of 
the 
devil: 
"Ye 
are 
of 
your 
father 
ing 
him 
that 
his 
mother 
an:l 
brethren 
stood 
without, 
desiring 
the 
?evil,.and 
the 
hls~s 
o~ 
your 
father 
ye 
\~ill 
do" 
(John. 
8:44). 
to 
speak 
with 
him. 
It 
is 
probable 
that 
our 
Lord 
loved 
his 
ChrIst 
saId 
to 
some 
III 
hIS 
day. 
From 
thIS 
we 
can 
plamly 
see 
mother 
more 
tllan 
any 
other 
earthly 
being. 
There 
wa.s 
a 
spe- 
that 
the 
.expression, 
"the. 
fath~rh?od 
of 
God," 
when 
applied 
to 
cial 
bond 
between 
them 
due 
to 
the 
circumstances 
of 
hIS 
birth, 
all 
men 
m 
the 
present 
tIme, 
IS 
llleorrect. 
The 
fatherhood 
of 
which 
apparently 
they 
alone 
could 
fully 
appreciate. 
(Luke 
God 
~ow 
is}imited 
£0 
those 
w~o 
have 
recei.v~d 
the 
spirit, 
of 
2:19; 
John 
S:41. 
42) 
Ilut 
although 
Jesus 
loved 
his 
mother 
so 
adoptIOn. 
But 
ye 
have 
receIved 
the 
SpIrIt 
of 
adoptton 
dearly 
that 
his 
last 
thought 
was 
to 
provide 
for 
her 
a 
home 
whereby 
we 
cry, 
Abba, 
Father"----ilear 
Father. 
with 
the 
Apostle 
whom 
he 
specially 
IQved 
(John 
19:26, 
27), 
PRIVILEGE 
OF 
COMFORTING 
THE 
BRETHREN 
yet 
to 
those 
who 
wished 
him 
to 
leave 
off 
his 
preaching 
of 
the 
One 
of 
the 
blesser! 
privileges 
which 
we 
enjoy 
towards 
the 
Gospel 
he 
answered: 
"Who 
is 
mr 
mother 
T 
and 
w:ho 
.ar~ 
my 
other 
members 
of 
our 
Father's 
family 
is 
the 
privilege 
of 
com- 
brethrc?? 
and 
he 
stretched 
forth 
hIS 
hands 
toward 
hIS 
dISCiples, 
forting 
them 
in 
the 
midst 
of 
the 
sorrows 
which 
are 
peculiarly 
and 
saId, 
Behold 
m?, 
mother 
and 
my 
b~eth~en 
~ 
For 
whoso- 
the 
lot 
of 
the 
sacrificin~ 
priesthood. 
~he 
Apostle 
Paul 
ill 
ever 
shall 
do 
the 
11'111 
of 
my 
Father 
whICh 
IS 
III 
heaven, 
the 
writing 
to 
the 
Thessalonlan 
brethren 
saId: 
"Ye 
know 
how 
same 
is 
my 
brother, 
and 
sister, 
and 
mother," 
i. 
e 
.. 
'he 
stands 
we 
exhorted 
and 
comforted 
and 
charged 
everyone 
of 
you, 
as 
a 
to 
me 
in 
a 
relationship 
that 
is 
at 
once 
close 
and 
tender 
and 
father 
doth 
his 
children." 
(I 
Thessalonians 
2: 
11) 
In 
writing- 
vital.'-Matthew 
12 
:48-50. 
to 
the 
Corinthian 
brethren, 
his 
great 
heart 
of 
love 
was 
allowed 
Undoubtedly 
the 
reason 
for 
the 
Apostle 
Paul's 
advice 
to 
to 
overflow 
with 
the 
following 
wonderful 
pass@ge 
of 
con 
sola­ 
unmarried 
consecrated 
ones 
to 
the 
effect 
that 
they 
would 
tion 
and 
comfort 
to 
his 
brothers 
and 
sisters 
of 
the 
divine 
probably 
do 
better 
to 
remain 
so, 
was 
not 
because 
there 
is 
any- 
family 
who 
for 
the 
time 
made 
their 
home 
in 
the 
city 
of 
thing 
displeasing 
to 
the 
heavenly 
Father 
in 
this 
nearest 
and 
Corinth: 
"May 
grace 
and 
peace 
be 
granted 
to 
you 
from 
God 
dearest 
of 
all 
human 
relationships, 
which 
he 
himself 
insti· 
our 
Father 
and 
the 
Lord 
,Jesus 
Christ. 
