*** w70 5/15 p. 310 par. 23 Your Conscience Toward Jehovah ***
Each individual should carefully note and observe the date of the baptism. The event is the result of obedience to God’s commands through his Word relative to the matter and so the time of baptism may be taken as the time of Christian ordination and be recorded and verified as occasions in the future may require. It is so recognized by the congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses and by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. So for the purpose of record, baptism by Jehovah’s witnesses is a valid ceremony of ordination for Jehovah’s witnesses within the meaning of the law of the land. Proof that one can have that one is thereafter a faithful minister includes that to which the apostle Paul pointed as his own letters of recommendation, namely, individuals who, due to a disciple’s efforts, have in turn dedicated themselves to Jehovah God, having been made disciples.—2 Cor. 3:1-3.
*** w81 3/15 pp. 15-16 Who Are God’s Ministers? ***
As with all religious organizations, Jehovah’s Witnesses have the privilege and right to determine when their students have reached the point where they qualify to be ministers of God’s Word, "servants" in an elevated, godly sense. After an appropriate personal training period they are examined by the duly appointed elders in their congregation. If students can give evidence of having an adequate knowledge of God’s Word, a heart appreciation of its message, and have unreservedly dedicated themselves to Jehovah to do his will and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, and if they have brought their lives in line with God’s requirements and principles, they are admitted to baptism and are thereby ordained as ministers. There is sound Scriptural precedent for this procedure, for it was only after Jesus had presented himself for baptism that he began his career as God’s anointed minister, preaching the good news of God’s kingdom.—Mark 1:9-15.
*** w84 8/15 p. 14 par. 16 Must All True Christians Be Ministers? ***But you may ask, Were those early Christians also ministers even if they had full-time secular work or were housewives? Yes, they were. Maybe they could spend only a small fraction of their time in the Christian ministry, preaching and teaching, but that was their prime purpose in life. They knew they had to ‘let their light shine’ as true disciples of Christ. In effect they were worker-ministers long before Christendom had its worker-priest movement.—Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:9.
Proof
*** w00 11/15 p. 17 Who Are God’s Ministers Today? ***
As to when and by whom a person is ordained, consider the example of Jesus Christ. He did not have a certificate of ordination or a degree from some seminary to prove that he was a minister, and he was not ordained by any man. Why can we say, then, that he was a minister? Because Isaiah’s inspired words were fulfilled in him: "Jehovah’s spirit is upon me, because he anointed me to declare good news." (Luke 4:17-19; Isaiah 61:1) Those words leave no doubt that Jesus was commissioned to tell forth good news. By whom? Since Jehovah’s spirit anointed him for the work, Jesus was clearly ordained by Jehovah God. When did this happen? Jehovah’s spirit actually came upon Jesus when he was baptized. (Luke 3:21, 22) Therefore, it was at his baptism that he was ordained.
The apostle Paul explained it this way: "Are we starting again to recommend ourselves? Or do we, perhaps, like some men, need letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts and known and being read by all mankind. For you are shown to be a letter of Christ written by us as ministers, inscribed not with ink but with spirit of a living God, not on stone tablets, but on fleshly tablets, on hearts." How was that writing on hearts accomplished? By the preaching of the seedlike word of faith that became implanted in the heart. In turn this seed motivated the receiver also to preach the same message of salvation to others.—2 Corinthians 3:1-3. How do Jehovah’s Witnesses prove that they are ministers if they have no diploma or university degree? Well, how did the early Christians establish that they were ministers? Christ himself provided this insight: "Every good tree produces fine fruit." Christian ministers should produce "fine fruit," which includes sharing in the disciple-making work.—Matthew 7:17.
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