God’s Way of Financing His Work
Proper to make expression of your “Good Hopes” in sharing in the expense of expansion
TO A backsliding nation Jehovah sent his prophet Isaiah with a message of reproof. Among other things, Jehovah through that prophet told them: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, . . . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8, 9, AS) Fitting as those words were to apostate Jerusalem some 2,500 years ago, they apply with even more force to an apostate Christendom today.
Among the many ways of God that are superior to those of Christendom is his way of providing the necessary means for carrying on his work in the earth. His way is to give the people the truth regarding himself and his purposes and offer them privileges of service in connection with the true worship. Appreciating what God has done for them makes them want to do something for his cause. For example: When the time came to construct a tabernacle and furnish it for the carrying on of the worship of Jehovah, Moses simply announced: “This is the thing which Jehovah commanded, saying, Take ye from among you an offering unto Jehovah; whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it.” And what was the result? “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing.” “And they brought [so much, that the people had to be] restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.”—Ex. 35:4, 5, 21; 36:3-7, AS.
The same willingness was also apparent when it came to contributing for the building of the temple and supplying it with the necessary equipment. Said David: “Moreover also, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, seeing that I have a treasure of mine own of gold and silver, I give it unto the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir [amounting to at least $81,000,000], and seven thousand talents of refined silver.” Then he asked, “Who then offereth willingly to [fill his hand—margin] this day unto Jehovah?” No wonder that, with such an example, the princes, rulers, captains and the people responded ‘willingly and with a perfect heart’.—1 Chron. 29:3-6, 9, 14, AS.
When Christ Jesus came, he followed a like course. He not only said, “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving,” but, in striking contrast to the greedy religious leaders of his day, he practiced what he preached. Though he had been rich, for the sake of others he voluntarily became so poor that he had no fixed residence in which “to lay down his head”. Those who noticed and benefited from his unselfish devotion were only too glad to contribute toward supplying his necessities.—Matt. 8:20; Luke 8:3; 19:1-10; Acts 20:35; 2 Cor. 8:9, NW.
The apostles followed the same pattern. Having received free, they gave free. Their unselfish course influenced others to show love, so that many early Christians sold all their possessions and turned over the proceeds to the governing body for them to use as they saw best for the advancement of the true worship and the benefit of the Christian community in general. All such was entirely voluntary, we are assured.—Acts 4:32-37; 5:1-4.
MONEY-RAISING SCHEMES OF CHRISTENDOM’S FALSE RELIGIONS
How different from the foregoing are the ways of apostate Christendom! Its religious organizations are willing to give allegiance to the world’s worst criminals, such as Hitler and Mussolini were, in exchange for financial support. They encourage greed among their members by operating bingo games, lotteries and other games of chance, appealing to the selfish inclination to want to get something for nothing. Although the Bible says not one word about purgatory, nor about an immortal soul, and although no one has ever returned from purgatory to demonstrate that there is such a place, yet all such is taught by religious organizations so as to instill fear into the people’s minds so that the people will pay for the saying of masses.
In 1948 at one Catholic church in Brooklyn, New York, “a Mass with the name announced, was $5; for Mass with one priest singing part of the Mass the fee was $15; for high Mass with three priests, $35; for lights at the different altars, $5 for each altar; for marriage in the afternoon without Mass, $22; for marriage in the morning with Mass and one priest, $15; with three priests, $45; for a funeral a nominal charge of $35, ranging up to $100 for three priests at the altar and two priests at side altars.”—American Freedom and Catholic Power, by Blanshard, page 37.
And while many Protestant clergymen profess to be shocked at such examples of commercialism in religion, more than one of such has privately admitted that he did not believe in a burning hell but felt that he had to teach it in order to keep the people coming to church. Other business-minded clergymen take pledges of their parishioners and then send statements to such monthly, reminding them of their account with the church.