I 
thank 
my 
God 
con­ 
tuted 
and 
for 
which 
the 
creatures 
of 
his 
handiwork 
are 
by 
tinually 
on 
your 
behalf 
for 
the 
grace 
of 
God 
bestowed 
on 
you 
nature 
adapted, 
but 
because 
many, 
new 
creatures 
are 
not 
in 
Christ 
Jesus--that 
you 
have 
been 
so 
richly 
blessed 
in 
him, 
strong 
enough 
in 
character 
to 
make 
sure 
always 
that 
the 
with 
readiness 
of 
speech 
and 
fulness 
of 
knowledge. 
Thus 
my 
Lord 
OP.cupies 
the 
first 
place 
in 
their 
hearts, 
and 
the 
earthly 
testimony 
as 
to 
the 
Christ 
has 
been 
confirmed 
in 
your 
experi­ 
companion 
the 
second 
place. 
Every 
marriage 
in 
which 
this 
enee, 
BO 
that 
there 
is 
no 
gift 
of 
God 
in 
which 
y~u 
consciously 
balance 
is 
never 
lost 
sight 
of 
is 
beautiful, 
lovely 
and 
acceptable 
come 
short 
while 
patiently 
waiting 
for 
the 
reappearing 
of 
our 
in 
the 
Father's 
sight. 
But 
it 
requires 
great 
strength 
of 
char· 
Lord 
Jesus 
Christ."-l 
Corinthians 
1 
:3·7, 
Weym. 
aeter 
to 
keep 
the 
Lord 
always 
upon 
the 
throne 
of 
our 
affec· 
It 
is 
a 
mistake 
for 
new 
creatures 
to 
withhold 
from 
one 
tions. 
Hence 
the 
sad 
condition 
arises 
that 
if 
a 
new 
creature 
another 
the 
words 
of 
comfort 
which 
mean 
so 
much 
in 
the 
becomes 
soul-sick 
and 
withdraws 
from 
the 
altar 
of 
sacrifice, 
midst 
of 
storm. 
If 
we 
do 
withhold 
these 
words 
of 
comfort, 
it 
his 
or 
her 
companion 
is 
very 
frequently 
drawn 
away, 
too. 
shows 
that 
we 
are 
deficient 
in 
the 
holy 
Spirit; 
for 
the 
holy 
TWO 
OLASSES 
'tllAT 
PROFESS 
DIl!ICIPLBSHIP 
Spirit 
was 
given 
to 
us, 
not 
only 
to 
be 
.a 
comfort 
to 
our 
own 
The 
fact 
that 
one 
professes 
to 
be 
the 
Lord's 
follower 
~oeB 
hearts, 
but 
~ 
a!d 
1!s 
in 
our 
efforts 
to 
be 
a 
co~:tfort 
t;<> 
other~. 
not 
necessarily 
mean 
that 
we 
should 
bestow 
upon 
hIm 
theThe 
holy 
Splnt 
IS 
like 
the 
truth-the 
more 
of 
It 
we 
gIve 
away 
[6289] 
(211 
212) 
IN RE LITERATURE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES Hereafter no literature in a foreign language will be issued from this office, The names of all subseribers to the foreign Towers wil] be transferred to the English Warcu Tower list for the remainder of the term of subscription, unless the sub Vou. XXXIX BROOKLYN, N. Y., JULY 15, 1918 seribers shall notify us to the contrary. Should any subseriber to a foreign TowER prefer to have his money refunded for the unexpired term of subscription, this will be done upon his written request to this office. No. 14 THE NEW COMMANDMENT “1 new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”—John 13:34. The New Creation is not left without a law. It is a very oft repeated commandment; and the attainment of all the various things to which it is invited rests upon the keeping of it: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in hig love. This is my commandment, that ye love one another as J have loved you.” (John 15:10, 12) This new commandment of the Lord made a great impression upon the mind of the loving Apostle John. He mentions the injunction a number of times: “This commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” (1 John 4:21) “For this is the commandment [marginal reading] that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” “And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us eommandment,.”—1 John 3:11, 23. A great deal that passes for love will not stand the test. Many people have had Jarge numbers of friends while their conditions were prosperous, and have been greatly surprised in the hour of reversal to find that they could count their true friends upon the fingers of one hand and have fingers to spare. The Lord does not wish his people, however, to cultivate an outward love for the fellow-members of the New Creation, but a heart love; nor would he have them as new creatures love each other coldly and indifferently, but fervently: “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.”—l1 Peter 1:22. A first consideration to the keeping of the new commandment is that the one we are invited to love as a new creature should be one who, like ourselves, is a partaker of God’s holy Spirit; for “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9) This love for those who have our Father’s likeness is as superior to any earthly love as the heavenly relationships are superior to the earthly relationships. In the history of our Lord’s life is an incident which brings this fact forward with great prominence. While he was engaged in seeking those who should ultimately become members of the heavenly family, messengers came to him informing him that his mother and brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. It is probable that our Lord loved his mother more than any other earthly being. There was a special bond between them due to the circumstances of his birth, which apparently they alone could fully appreciate, (Luke 2:19; John 8:41. 