02:00 Welcome, brothers and sisters.
02:03 This is a historic moment!
02:05 Our studio has moved and is now located only minutes
02:09 from the new world headquarters complex at Warwick, New York.
02:14 And this first program from our new studio
02:17 will bring you many spiritual gems.
02:20 First, what obstacles have been overcome
02:23 so that common people can read God’s Word?
02:27 In this exciting documentary, we will see the courage shown
02:30 by William Tyndale of England.
02:34 What helped two fierce enemies
02:36 to become close friends?
02:38 The uniting power of the Bible is evident
02:41 in this account.
02:43 And what can we learn from the apostle Paul
02:45 that will improve our ministry?
02:48 We will find out as we join this family
02:50 during their Family Worship evening.
02:54 This is the January program of JW Broadcasting!
03:15 As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we truly love the Bible.
03:20 Why?
03:22 Because we know it is God’s Word.
03:24 That’s why we love reading it, we love studying it,
03:28 and we love learning about its history.
03:31 When we pause for a moment and reflect on
03:35 the many efforts that have been made through the centuries
03:38 to hinder and even stop the distribution of the Bible,
03:42 it becomes obvious that its Author, Jehovah,
03:47 has been personally involved in preserving
03:50 and making known his precious Word.
03:53 This is very much in harmony with the thought
03:56 in Isaiah 40:8:
04:00 “The green grass dries up,
04:03 “the blossom withers,
04:05 but the word of our God endures forever.”
04:11 With that in mind,
04:12 I’m happy to speak with you this month
04:15 on a theme that’s very close to my heart:
04:18 “The Word of Our God Endures Forever.”
04:22 The more we come to appreciate the value of God’s Word,
04:27 the more we’ll be moved to read it
04:30 and, even more important, to apply it in our lives.
04:35 Jehovah gave us an outstanding gift when he inspired
04:39 faithful men to record his precious Word.
04:43 It’s through the pages of God’s Word
04:46 that we learn just how much God loves us.
04:51 Thus, his Word contains guidance on how to live.
04:54 It outlines his purpose in creating us.
04:58 It gives us his precious promises for life everlasting
05:03 in peace and happiness.
05:05 No wonder the apostle Paul was inspired to write
05:09 at 2 Timothy 3:16, 17:
05:14 “All Scripture is inspired of God
05:18 “and beneficial for teaching, for reproving,
05:22 “for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness,
05:27 “so that the man of God may be fully competent,
05:31 completely equipped for every good work.”
05:36 Of course, Satan the Devil does not want people to have access
05:40 to these precious truths from our heavenly Father, Jehovah.
05:45 It’s no surprise that there have been many obstacles
05:48 to making the Bible available.
05:51 While Satan may not have been directly behind all of these,
05:55 he certainly has made use of them.
05:58 What are some of these obstacles,
06:01 and how have they been overcome?
06:03 Let’s consider the first obstacle:
06:06 language barriers.
06:09 The first 39 books of the Bible,
06:12 which are often called the Old Testament,
06:14 were written primarily in the Hebrew language.
06:18 These books were known
06:20 by Hebrew-speaking servants of Jehovah.
06:24 However, as time went on,
06:27 particularly after the destruction of Babylon,
06:30 many Jews established communities in other nations of the earth.
06:34 Many of these Jews spoke Greek.
06:37 They no longer used Hebrew.
06:40 That meant that many Jews no longer had access
06:43 to the Scriptures in a language they could understand.
06:47 Consider what had happened.
06:50 As Alexander the Great conquered
06:52 more and more of the then-known world,
06:54 Greek gradually became
06:56 the common language of commerce and government
06:59 throughout his empire.
07:02 If the Bible was to be understood
07:04 by the Jews and by Jewish proselytes
07:07 who were scattered throughout this vast Greek-speaking territory,
07:12 it needed to be translated into Greek.
07:16 Beginning in about the year 250 B.C.E.,
07:20 the Hebrew Scriptures began to be translated into Greek.
07:24 In time, that Greek translation came to be known
07:28 as the Septuagint.
07:30 It was widely and frequently used by the Christians
07:34 in the first century who spoke Greek.
07:37 In fact, the writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures,
07:41 which is often called the New Testament,
07:44 frequently quoted directly from that translation.
07:49 So that obstacle had been overcome.
07:52 But there were many more language obstacles ahead.
07:56 As the Roman Empire began to flourish,
08:00 Latin replaced Greek as a common language.
08:03 Now it was necessary to translate the Bible into Latin.
08:07 Some Latin translations of the Bible books began to appear.
08:13 But it was in the year 405 C.E. that Jerome completed
08:18 the definitive Latin translation of the Bible.
08:22 It came to be known
08:24 as the Latin Vulgate.
08:26 Jerome’s translation would become
08:29 the standard Bible used by Christendom
08:32 for the next nearly 1,000 years.
08:37 However, Latin soon became the language of the learned and the elite,
08:42 so the common people could no longer understand
08:45 the Bible’s message.
08:47 During that long period, there were sincere men
08:52 that translated portions of the Bible into some additional languages,
08:57 but these translations were, of course, all made by hand.
