Video in Russian
Here is an adapted version of the video in English 8.47
Through The Watchtower publications as well as from the stage, Jehovah’s people are often urged to take in solid spiritual food, by which many JW (Jehovah’s Witnesses) understand the ability to prove any complex prophecy of the Watch Tower Society (WTS), such as the teaching about Jesus’ enthronement as King in 1914, the generation consisting of two overlapping groups of anointed ones, the teaching about locusts, etc. It is as if the more complex the topic that a JW understands, the more spiritually mature he is.
Therefore, many JW consider as spiritually mature those who, without hesitation and by heart, can reproduce from memory the evidence of the WTS that Jesus has been reigning since 1914 or that “this generation” of Matthew 24:34 consists of two groups of anointed ones. On the other hand, whoever cannot do this, or who cannot see the logic of the WTS evidence, is a spiritual baby. Is that so? What does the Bible say about milk and solid food for JW? Let’s find out in this lesson.
To understand how Biblical “milk” differs from solid food, let us consider the answers to four questions:
1) What does the Bible say about milk and solid spiritual food for JW? 2) What criteria determine the milkiness and solidness of spiritual food and the spiritual age of a person partaking of it? (How can you determine, by interest in Scripture, who among JW is a spiritual baby, a youth, or an adult?) 3) What is the danger of a lifelong addiction to nourishing milk? (Spiritual infancy) 4) Can spiritual food be considered solid food if it was “chewed” (explained in detail) by others? If you are interested in knowing the answers to these questions and want to determine your spiritual age using the simple test below, this lesson is for you.
Let’s start with question 1):
1) What does the Bible say about milk and solid spiritual food for JW?
Having made the decision to be baptized, a person, as it were, becomes a “newborn” Christian who must develop toward spiritual maturity and grow up as a new person, a Christian, for the rest of his life until he reflects the personality of Jesus Christ (John. 3:5; Gal. 4:19; Eph. 4:13). Jehovah expects that a new one will not remain a baby for his whole life, but will learn to think, feel, and act like His adult son, Jesus (Phil. 2:5; 1 Cor. 2:16; Heb. 5:8,9). However, like a literal baby, a new JW first needs to be on the proper nourishment corresponding to the tenderness of his age:
The development of a baby’s digestive system has not reached sufficient levels of enzymes to process solid food. Therefore, no one will feed meat to a baby, as doing so would endanger the baby. Moreover, a baby does not yet have a gastronomic interest in meat (to a baby, milk is delicious, but meat isn’t). The same is true with newly baptized ones. First, they are fed with «milk», the basic teachings of the Bible, which help them to be guided by sound principles of God’s Word and God’s requirements for Christians (1 Peter 2:2). A beginner listens with interest to easy Bible topics and not difficult ones because he does not understand the latter yet. Therefore, there is no need to rush to “feed” beginners with “solid” Biblical food, so that they do not feel inadequate and stumble due to their inability to understand many things (John 16:12; 1 Cor. 3:2).
Note that both spiritual «milk» and «solid food» are found in the Bible. That is, to some Christians, the Bible is milk, while to others, it is solid food. What separates adults from babies listening to the same information from Scripture? Let us consider an example of literal babies and adults. Suppose we received information that the water would be shut off in our house. A child would not particularly react to this fact except that he might remember it and retell it to others, like a rhyme. Why? He has not yet formed the right attitude toward water. He is not affected by the question of whether or not there is water (his mother will take care of his needs, even if there is no water in the house).
On the other hand, how will an adult perceive this information? He will urgently start stockpiling water, as he has the skill of «distinguishing between good and evil» in relation to water (he knows that it’s great when there is water in the house and it’s very bad when there is no water).
That is, an infant and an adult differ in their perception of information. An infant does not analyze the meaning of the information (does not care for what purpose it was given), while an adult sees the meaning in the information, analyzes it, draws the right conclusion, and puts it into practice for his benefit. The same is true of Christians who are at different levels of spiritual growth. For example, in the Bible, there is the information, “you must not steal from your neighbor, you will be punished”. A spiritual baby will accept this only with his mind. He will remember that he is not allowed to steal, and he might retell it to others, like a rhyme.
