BK ST Sep 05 song 75

“People of the Nations . . . Received the Word of God”—Acts 11:1
[Box on page 68]
    Would the Jewish followers of Jesus be willing to preach the good news to uncircumcised Gentiles? In this section, we will see how Jehovah’s spirit opened hearts and enabled Christians to overcome prejudice, giving great impetus to the work of bearing witness to all the nations.

Chapter 9
“God Is Not Partial”
The preaching work opens up to uncircumcised Gentiles
Based on Acts 10:1–11:30 (Scriptures at end of study)

 THE year is 36 C.E. The autumn sun warms Peter as he prays on the flat rooftop of a house near the sea in the harbor city of Joppa. He has been a guest in this home for some days now. His willingness to stay here reveals, to an extent, an unprejudiced attitude. The owner, a certain Simon, is a tanner by trade, and not every Jew would lodge with such a man.♦ Still, Peter is about to learn a vital lesson regarding Jehovah’s impartiality. 
♦ Some Jews looked down on a tanner because his trade brought him into contact with the hides and carcasses of animals and with the loathsome materials required for his work. Tanners were considered unfit to appear at the temple, and their place of business had to be no less than 50 cubits, or somewhat over 70 feet [22 m], from a town. This, in part, may explain why Simon’s house was “by the sea.”—Acts 10:6.
     2 While Peter is praying, he falls into a trance. What he sees in a vision would disturb any Jew. Descending from heaven is a sheetlike vessel containing animals unclean according to the Law. Told to slaughter and eat, Peter replies: “Never have I eaten anything defiled and unclean.” Not once but three times he is told: “You stop calling defiled the things God has cleansed.” (Acts 10:14-16) The vision leaves Peter confused but not for long.
     3 What did Peter’s vision mean? It is important that we grasp its significance, for at the heart of this vision is a profound truth about the way Jehovah views people. As true Christians, we cannot bear thorough witness about God’s Kingdom unless we learn to share God’s view of people. To unlock the meaning of Peter’s vision, let us examine the dramatic events that surrounded it.
1-3. What vision does Peter receive, and why do we need to grasp its significance?

(Acts 10:6) This man is being entertained by a certain Simon, a tanner, who has a house by the sea.”
(Acts 10:14-16) But Peter said: “Not at all, Lord, because never have I eaten anything defiled and unclean.” 15 And the voice [spoke] again to him, the second time: “You stop calling defiled the things God has cleansed.” 16 This occurred a third time, and immediately the vessel was taken up into heaven.

Making “Supplication to God Continually” (Acts 10:1-8)
     4 Little did Peter know that the preceding day in Caesarea, about 30 miles [50 km] north, a man named Cornelius had also received a divine vision. Cornelius, a centurion in the Roman army, was “a devout man.”♦ He was also an exemplary family man, for he was “one fearing God together with all his household.” Cornelius was not a Jewish proselyte; he was an uncircumcised Gentile. Yet, he showed compassion to needy Jews, giving them material help. This sincere man “made supplication to God continually.”—Acts 10:2.
♦ See the box “Cornelius and the Roman Army,” on page 70.
[Box on page 70]
CORNELIUS AND THE ROMAN ARMY
  Administrative and military headquarters for the Roman province of Judea were located in Caesarea. The troops under the governor’s command consisted of 500 to 1,000 cavalry and five cohorts of infantry, the size of which could be varied from 500 to 1,000 soldiers each. These troops were usually recruited from among provincials rather than Roman citizens. Most served in Caesarea, but small garrisons were scattered throughout Judea. One cohort was permanently based in the Tower of Antonia in Jerusalem in order to police the Temple Mount and the city. The Roman presence in that city would be reinforced during Jewish festivals to deal with possible disturbances.
  A cohort was divided into six centuries, nominally of 100 men, each commanded by a centurion. The Greek text of Acts 10:1 says that Cornelius was a centurion of the so-called Italian Band, probably based in Caesarea. This unit may have been the Second Italian Cohort of Roman Citizen Volunteers.♦ Centurions had considerable social and military status, as well as wealth. Their pay was perhaps 16 times that of regular soldiers.
♦ In Latin, Cohors II Italica voluntariorum civium Romanorum. Its presence in Syria in 69 C.E. is attested.

