*** Watchtower 1986 March 15 pp.10-15 'Do Not Be Quickly Shaken From Your Reason' ***
'Do Not Be Quickly Shaken From Your Reason'
"We request of you not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be excited either through an inspired expression or
through a verbal message or through a letter as though from us."—2 THESSALONIANS 2:1, 2.
PLEASANT memories invariably come to mind when we as Christians reflect on the time when we first learned the truth from
God's Word. It was beautiful, reasonable, satisfying. How our hearts swelled with appreciation when we learned about Jehovah
and his lofty qualities, including his great love and his mercy! We rejoiced when we came into association with fellow
believers who showed genuine Christian love and lived by Bible principles.
2 How thankful we were to learn that Jehovah will soon remove pain, sorrow, and even death. (Revelation 21:3, 4) Imagine,
living forever on a paradise earth, with perfect health and complete happiness! It was almost too good to be true. But it was
true. It was backed by God's Word. It was thrilling! Undoubtedly, we felt just like Jesus' disciples when he appeared to them
after his resurrection. They said to one another: "Were not our hearts burning as he was speaking to us on the road, as he was
fully opening up the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32) Yes, on learning the truth and dedicating our lives to Jehovah, we found
ourselves in a spiritual paradise. What a blessing!
3 But being in Jehovah's spiritual paradise is not something we can take for granted. We came into this paradise voluntarily;
we can walk right out (or be put out) if we go into unbelief or willfully violate Jehovah's righteous laws. Of course, this will
not happen if we keep strong the 'love we had at first,' if we continue to appreciate all of Jehovah's provisions to keep us
spiritually strong. (Revelation 2:4) But the Devil and other opposers of true worship are skilled in deception. We should never
forget that they stand ever ready to break our integrity if they can. Their propaganda is designed to weaken our faith, to cool
our love for God, to sow doubts in our minds—yes, to make the spiritual paradise appear to be no paradise at all.
4 To borrow from a proverbial saying, we could come to the point where we would find it difficult, perhaps even impossible, to
see the forest of the spiritual paradise because of looking so closely at the imperfect human trees now in it. The thrill we had
in learning the truth of God's Word, the grand hope we came to have, the love we developed for God and our spiritual brothers, and
the zeal we had for Jehovah's service can fade. If drastic steps are not taken to reverse any such spiritual deterioration, soon God's
loving requirements seem to be oppressive. The wholesome spiritual food from "the faithful and discreet slave" may seem to be something
contemptible, and the brotherhood of loving servants of Jehovah may appear to be a household of enemies. Then the only satisfaction, of
a perverted kind, may come in beginning to beat one's fellow slaves with slander and half-truths.—Matthew 24:45-51.
5 Yes, we could not only lose the blessings of the spiritual paradise now but, more seriously, also lose the hope of living eternally
in the earthly Paradise. And we could lose out for the same reason that Adam and Eve lost the Paradise of Eden. They had everything they
needed to be perfectly happy and could have lived forever. But independence—actually a different teaching—was more important
to them than were obedience to Jehovah and the blessings of Eden. Eve was deceived. While Adam was not deceived, he let the force of
circumstances, including the strong influence of his wife, cause him to sin also. Therefore, they were put out of Paradise, to live a
miserable life until their death. They lost the prospect of everlasting life for themselves and brought an inheritance of sin and death
upon their offspring. (Genesis 3:1-7, 14-19, 24; 1 Timothy 2:14; Romans 5:12) What a terrible price to pay for their so-called independence!
6 The apostle Paul expressed this concern: "I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent seduced Eve by its cunning, your minds might
be corrupted away from the sincerity and the chastity that are due the Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3) Paul found it necessary to write
regarding some erroneous teachings that were circulating in his day. In his second letter to the congregation at Thessalonica, he
wrote: "We request of you not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be excited either through an inspired expression or
through a verbal message or through a letter as though from us, to the effect that the day of Jehovah is here. Let no one seduce
you in any manner."—2 Thessalonians 2:1-3.
Have No Dealings With Apostates
7 Now, what will you do if you are confronted with apostate teaching—subtle reasonings—claiming that what you believe
as one of Jehovah's Witnesses is not the truth? For example, what will you do if you receive a letter or some literature, open it,
and see right away that it is from an apostate? Will curiosity cause you to read it, just to see what he has to say? You may even
reason: 'It won't affect me; I'm too strong in the truth. And, besides, if we have the truth, we have nothing to fear. The truth
will stand the test.' In thinking this way, some have fed their minds upon apostate reasoning and have fallen prey to serious
questioning and doubt. (Compare James 1:5-8.) So remember the warning at 1 Corinthians 10:12: "Let him that thinks he is standing
beware that he does not fall."
8 With loving help from caring brothers, some having doubts sown by apostates have recovered after a period of spiritual turmoil
and trauma. But this pain could have been avoided. At Proverbs 11:9 we are told: "By his mouth the one who is an apostate brings his
fellowman to ruin, but by knowledge are the righteous rescued." Jude told fellow Christians to "continue showing mercy to some that
have doubts; save them by snatching them out of the fire." (Jude 22, 23) Paul advised the overseer Timothy to instruct "with mildness
those not favorably disposed; as perhaps God may give them repentance leading to an accurate knowledge of truth, and they may come
back to their proper senses out from the snare of the Devil, seeing that they have been caught alive by him for the will of that
one."—2 Timothy 2:25, 26.