However, his attitude toward theft is unknown. He might think that stealing from the government, or at work, is normal. He may reason that the government is also stealing our money but because he is a new one who wants to join Jehovah’s Witnesses, and he knows that as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he cannot steal, he will not do it.
How does a more mature Christian take in this information? He not only remembers it with his mind but also puts it deeper into the «heart». He already has the skill of the right attitude toward theft, as a great evil that brings suffering to people and grief to God. Therefore, he himself does not want to steal; theft is an abomination to him and, thus, there isn’t even a need to forbid it (Heb. 5:14; Gal. 5:23).
These differences in the perception of the commandment of God by a beginner and a mature Christian show that a “baby” extracts “milk” from the same Biblical information (perceives it superficially – hears only the prohibition itself without analyzing why he must not steal), while an adult extracts “solid food”. He perceives it not only with his mind but also with the depths of his perception (the spiritual heart), analyzing why it is bad to steal, in order to acquire the same attitude toward good and evil that God has (a mature Christian adult hears much more than just the prohibition on stealing).
So, “milk” for Christians is information lying on the surface of the Bible when you first get to know it. Therefore, it affects only Christians’ minds and “surface”. It changes only the outer side of a beginner’s life, as he doesn’t have a need to get to the bottom of things. That is, elementary Bible teachings change only his behavior. If he used to steal, he will steal no more; if he was rude, he will change his demeanor and start attending meetings, performing preaching work, etc. – that is, everything seen from the outside. “Solid food”, on the other hand, is a treasure hidden in the depths of the meaning of the word of God. Therefore, it affects not only the mind but also the “heart” – the inner essence, which, over time, should become similar to the essence of Christ (Heb. 6:1-3; Eph. 4:20-24; Phil. 2:5).
Thus, although the word of God has the same impelling force to change lives for the better (the holy spirit affecting all Christians), a baby extracting “milk” from the Bible works only on changing the outward side of his service to God (he “cleanses the outside of the cup” and therefore on the outside appears righteous; compare Luke 11:39 and Matt. 23:28). A maturing Christian, on the other hand, extracts “solid food” from the Bible and works on changing on the inside – his personality (compare John 6:63 and Heb. 4:12). If we are to explain this in Biblical terms, then a «baby» in faith, when reading the Bible, figuratively «circumcises his flesh» (changes his appearance), while a maturing Christian, when reading the Bible, circumcise his «heart» (makes a change on the inside, 1 Corinthians 2:16; Phil. 2:5; Rom. 2:28,29).
To illustrate the difference between the impact on JW of milk and solid foods from the Bible, one can imagine a seedling in a glass of water. While the seedling is in water, its roots, even if they begin to grow, cannot benefit it until it is transferred to solid soil, where it can cling to the soil and take root, receiving all the nutrients necessary for growth (a seedling being in water for a long time begins to wither, even if it has large roots).
The same is true with JW: If they continue to feed only on “milk”, the “roots” of their faith will have nothing to cling to, which means they will not develop spiritually and will not grow. However, if a JW feeds on solid food, the roots of his faith will have something to cling to in order to take root in the word of God and provide the strength for growth (John 6:63; Heb. 4:12).
Therefore, if a Christian wants to develop spiritually with the help of the word of God, he must learn to “forage” for solid food in the Bible and make an effort to fill his mind and heart with the truths of God’s Word, delving into the word of God, analyzing it, meditating on it, and drawing conclusions consistent with the word of God in order to apply it in life and not simply remember events, i.e., memorize some texts for preaching, appear intelligent in conversations, and give smart talks (compare Proverbs 2:1-6 – it is difficult to search for treasures from the depths, only dirt is easy to find, it is on the surface).