09:02 Such handwritten copies of the Bible were rare and expensive.
09:07 Therefore, access to the Bible in vernacular,
09:11 or common languages, was very limited.
09:14 But language was not the only obstacle
09:17 that threatened to prevent the distribution of God’s Word.
09:21 Consider a second factor:
09:24 direct opposition to Bible translation and distribution
09:28 from religious leaders.
09:31 That opposition started to increase in 1229
09:36 when the local church Council of Toulouse decreed:
09:40 “We prohibit also that the laity should be permitted
09:45 to have the books of the Old or the New Testament.”
09:50 In 1234, the Council of Tarragona decreed:
09:55 “No one should possess the books of the Old or the New Testament
09:59 “in the vernacular [language],
10:01 “and if anyone possesses them,
10:04 “let him deliver them, within eight days
10:07 “from the promulgation of this decree,
10:10 to the local bishop, so that they may be burned.”
10:15 Thus, during a very long period in history,
10:19 there was limited access to the Bible
10:22 in the languages spoken by common people.
10:25 But did that mean that the Word of God
10:28 would not continue to endure?
10:31 Neither language barriers
10:33 nor opposition from religious leaders
10:36 could stop God’s Word from being made known.
10:40 Even in those dark times,
10:42 there were individuals who loved God’s Word
10:46 and who worked hard to translate it
10:48 and to make it available to others.
10:51 Consider John Wycliffe
10:53 and his followers who were called the Lollards.
10:57 John Wycliffe and his associates
10:59 completed the translation of the Bible
11:01 into English about the year 1382.
11:06 They eagerly hand copied the translation
11:09 and then traveled from village to village
11:11 reading the Bible to the common people.
11:15 Despite tremendous opposition from the church,
11:18 Wycliffe and his followers made the Bible available
11:22 to many honesthearted people in the English language.
11:27 After Wycliffe died in 1384,
11:31 great opposition came to his followers.
11:35 Many had land and property confiscated.
11:38 Others were burned at the stake.
11:42 In response to the work of Wycliffe and the Lollards,
11:46 in 1408,
11:48 Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury, declared:
11:54 “We therefore decree and ordain
11:57 “that no man shall, hereafter, by his own authority,
12:02 “translate any text of the Scripture
12:05 “into English, or any other tongue,
12:08 . . . upon pain of greater excommunication.”
12:13 Did such opposition wipe out efforts
12:16 to translate and make the Bible available?
12:20 Absolutely not!
12:22 The work of Wycliffe and his associates
12:25 stimulated interest in the Bible throughout England
12:28 and even as far as central Europe.
12:32 Religious leaders were not able to silence the Word of God.
12:37 In fact, within just a few decades after Wycliffe’s death,
12:42 two factors led to a tremendous increase
12:46 in the availability of the Bible.
12:49 The first, about the year 1454,
12:52 was the development of printing with movable type.
12:57 This invention would in time allow for the printing
13:01 of large quantities of Bibles in many languages.
13:06 The second factor was the compiling and printing
13:10 of the Hebrew and Greek original language text
13:14 of the Holy Scriptures.
13:16 This allowed many translators
13:19 to have access to the original language texts
13:22 so that they then could produce
13:24 high-quality translations in their own languages.
13:29 What was the result?
13:31 In the 1500’s across Europe,
13:34 fresh translations were made and printed
13:38 in vernacular, or common languages,
13:41 including German, English, Italian, French,
13:45 Dutch, Czech, Danish, Swedish,
13:49 Spanish, Slovenian, and many others.
13:52 However, opposition continued.
13:56 Bible translators were frequently hounded by the Inquisition,
14:01 and some translators like William Tyndale and John Rogers
14:06 were even put to death for their work.
14:09 Nonetheless, the Word of God continued to endure
14:13 and be made available to more and more language groups.
14:18 By the early 1800’s,
14:21 Bible translation began to speed up.
14:24 Bible societies and intrepid translators
14:27 began to work in many parts of the earth
14:30 so that the Bible began to appear in languages
14:33 of Asia, Africa, the Pacific islands,
14:37 as well as in indigenous languages of the Americas.
14:41 From 1800 to 1899,
14:45 some portions of the Bible were translated
14:48 into some 400 languages,
14:51 and from 1900 to 1950,
14:54 more than 500 languages were added.
14:58 Consider what has been accomplished with the New World Translation.
15:03 As of this month, the New World Translation
15:07 has been produced in whole or in part
15:10 in 149 languages,
15:13 with an additional
37 languages approved.
15:17 It’s obvious that neither language barriers
15:21 nor opposition from religious leaders
15:24 was able to stop the distribution of God’s Word.
15:28 Jehovah has protected it through the ages.
15:32 It’s just as Psalm 12:6, 7 says:
15:38 “The sayings of Jehovah are pure;
15:42 “they are like silver refined in an earthen furnace,
15:45 “purified seven times.
15:48 “You will guard them, O Jehovah;
15:51 “you will protect each one of them
15:54 from this generation forever.”
15:58 Yes, Jehovah has protected each one
16:02 of his precious sayings down through the ages.
16:06 But consider a third obstacle.