9 Tragically, others have gone into complete darkness, even going back to Christendom's erroneous teachings. The apostle Peter wrote
about the tragic outcome for some who first walked in the truth but then turned aside. He said: "Certainly if, after having escaped
from the defilements of the world by an accurate knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they get involved again with these
very things and are overcome, the final conditions have become worse for them than the first." Peter said they are like the dog that
returns to its vomit and the bathed sow that turns back to wallowing in the mire.—2 Peter 2:20-22.
10 When a fellow human tells us, 'Do not read this' or, 'Do not listen to that,' we may be tempted to ignore his advice. But
remember, in this case Jehovah is the One who tells us in his Word what to do. And what does he say about apostates? "Avoid them"
(Romans 16:17, 18); "quit mixing in company with" them (1 Corinthians 5:11); and "never receive [them] into your homes or say a
greeting to [them]" (2 John 9, 10). These are emphatic words, clear directions. If, out of curiosity, we were to read the literature
of a known apostate, would that not be the same as inviting this enemy of true worship right into our home to sit down with us and
relate his apostate ideas?
11 Let us illustrate matters in this way: Suppose your teenage son received some pornographic material in the mail. What would
you do? If he was inclined to read it out of curiosity, would you say: 'Yes, son, go ahead and read it. It won't hurt you. From
infancy we've taught you that immorality is bad. Besides, you need to know what's going on in the world in order to see that it's
truly bad'? Would you reason that way? Absolutely not! Rather, you would surely point out the dangers of reading pornographic
literature and would require that it be destroyed. Why? Because no matter how strong a person may be in the truth, if he feeds
his mind on the perverted ideas found in such literature, his mind and heart will be affected. A lingering wrong desire planted
in the recesses of the heart can eventually create a perverted sexual appetite. The result? James says that when wrong desire
becomes fertile, it gives birth to sin, and sin leads to death. (James 1:15) So why start the chain reaction?
12 Well, if we would act so decisively to protect our children from exposure to pornography, should we not expect that our
loving heavenly Father would similarly warn us and protect us from spiritual fornication, including apostasy? He says, Keep away
from it!
13 But suppose we are preaching the good news and people raise questions or objections similar to those raised by opposers?
Of course, if a person is not sincere and merely wishes to argue, usually it is best to excuse ourselves and go to the next door.
But if someone sincerely asks about certain claims of apostates, what can be done? First, we can ask what, exactly, has caused the
concern. It may be only one or two points. Then we can stick to these and answer from the Scriptures, from the Society's publications,
and from what we truthfully know about the subject. We need not conclude that we have to read a book or a pamphlet that is filled with
slander and half-truths in order to refute the false claims and teachings of opposers.
Confidence in Jehovah
14 As we go forward, building faith and keeping busy in Kingdom service, we can confidently put our trust in Jehovah, knowing
that, as our loving heavenly Father, he wants the very best for us. God teaches us; he warns us. He does this through his Word and
by means of clear direction provided by his visible organization. If we were to ask a loving parent for bread and fish, he would
not give us a stone or a serpent. Neither will God fool us or deceive us. (Matthew 7:7-11) Yet, God will not completely shield us
from temptations or even deceptive lies and devilish propaganda. He says of himself: "I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching
you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk." (Isaiah 48:17) Yes, Jehovah 'teaches
us to benefit ourselves.' He tells us to keep separate from apostates and their teaching, and this for our own protection. It
means our life.
15 The apostle Paul warned fellow Christian elders: "From among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw
away the disciples after themselves." (Acts 20:30) If we keep listening to subtle arguments and specious reasoning, "twisted things"
can sound as though they were straight. The longer Eve looked at the forbidden fruit and listened to the twisted reasoning of the
Devil, the more she was convinced that he was right. Paul warned: "Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off
as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of
the world and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8) The apostle also indicated that "by smooth talk and complimentary speech
[apostates] seduce the hearts of guileless ones." (Romans 16:17, 18; compare 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.) Of course, the fact that
a few are drawn away by that kind of propaganda does not mean that we have to follow them. Nevertheless, we need to be continually alert.
16 The Devil's tactics have not changed since Eden. He uses subtle questioning and an appeal to self-interest. Peter wrote:
"There will also be false teachers among you. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects . . . Also, with covetousness
they will exploit you with counterfeit words." (2 Peter 2:1-3) Something counterfeit is designed to look or sound genuine.
At 2 Timothy 2:14-19, Paul stressed the importance of using Jehovah's Word to set matters straight but warned of the need to
avoid apostates, whose 'empty speeches violate what is holy,' for, said he, "their word will spread like gangrene."
17 A fitting analogy indeed! Like gangrene, apostate reasoning is nothing but quick-spreading spiritual death. And since the
members of the congregation are like one body, there is a danger that others may be infected. If the one spreading apostate
teachings cannot be restored to spiritual health by loving but firm application of the balm of God's Word, amputation of this
member (disfellowshipping) may be the only alternative for the protection of other members of the body. (Compare Titus 1:10, 11.)
Do not be infected by deadly gangrene of a spiritual kind! Keep in good spiritual health by avoiding the contamination of apostate
thinking. Heed the sound advice at 2 Peter 3:17, 18: "You, therefore, beloved ones, having this advance knowledge, be on your guard
that you may not be led away with them by the error of the law-defying people and fall from your own steadfastness. No, but go on
growing in the undeserved kindness and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
18 But how can we protect ourselves from apostasy? How can we keep our hearts from being receptive to apostate reasoning?
These questions will be considered in the next article.
[Emphasis Added]