Cause-and-effect questions will help one forage for solid food in the Bible, as they encourage thinking, enabling one to form the right attitude toward good and evil and take root in the word of God, which helps one grow spiritually. For example, while reading an episode from Scripture, you can ask yourself the following questions:
Why did God take this or that action? What moved Him? Why did God tell me about this and why is it important? What conclusion should I draw? Do I agree with this opinion of God? Why do I consider His opinion reasonable? Do I like it or not? What changes do I need to make in order to have the same view as Jehovah? What Scriptural principle is involved here? How and when can I put it into practice in my life?
And other questions that strengthen the “roots” of a Christian’s faith, help him develop a spiritual “appetite” and the proper motivation for serving Jehovah, and encourage him to become convinced in practice of how useful God’s commandments are. Thus, the skill of distinguishing between good and evil will be formed – viewing things as Jehovah and His Christ do, which will ensure spiritual growth (Heb. 5:13,14).
Now we can check on whether the complex teachings of the WTS are «solid food», for example, about the seven times that ended in 1914 C.E., or about the generation of Matthew 24:34 that consists of two overlapping groups of anointed ones. The questions now are: If we learn it even by heart, will it change us for the better? Will it encourage us to love God and people and to follow a righteous way of life, etc.? The answer is obvious: no.
Therefore, the conclusion is simple. It means this is “milk” or food only for the mind, a superficial food. Although it is really difficult to remember (might seem to be «solid»), it can only impress others and does not bring any practical benefit to the spiritual development of Christians. Also, if you check these teachings with the Bible according to the apostle Paul’s advice in Acts 17:11, you will see that it does not even turn out to be milk food, as these teachings are not in harmony with the Scripture.
However, if, after receiving some Biblical information, our hearts “light up” with the need to change something in ourselves and our lives, if we are encouraged to love God even more, value His word, and do good to people, then we were “fed with solid food”, although it can be less complex than the Society’s 1914 teaching. So, when we read the Bible or listen to talks based on it, how do we determine whether we are taking in milk food of God’s Word or «solid food»?
If the information that we carefully read or listened to did not prompt us to do anything positive from God’s point of view, it means our “ears” extracted “milk” from the information. Meanwhile, if the information prompted us to engage in positive actions, it means our “ears” were able to extract “solid food” from it (consumed the essence of the meaning of some facet of God’s truth, Matt. 11:15; Heb. 4:12; John 6: 63; Eph. 2:10).
Of course, feeding on milk is easier (no need to make much effort when studying the Bible, you can limit yourself to a superficial study or just read it according to the WTS schedule). Feeding on “solid food” is a more difficult task (Prov. 2:1-5). Moreover, not all JW understand why they need to delve into the Bible if they can regularly serve God without it. Let us show this problem via the example of the Jewish Christians, whom the apostle Paul fed with «solid food» but who were completely disinterested and did not need it. The apostle Paul understood this, apparently, by their bored-looking faces.
The listeners had no interest in the subject matter of the essence of the role of Jesus Christ (Heb. 5:11). Prior to that, he had tried to sort out for the Jews the knowledge about the meaning of Christ’s path on the earth, about his role as a savior and High Priest, about the difference between the order of Melchizedek and the order of Aaron, about the meaning of God’s rest for Christians, etc. However, to the Jews, all these details were only a burden (Hebrews chapters 1-5).
While listening to Paul, they might have wondered: “And why is he putting himself out? Why do we need to know all this nonsense about the order of Melchizedek if we are already serving Jehovah properly?” And, indeed, why did they need such “solid food” with the complex logical expressions of the apostle? It was needed so that they could make an effort, strain their brains, and assimilate the fact that the Mosaic Law was no longer needed, as well as the priesthood and sacrifices to which they were accustomed in the temple, because the REASON for the introduction of the Mosaic Law had been eliminated by the atonement of Christ.
By refusing to accept this reality, they risked becoming like the hard-hearted Israel of old, to whom God denied mercy to bring them into His rest (Heb. 3:11). That’s why Paul tried so hard to explain it to them. He did not want God to reject his fellows. He wholeheartedly desired them to enter God’s rest – both in the present time and in the future Kingdom of God. However, the Jews did not appreciate this.