16:09 Although the Bible is now available in whole or in part
16:13 in almost 3,000 languages,
16:17 many people are no longer interested in reading it.
16:20 In our modern age, people have become
16:24 increasingly skeptical and irreligious.
16:27 Scientists have extolled the theory of evolution
16:30 and have made it appear intelligent
16:32 to doubt the existence of God.
16:35 At the same time,
16:37 secular philosophy has encouraged people
16:40 to make life decisions according to what feels right to them.
16:44 What is the result?
16:46 A world where people are often guided
16:49 by their own selfish, fleshly desires.
16:53 Instead of leading to happiness,
16:55 many people are left feeling empty and dissatisfied.
17:00 How is this third obstacle overcome?
17:04 Around the world,
17:06 people are opening God’s Word, the Bible,
17:09 and reading it for themselves.
17:11 They’re recognizing that its thoughts
17:15 are not simply human wisdom.
17:17 As they apply its principles in their lives,
17:21 they find contentment and joy.
17:23 They develop self-respect and dignity
17:27 from living according to the upright moral standards
17:31 outlined by our Creator.
17:33 As Psalm 119:97-100 states:
17:39 “How I do love your law!
17:42 “I ponder over it all day long.
17:46 “Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
17:49 “because it is with me forever.
17:52 “I have more insight than all my teachers,
17:56 “because I ponder over your reminders.
17:59 “I act with more understanding than older men,
18:03 because I observe your orders.”
18:07 What a powerful proof
18:09 that the Word of God endures forever.
18:13 While the advice of human philosophers is frequently flawed,
18:18 the Bible’s counsel works.
18:21 If we apply it,
18:23 it can help us either to overcome or to cope
18:27 with any problem or situation that we may face.
18:31 What is more,
18:33 by explaining God’s purpose for the future,
18:36 it gives us a solid hope
18:38 this earth will be restored to the Paradise
18:42 that it was when it was first created.
18:45 It will be filled with peace and righteousness.
18:49 What a wonderful gift
18:52 Jehovah gave us through the Bible!
18:55 Yes, languages barriers, opposition from religious leaders,
18:59 and even an increasingly irreligious world
19:03 cannot stop God’s Word.
19:06 How can you be part of the evidence
19:09 that the Word of God endures forever?
19:12 Read it every day, study it,
19:16 meditate on the deep thoughts that it contains,
19:20 and then apply those priceless teachings in your life.
19:25 In this way, not just on the printed page,
19:29 not just on the library shelf,
19:32 but in our minds, in our own hearts,
19:36 in our own lives
19:38 the Word of God will truly endure forever.
19:44 Now, let’s get better acquainted with one of the individuals
19:48 we just mentioned who truly loved God’s Word.
19:52 In the 16th century, English scholar William Tyndale
19:56 had to endure harsh persecution in order to translate the Bible.
20:01 But he was convinced that the Bible had to be translated.
20:06 You will notice that this brief documentary
20:09 has been designed also to appeal to people
20:12 who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses,
20:14 as it will later be made available
20:16 on our official website, jw.org.
20:39 In the autumn of 1536,
20:42 William Tyndale was led from his prison cell, in the castle of Vilvoorde,
20:46 to the site of his impending execution.
20:49 There a post had been prepared for him.
20:52 Tyndale was chained to the post,
20:56 strangled to death,
20:58 and then his body burned
21:01 before the onlooking crowd.
21:03 His crime?
21:05 Tyndale struggled to reconcile the teachings of the church
21:08 with his own studies of the Bible.
21:11 William Tyndale died with his faith intact
21:15 that the Bible is the Word of God.
21:23 William Tyndale was the first person to seek
21:26 to translate the Bible from the original languages
21:29 into English.
21:31 Tyndale was born in the late 15th century.
21:34 He was born in the area of Gloucestershire
21:37 but had a chance to go to Oxford and became a priest.
21:41 In the 15th century, there was a lot of resistance
21:44 —the idea that the Word of God
21:46 could just simply be accessible by the general people.
21:49 People knew the Latin Bible from church,
21:52 which was interpreted by the priest for them.
21:55 They never had direct access to the Bible themselves.
21:58 Tyndale was not allowed to do this translation in England.
22:01 He went to the Bishop of London
22:03 asking for his permission to translate the New Testament
22:08 from the Greek —the original text—
22:11 into English but was not given that permission.
22:17 Such was the opposition to Bible translation
22:20 that Tyndale later wrote that there was
22:22 no place to do it in all England.
22:24 And so with the help of merchants sympathetic to his cause,
22:28 Tyndale fled to Germany where he could more easily work
22:31 on his English translation of the New Testament.
22:35 By 1525,
22:37 his translation was complete and ready to be printed.
22:40 The British Library in London holds the answer
22:43 to what happened next.
22:45 Dr. Karen Limper-Herz, a lead curator at the library,
22:49 is going to help us find out.
22:51 So we are looking at a unique copy of the first edition
22:54 of Tyndale’s New Testament, printed in Cologne in 1525.
22:57 The Cologne Fragment is the only known copy
23:00 of what exists of Tyndale’s first edition
23:02 of the New Testament.