     5 At about 3:00 p.m., Cornelius was praying when he saw a vision in which an angel told him: “Your prayers and gifts of mercy have ascended as a remembrance before God.” (Acts 10:4) As directed by the angel, Cornelius dispatched men to summon the apostle Peter. As an uncircumcised Gentile, Cornelius was about to enter a door that up to then had been 
closed to him. He was about to receive the message of salvation.
4, 5. Who was Cornelius, and what happened while he was praying?

(Acts 10:2) a devout man and one fearing God together with all his household, and he made many gifts of mercy to the people and made supplication to God continually.
(Acts 10:4) The man gazed at him and, becoming frightened, said: “What is it, Lord?” He said to him: “Your prayers and gifts of mercy have ascended as a remembrance before God.

     6 Does God answer the prayers of sincere ones today who want to find out the truth about him? Consider an experience. A woman in Albania accepted a copy of The Watchtower containing an article about raising children.♦ She told the Witness who called at her door: “Would you believe that I was praying to God for help in raising my daughters? He sent you! You touched my heart in the exact spot where I needed it!” The woman and her daughters began studying, and her husband later joined in the study.
♦ The article, entitled “Reliable Advice for Raising Children,” appeared in the November 1, 2006, issue, pages 4 to 7.  (ARTICLE AT END OF STUDY)
     7 Is this an isolated example? By no means! This type of experience has been repeated over and over again around the world—far too often to be attributed to mere chance. What, then, can we conclude? First, Jehovah answers the prayers of sincere individuals who search for him. (1 Ki. 8:41-43; Ps. 65:2) Second, we have angelic support for our preaching work.—Rev. 14:6, 7.
6, 7. (a) Relate an experience showing that God answers the prayers of sincere ones who want to find out the truth about him. (b) What can we conclude from such experiences?

(1 Kings 8:41-43) “And also to the foreigner, who is no part of your people Israel and who actually comes from a distant land by reason of your name 42 (for they shall hear of your great name and of your strong hand and of your stretched-out arm), and he actually comes and prays toward this house, 43 may you yourself listen from the heavens, your established place of dwelling, and you must do according to all that for which the foreigner calls to you; in order that all the peoples of the earth may get to know your name so as to fear you the same as your people Israel do, and so as to know that your name itself has been called upon this house that I have built.
(Psalm 65:2) O Hearer of prayer, even to you people of all flesh will come.
(Revelation 14:6-7) And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, and he had everlasting good news to declare as glad tidings to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people, 7 saying in a loud voice: “FEAR God and give him glory, because the hour of the judgment by him has arrived, and so worship the One who made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters.”