42) But although Jesus loved his mother so dearly that his last thought was to provide for her a home with the Apostle whom he specially loved (John 19:26, 27), yet to those who wished him to leave off his preaching of the Gospel he answered: “Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? and he stretched forth his hands toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother,” i. e., ‘he stands to me in a relationship that is at once close and tender and vital,’—Matthew 12:48-50. Undoubtedly the reason for the Apostle Paul’s advice to unmarried consecrated ones to the effect that they would probably do better to remain so, was not because there is anything displeasing to the heavenly Father in this nearest and dearest of all human relationships, which he himself instituted and for which the creatures of his handiwork are by nature adapted, but because many,new creatures are not strong enough in character to make sure always that the Lord oecupies the first place in their hearts, and the earthly companion the second place. Every marriage in which this balance is never lost sight of is beautiful, lovely and acceptable in the Father’s sight. But it requires great strength of character to keep the Lord always upon the throne of our affections. Hence the sad condition arises that if a new creature becomes soul-sick and withdraws from the altar of sacrifice, his or her companion is very frequently drawn away, too. TWO CLASSES THAT PEOFESS DISCIPLESHIP The fact that one professes to be the Lord’s follower does special love which we feel, and which we must feel, for every one who has covenanted to lay his all at the Lord’s feet. There are some who apparently feel very free to call upon the Lord's name, but who do not have the spirit of consecration. ‘Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which igs in heaven.”—Matthew 7:21. But if we find one who is a true believer in the Lord and who has accepted him as his Savior and Redeemer and who is trying to live an inoffensive life, we are to count him as a brother, even though he may not have seen the privileges of the priesthood which are ours. Such brethren were very dear to the Apostle Paul; and it was among them that he sought for those who shall be worthy of being counted brethren on the higher plane. Thus he said: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God [tentatively justified], that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God”—that thus you may become actually justified. (Romans 12:1) Those who have taken neither of these steps are not our brethren as yet, but are “by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”—Ephesians 2:3. The privilege of being sons of the divine family and of being recognized as such by other members of the family and of enjoying the blessings of such fellowship is limited. 1t did not exist before our Lord’s day; it was limited then to one nation and to the few in that nation who could and did meet the conditions imposed. The divine sonship could not be reéstablished until Father Adam’s ransom price was provided. The terms of the heavenly salvation are not stated in the Old Testament; and until Pentecost not one Jew could be transferred from the house of servants to the house of sons, At Pentecost, however, the new family relationship began; and “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”— John 1:12. Many who suppose that they are children of God, or at least ealculation are very worthy and very acceptable servants, do not have the spirit of sonship at all, but have an opposite spirit derived from an opposite source, and for that reason are designated the children of the devil: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” (John 8:44). Christ said to some in his day. From this we can plainly see that the expression, “the fatherhood of God,” when applied to all men in the present time, is incorrect. The fatherhood of God now is limited fo those who have received the spirit of adoption. “But ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we ery, Abba, Father”’—dear Father. PRIVILEGE OF COMFORTING THE BRETHREN One of the blessed privileges which we enjoy towards the other members of our Father’s family is the privilege of comforting them in the midst of the sorrows which are peculiarly the lot of the sacrificing priesthood. The Apostle Paul in writing to the Thessalonian brethren said: “Ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children.” (1 Thessalonians 2:11) In writing to the Corinthian brethren, his great heart of love was allowed to overflow with the following wonderful passege of consolation and comfort to his brothers and sisters of the divine family who for the time made their home in the city of Corinth: “May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God continually on your behalf for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus—that you have been so richly blessed in him, with readiness of speech and fulness of knowledge. Thus my teatimony as to the Christ has been confirmed in your experience, 80 that there is no gift of God in which you consciously come short while patiently waiting for the reappearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”—1 Corinthians 1:3-7, Weym. It is a mistake for new creaturea to withhold from one another the words of comfort which mean so much in the midst of storm. If we do withhold these words of comfort, it shows that we are deficient in the holy Spirit; for the holy Spirit was given to us, not only to be a comfort to our own hearts, but to aid us in our efforts to be a comfort to others. not necessarily mean that we should bestow upon him theThe holy Spirit is like the truth—the more of it we give away [6289] (211 212)

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