I’ve reviewed the 1976 article on Sacred Service that was ostensibly written by Ray Franz and the 3 rebuttal articles written in 1980 and 1981. I would like to present in this post a review of these articles and the argumentation each employ.
Wt 1976 10/1 pp. 597-602 Rendering Sacred Service Night and Day
Argument #1
Par. 4 “Yes, our “sacred service” needs to be a balanced one, one that balances words of praise to God with deeds, with the “doing of good and the sharing of things with others.”
Par. 5 “So, like Jesus we want our whole life to be a witness to the truth. Of course, we cannot perform miracles as Jesus did to help people, but our fine conduct, honesty, sincerity and helpfulness to people when we can and with what we have are just as acceptable.”
Par. 6 “Our “sacred service” cannot be complete unless we both live and declare the good news.”
Par. 9 “”Sacred service,” then, is not something that occupies only a portio of our lives. It is not limited to just one activity or a certain number of activities but it takes in every aspect of our daily living.”
Pars. 10 – 20 – Discussing aspects of sacred service: par. 10”a large part of your “sacred service” to God involves your children.” Par. 14”Husbands and wives can render “sacred service” by making their marriage successful and an honor to God’s institution of marriage.” Par. 15”Housewives have a fine opportunity to perform acceptable “sacred service” to God.” Par 16”children…are concerned with rendering “sacred service” to Jehovah” Par. 17”Christian elders are also called on to serve night and day.” Par. 20”having a clean conscience and a right motive in his secular work, could make this part of his “sacred service.””
Par. 26 “It is “sacred service” by Jehovah’s people that is drawing thousands toward him today. They see the attitude of love and helpfulness, the cleanness, the sterling integrity, the peaceableness of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
Support for argument #1 includes:
Hebrews 13:15, 16 “Through him let us always offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which make public declaration to his name. 16 Moreover, do not forget the doing of good and the sharing of things with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Par. 5 “So, like Jesus we want our whole life to be a witness to the truth. Of course, we cannot perform miracles as Jesus did to help people, but our fine conduct, honesty, sincerity and helpfulness to people when we can and with what we have are just as acceptable.”
Matthew 5:16 – Likewise let YOUR light shine before men, that they may see YOUR fine works and give glory to YOUR Father who is in the heavens.”
Matthew 12: 34,35 – “Offspring of vipers, how can YOU speak good things, when YOU are wicked? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man out of his good treasure sends out good things, whereas the wicked man out of his wicked treasure sends out wicked things.”
Acts 26:7 – “whereas our twelve tribes are hoping to attain to the fulfillment of this promise by intensely rendering him sacred service night and day. Concerning this hope I am accused by Jews, O king.”
Romans 12: 1,2 – “Consequently I entreat YOU by the compassions of God, brothers, to present YOUR bodies a sacrifice living, holy, acceptable to God, a sacred service with YOUR power of reason. 2 And quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making YOUR mind over, that YOU may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Wt 1980 8/15 pp. 21-26 Sacred Service in This “Time of the End”
Argument #1
Par. 2 (discussing John 16:1,2) – “Instead of “sacred service,” the Jerusalem bible says “holy duty”; the New English Bible says “religious duty”; rotherham’s The Emphasised(sic) Bible says “divine service.” The original Greek word thus translated is latrei’a. The verb form of that Greek noun is latreu’ein. It differs from the Greek verb diakonein’, which means “to minister or serve,” and which is used even in common, ordinary, mundane things, things not sacred, as in Matthew 8:15”
Par. 5 “So their doing something of a sacrificial kind would be out of the ordinary, something not carried on in general by the unchristian people of this worldly system of things.”
Par. 12 “By those words does the apostle Paul mean that all things we do now as Christians become “sacred service” (lat rei’a) because of our having a different viewpoint respecting these things? …. No; why should it?”
Par 14 “On the other hand when all Christian witnesses of Jehovah do what the apostle Paul instructs them to do in Romans 13:1-7, they are doing only what is required of all other citizens or alien residents of a country. ….But our now acting in this way under the name of Christian witnesses of Jehovah does not automatically change our proper conduct into the Scriptural “sacred service.”
Wt 1980 8/15 p. 31 Questions From Readers
Argument #1
Par. 2 “Does this “sacred service” mean simply ‘living a good life,’ being a fine example in raising and providing for one’s family, keeping the house clean, applying oneself at school, and so forth? Hardly, for the Israelites did such things over and above the sacred service that Jehovah commanded them to perform.”
Par. 3 “Obviously, this has to do specificially with service to God, done out of appreciation for sacred things – something out of the ordinary that calls for the sacrifice of time and energy. It is different from secular work or everyday living, though with Christians this also should be done “for God’s glory.””
Par. 4 “our “sacred service” requires obedience to Jesus’ commands to preach and teach “this good news of the kingdom,” warning the people and making disciples. (matt. 24:14, 21; 28: 19,20) It also embraces our assembling for worship, our family studies of the Bible and discussions of the text each day. It extends to special service in the pioneer and missionary fields, and at
Argument #2
Par. 5 “Our “sacred service” must be modeled after the kind of service Jesus did on earth.” (1 Pet. 2:21-21) …. This service places emphasis on our public preaching,”
Summation for Question from Readers
Last par. “Do you have to readjust your viewpoint on “sacred service”? If so, may you do so in the spirit expressed at Second Corinthians 13:11.
In summary then here is what I took away from the articles:
The 1976 articles speaks of balance and moderation. It urges Christians to use their entire life course to bring honor to God and discusses specific ways that we can do that. Jesus is used as an example to follow in both preaching and helping others physically.
The 1980 articles are quite pointed in telling the readers that daily things of life, regardless of the motivation or result, are not “sacred service.” Sharing in the ministry, meetings, bethel work, elders and ministerial servants performing their duties are rendering “sacred service.”
Each viewpoint uses Jesus as an example. In 1976 Jesus entire ministry including his physical help and assistance to individuals and his preaching is used and in the 1980 articles his preaching work only is used.