they could not be adequately qualified to be in the ministry of his new covenant. They must be witnesses of what they know, hence be witnesses of Jehovah. With that in mind Paul said to his fellow ministers: “I entreat you, therefore, become imitators of me.” (1 Cor. 4:16, NW) In imitation of Paul all ministers of the new covenant must be witnesses of the One whom they know as the God of that covenant, Jehovah, the Forgiver of their sins. As God himself said to his typical people in the law covenant: “Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] HE.” These words of ordination to be witnesses apply with more force now to God’s servant class who are in the new covenant and of whom he prophetically said: “This people have I formed for myself: they shall shew forth my praise.” (Isa. 43:10, 21, Da) Catching up the glory light from Jehovah as it is reflected in the face of Jesus Christ who has appeared to mankind, today’s ministers of the new covenant must, like mirrors, reflect that light of the knowledge of the glory of God to others that he may be praised and they may be enlightened. In this bedarkened age great is the need to do this.

Ordination of the Qualified Ministers

1. How was ordination of Jehovah’s qualified ministers typified in the case of Jeremiah?

PAUL says: “Our being adequately qualified issues from God, who has indeed adequately qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant.” (2 Cor. 3:5, 6, NW) That means it must be God who ordains or appoints a person to be his minister. This fact was typified in the case of Jeremiah, who was a minister of the old law covenant of Israel. Being of the priestly family of Aaron, Jeremiah was automatically in line to be a priest at the temple in Jerusalem. But to be more than a priest, namely, a prophet who would prophesy with respect to all nations of the earth, Jeremiah needed more than to be born as the son of Hilkiah the priest. No man could make him such a prophet. God, who inspires prophecy, was therefore the One to ordain or appoint him as prophet, to qualify him adequately. Jeremiah points to his ordination or appointment from God, when he says: “The word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I hallowed thee, I appointed [ordained, AV] thee a prophet unto the nations. . . . thou shalt go to whomsoever I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. . . . And Jehovah put forth his hand and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations.”—Jer. 1:4-10, Da.

2. Why did Jesus require the same kind of ordination?

² Even Jesus the carpenter of Nazareth had to have this ordination from Jehovah God. As a man Jesus was not of a priestly family in Israel. As a member of the royal tribe of Judah he was an heir to the earthly throne of David but not to a heavenly throne and royalty. To be a high priest like the royal priest King Melchizedek, Jesus had to be ordained by Jehovah, and