After explaining why their attention was scattered, and why their ears became unable to perceive important spiritual information, the apostle Paul was very upset because of the lack of interest among the Jews in «solid food». They chose something easier – «milk» of the instructions of the Mosaic Law, which did not require deep thinking. What was allowed and what was prohibited was listed point by point; sins could be “paid off” by sacrifices, so why did they need these difficulties regarding the essence of Christ and His order of Melchizedek?
That is, they themselves did not want to develop their spiritual “appetite”. Why would they delve into the depths of Jehovah’s Word and His plans if they felt good in “kindergarten” (Gal. 3:24)? They lived in a community and they served Jehovah, so why was Paul bothering them? For this reason, their spiritual development failed. The Jews remained infants, unable to understand the essence of what was happening or to explain to others what God expected from them (Heb. 5:11-14).
Unfortunately, the same is true among Jehovah’s modern-day Witnesses. A well-established habitual “rut” (way of life) of the JW in quite good living conditions relaxes vigilance, lulls, and takes away interest not only in the depths of Scripture but in general in anything that requires additional effort and active mental activity. From our own experience, not only from that of Paul, we, Jehovah’s Witnesses of the website “Box of Answers”, have seen more than once that the vast majority of our fellow believers, unfortunately, categorically do not want to delve into anything from the Biblical depths.
In fact, many JW are outraged that we invite them to “dive” deeper into the Bible than the WTS program does; the latter doesn’t require you to think or strain your brain (just read the paragraph, answer the question by repeating exactly what is written, and consider that you have completed a point of the plan for serving Jehovah; you will be considered spiritually mature if you answer exactly from paragraphs).
Others accuse us of diving into the depths of the Bible, saying that we actually feed on the depths of Satan, citing Rev. 2:24. However, they do not have even an idea of how the depths of the word of God differ from the depths of Satan (from everything that corrupts Christians and leads them away from Jehovah’s worship into the world of Satan, 1 Cor. 15:33). In general, due to the complexity of “solid food”, the vast majority of JW are “milk” lovers, while “divers” into the Bible, like the apostle Paul, are only a few. For the same reason, lovers of «milk» always find more like-minded people than those who dive into the depths of biblical knowledge. We depict the root of this problem among Jehovah’s people from all times by using this humorous picture:
It figuratively shows that the majority of JW feel comfortable on the surface of the Biblical “sea”. There are, of course, those who try to dive at least a little deeper into the meaning of Jehovah’s Word (“snorkeling” on water or even scuba diving). Only a few descend to the deepest layers of Scripture, like the apostle Paul. It’s quite understandable in this regard why spiritual babies, i.e., those who like to “swim” only on the surface of Scripture, find a lot of like-minded people, while the more deeply “divers” plunge into the words of Jehovah, the less likely they are to find like-minded people (please note: Next to the “bathyscaphe” of the apostle Paul, there are no like-minded people).
Summary of question one 1) What does the Bible say about milk and solid spiritual food for JW?
We have found that:
a) Both milk and solid foods are found in the Bible;
b) Each JW chooses either food for himself, reading the Scripture or information based on it;
c) Milk food affects only the mind and outward manifestation in Jehovah’s service, visible from the outside. Solid food affects the heart, changing the inner essence of Christians and their attitude toward good and evil.
In the next question, we will find out why different JW extract different food from the same Biblical information (some extract milk while others extract solid food).
2) What criteria determine the spiritual age of a person partaking of spiritual food? (How do you determine, by interest in Scripture, who among JW is a spiritual “baby, a youth, or an adult”?)
The 5th chapter of Hebrews will help us answer this question. Depending on what kind of food a JW prefers to take in and what he pays attention to, one can determine what spiritual age he has reached. The situation can be likened to a store offering a wide variety of food. A child will be more interested in dairy products – for example, ice cream, yogurt, etc. Moreover, when choosing a treat, he focuses on beautiful packaging and not what’s inside (he is more impressed by the beauty of a candy wrapper and not the quality of the product).