23:04 The fact that it is a fragment shows that it was a dangerous thing to do.
23:06 The printer had too much to drink
23:09 and mentioned that he
23:11 was printing this pro-Lutheran English New Testament
23:15 for somebody called William Tyndale.
23:17 The authorities found out about it, and the print shop was raided.
23:19 Tyndale and his partners ran
23:21 —and this is all that survives today—
23:23 and they went down the Rhine a bit further to Worms.
23:26 So the fact that they didn’t get much further than part way through Matthew
23:29 is quite indicative of how dangerous it was.
23:31 The first complete copies of Tyndale’s translation
23:35 of the Christian Greek Scriptures were finally printed
23:38 in the city of Worms in Germany
23:41 in 1526.
23:43 Around 3,000 or more of these books were produced.
23:55 After leaving Germany,
23:57 Tyndale moved to Antwerp.
24:01 This bustling city was ideal for Tyndale.
24:04 It had a thriving printing industry
24:06 and its busy port
24:08 made it easy for his books to reach readers in England.
24:12 Professor Guido Latré has kindly offered to show me
24:15 around the very streets that Tyndale would have walked himself
24:19 some 500 years ago.
24:21 What he saw around him here were ordinary people
24:25 having access to the Bible in Dutch.
24:27 He wanted the same for his own folk in England.
24:31 If you wanted to smuggle Bibles on a large scale into England,
24:35 this was Northern Europe’s biggest seaport.
24:39 You can’t easily smuggle
24:42 a big volume and a big format.
24:45 So tiny loose leaves
24:48 that were taken to places like this
24:50 —these underground cellars, the warehouses—
24:52 and between the leaves
24:54 of larger books that were not forbidden,
24:57 the tiny leaves of Tyndale’s translation would have been hidden.
25:01 In London, someone would have recognized:
25:03 ‘Aha! These are the stacks that are marked.
25:06 ‘I must have a look at these
25:08 and find the loose leaves of Tyndale’s Bible.’
25:11 There were about 30,000 copies
25:14 of Tyndale’s Bible available
25:16 by the end of his life.
25:18 This was a brave man and a big man in terms of courage
25:21 and in terms of investment of time.
25:23 And the risks he took are not to be underestimated.
25:28 William Tyndale was imprisoned here
25:31 in Vilvoorde, just north of Brussels.
25:33 As he languished in prison for over a year,
25:35 he no doubt contemplated the cruel death that inevitably awaited him.
25:41 Tyndale is often renowned for his influence on the English language,
25:45 but his work was more than that of just scholarly ambition.
25:49 Tyndale loved the Bible.
25:52 Maybe it can be said of him
25:54 that he shared the feelings of the psalmist who spoke of God’s Word
25:57 and said: “How I do love your law!”
26:04 Despite intense opposition,
26:07 the Bible and the wisdom in it survives to this day,
26:11 a faithful transmission of the original writers’ words.
26:14 No wonder so many have placed such value on the Bible.
26:24 You’ll be happy to know that later this month
26:27 an extended version of this documentary
26:29 will be made available.
26:31 It contains additional examples of individuals
26:34 who risked their lives to spread God’s Word.
26:38 The video is called They Valued the Bible
26:42 and will be released on Video on Demand
26:44 under the heading “The Bible.”
26:47 Knowing that Jehovah is personally involved
26:50 in preserving and making known his Word,
26:53 we can be confident that the Bible
26:55 is the only true means of drawing close to him.
26:59 As a child,
27:01 David Sibrey, from England, had not read the Bible.
27:04 Instead, he had been taught traditions of men.
27:08 What helped him see the truth?
27:14 I was born in 1930.
27:17 We lived in Littlehampton,
27:19 which was a seaside town,
27:22 a very pleasant little place, quiet place.
27:27 I would like to walk in the countryside.
27:29 Nature intrigued me.
27:31 My interest was in what I saw rather than what I read.
27:34 Well, in 1939,
27:36 war broke out, and our road became the second line of defense.
27:41 And then, of course, you get the aircraft.
27:43 Well, there was a young boy (younger than myself),
27:47 and one Sunday morning an air raid took place,
27:51 and the house where he was living
27:53 was destroyed, and he was killed.
27:55 But I remember saying to my mother,
27:58 “Why did he have to die?”
28:01 And her answer was:
28:03 “Well, he’s in a better place.
28:05 He’s with God in heaven,”
28:07 which didn’t quite add up to me.
28:10 I couldn’t understand how God
28:12 could be responsible for his death,
28:15 which meant He was responsible for war.
28:17 So it was— The whole thing was depressing;
28:22 perhaps put it that way.
28:24 As far as religion was concerned,
28:27 I accepted it was there,
28:29 but I couldn’t understand how it fit in with what was going on.
28:33 There was a gap somewhere,
28:35 and I couldn’t, I couldn’t, plug it.
28:37 Every time you went to church,
28:39 you had a hymnbook and a prayer book,
28:41 but a Bible was something you had personally.
28:44 And the only time I ever opened it
28:47 was when I began to study with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
28:51 I was 17 or 18 years of age when I started.
28:55 A brother named Joe Gladwin called upon me.