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(Ac 10:1-11:30) Now in Caes·a·re′a there was a certain man named Cornelius, an army officer of the Italian band, as it was called, 2 a devout man and one fearing God together with all his household, and he made many gifts of mercy to the people and made supplication to God continually. 3 Just about the ninth hour of the day he saw plainly in a vision an angel of God come in to him and say to him: “Cornelius!” 4 The man gazed at him and, becoming frightened, said: “What is it, Lord?” He said to him: “Your prayers and gifts of mercy have ascended as a remembrance before God. 5 So now send men to Jop′pa and summon a certain Simon who is surnamed Peter. 6 This man is being entertained by a certain Simon, a tanner, who has a house by the sea.” 7 As soon as the angel that spoke to him had left, he called two of his house servants and a devout soldier from among those who were in constant attendance upon him, 8 and he related everything to them and dispatched them to Jop′pa. 9 The next day as they were pursuing their journey and were approaching the city, Peter went up to the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became very hungry and wanted to eat. While they were preparing, he fell into a trance 11 and beheld heaven opened and some sort of vessel descending like a great linen sheet being let down by its four extremities upon the earth; 12 and in it there were all sorts of four-footed creatures and creeping things of the earth and birds of heaven. 13 And a voice came to him: “Rise, Peter, slaughter and eat!” 14 But Peter said: “Not at all, Lord, because never have I eaten anything defiled and unclean.” 15 And the voice [spoke] again to him, the second time: “You stop calling defiled the things God has cleansed.” 16 This occurred a third time, and immediately the vessel was taken up into heaven. 17 Now while Peter was in great perplexity inwardly over what the vision he had seen might mean, look! the men dispatched by Cornelius had made inquiries for Simon’s house and stood there at the gate. 18 And they called out and inquired whether Simon who was surnamed Peter was being entertained there. 19 As Peter was going over in his mind about the vision, the spirit said: “Look! Three men are seeking you. 20 However, rise, go downstairs and be on your way with them, not doubting at all, because I have dispatched them.” 21 So Peter went downstairs to the men and said: “Look! I am the one YOU are seeking. What is the cause for which YOU are present?” 22 They said: “Cornelius, an army officer, a man righteous and fearing God and well reported by the whole nation of the Jews, was given divine instructions by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear the things you have to say.” 23 Therefore he invited them in and entertained them. The next day he rose and went off with them, and some of the brothers that were from Jop′pa went with him. 24 On the day after that he entered into Caes·a·re′a. Cornelius, of course, was expecting them and had called together his relatives and intimate friends. 25 As Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet and did obeisance to him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying: “Rise; I myself am also a man.” 27 And as he conversed with him he went in and found many people assembled, 28 and he said to them: “YOU well know how unlawful it is for a Jew to join himself to or approach a man of another race; and yet God has shown me I should call no man defiled or unclean. 29 Hence I came, really without objection, when I was sent for. Therefore I inquire the reason that YOU have sent for me.” 30 Accordingly Cornelius said: “Four days ago counting from this hour I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, when, look! a man in bright raiment stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been favorably heard and your gifts of mercy have been remembered before God. 32 Send, therefore, to Jop′pa and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter. This man is being entertained in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 Therefore I at once sent to you, and you did well in coming here. And so at this time we are all present before God to hear all the things you have been commanded by Jehovah to say.” 34 At this Peter opened his mouth and said: “For a certainty I perceive that God is not partial, 35 but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him. 36 He sent out the word to the sons of Israel to declare to them the good news of peace through Jesus Christ: this One is Lord of all [others]. 37 YOU know the subject that was talked about throughout the whole of Ju·de′a, starting from Gal′i·lee after the baptism that John preached, 38 namely, Jesus who was from Naz′a·reth, how God anointed him with holy spirit and power, and he went through the land doing good and healing all those oppressed by the Devil; because God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all the things he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem; but they also did away with him by hanging him on a stake. 