Meanwhile, an adult is more interested in the meat section. He will evaluate meat not by the beauty of the wrapper but by its quality (he will carefully examine the product to determine its color, texture, consistency, etc.). The same is true with determining the spiritual age of JW. The age of a JW determines the type of spiritual food he chooses for himself when he has the opportunity to choose (Heb. 5:13,14).
That is, the criterion for determining the spiritual age of a JW is:
a) What he pays more attention to (what impresses him more – the beautiful «wrappers» of an outward manifestation of Jehovah’s service, appealing to the eyes, or the content of Bible teachings and the quality of one’s personality?). Compare Matthew 23:15 and Mark chapter In the 1st century, JW did not have any problems with outward manifestation in Jehovah’s service. They preached a lot and appeared outwardly righteous but the inner side of their service to God was not up to par. Their personality was not molded correctly and spiritual teachings were distorted.
And b) what exactly does a JW, having the opportunity to choose from spiritual food, CHOOSE FOR HIMSELF (what he prefers to take in: “milk” or “solid food”)?
Thus, we’ve come to the very test mentioned at the beginning of this lesson, by which each JW can determine his spiritual age:
What impresses you most about Jehovah’s service: status in the congregation, the brightness of publications, films, or maybe the scope of the Watchtower activity shown in advertising campaigns of the Society? This is the outward side of Jehovah’s service, which catches the eye. Or is it the content of spiritual teachings and the quality of the Christian personality? What spiritual food do you prefer to take in: light and superficial Biblical information, or something that you must work on with your mind and heart in order to digest it, assimilate it, and apply it to your life?
Each of you can, if you wish, test yourself on these questions and determine your spiritual age, taking into account your length in Jehovah’s service. Let us explain:
Infancy is a normal part of life for beginners (John 16:12; 1 Cor. 3:2). However, a bearded man sucking a baby bottle full of milk will raise the eyebrows of many. Moreover, God will be surprised if, after 20 years of service, a Christian hasn’t started taking in solid food, preferring “milk”. If, after 20 years of serving Jehovah, instead of becoming a teacher in the truth himself, a Christian still returns to «milk», unable to make decisions independently based on the Bible and not human instructions – Jehovah won’t like this.
Who is to blame if a JW remains a spiritual baby after being in the truth for 20 years? Maybe the mentors are to blame, feeding only “milk” (requiring answers only from paragraphs and not encouraging their mentees to think on their own, thereby hindering the development of believers, as the WTS does, for example).
No, mentors are not to blame for this, as the Bible says that mentors only “plant and water”, while Jehovah is the one who makes it grow (1 Cor. 3:6). Who, then, hinders the spiritual development of Christians? It might seem strange to you, but Christians themselves slow down their spiritual development if they don’t allow Jehovah to nurture them. How is this possible? We will consider this in the next question:
3) What is the danger of a lifelong addiction to milk food? (Spiritual infancy of JW)
Jehovah expects that spiritual «milk» will not become a lifelong food for a JW and that he will certainly grow up to the age when Jehovah’s Word, the Bible, becomes for him the main value and guide in life. “Milk” is just a launching pad for spiritual growth and not the ultimate goal of JW. A JW is obliged to grow in knowledge of the truth until he reflects Jesus Christ in himself, making the right decisions on his own, even in a difficult situation, based on the Bible and not constantly running to the elders for advice (1 Peter 2:2; Heb. 5:11-14; 6:1,2; Gal. 4:19).
And if a Christian is fully satisfied with only “milk” for the rest of his life, this can become a spiritual disaster for him. Now we will provide an example of solid food that the apostle Paul offered to the Jewish Christians. Follow the thought carefully, as this will teach you how to look for solid food in the Scriptures. In Hebrew 6:4-8, Paul shows how dangerous it was for Jewish Christians to remain spiritual infants who had, from God, everything necessary for spiritual growth – even the holy spirit from above (remember, in the 1st century, all Christians received the holy spirit from above).