28:59 I knew nothing about the Bible.
29:01 The fact that he said it, fair enough.
29:03 He said it was in the Bible, OK.
29:06 But what do other people say?
29:08 I decided to look for myself.
29:10 I realized that what Joe was telling me was right.
29:15 He showed me that the Bible was true.
29:17 I began to see that the Bible
29:20 told me things that I had never known.
29:22 Over the years, I’ve been privileged
29:24 to collect so many different translations of the Bible.
29:28 Reading through the different translations,
29:30 it’s clear that God’s Word never changes.
29:33 I got baptized at the age of 20 in 1950.
29:38 Over the years, I’ve served first of all as a pioneer.
29:41 From then I came to Bethel.
29:43 Moving from Bethel to the circuit and district work,
29:48 and then finally, coming back to Bethel for the Writing Desk.
29:52 The assignments I’ve had
29:54 have strengthened my conviction not only that Jehovah
29:58 is giving direction and his spirit can enable us to do
30:02 whatever he wants us to do
30:05 but that the organization has grown and,
30:07 with the development of the Governing Body’s direction,
30:11 is an organization which is second to none.
30:14 And, therefore, staying with it is the logical thing to do.
30:19 In my life, I looked in many places
30:23 for answers to life’s questions,
30:25 but only the Bible has provided answers.
30:29 I am so thankful that Jehovah continues to teach us.
30:37 Brother Sibrey’s appreciation for the Bible is heartwarming.
30:41 Do you remember how we can personally demonstrate
30:45 our appreciation for the Word of God?
30:47 By reading, studying, and meditating
30:51 on the deep thoughts that it contains
30:53 and then by applying
30:56 those inspired teachings in our lives.
30:58 When we do that,
31:01 we allow the holy spirit to affect our inner being,
31:04 to shape our desires and objectives in life.
31:08 However, what if someone has harbored resentment
31:12 against his fellow man for years,
31:15 perhaps to the point of wanting to kill that person?
31:18 What can God’s Word do in such a serious circumstance?
31:23 Remember the words of Hebrews 4:12:
31:28 “For the word of God is alive and exerts power
31:32 . . . and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
31:37 Yes, Jehovah has preserved the Bible
31:40 so that we can benefit from the power of his Word.
31:45 Vladimir Olkhov and Valery Zaporozhsky,
31:49 who are from Russia, were the fiercest of enemies,
31:52 yet they experienced that power firsthand.
32:05 I was the ringleader of a criminal gang.
32:10 We extorted money, put people out of business,
32:13 threatened them, dragged them away.
32:22 And they would hand over everything.
32:24 People were afraid of me, and I liked it that way.
32:30 I never forgave anybody.
32:32 If someone wronged me,
32:34 I would say: “Throw one stone at me!
32:37 I’ll bury you in a mountain of rocks!”
32:44 In 1993, I was working for the police.
32:47 They assigned me to gather information
32:49 about a gang whose leader was Vladimir Olkhov.
32:55 One time, when committing a crime, they caught me at the scene.
33:06 I swore revenge on everybody involved with my arrest.
33:13 During interrogations, I did everything
33:15 to humiliate Vladimir and tried to break him.
33:24 We just hated each other!
33:28 I told Valery, “Just remember:
33:30 “Sooner or later I’m getting out of prison
33:33 and then you’re a dead man!”
33:36 I thought to myself: ‘For a start,
33:39 ‘I’m going to blow up his car.
33:41 If he doesn’t understand, then I’ll just eliminate him.’
33:47 His threats sounded so serious that I started to fear for my life.
33:51 I decided to have my friends and acquaintances
33:53 make his life behind bars unbearable
33:56 and to make sure that he would never get out.
34:04 I saw that one of my cell mates had a pocket New Testament.
34:08 I asked him if I could read it.
34:10 Seeing my interest in spiritual things,
34:13 someone gave me a Watchtower magazine.
34:17 When I started reading the magazine,
34:19 I realized that there are other people out there—real people.
34:22 There’s a totally different way of life to be had, even now,
34:25 and with such prospects.
34:27 I was just stunned.
34:30 Then I found another five magazines around the prison.
34:33 I devoured them as well.
34:35 And I became thoroughly convinced that I had found the truth.
34:41 When my wife was first allowed to visit me,
34:43 I told her right away, “I’ve found the truth!”
34:48 My wife made pretty fast progress and was baptized two years later.
34:53 Her support was invaluable.
34:55 She would visit me, constantly encouraging me
34:59 to be faithful and remain loyal to God.
35:04 In 1993, Jehovah’s Witnesses visited me.
35:08 I agreed to a Bible study, but the truth didn’t touch my heart.
35:14 One time, Jehovah’s Witnesses invited me to a gathering,
35:17 and there they told me that Vladimir Olkhov
35:20 —that criminal—
35:21 was about to get baptized and become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
35:25 I was cut to the heart!
35:28 When I got home, I burst into tears.
35:31 I realized that I had to make spiritual progress.
35:34 Because if he, in his circumstances,
35:37 could do it, then I could do it.
35:39 That very moment, I prayed for the first time in my life.
