DAILY TEXT, Today's Saturday October 2, 2021, The fruit of the womb is a reward (Ps. 127: 3).

DAILY TEXT, Today's Saturday October 2, 2021

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2021

Saturday, October 2, 2021

The fruit of the womb is a reward (Ps. 127: 3).

Parents, your children are a gift from God, "an inheritance from Jehovah." It is your responsibility to take care of this gift. What can you do to prevent your children from being abused? First, learn about child abuse. Learn what kinds of people abuse children and how they deceive them. Be aware of possible dangers (Prov. 22: 3; 24: 3). Remember that in most cases the abuser is someone the child knows and trusts. Second, keep the lines of communication open with your children (Deut. 6: 6, 7; James 1:19). Remember that it is often difficult for children to tell what happened. They may be afraid that they will not believe them. Or maybe the person who abused them has threatened them so they won't say anything. If you suspect that something is wrong, ask them lovingly and listen patiently to their answers. Third, inform your children. Teach them what to do and say if someone tries to touch them in an inappropriate way. w19.05 13 pars. 19-22

a) When the elders attend to a serious sin, what do they keep in mind, and what things do they worry about? b) According to James 5:14, 15, what do the elders try to do?

When someone commits a serious sin, the elders who attend to the matter keep in mind that to follow the law of the Christ they must treat the flock with love and do what is just and right with God. As a consequence, there are several things that they worry about. His main concern is to maintain the holiness of God's name (Lev. 22:31, 32; Matt. 6: 9). They are also very interested in taking care of the spirituality of the brothers and in helping those who have been a victim of sin.

In addition, elders try to help a serious sinner regain spiritual health, if possible (read James 5:14, 15). The Christian who gives in to evil desires and commits a grave sin is spiritually ill. This means that their friendship with Jehovah has been damaged. * The elderly are like spiritual doctors who strive to heal the sick, in this case the sinner. Their Bible-based advice can help you repair your friendship with God. But this is only possible if you are truly repentant (Acts 3:19; 2 Cor. 2: 5-10).

There is no doubt that the elderly have a serious responsibility. They are genuinely interested in the sheep that Jehovah has entrusted to them. —1 Pet. 5: 1-3. They want the brothers to feel safe within the congregation. And that is why they act immediately when they learn that a serious sin has been committed, such as the abuse of a minor. What do they do? Let's look at the questions that appear at the beginning of paragraphs 13, 15 and 17.

Do elders obey laws on reporting alleged child abuse? Explain.

Do elders obey laws on reporting alleged child abuse to authorities? Yes. Where such laws exist, the elders obey them (Rom. 13: 1). These standards are not against God's law (Acts 5:28, 29). Therefore, when an accusation of this type reaches the ears of the elders, they immediately ask the branch for advice on how to proceed in order to ensure compliance with child abuse reporting laws.

The elders confirm to the victims, their parents and anyone else who knows the case that they are free to report the alleged abuse to the authorities. Now, what if the accused is part of the congregation and the matter is made public? Should the Christian who filed the complaint think that he has tainted God's name? No. The one who stained him is the one who committed the abuse.

a) Given 1 Timothy 5:19, why are at least two witnesses needed for the elders to initiate legal action? b) What do elders do when someone in the congregation is accused of child abuse?

In the congregation, why are at least two witnesses needed for the elders to initiate legal action? Because the Bible says so. This is one of your high and fair standards. When the sinner does not confess his sin, two eyewitnesses are needed to prove the accusation and the elders can initiate legal action (Deut. 19:15; Matt. 18:16; read 1 Timothy 5:19). Does this mean that two witnesses are necessary to report alleged abuse to the authorities? No. This rule does not apply when the elderly or anyone else wants to report an alleged crime.

When someone in the congregation is accused of child abuse, elders do two things. First, they make sure they follow the laws on reporting abuse. And then they do an investigation, based on the Bible, to determine what really happened and if it is necessary to form a judicial committee. If the person denies the accusation, the elders listen to what the witnesses have to say. A judicial committee is formed if it is proven that there has been a sin with the testimony of at least two people: the one who made the accusation and another who is also a witness that the accused committed that abuse or other abuses of minors. * The one who did not There is a second witness does not mean that whoever made the accusation is lying. Even in cases where the accusation cannot be proven by two witnesses, the elders acknowledge that a serious sin may have been committed, a sin that has caused great harm to others. Therefore, they continue to assist those who have been hurt and remain vigilant to protect the congregation from harm the accused might do (Acts 20:28).

Explain what is the role of the judicial committee.

What is the function of the judicial committee? The elders who make up the committee judge or determine whether a person can continue to be part of the congregation. The term judicial does not mean that they judge whether or not the authorities should punish whoever has violated the law. The elderly do not interfere in the application of this; rather, they leave the crimes in the hands of the authorities (Rom. 13: 2-4; Titus 3: 1).

The work of the elders who are part of a judicial committee is spiritual or religious. Based on the Bible, they judge whether the sinner is repentant or not. If he is not, they expel him and announce to the congregation that he is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses (1 Cor. 5: 11-13). If, on the other hand, he is repentant, he can continue within the congregation. However, the elders will inform you that you may never receive privileges or occupy a position of responsibility. Also, since they are concerned with the welfare of children, they may privately tell those with minor children to watch over their dealings with the sinner. In taking these steps, they will be careful not to reveal the identity of those who have been abused.

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