13. How does friendship with Jehovah God and his only-begotten Son rank, and what course must we pursue in order not to be classified figuratively as “adulteresses”?

¹³ No friendship in existence outranks that with the Most High God, Jehovah. Friendship with the only-begotten Son of God ranks next. Such an amicable relationship with them means everlasting life in boundless happiness for us. They rightly demand exclusive allegiance from us. We cannot be hobnobbing with this doomed old world and at the same time be cultivating their friendship. Spiritually speaking, we do not want to be classified as adulteresses, according to James 4:4, which puts the matter point-blank and says: “Adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.” Those words were directed to the spiritual Israelites of the first century C.E., but they also apply to Jehovah’s Witnesses living in this 20th-century world, or system of things.

A Precious Kind of Friendship

4. By doing what could Jesus’ disciples continue as his “friends,” and to what intimacy would this status admit them?

⁴ Jesus told those apostles that they would continue to be his “friends” if they kept on doing the things that he commanded them to do. Showing that this would include the privileged intimacy resulting from mutual confidence, he said: “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, because all the things I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:14, 15) In saying that, Jesus applied the term phiʹlos to each one of those apostles.

Friends are inclined to reveal things to one another because of having confidence in one another. Remember that while conversing late at night with the 11 apostles that had stuck with him, Jesus said: “I have called you friends, because all the things I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:14, 15) Yes, the spiritual things of God’s Word that are due to be fulfilled or to be applied would be disclosed first to the true spirit-begotten “friends” of the Master, Jesus Christ. Then these “friends” would have the privilege and responsibility to disclose such hitherto secret things to those wanting to enter into friendly relations with Jehovah God, with whom such secret things originate.

8. To whom does Jehovah accord intimacy with him, and how did Jesus refer to the covenant involved with such intimacy?

⁸ That is the way Jehovah has proceeded with his spirit-begotten worshipers taken into his new covenant through the Mediator, Jesus Christ. When instituting the Lord’s Evening Meal, Jesus said: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in your behalf.” (Luke 22:20) This was in harmony with Psalm 25:14, which says: “The intimacy with Jehovah belongs to those fearful of him, also his covenant, to cause them to know it.” What extraordinary knowledge is imparted to those who come into a friendly relationship with Jehovah God and his Mediator, Jesus Christ!