35:44 I was released in October of 1997.
35:47 After I was released, the brothers organized a gathering.
35:51 They invited me to this gathering.
35:54 I remember that as I was approaching the place,
35:57 I suddenly realized this is where I once conducted a search!
36:02 And then Valery walked into the room.
36:06 We just hugged each other and burst into tears.
36:12 And I saw in his eyes a completely different look,
36:15 not like before —it was a kind look.
36:18 It brought tears to my eyes.
36:20 It was like a big weight was lifted from my chest.
36:23 ‘My brother!’
36:24 We begged one another for forgiveness.
36:29 On the 23rd of November 1997,
36:33 I was baptized together in the same pool
36:37 as my new friend Valery.
36:42 We really became the best of friends.
36:45 And now we serve as elders in the same congregation.
36:49 My wife and I often talk about
36:51 what would have happened to us
36:53 if we had not started to study the Bible.
36:55 Probably we wouldn’t even be alive now.
36:58 We’ve kept our family together.
37:01 Even better, we now have a spiritual family
37:04 in the Christian congregation.
37:06 And my former enemy is now my brother and best friend.
37:09 More importantly, we’ve developed
37:11 a close relationship with Jehovah.
37:16 Only God is able to change the thinking
37:18 of such bitter enemies as Vlad and I were.
37:23 And I eagerly look forward to the day
37:25 when everything that divides people
37:27 will be gone forever.
37:38 Do you see one reason why Jehovah
37:40 did not allow his Word to be obliterated?
37:43 He knew the benefits you and I would reap
37:47 from having access to the Bible.
37:49 Its message is so powerful,
37:53 it could help Vladimir and Valery
37:55 to change their lives and even become close friends.
38:00 While very few of us have taken part in the translation of the Bible,
38:05 all of us can share it with our neighbors
38:08 and help them to gain accurate knowledge of Jehovah.
38:12 In the following dramatization,
38:14 note some of the theocratic activities that this family enjoys
38:19 and what they had to do to become so zealous.
38:54 OK, OK.
38:56 We already know how this story is going to end.
38:59 No real surprises there.
39:06 So the real question is,
39:08 How did we get here?
39:14 For the record,
39:16 I never thought our ministry really needed help.
39:24 My wife and daughter were both regular pioneers.
39:28 My son was a solid publisher.
39:34 And while my schedule didn’t let me pioneer yet,
39:37 I was trying to do all I could to support them.
39:44 I always assumed
39:47 the best support I could provide was just being out with them
39:50 as much as possible,
39:54 but I quickly realized more was needed.
40:01 Our Field Service Group Overseer
40:03 had been making a real effort
40:05 to work in the ministry with us regularly the last few weeks,
40:09 and he kindly mentioned
40:11 he’d noticed a few challenges.
40:15 While our service time was great,
40:17 he pointed out that our return visits were slowly dwindling.
40:22 And other than the studies I had with the children,
40:26 no one in the family was conducting a Bible study.
40:29 I asked him what we could do to try
40:32 and improve the quality of our ministry.
40:38 He showed me Romans 15:19, highlighting Paul’s words:
40:43 “I have thoroughly preached the good news about the Christ.”
40:48 He suggested on our next Family Worship night
40:52 studying Paul’s ministry and seeing what we could learn from his example.
41:10 As we looked at Paul’s ministry, we realized
41:14 to be more productive we needed boldness.
41:19 Ephesians 6:19 says:
41:22 “Pray also for me,
41:24 “that the words may be given to me when I open my mouth,
41:27 “so that I may be able to speak boldly
41:30 in making known the sacred secret of the good news.”
41:39 Rina also noticed how Paul
41:42 reasoned persuasively with people.
41:52 And Keiko liked how he found common ground with those he talked to
41:58 —even referring to a pagan altar to an unknown god
42:02 as a way to direct the conversation to Jehovah.
42:07 Finally, Haruto noted how 2 Timothy said
42:12 Paul was “a workman with nothing to be ashamed of,
42:15 handling the word of the truth aright.”
42:18 So he was skilled in using the Scriptures with those he witnessed to.
42:29 See, I told you.
42:32 You already knew how this was going to end.
42:39 I started auxiliary pioneering.
42:52 We now have a number of return visits
42:56 and a few progressive Bible studies.
43:03 But how did we get here?
43:06 We learned from the example of Paul
43:09 and how he “thoroughly preached the good news.”
43:20 The group overseer could’ve simply listed
43:23 what changes were needed to improve the family’s ministry.
43:26 Instead, he directed the father
43:29 to a specific principle found in the Scriptures.
43:32 After all, it is only God’s Word
43:36 that “is inspired . . . for teaching.”
43:39 Bible translations in common languages
43:42 started to spread across Europe in the 1500’s,
43:45 but it took much longer
43:47 for more remote places to receive the Bible.
43:50 It was in 1766
43:53 that the complete Greek Scriptures, or New Testament,
43:57 was first published in Greenlandic
43:59 —a language spoken today by about 50,000 people.
44:04 In August of last year,
44:06 I had the privilege of serving a regional convention in Greenland,
44:10 which is overseen by the Scandinavia branch.
