The Bible—Source of Comfort and Hope in a Troubled World
1 This world keeps mankind under tremendous pressure and in need of comfort and hope. The Bible is the only source of genuine comfort. It offers hope for a new world of righteousness. (Rom. 15:4; 2 Pet. 3:13) The Insight book, Volume 1, page 311, observes: “Without the Bible we would not know Jehovah, would not know the wonderful benefits resulting from Christ’s ransom sacrifice, and would not understand the requirements that must be met in order to get everlasting life in or under God’s righteous Kingdom.”
2 During November we will draw special attention to the role God’s Word, the Bible, plays in helping people to cope with pressures from the world. We will offer the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures and the book The Bible—God’s Word or Man’s? What can we say that will help rightly disposed individuals to appreciate the value of the Bible?
3 After introducing yourself, you could say something like this:
◼ “Likely you agree that we are surrounded by problems that tend to rob us of our peace of mind. Where can we find practical counsel to show us how to cope with these problems? [Allow for response.] I have found the Bible to be reassuring because it teaches us how to be happy. [Read Luke 11:28.] The purpose of our work is to encourage people to read the Bible and benefit from its instruction. This Bible study aid, The Bible—God’s Word or Man’s?, can help you do that. Note what it says about the cause of most of the world’s problems. [Read the second sentence of paragraph 9 on page 187.] If you would like to read this book, I would be happy to leave this copy with you.”
4 You might choose to use a simple approach like this:
◼ “We are interested in encouraging greater respect for God’s Word, the Bible. I would like to give you a copy of this tract, Why You Can Trust the Bible. It explains why we can look to the Bible to find a sure hope for a better world. [Turn to page 6, and read Psalm 37:29 along with the concluding paragraph.] Read this tract for yourself, and the next time I visit, let me know what you think of the hope the Bible offers.”
5 Some publishers may want to use this direct approach for starting a Bible study:
◼ “I am calling to offer you a free home Bible study course. The Bible is inspired of God, and its instruction can help us set things straight. The modern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is designed for personal study. It has proved to be popular with millions of Bible readers around the world. Let me briefly demonstrate how you can use it. [Turn to page 1653, and call attention to 23A. According to the interest shown, look up one or two of the cited scriptures and discuss the point being made. Explain how looking up the cited texts will reveal what God has purposed to accomplish by means of his Kingdom.] I would be pleased to return and discuss this Kingdom hope further.”
6 The Bible is the source of comfort and hope as well as truth that can lead us to everlasting life. (John 17:3, 17) Sharing Bible knowledge with others pleases Jehovah, “whose will is that all sorts of men should be saved.”—1 Tim. 2:4.