[this article is contributed by Alex Rover]
It is Friday evening and the last day of lectures at campus for this semester. Jane closes her binder and puts it away in her backpack, along with the other course materials. For a brief moment, she reflects on the past half year of lectures and labs. Then Bryan walks up to her and with his signature big smile asks Jane if she wants to go out with her friends to celebrate. She politely declines, because Monday is the day of her first exam.
Walking to the bus station, Jane’s mind drifts into a daydream and she finds herself at her exam desk, leaning over a piece of paper. To her surprise, the piece of paper is blank except a single question printed all the way on top.
The question is in Greek and reads:
Heautous peirazete ei este en tē pistei; heautous dokimazete.
ē ouk epiginōskete heautous hoti Iēsous Christos en hymin ei mēti adokimoi este?
Anxiety grips her heart. How should she answer this single question printed on an otherwise blank page? Being a good student of the Greek language, she starts off by translating word for word:
Yourselves examine whether you are in the faith; yourselves test.
Or not do you recognize yourselves that Jesus Christ [is] in you if not unapproved you are?
Jane nearly misses her bus. She usually takes bus number 12, but right as the doors are closing the driver recognizes her. After all, for the past few months she would take this same route home every day after school. Thanking the driver, she finds her favorite seat vacant, the one by the left window behind the driver. Per habit, she takes out her headphones and navigates her media device to her favorite playlist.
As the bus takes off, her mind has already drifted back into her daydream. Right, the translation! Jane now puts things in a proper English sentence:
Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith; test yourself.
Or don’t you yourselves recognize that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you fail the test?
Failing the test? Jane realizes that with the most important test of the semester coming up, this is what she fears most! Then she has an epiphany. While Bryan and her friends are celebrating the end of the semester lectures, she must examine herself to prove that she is ready to pass the test! So she determines that when she will arrive home that night, she will immediately start reviewing the course material and start testing herself. In fact, she will do so all weekend long.
This is her favorite moment of the day, when her favorite song from her favorite playlist starts. Jane comfortably snuggles to the bus window in her favorite seat, when the bus halts at her favorite stop, overlooking a lush scenery with a lake. She looks out the window to see the ducks, but they are not here today.
Earlier this semester, the ducks had little babies. They were sooo adorable as they would swim neatly in a row on the water, behind their mom. Or dad? She wasn’t entirely sure. One day, Jane even stuffed a piece of old bread in her backpack, and she got off the bus to spend an hour here until the next bus would pass by. Ever since that, her bus driver would take a few more seconds than normal at this bus stop, because he knew Jane loved it so much.
With her favorite song still playing, the bus now continues its journey and as the landscape fades into the distance at her left side, she turns her head back and into the daydream. She thinks: this can’t be the actual question at my exam, but if it were – what would I answer? The rest of the page is blank. Would I pass this test?
Jane uses her mental faculties to conclude that she would fail the test if she doesn’t recognize that Christ is in her. So in her answer, she must prove the teacher that she in fact, does recognize that Jesus Christ is in her.
But how can she do this? Jane is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, so she opens her smart device and looks up 2 Corinthians 13:5 from the Watchtower Online Library and reads:
Keep testing whether you are in the faith; keep proving that you yourselves are. Or do you not recognize that Jesus Christ is in union with you? Unless you are disapproved.
Jane is relieved, because she knows for a fact that she is in union with Jesus Christ. After all, she lives in harmony with his words and commandments, and she has a part in the preaching work of his kingdom. But she wants to know more. On the Watchtower Online Library, she types “in union with Christ” and hits the search button.
The first two search results are from Ephesians. It refers to the holy ones and faithful ones in union with Christ Jesus. Fair enough, the anointed are in union with him and they are faithful.
The next result comes from 1 John but she doesn’t see how it relates to her search. The third result however brings her to Romans chapter 8:1:
Therefore those in union with Christ Jesus have no condemnation.
Wait a minute – Jane thinks – I have no condemnation? She is confused, so she clicks on the link to find Romans 8 and reads the entire chapter. Jane notices verses 10 and 11 explain verse 1:
But if Christ is in union with you, the body indeed is dead on account of sin, but the spirit is life on account on righteousness. If, now, the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his spirit that resides in you.
Then verse 15 catches her eye:
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery causing fear again, but you received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which spirit we cry out: “Abba, Father!”
So Jane concludes from here that if she is in union with Christ, she has no condemnation and then must have received a spirit of adoption. That scripture applies to the anointed. But I am of the other sheep, so does that mean I am not in union with Christ? Jane is confused.
She hits the back button and returns to the search. The next results from Galatians and Colossians once more talk about the holy ones in the congregations of Judea and Colossae. It makes sense that they are called faithful and holy if they ‘have no condemnation’ and ‘the body is dead on account on sin’.
The so-familiar sound and feel of the bus making a stop. The bus makes fourteen stops until Jane gets off. She had taken this trip so many times and gotten quite good at taking tally. Some days, a blind person takes this same bus route. She figured that this is how they know when to get off, by counting the stops. Ever since then, Jane challenged herself to the same.