44:13 Greenland is the neighbor to the north of Newfoundland,
44:17 where I pioneered for 11 years.
44:19 So it was a wonderful experience to go there and meet our brothers.
44:24 Some 400 brothers and sisters traveled at their own expense
44:29 from all over Scandinavia to support the convention in Greenland.
44:34 Although Greenland is a land covered by large ice caps,
44:39 there are many warm hearts yearning for the truth.
44:54 I think that Jesus had Greenland in mind
44:56 when he spoke about preaching to the most distant part of the earth.
45:01 My name is Arne Mattsson.
45:03 My wife, Karin, and I have lived in Greenland for more than 34 years.
45:09 We have traveled all over the country preaching about God’s Kingdom,
45:12 and we have had some fantastic experiences.
45:15 In the 1950’s, two young special pioneers came to Greenland
45:20 as the first publishers.
45:22 They traveled by boat from town to town
45:25 carrying just tents and simple equipment.
45:28 They had to endure the cold weather,
45:31 face resistance from the local ministers,
45:33 and even fight with sledge dogs that took their food.
45:37 But they laid the groundwork for the great effort
45:39 that has been made to preach to all in this country.
45:43 In the 1960’s and ’70’s,
45:46 many families moved here from Denmark
45:49 to help with the preaching work.
45:51 I remember how I, as a teenager in 1971,
45:54 moved from Denmark to Greenland with my family.
45:57 It was not easy to learn the language,
46:01 but the brothers and sisters from Denmark did their best,
46:03 and it had a good effect on the territory.
46:07 In 1973, The Watchtower began to be published in Greenlandic.
46:12 Just to pronounce the name,
46:14 Napassuliak’ Alapernaerssuivfik, was a challenge.
46:18 But it has been a popular magazine in Greenland ever since.
46:24 Once, we met a couple
46:26 who for many years had received copies of The Watchtower
46:29 when publishers visited their settlement.
46:32 They told us that they often felt depressed when they woke up in the morning,
46:38 but when they read the magazine, they felt better.
46:40 And they would read the same copies over and over again.
46:51 When the temperature drops and the snow falls,
46:54 the landscape gets covered
46:56 by a beautiful white blanket for half a year,
46:58 so the publishers make good use of the summer.
47:02 Some towns and settlements
47:05 only seldom receive a witness.
47:08 There are no roads between the towns, but we reach isolated areas by boat.
47:12 When someone shows interest in our message,
47:14 the contact is maintained by phone.
47:19 Many have great respect for the Bible,
47:22 and so My Book of Bible Stories has found its way into many, many homes.
47:27 Over a period of 24 years, Karin and I have sailed so much
47:31 that it equals a trip twice around the globe.
47:34 This has cost a lot of effort and money,
47:36 but with Jehovah’s blessing,
47:39 we have been able to continue year after year
47:42 preaching to the distant parts of Greenland.
47:51 The preaching work here is a great experience.
47:55 People are attentive and kind.
47:57 But it took a long time before the first native Greenlander
47:59 was baptized
48:01 —actually 18 years of zealous preaching.
48:07 Today, there are more than 150 publishers
48:10 in 5 congregations.
48:12 Jehovah has really blessed
48:14 the work that has been done here for more than 60 years.
48:28 In August 2016,
48:30 a very special convention was held in the capital of Nuuk.
48:34 Brothers and sisters from all over Scandinavia
48:37 traveled all the way to attend the convention.
48:44 We were very encouraged
48:46 by the visit of a member of the Governing Body,
48:48 Brother Mark Sanderson,
48:50 who gave us some faith-strengthening talks.
48:56 I think it’s a great privilege
48:59 to be able to understand the truth.
49:01 It’s amazing that Jehovah gave his attention
49:04 to an insignificant human like me.
49:10 When I started to follow
49:12 the Bible’s unique teachings and principles,
49:16 I clearly understood
49:18 how it would benefit my own life.
49:21 After this convention, even though we live in small towns
49:25 far away from the rest of the world,
49:29 we feel closer than ever before to the worldwide brotherhood.
49:39 The peak attendance at the convention was 614
49:44 —the largest ever in Greenland.
49:46 Our brothers from other parts of Scandinavia
49:49 who attended the convention also took part
49:51 in a campaign inviting interested ones.
49:54 In only two hours,
49:56 the whole capital city of Nuuk was covered.
49:59 It was a wonderful witness!
50:02 And speaking of witnessing
50:04 in “the most distant part of the earth,”
50:06 you’ll be happy to know
50:07 that Brother Geoffrey Jackson of the Governing Body
50:10 recently explained in a morning worship
50:13 how the Bible was translated into numerous languages
50:16 in the 19th century.
50:18 That segment is now available on Video on Demand.
50:22 It is entitled Reaching “the Most Distant Part.”
50:27 And later this month,
50:29 a beautiful segment from the 2011 annual meeting
50:33 will be posted for your enjoyment.
50:35 It is an interview
50:37 with five widows of Governing Body members.
50:40 The sisters relate how they learned the truth
50:43 and share treasured memories from their many years
50:47 of faithful service.