40 God raised this One up on the third day and granted him to become manifest, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses appointed beforehand by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after his rising from the dead. 42 Also, he ordered us to preach to the people and to give a thorough witness that this is the One decreed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone putting faith in him gets forgiveness of sins through his name.” 44 While Peter was yet speaking about these matters the holy spirit fell upon all those hearing the word. 45 And the faithful ones that had come with Peter who were of those circumcised were amazed, because the free gift of the holy spirit was being poured out also upon people of the nations. 46 For they heard them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter responded: 47 “Can anyone forbid water so that these might not be baptized who have received the holy spirit even as we have?” 48 With that he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they requested him to remain for some days. 
11 Now the apostles and the brothers that were in Ju·de′a heard that people of the nations had also received the word of God. 2 So when Peter came up to Jerusalem, the [supporters] of circumcision began to contend with him, 3 saying he had gone into the house of men that were not circumcised and had eaten with them. 4 At this Peter commenced and went on to explain the particulars to them, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Jop′pa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, some sort of vessel descending like a great linen sheet being let down by its four extremities from heaven, and it came clear to me. 6 Gazing into it, I made observations and saw four-footed creatures of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and birds of heaven. 7 I also heard a voice say to me, ‘Rise, Peter, slaughter and eat!’ 8 But I said, ‘Not at all, Lord, because a defiled or unclean thing has never entered into my mouth.’ 9 The second time the voice from heaven answered, ‘You stop calling defiled the things God has cleansed.’ 10 This occurred for a third time, and everything was pulled up again into heaven. 11 Also, look! at that instant there were three men standing at the house in which we were, they having been dispatched from Caes·a·re′a to me. 12 So the spirit told me to go with them, not doubting at all. But these six brothers also went with me, and we entered into the house of the man. 13 “He reported to us how he saw the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Dispatch men to Jop′pa and send for Simon who is surnamed Peter, 14 and he will speak those things to you by which you and all your household may get saved.’ 15 But when I started to speak, the holy spirit fell upon them just as it did also upon us in [the] beginning. 16 At this I called to mind the saying of the Lord, how he used to say, ‘John, for his part, baptized with water, but YOU will be baptized in holy spirit.’ 17 If, therefore, God gave the same free gift to them as he also did to us who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I should be able to hinder God?” 18 Now when they heard these things, they acquiesced, and they glorified God, saying: “Well, then, God has granted repentance for the purpose of life to people of the nations also.” 19 Consequently those who had been scattered by the tribulation that arose over Stephen went through as far as Phoe·ni′cia and Cy′prus and Antioch, but speaking the word to no one except to Jews only. 20 However, out of them there were some men of Cy′prus and Cy·re′ne that came to Antioch and began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus. 21 Furthermore, the hand of Jehovah was with them, and a great number that became believers turned to the Lord. 22 The account about them got to the ears of the congregation that was in Jerusalem, and they sent out Bar′na·bas as far as Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the undeserved kindness of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all to continue in the Lord with hearty purpose; 24 for he was a good man and full of holy spirit and of faith. And a considerable crowd was added to the Lord. 25 So he went off to Tarsus to make a thorough search for Saul 26 and, after he found him, he brought him to Antioch. It thus came about that for a whole year they gathered together with them in the congregation and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians. 27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Ag′a·bus rose and proceeded to indicate through the spirit that a great famine was about to come upon the entire inhabited earth; which, for that matter, did take place in the time of Claudius. 29 So those of the disciples determined, each of them according as anyone could afford it, to send a relief ministration to the brothers dwelling in Ju·de′a; 30 and this they did, dispatching it to the older men by the hand of Bar′na·bas and Saul.

