Robert Ciranko:

God’s People Glorify His Name (1 Pet. 2:10)

‎By the time the apostle Peter‎wrote‎the‎words‎of‎today‟s‎text, ‎individuals who

were Jews, ‎proselytes, Samaritans, ‎and Gentiles had been brought ‎into the
Christian congregation ‎as‎God‟s‎people, ‎the spiritual Israel of God. ‎In the
verse‎before‎today‟s‎text, ‎Peter outlined what their mission was. ‎Let‟s‎open‎
to 1 Peter chapter 2 and read that. ‎It‟s‎in‎verses 9 and 10 of 1 Peter 2. ‎He
wrote: ‎“But‎you‎are‎„a‎chosen‎race, a royal priesthood, ‎“„a‎holy‎nation, a
people for special possession, ‎“that‎you‎should‎declare‎abroad‎the‎
excellencies‟‎‎“of‎the‎One‎who‎called‎you‎out‎of‎darkness into his wonderful
light. ‎“For‎you‎were‎once‎not‎a‎people, ‎but‎now‎you‎are‎God‟s‎people.”‎‎And,
of course, this refers to the spirit-anointed members ‎of the congregation who
would be responsible ‎for‎glorifying‎Jehovah‟s‎name‎as‎his‎Witnesses. ‎And
this harmonizes with what Peter had said years earlier ‎in the first-century
governing body meeting, ‎as reported in Acts chapter 15. ‎So‎let‟s‎turn‎there,
Acts 15, ‎and we will begin with verse 14. ‎It says: “Symeon‎has‎related‎
thoroughly how God ‎“for‎the‎first time turned his attention to the nations ‎“to‎
take out of them a people for his name. ‎“And‎with‎this‎the‎words‎of‎the‎
Prophets agree, ‎“just‎as‎it‎is‎written: ‎“„After‎these‎things‎I‎will‎return‎and‎raise‎
up again ‎“„the‎tent‎of‎David‎that‎is‎fallen down; ‎“„I‎will‎rebuild‎its‎ruins‎and‎
restore it, ‎“„so‎that‎the‎men‎who‎remain‎may‎earnestly‎seek‎
Jehovah, ‎“„together‎with‎people‎of‎all‎the‎nations, ‎“„people‎who‎are‎called‎by‎
my name, ‎says Jehovah, who is doing these things.‟”‎‎Now, what about the
rest of us ‎who are not anointed Christians ‎but‎who‎call‎ourselves‎Jehovah‟s‎
Witnesses? ‎Are‎we‎also‎God‟s‎people? ‎Well, most certainly! ‎
And what a proud honor it is for us‎to bear the name of the only true God. ‎But
with that name comes responsibility, ‎one that other religious groups do not
want to take on. ‎You see, we are under obligation ‎to bear witness to
Jehovah, ‎to tell the truth about him, ‎and to expose false teachings ‎that
misrepresent Jehovah. ‎And a classic example of an unscriptural dogma ‎that
God‟s‎people‎have‎exposed‎is‎the‎Trinity, ‎which reminds me of another
hoax ‎that fooled many people who should have known better . ‎It‟s‎the‎true‎
story about a man named van Meegeren, ‎a Dutch artist, born in 1889, ‎who
perpetrated what may have been ‎the most sensational art hoax of all
time. ‎You see, he never won the critical acclaim ‎that he thought he was due
as an artist. ‎So to get back at the art critics, ‎he decided to demonstrate his
talent ‎by producing a painting that would fool them all, ‎and he set out to
imitate ‎the famous 17th-century Dutch impressionist, ‎Johannes
Vermeer. ‎Well, van Meegeren spent 4 years figuring out ‎how to make a new
painting look 300 years old. ‎The canvas was the easy part. ‎He just took a
lesser-known painting ‎from the 17th century and removed the picture. ‎His
biggest problem was getting oil paint ‎to harden thoroughly, which usually
takes 50 years. ‎He solved it by mixing his pigments with a synthetic
resin ‎instead of oil and then baking the canvas. ‎Well, van Meegeren
produced six paintings ‎that were passed off as Vermeers. ‎His greatest sold
in 1937. ‎It was entitled Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus. ‎The most
authoritative art historian of the day ‎said it was a genuine Vermeer
masterpiece, ‎untouched, on the original canvas, ‎and that it had no
restoration done to it. ‎But in reality, it was a fake. ‎The‎critic‟s‎opinion‎was‎
taken as gospel in the art world, ‎so much so that this critic had been
nicknamed‎“The‎Pope.”‎‎Eventually, though, a chemical analysis proved ‎that