50:49 This segment is entitled
50:50 Interview With Faithful Sisters —Widows of Governing Body Members
50:55 and will be available
50:57 on Video on Demand under the “Interviews and Experiences” category.
51:02 Do you agree that Jehovah gave us
51:05 an outstanding gift in his Word?
51:08 He not only gave us the gift
51:11 but also made sure time and time again
51:15 that it was preserved for our benefit.
51:19 Individuals we met earlier in the program,
51:21 such as Brothers David Sibrey,
51:24 Vladimir Olkhov, and Valery Zaporozhsky,
51:28 have all seen the effects of the power
51:31 that God’s Word exerts
51:33 and the guidance it provides.
51:36 We also saw that the Bible
51:39 is “beneficial for teaching”
51:41 and “for setting things straight,”
51:43 as we watched a family learn how to improve their ministry
51:47 by following the example of the apostle Paul.
51:50 Yes, God’s Word has endured
51:53 and will continue to endure forever.
51:57 As you know,
52:00 on April 3, 2017,
52:02 our museums in Warwick will open to the public.
52:06 In addition to our enlarged gallery entitled
52:09 “The Bible and the Divine Name,”
52:12 we will also have a new gallery on the theme
52:15 “The Word of God Endures Forever.”
52:18 Please come and visit.
52:21 You’ll be happy to see a wonderful collection of Bibles
52:26 that illustrates the points we have discussed in this broadcast.
52:30 The psalmist was inspired to write:
52:33 “How I do love your law!”
52:37 And we agree.
52:39 We love Jehovah and we love the Bible
52:43 and so have millions throughout the centuries,
52:46 including those who were used by Jehovah to preserve his Word.
52:50 With these thoughts in mind,
52:53 let’s enjoy this month’s music video entitled
52:56 Your Word Endures Forever.
53:20 They looked up at the stars With godly fear in their hearts.
53:29 They thanked their God up above For revealing to them His love.
53:40 So You gave them your name, A Kingdom hope to proclaim.
53:50 They’re words preserved for our day. They’re faithful words to show us the way.
54:00 They loved you from their heart, And they were proud to play their part—
54:10 Approved by you to preserve your Word, Wrote it down so you would be heard.
54:21 Your Word endures forever, And your sayings are, oh, so deep.
54:31 The good news you declare is a breath of fresh air,
54:36 And your sayings I just want to keep.
54:44 Oh, whatever Your enemies tried, They could not silence You.
54:54 Your loyal ones who loved your Word Kept their faith, integrity too.
55:04 And when they tried to ban their Bibles, They were prepared to give their lives.
55:14 For so strong was their faith and the witness they gave,
55:20 Not one of your words was erased.
55:24 And so your Word endures forever, And your sayings are, oh, so deep.
55:34 The good news you declare is a breath of fresh air,
55:40 And your sayings I just want to keep.
55:45 And you told us your name is Jehovah. In your Word it’s plain to see.
55:55 So your name will endure, All your words will come true,
56:01 And we’ll praise you all of our days.
56:08 So your Word endures forever, And your sayings are, oh, so deep.
56:18 The good news you declare is a breath of fresh air,
56:23 And your sayings I just want to keep,
56:30 All of my days.
56:45 A beautiful song, indeed!
56:48 We would like to conclude
56:50 this program by sharing these greetings
56:52 from our brothers and sisters in Mali.
56:55 Mali is located in western Africa,
56:57 reaching well into the Sahara Desert.
57:00 The northern part of the country is hot and covered with sand,
57:03 but the southern region, which is watered by the Niger River,
57:07 is green with forests and vegetation.
57:11 The Witnesses in the country have a huge task,
57:15 as the ratio of Jehovah’s Witnesses to population
57:18 is about one publisher to 59,000 residents.
57:23 Also, the distances are tremendous.
57:26 The approximately 300 publishers
57:28 cover an area more than twice
57:30 the size of the country of France.
57:33 Mali is one of the hottest countries in the world,
57:37 so some groups and congregations
57:39 hold their meetings outdoors
57:41 under the cool shade of a tree.
57:43 Although the official language of the country is French,
57:47 most people better understand
57:49 the local language Bambara.
57:52 Thus, most meetings are either held or interpreted in Bambara.
57:56 Recently, language classes were held in Bomu,
58:00 which is another local language.
58:03 Also, the seven publishers of the American Sign Language group
58:06 have been assigned to witness
58:08 to the more than
350,000 people in Mali
58:12 who have a hearing impairment.
58:14 Last year, the total attendance for the Memorial
58:17 was over 1,100 people.
58:21 One man who received an invitation
58:23 walked three kilometers,
58:25 or almost two miles, to attend the Memorial
58:28 despite having a physical challenge with his foot.
58:31 He is now regular at the meetings
58:34 and is making good progress.
58:36 Recently, a new Kingdom Hall was built in the capital city.
58:40 Municipal and state authorities,
58:43 neighbors, and many passersby
58:45 have been amazed at what they have seen,
58:47 and they have praised the brothers working on the project.
58:50 Our brothers and sisters in Mali send us their love.
58:55 We love them, and we love all of you.
58:59 This is JW Broadcasting
59:01 from the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