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ARTICLE FOR PARAGRAPH 6

*** w06 11/1 pp. 4-7 Reliable Advice for Raising Children ***
Reliable Advice for Raising Children
“I WAS 19 years old, living far away from any family members, and totally unprepared,” says Ruth of her first pregnancy. An only child herself, she had not given much thought to being a parent. Where could she go for reliable advice?
Jan, on the other hand, now a father of two grown children, remembers: “I was very confident at first. But it didn’t take me long to realize that I was lacking in practical knowledge.” Whether parents start out feeling lost or they get lost along the way, where can they find help to rear their children?
Today, increasing numbers search the Internet. You may be wondering, though, how reliable the advice found there can be. There is good reason to be cautious. Do you really know who is giving you advice online? How much success have they had with their own children? No doubt you want to be careful when it comes to matters affecting your family. Sometimes, as the preceding article noted, even advice from the experts turns out to be disappointing. So where can you go?
The ultimate Source of advice on raising children is Jehovah God, the Originator of the family. (Ephesians 3:15) He is the only real expert. In his Word, the Bible, he provides reliable, practical instruction that really works. (Psalm 32:8; Isaiah 48:17, 18) It is up to us, though, to apply it.
Several couples were asked to share what they had learned while raising their children to be well-adjusted and God-fearing adults. Their success, they said, was primarily a result of applying Bible principles. They found that the Bible’s advice is as reliable today as it was when the Bible was first written.
Spend Time With Them
When Catherine, a mother of two, was asked what advice was most helpful to her, she immediately referred to Deuteronomy 6:7. That verse says: “You must inculcate [Bible principles] in your son and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.” Catherine realized that to follow that counsel, she would have to spend time with her children.
‘That is easier said than done,’ you might be thinking. With many families needing two incomes to make ends meet, how can busy parents spend more time with their children? Torlief, whose son is now raising a family of his own, says that the key is following the advice found in Deuteronomy. Take your children with you wherever you go, and opportunities to talk will come up naturally. “My son and I worked together on household projects,” Torlief relates. “We took trips together as a family. And we ate meals together.” As a result, he says, “our son always felt that he could express himself freely.”
What, though, if communication breaks down and conversations become strained? This sometimes happens as the children get older. Once again, spending more time with them can help. Catherine’s husband, Ken, remembers that when their daughter became a teenager, she complained that he was not listening. That is a common complaint from teens. What could he do? Ken recalls: “I decided to spend more time with her one-on-one, discussing her thoughts, feelings, and frustrations. That really helped.” (Proverbs 20:5) Ken believes, however, that the reason this approach worked is that communication in their home was not something new. “My daughter and I always had a good relationship,” he says, “so she felt that she could speak freely to me.”
Interestingly, one recent study reported that teens are three times more likely than their parents to say that parents and children do not spend enough time together. So why not follow the Bible’s advice? Spend as much time as possible with your children—at rest and at work, at home and when traveling, in the morning when you get up and at night before you go to bed. If possible, take them with you wherever you go. As Deuteronomy 6:7 implies, there is no substitute for spending time with your children.
Teach Them Proper Values
Mario, a father of two, similarly recommends: “Give children lots of love, and read to them.” However, it is not just a matter of stimulating your children’s mental faculties. You need to teach them how to discern right from wrong. Mario adds: “Have a Bible study with them.”
To that end, the Bible admonishes parents: “Do not irritate your children, but bring them up tenderly with true Christian training and advice.” (Ephesians 6:4, Weymouth) Emphasis on moral instruction is lacking in many homes today. Some believe that when children get older, they will be able to decide for themselves what values to accept. Does that make sense to you? Just as young bodies need proper nourishment to grow up strong and healthy, so young minds and hearts need instruction. If your children do not learn moral values from you at home, they will likely adopt the views of their schoolmates and teachers or those of the mass media.
The Bible can help parents to teach their children how to distinguish right from wrong. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) Jeff, an experienced Christian elder who has raised two children, recommends using the Bible to teach children proper values. He says: “Using the Bible helps children realize how the Creator feels about a matter, not just Mom and Dad. What we noticed is the Bible’s unique effect on the mind and heart. To address wrong conduct or thinking, we took the time to find an appropriate scripture. Then, in a private location, we let the child read the text. Often the result was a tear or even tears streaming down the cheeks. We were amazed. The Bible had greater impact than anything we could have thought to say or do.”
Hebrews 4:12 explains: “The word of God is alive and exerts power . . . and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The message of the Bible is therefore not merely the personal views or experiences of the humans whom God used as his penmen. Rather, it represents God’s thinking on moral matters. This sets it apart from all other advice. By using the Bible to teach your children, you are helping them to have God’s mind on matters. Your training has greater weight, and you have a better chance of reaching your child’s heart.