the paint contained an ingredient that had not been discovered ‎until two
centuries after Vermeer died, ‎and‎that‟s‎what‎exposed‎van‎Meegeren‎as‎a‎
fraud. ‎Well, something similar went on during the apostasy ‎that took place
after the death of the apostles. ‎Less than 300 years after the Bible was
completed, ‎a Trinitarian added to 1 John 5:7 the words ‎“in‎heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: ‎and these three are one.”‎‎However,
this addition does not appear ‎in the oldest Greek manuscripts, ‎proving‎it‟s‎a‎
fake; it‟s‎a‎corruption‎of‎God‟s‎Word. ‎And yet for centuries, the churches
propagated the Trinity doctrine. ‎As recently as the 19th century, ‎almost all
Bible translations ‎had this spurious addition. ‎As late as 1897, Pope Leo
XIII ‎upheld the corrupted text ‎of the Latin Vulgate. ‎Interestingly, the New
Catholic Encyclopedia ‎comments on this and says: “The‎Trinitarian‎
dogma ‎“is‎in‎the‎last‎analysis‎a‎late‎4th century invention. ‎“Among‎the‎
Apostolic Fathers, ‎“there‎had been nothing even remotely approaching ‎such
a mentality or perspective.”‎‎Well, Jehovah‟s‎anointed‎Witnesses‎‎firmly
rejected‎Christendom‟s‎Trinity‎dogma. ‎In 1915, The Watch Tower exposed
the foolishness ‎of teaching a doctrine that contradicts the Bible. ‎
The Watch Tower said: ‎“In‎what‎a‎jumble‎of‎contradictions‎‎“and‎confusion‎do‎
they find themselves who say ‎“that‎Jesus‎and‎the‎Father‎are‎one‎God! ‎“This‎
would involve the idea ‎“that‎our‎Lord‎Jesus‎acted‎the‎hypocrite‎when‎on‎
earth ‎“and‎only‎pretended to address God in prayer, ‎“when‎He‎Himself‎was‎
the same God. . . . ‎“The‎Father‎has‎always‎been‎immortal, hence could not
die. ‎“How‎then, could Jesus have died? . . . ‎“The‎Scriptures‎declare,
however, that He did die. . . . ‎“If‎they‎admit‎that‎Jesus really died, they take
the other horn of the dilemma; ‎“for‎believing‎that‎their‎three‎Gods‎‎“are‎all‎one‎
person as many do, ‎“when‎Jesus‎died‎they‎must‎all‎three‎have‎died. ‎“If‎they‎
all died, who raised them to life? ‎“How‎foolish‎all‎this‎sounds!‎. . . ‎“Shall‎we‎
thus contradict the Apostles and Prophets and Jesus Himself, ‎“and‎ignore‎
reason and common sense, in order to hold ‎“to‎a‎dogma‎handed‎to‎us‎from‎
the dark, superstitious past, ‎“by‎a‎corrupt‎apostate‎Church? ‎Nay!”‎says‎The‎
Watch Tower. ‎Well, Jehovah‟s‎people‎continue‎to‎uphold‎the‎excellencies‎‎of
the only true God. ‎Whether in ancient times, as with the natural Israelites ‎or
in modern times, as with spiritual Israel, ‎Jehovah‟s‎words‎through‎Isaiah‎are‎
still true. ‎Look at it at Isaiah 43:21. ‎Of course, we know in Isaiah
chapter 43 ‎Jehovah declares: “You‎are‎my‎witnesses.”‎‎And in verse 21 he
says: ‎“The‎people‎whom‎I‎formed‎for‎myself‎‎so that they might declare my
praise.”‎‎And‎the‎effort‎that‎Jehovah‟s‎Witnesses ‎—God‟s‎people— have put
forth to expose ‎Bible teachings that are false, ‎to teach the truth about
Jehovah, ‎and‎to‎sanctify‎God‟s‎name‎has‎taken‎on‎proportions‎ ‎never
attained by any other religious group. ‎And Jehovah takes notice of
that. ‎Look at Malachi the 3rd chapter. ‎Malachi chapter 3, ‎beginning with
verse 16. ‎Malachi 3:16: ‎“At‎that‎time‎those‎who‎feared‎Jehovah‎spoke‎with‎
one another, ‎“each‎one‎with‎his‎companion, ‎“and‎Jehovah‎kept‎paying‎
attention and listening. ‎“And‎a‎book‎of‎remembrance‎was‎written‎before
him ‎“for‎those‎fearing‎Jehovah‎and‎for‎those‎meditating‎on‎‎“[or the footnote
says, possibly, “treasuring”] his name. ‎“„And‎they‎will‎be‎mine,‟‎says‎
Jehovah of armies, ‎„in‎the‎day‎when‎I‎produce‎a‎special‎property.‟”‎‎So
Jehovah truly does love those ‎who fear him and treasure his name, ‎making
them‎truly‎God‟s‎people.

Robert Ciranko: God’s People Glorify His Name (1 Pet. 2:10)

https://tv.jw.org/#en/mediaitems/VODPgmEvtMorningWorship/pub-jwb_201810_4_VIDEO