Transcripts: Governing Body Updates

Transcript: 2024 Governing Body Update 3
(Text: Jeffrey Winder. Governing Body)
Jeffrey: Welcome to our update! In this program, we’ll consider Bible principles that guide us when making decisions about dress and grooming. But first, here are a few updates about our relief work following recent disasters. In southeast Africa, several countries, including Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, are facing serious drought. The Zimbabwe branch estimates that some 13,500 publishers in that land need basic assistance to survive. Additionally, some of our brothers in Malawi experienced flooding that damaged their homes and destroyed their remaining food supplies.
(Sky view of homes flooded)
During the end of April, Brother Gage Fleegle visited Malawi and Zimbabwe to encourage the brothers and sisters.
(He presents a talk at a Kingdom Hall)
To provide relief from these recent disasters, the Governing Body has sent funds so that our brothers may receive essential food items such as maize, beans, dried fish, and cooking oil.
(Many sacks carried on bicycles)
In Japan, you’ll recall that there was a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in January. It damaged over 600 of our brothers’ homes and destroyed 8. And 13 Kingdom Halls were damaged.
(Collapsed buildings)
Since then, the government has worked to repair the local infrastructure. The branch office is working hard to help our brothers to repair and rebuild their homes.
(Brothers repair a floor and roof)
On April 3, Taiwan experienced its strongest earthquake in over 25 years. It triggered tsunami warnings in Japan and the Philippines. We’re glad that none of our brothers were killed or severely injured. And none of their homes had major damage. But 20 Kingdom Halls and the Amis-language remote translation office sustained minor damage. The repair work is under way. Despite the hardships caused by these disasters, our brothers and sisters are quick to volunteer to assist with relief work. And we thank all of you for your prayers as well as your generous donations that make this relief work possible. Very soon, something exciting is being released on Video on Demand. It’s a video about a Bible manuscript that people thought had been destroyed. The manuscript is an English translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures where Jehovah’s name occurs over 200 times. Let’s watch a preview of the video entitled A Lost Bible Translation Rediscovered.
(Holy Bible)
Translation in the 18th century was the center of political and theological dispute.
(Sky view of church)
This was a time when you could not state what you think too openly. Truth seeking of the kind that he followed was not something that was welcomed by the authorities.
(Pages burn)
If you believe that the Bible is a collection of sacred writings, you are not going to be very happy if there are some very obvious errors in the translations. Taking it for granted, that was not what we were here to do. We were here to ask questions. This was a translation undertaken by real scholars who knew their Hebrew and Greek.
(With ink and quill by candlelight)
We had always assumed that this translation had been lost at that point. It’s absolutely fascinating, and it needs bringing to a wider audience. We’re sure you’ll enjoy watching the full-length video about this fascinating discovery! Recently, we’ve had updates about dress and grooming. We’ve talked about beards for brothers, slacks for sisters, and the use of jackets and ties for brothers. We’re thankful that Jehovah trusts us in these matters. But some questions come up. First of all, do these adjustments about dress and grooming mean that we are lowering our standards? Not at all! Our worship of Jehovah deserves our deep respect and honor. These adjustments should not dilute the depth of our appreciation for serving Jehovah. More so, it’s a recognition that styles change over time and that what’s considered acceptable, dignified dress for certain occasions also changes over time. For example, do you remember these images from the 2023 Governing Body Update #8? We wouldn’t expect that we would still dress as people did in Bible times; nor would we expect that we would still dress the same as people did 100 years ago. Times change. What’s considered respectable and dignified dress and grooming changes over time. The adjustments announced in recent updates acknowledge that. Another question that arises with this new direction is. How do we make sure that we still dignify Jehovah and his worship when it comes to beards, slacks, and not wearing ties? As is the case with all dress and grooming, there are a variety of styles. Let’s consider three principles from God’s Word. You know these principles, and you love Jehovah. We know that they are important to you. So, let’s see how these verses can guide us when making decisions about our dress and grooming. First, let’s consider 1 Timothy 2:9, 10. It reads: Likewise, the women should adorn themselves “in appropriate dress, “with modesty and soundness of mind, “not with styles of hair braiding and gold or pearls “or very expensive clothing, “but in the way that is proper for women professing devotion to God, namely, through good works.” From what we read in these verses, what should characterize our dress and grooming? The world may choose clothing simply based on what’s most comfortable. But as Christians, we have other things to consider. We ‘profess devotion to God’! As Christian men and women, we want our dress and grooming to glorify Jehovah. And so, we choose styles that are appropriate, modest, and that reflect soundness of mind, especially when we go to the Kingdom Hall or in the ministry. What do these terms mean? Let’s consider some of the study notes on these verses.