Catherine, mentioned earlier, agrees. She says: “The more difficult the situation, the more we sought guidance in God’s Word—and it worked!” Can you make greater use of the Bible in teaching your children how to discern right from wrong?
Be Reasonable
The apostle Paul points to another important principle that is helpful in child rearing. He urged fellow Christians: “Let your reasonableness become known to all men.” (Philippians 4:5) Surely that includes letting our children see our reasonableness. And remember, reasonableness reflects “the wisdom from above.”—James 3:17.
How, though, does reasonableness relate to training our children? While we give them all the help we can, we do not control their every action. For example, Mario, quoted earlier, is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and he recalls: “We always held out baptism, the full-time ministry, and other spiritual goals to our children. But we made it clear that this was their choice to make when the time came.” The result? Both their children are now serving as full-time evangelizers.
The Bible warns fathers at Colossians 3:21: “Do not be exasperating your children, so that they do not become downhearted.” Catherine appreciates that verse. When a parent’s patience wears thin, it is easy to get angry or demanding. But, she says, “don’t demand as much from your child as you expect of yourself.” Catherine too is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and she adds: “Make serving Jehovah enjoyable.”
Jeff, mentioned earlier, makes this practical observation: “As our children grew older, a good friend mentioned to us that he realized how often he had to say no to his children’s requests. That frustrated them, leaving them feeling oppressed. To avoid this, he recommended that we look for ways to say yes.
“We found this to be good advice,” Jeff says. “We then looked for opportunities for our children to do things with others under circumstances that we approved. So we would approach them and say: ‘Did you know that so-and-so is doing this or that? Why don’t you go too?’ Or if the kids asked us to take them somewhere, we pushed ourselves to go even if we were tired. We did it just to avoid saying no.” That is the very essence of reasonableness—being fair, considerate, and yielding without compromising Bible principles.
Benefit From Reliable Advice
Most of these couples are grandparents now. They enjoy seeing these same Bible principles help their children succeed as parents. Can you benefit from the Bible’s advice?
When Ruth, mentioned at the outset, became a parent, she and her husband sometimes felt all alone. But they were not. They had the superior advice of God’s Word, the Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses have produced many excellent Bible study aids that can help parents. These include Learn From the Great Teacher, My Book of Bible Stories, Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work, and The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived. Torlief, Ruth’s husband, says: “Today there is a wealth of Bible-based advice right at the parents’ fingertips. If they only take advantage of it, they can have help in dealing with all areas of life as a child grows up.”
[Box/Picture on page 5]
What the EXPERTS Say . . . What the BIBLE Says
On Showing Affection:
  In The Psychological Care of Infant and Child (1928), Dr. John Broadus Watson urged parents: “Never hug and kiss” your children. “Never let them sit on your lap.” More recently, however, Drs. Vera Lane and Dorothy Molyneaux pointed out in Our Children magazine (March 1999): “Research indicates that young children deprived of physical touch and displays of affection often fail to thrive.”
  In contrast, Isaiah 66:12 refers to God as showing his love for his people through expressions of parental love. Similarly, when Jesus’ disciples tried to stop people from bringing young children to Jesus, he corrected them, saying: “Let the young children come to me; do not try to stop them.” Then “he took the children into his arms and began blessing them.”—Mark 10:14, 16.
On Teaching Proper Values:
  In a 1969 New York Times Magazine article, Dr. Bruno Bettelheim stressed that a child has the “right to form his own inner opinions, influenced not by [his parents’] authoritative [preaching], but only by his own direct experience with life.” Almost 30 years later, though, Dr. Robert Coles, author of The Moral Intelligence of Children (1997), acknowledged: “Children very much need a sense of purpose and direction in life, a set of values” approved by their parents and other adults.
  Proverbs 22:6 urges parents: “Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.” The Hebrew word translated “train” also means “initiate” and here indicates the initiating of the first instruction of the infant. Parents are thus encouraged to start teaching their children proper values from infancy on. (2 Timothy 3:14, 15) What they learn during these formative years is likely to remain with them.
On Discipline:
  Dr. James Dobson wrote in The Strong-Willed Child (1978): “Corporal punishment in the hands of a loving parent is a teaching tool by which harmful behavior is inhibited.” On the other hand, in an article adapted from the seventh edition of the popular book Baby and Child Care (1998), Dr. Benjamin Spock said: “Spanking teaches children that the larger, stronger person has the power to get his way, whether or not he is in the right.”
  With regard to discipline, the Bible states: “The rod and reproof are what give wisdom.” (Proverbs 29:15) However, not all children need physical punishment. Proverbs 17:10 tells us: “A rebuke works deeper in one having understanding than striking a stupid one a hundred times.”