However, at some point, they stopped being guided by God’s holy spirit and chose a different path. They returned to the Mosaic Law and remained spiritual babies. Then Paul expanded this explanation to the words of the prophet Isaiah, broadening the meaning of the words of Isaiah with a logical connective.
For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;
but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
Hebrews 6:7,8
If we compare this with Isaiah 55:10,11, it becomes clear that Paul explained the spiritual essence of why Jehovah’s Word cannot be sent in vain. What is the apostle talking about here? What is the connection between the earth that bears herbs according to the word of Jehovah (according to His plan) and the infancy of the Jews? It is direct:
God wonderfully arranged the whole earthly world with His word, including man (and He said, and it was so, Gen. chapter 1). According to His plan, both the earth and Christians are OBLIGED to bear fruit (His word does not go forth in vain).
Just as the earth, arranged by God, yields the RESULT that corresponds to its purpose in God’s plan, so too is a Christian obliged to PRODUCE IN HIMFELF FRUIT expected by God, according to his purpose, while having everything necessary from God for this. However, if neither earth nor Christians bear fruit, they cannot be God’s, for HIS earth and HIS servants will certainly bear fruit. That is, both a barren land and a barren Christian are of no value to God and they will be destroyed as harmful weeds.
Jesus Christ made the same point in Matthew 15:13 (Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted: all Christians must understand that if they are barren, then it may turn out that it was not God who planted them, but someone else, 1 John 4:1).
For the earth to benefit Jehovah’s interests (yield the fruit that He expects), it “works” very hard. Its system produces nutrients, loosens the soil, feeds plant embryos absorbing water from the Lord, etc. This yields the RESULT that God expects (Is. 55:10,11).
Using the words of the prophet Isaiah, the apostle Paul transfers them to Christians. Just like the hard-working earth, a Christian is obliged to work hard to produce in himself the FRUIT that God expects – to become like Christ. To achieve this goal, Jehovah has given everything to Christians – His Word, the ability to think, the ability to draw conclusions, and the example of Jesus Christ. He also gives His strength, so that a Christian can apply His commandments in life and endure difficulties without sinning.
In His word, He has provided both nourishing milk and solid food so that Christians can learn to distinguish what is good and what is bad, train their brains, analyze information from the word of God, and apply it in life. God HIMSELF will help you grow (1 Cor. 3:6; 10:13; Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:16,17).
However, if you, being a Christian, resist what Jehovah wants for you, if you think His advice is not good for you (or only some, and not all, of it is good), and, in some cases, if you think you know better than Jehovah and selectively apply His commands in life (follow only those that are more convenient for you), you are NOT allowing God to nurture you. Jehovah will not make you grow spiritually against your will, for He hates violence (Ps. 10:5; Isaiah 61:8).
For example, many JW, when faced with difficulties in the organization, have left the congregation and therefore consider themselves spiritually mature (say, they have outgrown the «kindergarten» of the WTS). But what is the reality? In fact, in terms of the Bible, they have broken the commandment of Jehovah and His Christ of Matthew 23:1-3 and Hebrew 10:24,25. If we are to say it with «solid food», then the JW who have left the congregations offended God by their distrust (by deciding that this commandment of God was not good for them and would not bring any benefit, this commandment was bad). Thus, they’ve cut off God’s access to nurturing them to the maturity of Jesus Christ.
So, it is an infant’s responsibility to transition from milk to solid food, thereby allowing Jehovah to nurture him. How? When studying the Bible, a Christian is obligated to:
1) Absorb what he reads in the Bible;
2) Process the information logically – analyze why God has given it;
3) Combine the information of the Old Testament with that of the New Testament, as the apostle Paul did (examples, Heb. 6:7,8; Is. 55:10,11), and consider it in the context of the whole plan of Jehovah rather than pick a favorite text from the Bible and build one’s faith on it;
4) Learn to draw a conclusion consistent with the Bible;
5) Act in agreement with the conclusion;
6) Regard ALL of the commandments in the Bible as helpful and not be selective;
7) Apply ALL the commandments of the Bible in life, not selectively – even if some Bible advice does not suit him.