Stepping down from the bus she doesn’t forget to smile at the driver and waves her hand for goodbyes. “See you Monday” – then the door closes behind her and Jane watches the bus disappear behind the street corner.
From there, it’s just a short walk to her house. Nobody is home yet. Jane speeds upstairs to her room and desk. There is this neat feature where her computer’s browser is synchronized with her mobile so she can resume reading with minimal interruption. She HAS to finish her daydream challenge or she won’t be able to concentrate on studying for her exam.
Jane scrolls through the list watching verse after verse. Then the scripture at 2 Corinthians 5:17 catches her attention:
Therefore, if anyone is in union with Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; look! New things have come into existence.
Clicking on the verse she sees a reference to it-549. The other links are not clickable because the online library only goes back to the year 2000. Examining that link, Jane is taken to Insight in the Scriptures, Volume 1. Under Creation there is a subheading “A New Creation”. Scanning the paragraph she reads:
To be “in” or “in union with” Christ here means to enjoy a oneness with him as a member of his body, his bride.
Her heart was pounding with excitement as she received confirmation for what she had already thought. To be in Christ means to be anointed. Upon this realization, Jane repeated the words of her test from 2 Corinthians 13:5:
Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith; test yourself.
Or don’t you yourselves recognize that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you fail the test?
She took a piece of paper and wrote this verse again. But this time she substituted the meaning for being “in Christ”.
Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith; test yourself.
Or don’t you yourself recognize that you are [an anointed member of Christ’s body], unless you fail the test?
Jane gasped for air. Since she was not anointed but considered herself part of the other sheep with an earthly hope she read it again. Then she said out loud:
I have examined myself and found that I am not in the faith.
I have tested myself.
I do not recognize that I am a part of Christ’s body, therefore I fail the test.
In her mind, she returned to her daydream. Once again she sat down at her exam desk, staring at a piece of paper with a single verse in Greek and the rest of the page empty. This article is what Jane started writing.
The next Monday, Jane scored high marks on her school exam, because throughout the weekend she kept examining herself and through testing she learned from where she failed.
The story of Jane ends here, but what happened at her next meeting is worth sharing. At the Watchtower Study the Elder made reference to the article “Are you Rooted and Established on the Foundation?” (w09 10/15 pp. 26-28) In the second paragraph she read the following words:
We as Christians are encouraged to “go on walking in union with him, rooted and being built up in him and being stabilized in the faith.” If we do so, we will be able to withstand all attacks made on our faith—including those that come in the form of ‘persuasive arguments’ based on the ‘empty deception’ of men.
That evening Jane shared an article with her dad, titled: Do you pass the test?
Images courtesy of artur84 and suwatpo at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Archived Comments
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Comment by menrov on 2014-11-27 08:27:18
Excellent story and most enjoying to read.
I guess a great example (the message) of speaking double tongues or of being inconsistent. On the one hand to stress we all can be Christians and on the hand, blocking access to the kingdom by labeling us as Other Sheep.
Thanks Alex for sharing. Very much appreciated.
Comment by Chris on 2014-11-27 08:37:16
I always wondering if we were all given a new birth and not just the anointed. We are told in the bible that:
" In response Jesus said to him: “Most truly I say to you, unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”. John 3:3
We say that only the 144,000 are born again. But how can those who we claim those who aren't anointed such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob be in the Kingdom of God
Matthew 8:11
11 But I tell you that many from east and west will come and recline at the table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of the heavens;
They must be born again. Right?
Matthew 7:21
21 “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will."
So in this verse we are either entering into the kindkm of the heavens or we are cast off according to the next verse! And if we are in the kingdom of the heavens then we are all to be born again.
Comment by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-11-27 09:33:55
Thank Alex. Beautifully reasoned. It demonstrates that the truth is simple and appeals to the childlike ones. What a contrast with self-serving, convoluted reasoning from Rutherford about the other sheep that appeals to the "wise and intellectual" ones.