Many religious organizations sponsor bazaars, church dinners, box socials, picnics, dramas and musical affairs, etc., eliciting support for their “church” by appealing to man’s love of pleasure. Which calls to mind the anecdote told regarding a certain Ladies Aid Society, of the previous century, who wrote America’s foremost journalist of the time, a philanthropic individual by the name of Horace Greeley, for suggestions on how they could raise money for their “church”. He replied: “Try religion.”
How contrary to the Bible all such money-making schemes are! Yet in view of the spiritual diet of husks and brackish water that are fed to the people it is no wonder that they have to be bribed, cajoled, flattered, threatened and placed on a pay-as-you-go basis; a course which finds its counterpart in certain Oriental religions which provide for sex indulgence in connection with their form of worship.—Rev. 2:14.
In striking contrast with the foregoing is the course taken by Jehovah’s witnesses under the direction of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. As noted in the 1952 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, during 1951 some 63,000,000 hours were spent by their ministers in preaching the good news of the Kingdom in 121 lands. Millions upon millions of books, Bibles, booklets, magazines and tracts were published and distributed. Missionaries were trained and sent to foreign lands. Some 18,000 ministers received help so that they could continue in the full-time ministry, while more than a thousand of them served at seventy branch offices, looking after the interest of some 400,000 field ministers.
FINANCING THE WORK OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
To take care of all this expansion did Jehovah’s witnesses find it necessary to resort to lotteries, bingo games, church bazaars, dinners, etc.? Did they stoop to painting Jehovah God as a fiend who for a price denies himself the pleasure of torturing souls in a purgatory? Did they agree to support totalitarian political organizations in return for financial assistance? No, none of that.
Having received an understanding of Jehovah God, his marvelous attributes and his purposes, Jehovah’s witnesses feel impelled to do something to show their appreciation and so they give willingly. They know that now is their opportunity to make friends of Jehovah God and Christ Jesus by proper use of unrighteous riches, which sooner or later will fail, whereas the friendship of God and Christ will guarantee everlasting dwelling-places. They also appreciate their privilege of doing what they can even though it be but a widow’s few coins of very small value.—Mark 12:41-44; Luke 16:9, NW.
They further appreciate that just as their study, their attendance at meetings and their ministry work must be done systematically if it is to be effective, so their contributing to the expansion of true worship in a monetary way is best done systematically, in keeping with Paul’s admonition: “Every first day of the week let each of you at his own house set something aside in store as he may be prospering.”—1 Cor. 16:2, NW.
The expansion of true worship in the earth depends in no small degree upon voluntary contributions. Jehovah’s witnesses therefore appreciate that it is a help to those directing this work to have some indication from them as to what to expect in the way of contributions during the coming year. For this reason they gladly co-operate with the suggestion of the Society to indicate each year what they want to contribute during the coming twelve months. Such is in no sense of the word a pledge, but merely an expression of what they hope to be able to do, and it is termed “Good Hopes”. Appropriate in this connection is the counsel of Paul: “Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:7, NW) And appreciating that all depends upon Jehovah’s direction and blessing, his servants unite in mutual prayer to that end.—Ps. 127:1.
Those living in the United States, and who wish to co-operate in this matter, may address their card or letter to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Treasurer’s Office, 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn 2, New York. In writing about these “Good Hopes”, something such as the following may be stated: “It is my hope that during the next twelve months I will be able to donate to the work of praising Jehovah and saying to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’ the amount of $‐‐‐, which contributions I will make in such amounts and at such times as prove convenient to me and as I am prospered, by the undeserved kindness of Jehovah God through Christ Jesus. [signed]” It may be well to keep a copy of your card or letter as a reminder to yourself. On page 258 is a list of other branch office addresses, and a complete list is found on the last page of the Yearbook.
Surely the mutual co-operation of Jehovah’s servants in this manner is in keeping with the Scriptural examples. And Jehovah’s manifest blessing upon it emphatically underscores that God’s thoughts and ways are indeed far superior to those of selfish men.