Now let’s consider the last question:
4) Can spiritual food be considered solid food if it was “chewed” (explained in detail) by others?
As a reminder, “milk» differs from «solid food» not in consistency but in composition. A newcomer does not have enzymes to digest «meat», so even if «meat» is to be chewed up (mashed into liquid fractions in a blender), it still does not become «milk». It remains «meat» and a spiritual baby won’t digest it (but can stumble: John 16:12; 1 Corinthians 3:2).
That is, chewing solid food does not turn it into milk. The Bible calls this «chewing» of spiritual «food» mentoring. This is used not in a negative sense but in a positive one (2 Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 13:7).
God uses those taking the lead among His people as faithful nurturers, feeding God’s children, appropriate to their age, with both milk and solid food (1 Thessalonians 2:7; Galatians 4:19). It would be a mistake to think that a student can master complex Biblical «integrals» on their own. They cannot do so without a teacher’s help. Moreover, a mentor must “chew” even “milk food”. Without explanation and a learning process, even the Biblical “milk” will not be assimilated by everyone – how much less, then, would “solid food” be assimilated?
The process of «chewing up» solid «food» (explaining Biblical information in detail) is called mentoring or prophesying. Whoever can explain God’s Word in understandable language benefits the hearers and helps to strengthen their faith (to launch the roots of their faith into solid food from God’s Word, 1 Corinthians 14:1,3). A mentor whom the Lord has called upon always serves His interests.
Remember, however, that mentors help only to extract the treasures of solid food from the Bible. It is up to the hearers to digest the spiritual «meat». If there is no personal desire and personal interest in deepening the knowledge of God’s Word, then even the holy spirit that has been given to help from above will be powerless to assist the listener in understanding not only the spiritual teachings of God but also how to do what is right. The holy spirit will not study the Bible for Christians, nor will it delve into the meaning of God’s Word or act righteously.
All this, a Christian must do by himself. And if the holy spirit is powerless to help those who do not want to explore the depths of Jehovah’s Word, then a mentor is all the more powerless. No matter how hard he tries to chew solid food, no matter how talented he is, if the listeners do not want to «swallow» what he explains, then his efforts will be wasted (Gal. 4:11).
A summary of this lesson: We have found out that:
1) To some people, the Bible is milk; to others, it is solid food;
2) Both foods of the Bible are extracted/chosen by each JW according to his preference;
3) Milk food affects only the mind and outward manifestations of Jehovah’s service, while solid food also affects the heart, changing the inner essence of Christians;
4) By what a JW prefers to take in and what he pays attention to, one can determine his spiritual age. If he prefers milk and pays attention to the brightness of outward manifestations of Jehovah’s service, he is a spiritual baby, even if he has served Jehovah for 20 years. Meanwhile, if he likes «meat» and pays attention to the content of Bible teachings, he is an adult even if he has only one year of service;
5) Every Christian is obligated to grow up and bear the fruit that Jehovah expects (to become like Christ in being able to discern good and evil and to apply all Biblical knowledge in life, becoming a mentor in Christianity for others);
6) A lifelong infancy and unwillingness of Christians to delve into the depths of Scripture is fraught with a bad outcome. A Christian might turn out to be a weed;
7) It is Jehovah who makes believers grow but it is up to Christians to decide whether or not to offer themselves to God to be formed and cultivated.
It remains for us only to wish, to all our dear brothers and sisters and all who are interested in God’s Word, that you will allow Jehovah to make you grow. Dear ones, do not resist the strength of His words from Scripture. Do not hold on to the spiritual «milk» for beginnings but, instead, develop your perception to distinguish between good and evil, which will help you reflect more and more, in yourself, the personality of Christ and thus grow spiritually (Heb. 4:12; 6:1-3; John 6:63; 2Tim. 3:16,17).
With love for all who seek the truth in the Bible.
Jehovah’s Witnesses
“Box of Answers”