Comment by kev c on 2014-11-27 13:22:15
Very nice alex . Let us just hope that there are a few janes out there or even johns that read this and do the same thing . its so strange but on this site we have become like a voice of someone crying out in the wilderness . No faces just voices .or is that another ATF lol . Kev
Comment by miken on 2014-11-28 11:45:55
Firstly all who would be Christians in obedience to Jesus command need to “know” both the Father and the Son (John 17:3). While the Watchtower society has recently acknowledged that the Greek word Ginosko translated “ knowing” includes knowing about (information about) the Father, but also indicates having a close personal relationship with and companionship with the Father . The Watchtower society applies such a meaning to a relationship with the Father sustained in part through prayer to him. However the second half of John 17:3 indicates Christians should have exactly the same relationship with the Son, Jesus Christ. Jehovah’s witnesses have since 1954, been directed by the Watchtower society not to pray to Jesus Christ they are therefore denied developing a personal relationship with him and the opportunity to “come” to him (Matt 11:28-30) as the only away to the Father (John 14:6). This means that Christ cannot dwell in their hearts (Eph 3:17) and nor can his spirit (Gal 4:6). The Father draws individuals to “come” to Christ ( John 5:40; 6:35,37,44,45,65) and gives them to him (John 6:37) and Christ will not loose them or drive them away (John 10:27-29, 6:37-40). In Paul’s prayer recorded at 2 Cor 12:7-10 the Lord he entreated I believe was the Lord Jesus Christ .Of the 191 references in Paul's writings he links the word Lord specifically to Jesus Christ 80 times. The other 111 uses of Lord in context also refer to Christ, he never uses the designation Lord God or Almighty Lord. With reference to the use of Lord at Gal 1:19 Paul refers to James as "the brother of the Lord" and at Phil 3:8 he refers to Christ Jesus as "my Lord". Paul in his discussion of Christ's memorial meal at 1 Cor 11:23-27 refers to the Lord Jesus and the Lord. In 12:3 Jesus is again referred to as Lord.
Secondly all who would be Christians in obedience to Jesus command must “come” to him. What is meant in "coming" to Christ Jesus. The Greek word translated "come" is Erchomai and Thayer in his Greek/English lexicon comments with reference to its use in John 5:40; 6:35,37,44,45,65 "to commit oneself to the instruction of Jesus (which Jehovah’s Witnesses do) and enter into fellowship with him which Jehovah’s Witnesses cannot do for reasons previously stated above. So in effect Jehovah’s Witnesses are similar to those Jesus mentions at John 5:39, 40 considering scriptures about Jesus and what he taught but not "coming" to him to gain life. Jesus invites us to "come to him " (Matt 11:28-30) which requires us to surrender our life to him and for him (John 13:37,38) and love him (Eph 6:24). Through Jesus we can come to the Father so that they then can make their home with and “in” us (John 14:20; 14:23 ; 17:20,21) which means more than “union with” which is not in the Greek but added 86 times with reference to Christ in the NWT despite the warnings at Deut 4:2; 12:32 and Rev 22:18 . Jesus becomes our mediator with the Father (1 Tim 2:5,6) we become direct (not by being associated with anyone else) beneficiaries of the new covenant (1Cor 11:25) and become sons and children of the Father not just his friend (Rom 8:12-17).
Thirdly all who would be Christians in obedience to Jesus command must be re-born “born again”. We must be "born again" from "water and spirit" (John3:3-7, no limitation on numbers such as the 144,000 referred to at Rev 7:4 and 14:1 are scripturally indicated and all must remember Jesus sacrifice by partaking in his memorial meal as he instructed us. (John 6:51-58; Luke 22:19,20; 1Cor 11:24-26).
Fourthly all who would be Christians in obedience to Jesus command must be baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19) without any association with any earthly organisation. Such an associated baptism is unscriptural and goes beyond what Jesus directed (1Cor 4:6). We should all be baptised into the body of Christ (Rom 6: 3-4; 1 Cor 12:13-14; 1cor 1:13; Gal 3:26, 27). We will then receive and having dwelling in us both God’s and Christ’s spirit (Rom 8:9).
Fifthly all who would be Christians need to live a Christian life by obeying Christ’s commandments thereby showing our love for him (John 14; 15, 21, 23) resulting in both Jesus Christ and the Father loving us and making their home with us.
Sixthly all who would be Christians having taken the five steps above are then in a position to be witnesses of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor 15: 1-4) and the Kingdom of God (Matt 24:14) and for those gifted by the Holy Spirit to do so (1 Cor 12:8-11, 27-30; Eph 4:11) teachers of Jesus Christ’s commands (Matt 28:19). Making known the gospel (good news) about Jesus Christ includes witnessing about the hope of a resurrection through him and the hope of a future new life whether that be in a new heaven or on a new earth (1 Cor 15; Rev 21:1-4).
Comment by eph214 on 2014-12-19 17:44:41
good article Alex! I'd add that the Holy Spirit Himself is a Person who indwells the believer (John 14:16ff). He convicts individuals of sin (John 16:8), teaches and reminds the believer (John 14:25), directed the men who wrote the Scriptures ( 2 Peter 1:21), brought about the birth of Christ ( Matthew 1:18,20), an agent who baptizes ( Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8), can be maligned, distinct from the Son (Matthew 12:32, Mark 3:29), mentioned as one name with the Father and Son (Matthew 28:19), gives believers words to speak in moments of persecution ( Mark 13:11), sent by the Father (John 14:26) and the Son ( John 15:26), glorifies the Son ( John 16:14), can be lied to (Acts 5:3), is given to those who obey God ( Acts 5:32), can be resisted (Acts 7:51), spoke to the church ( Acts 13:2), commissioned elders ( Acts 20:28), spoke through prophets ( Acts 28:25), resides in all believers' bodies individually as in a temple ( I Corinthians 6:19), can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), in salvation, He renews ( Titus 3:5).