(Text: 1 Timothy 2:9)
For the term “appropriate,” the study note explains it this way: Or ‘respectable.’ “In this context, the Greek word used “suggests dress that would be considered honorable and proper. Such attire would be suitable for one who professes to be a minister of God.” If our clothes are revealing or tight, would that be appropriate, honorable, or proper? Would that be suitable to wear when worshipping Jehovah? I’m sure you’d agree that it would not be appropriate. That means that we need to carefully evaluate what we will wear, especially when we are worshipping Jehovah. If our clothes are casual, would that be appropriate for us to wear when worshipping Jehovah at the meetings or when in the ministry? Well, no. That wouldn’t be appropriate. Of course, I’m sure you would agree that what’s considered appropriate also depends on the occasion. For example, there are clothes that are appropriate for when we go to the beach or on a picnic. And there are clothes that are appropriate for when we attend a wedding. And there are also clothes that are appropriate for when we go to worship at the Kingdom Hall or in the ministry. What’s the point? Although styles change over time, it’s good for us to recognize that there are different levels of dress that should be decided based on the occasion. That’s an idea that we all want to keep in mind. Let’s consider the next study note. What does it mean to dress “with modesty”? The study note says: In this context, modesty includes taking into consideration “one’s own conscience “as well as the feelings or opinions of others. “A modest Christian would avoid adornment “that is considered indecent, “that draws undue attention, or that is likely to offend or stumble others.” So, when making decisions, we consider how others would be affected, our brothers and sisters as well as the community. Of course, we would not be displaying modesty if our style of dress or grooming was viewed as odd or extreme. We don’t want to draw undue attention to ourselves or distract others by the way we dress or groom ourselves. We want all attention to go to Jehovah and the Kingdom message we proclaim. Let’s consider the next study note. What does the term “soundness of mind” mean? The study note says it refers to “good judgment; sensibleness.” This quality helps us to avoid appearing sloppy or untidy. To illustrate, imagine you were invited to a formal reception with government officials. How would you dress? Would you wear your pyjamas or something you would wear to the beach? Definitely not! We would want to dress in a way that showed respect for the occasion and for those present. How much more so when we worship Jehovah at the meetings or when we share in the ministry! Let’s consider a second Bible principle. It’s found at 2 Corinthians 6:3, 4: In no way are we giving any cause for stumbling, “so that no fault may be found with our ministry; but in every way we recommend ourselves as God’s ministers.” It’s good for us to analyze how our dress and grooming will affect the way others view our ministry and the God we worship. After all, people may form an opinion of the truth, good or bad, based on our appearance. We can ask ourselves: ‘In this part of the territory, ‘would the neighbors view me as one of “God’s ministers” ‘if I dress or groom myself this way? ‘Would they “see the distinction” between Jehovah’s people and those who do not serve God?’ What’s the third principle we’ll consider? It’s 1 John 2:15-17: Do not love either the world or the things in the world. “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; “because everything in the world the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life, does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.” From these verses, we’re reminded that our dress and grooming should not reflect a love of the world. Styles change over the years, and there are a wide variety of styles that are not offensive to most people. Our publications have often stated that we ‘should not be the first to adopt a new style or the last to abandon an old one.’ But we all know that there are many styles that we would never want to adopt, especially those that are immodest, sensual, careless, or sloppy. And to be honest, we need to consider not just the style of the garment but also whether that garment fits in a modest way. We would never want to show disrespect for Jehovah or his righteous standards. We’ve considered three Bible principles that can help us make good decisions about our dress. Of course, these same principles apply to hairstyles, beards, and to all the ways we dress and groom ourselves. They help us to determine the length and style of our hair. Brothers use them to determine how to groom their beards so that they look sharp and well cared for. Aren’t we grateful that Jehovah has given us these principles in his Word? It’s so good to review them in view of the recent adjustments. What else should we do with these reminders? Pray about them. Ask Jehovah to help you see if any changes are needed. Ask a spiritually mature friend for honest comments. And family heads, show your love for your wife and children by helping them to apply these principles. Brothers and sisters, we love and respect you very much. From the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, this is JW Broadcasting®.
(Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2024 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania)