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Our Christian Life and Ministry Meeting Answer Sheet

FOR USE BY MEETING CHAIRMAN FOR WEEKS OF FEBRUARY 5-26, 2018

SOURCE MATERIAL: New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (study edition) [nwtsty].

INSTRUCTIONS: These review questions correspond to material found in Treasures From God’s Word. Well in advance, the meeting chairman should ensure that the elder or ministerial servant assigned a part during Treasures From God’s Word will consider the question and answer for the week. During the meeting, the chairman should make sure that the question is answered correctly by the audience. If necessary, he may clarify the main point, highlight reasons for the answer, or briefly comment on how the material can be applied. During the three-minute conclusion of the meeting, the chairman should briefly review the question and answer from the current week, and he may mention the question for the following week as part of the preview.

The date in brackets represents the week that the material will be covered.

• 1. How can we imitate Jesus’ compassion? (Mt 12:20) [Feb. 5, nwtsty study note] Like Jesus, who fulfilled the prophecy at Isaiah 42:3, may we never extinguish the last spark of hope in humble and downtrodden people. The Greek expression “smoldering wick” may refer to a wick that gives off smoke because an ember is still present but the flame is fading or is extinguished.

• 2. What might Jesus have meant when he used the term “little dogs”? (Mt 15:26) [Feb. 12, nwtsty study note] Non-Jews often viewed dogs as household pets. By likening Israelites to “children” and non-Jews to “little dogs,” Jesus evidently wanted to indicate an order of priority. In a household that had both children and dogs, the children would be fed first.

• 3. Who was the rock on which Jesus built the Christian congregation? (Mt 16:18) [Feb. 19, nwtsty study note] Jesus evidently used a play on words, saying in effect: ‘You, the one I called Peter (meaning “A Piece of Rock”) have discerned the true identity of the Christ, “this rock,” the one who will serve as the foundation of the Christian congregation.’ Peter apparently did not view himself as the rock on which Jesus would build his congregation, since he wrote at 1 Peter 2: 4-8 that Jesus was the long-foretold “foundation cornerstone,” chosen by God himself. Similarly, the apostle Paul referred to Jesus as the “foundation” and “the spiritual rock.”—1Co 3:11; 10:4.

• 4. How many times should we be willing to forgive our brother? (Mt 18:21, 22) [Feb. 26, nwtsty study note] The repetition of the number seven was equivalent to “indefinitely” or “without limit.” By turning Peter’s 7 times into 77, Jesus was telling his followers not to set an arbitrary limit on forgiveness. In contrast, the Babylonian Talmud ( Yoma 86b) says: “If a man commits a transgression the first, second and third time he is forgiven, the fourth time he is not forgiven.”

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