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CHAPTER ONE What Is the Truth About God? Does God really care about you? What is God like? Does he have a name? Is it possible to get close to God? Why is it often good to ask questions? HAVE you ever noticed the way children ask questions? Many start asking as soon as they learn to speak. With wide, eager eyes, they look up at you and ask such things as: Why is the sky blue? What are the stars made of? Who taught the birds to sing? You may try hard to answer, but it is not always easy. Even your best answer may lead to yet another question: Why? 2 Children are not the only ones who ask questions. As we grow up, we keep asking. We do this in order to find our way, to learn of dangers that we need to avoid, or to satisfy our curiosity. But many people seem to stop asking questions, especially the most important ones. At least, they stop searching for the answers. Why do many stop trying to find answers to the questions that matter most? 3 Think about the question on the cover of this book, the questions raised in the preface, or those at the beginning of this chapter. These are some of the most important questions you can ask. Yet, many people have given up trying to find the answers. Why? Does the Bible have the answers? Some feel that its answers are too hard to understand. Others worry that asking questions could lead to shame or embarrassment. And some decide that such questions are best left to religious leaders and teachers. What about you? What are some of the most important questions we can ask in life, and why should we seek the answers? 4 Very likely you are interested in getting answers to life’s big questions. No doubt you sometimes wonder: ‘What is the purpose of life? Is this life all there is? What is God really like?’ It is good to ask such questions, and it is important that you do not give up until you find satisfying, reliable answers. The famous teacher Jesus Christ said: “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.” 5 If you “keep on seeking” for answers to the important questions, you will find that the search can be very rewarding. (Proverbs 2:1-5) Despite what other people may have told you, there are answers, and you can find them IS GOD UNCARING AND HARDHEARTED? Why do many people think that God is uncaring when it comes to human suffering? 6 Many people think that the answer to that question is yes. ‘If God cared,’ they reason, ‘would not the world be a very different place?’ We look around and see a world full of war, hatred, and misery. And as individuals, we get sick, we suffer, we lose loved ones in death. Thus, many say, ‘If God cared about us and our problems, would he not prevent such things from happening?’ (a) How have religious teachers led many to think that God is hardhearted? (b) What does the Bible really teach about the trials we may suffer? 7 Worse yet, religious teachers sometimes lead people to think that God is hardhearted. How so? When tragedy strikes, they say that it is God’s will. In effect, such teachers blame God for the bad things that happen. Is that the truth about God? What does the Bible really teach? James 1:13 answers: “When under trial, let no one say: ‘I am being tried by God.’ For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.” So God is never the source of the wickedness you see in the world around you. (Job 34:10-12) Granted, he does allow bad things to happen. But there is a big difference between allowing something to happen and causing it. (a) How might you illustrate the difference between allowing wickedness to exist and causing it? (b) Why would it be unfair for us to find fault with God’s decision to allow mankind to pursue a wayward course? 8 For example, think about a wise and loving father with a grown son who is still living at home with his parents. When the son becomes rebellious and decides to leave home, his father does not stop him. The son pursues a bad way of life and gets into trouble. Is the father the cause of his son’s problems? (Luke 15:11-13) Similarly, God has not stopped humans when they have chosen to pursue a bad course, but he is not the cause of the problems that have resulted. Surely, then, it would be unfair to blame God for all the troubles of mankind. 9 God has good reasons for allowing mankind to follow a bad course. As our wise and powerful Creator, he does not have to explain his reasons to us. Out of love, however, God does this. You will learn more about these reasons in Chapter 11. But rest assured that God is not responsible for the problems we face. On the contrary, he gives us the only hope for a solution! Why can we trust that God will undo all the effects of wickedness? 10 Furthermore, God is holy. (Isaiah 6:3) This means that he is pure and clean. There is no trace of badness in him. So we can trust him completely. That is more than we can say for humans, who sometimes become corrupt. Even the most honest human in authority often does not have the power to undo the damage that bad people do. But God is all-powerful. He can and will undo all the effects that wickedness has had on mankind. When God acts, he will do so in a way that will end evil forever! HOW DOES GOD FEEL ABOUT INJUSTICES WE FACE? (a) How does God feel about injustice? (b) How does God feel about your suffering? 11 In the meantime, how does God feel about what is going on in the world and in your life? Well, the Bible teaches that God is “a lover of justice.” (Psalm 37:28) So he cares deeply about what is right and what is wrong. He hates all kinds of injustice. The Bible says that God “felt hurt at his heart” when badness filled the world in times past. (Genesis 6:5, 6) God has not changed. (Malachi 3:6) He still hates to see the suffering that is taking place worldwide. And God hates to see people suffer. “He cares for you,” the Bible says. (a) Why do we have good qualities such as love, and how does love affect our view of the world? (b) Why can you be sure that God will really do something about world problems? 12 How can we be sure that God hates to see suffering? Here is further proof. The Bible teaches that man was made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26) We thus have good qualities because God has good qualities. For example, does it bother you to see innocent people suffer? If you care about such injustices, be assured that God feels even more strongly about them. 13 One of the best things about humans is our ability to love. That also reflects God. The Bible teaches that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) We love because God loves. Would love move you to end the suffering and the injustice you see in the world? If you had the power to do that, would you do it? Of course you would! You can be just as sure that God will end suffering and injustice. The promises mentioned in the preface of this book are not mere dreams or idle hopes. God’s promises are sure to come true! In order to put faith in such promises, though, you need to know more about the God who has made them. GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW WHO HE IS What is God’s name, and why should we use it? 14 If you want someone to get to know you, what might you do? Would you not tell the person your name? Does God have a name? Many religions answer that his name is “God” or “Lord,” but those are not personal names. They are titles, just as “king” and “president” are titles. The Bible teaches that God has many titles. “God” and “Lord” are among them. However, the Bible also teaches that God has a personal name: Jehovah. Psalm 83:18 says: “You, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” If your Bible translation does not contain that name, you may want to consult the Appendix on pages 195-7 of this book to learn why that is so. The truth is that God’s name appears thousands of times in ancient Bible manuscripts. So Jehovah wants you to know his name and to use it. In a sense, he is using the Bible to introduce himself to you. What does the name Jehovah mean? 15 God gave himself a name that is full of meaning. His name, Jehovah, means that God can fulfill any promise he makes and can carry out any purpose he has in mind. * God’s name is unique, one of a kind. It belongs only to him. In a number of ways, Jehovah is unique. How is that so? What may we learn about Jehovah from the following titles: (a) “the Almighty”? (b) “King of eternity”? (c) “Creator”? 16 We saw that Psalm 83:18 said of Jehovah: “You alone are the Most High.” Similarly, Jehovah alone is referred to as “the Almighty.” Revelation 15:3 says: “Great and wonderful are your works, Jehovah God, the Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, King of eternity.” The title “the Almighty” teaches us that Jehovah is the most powerful being there is. His power is unmatched; it is supreme. And the title “King of eternity” reminds us that Jehovah is unique in another sense. He alone has always existed. Psalm 90:2 says: “Even from time indefinite to time indefinite [or, forever] you are God.” That thought inspires awe, does it not? 17 Jehovah is also unique in that he alone is the Creator. Revelation 4:11 reads: “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.” Everything that you can think of CAN YOU BE CLOSE TO JEHOVAH? Why do some people feel that they could never get close to God, but what does the Bible teach? 18 Reading about Jehovah’s awe-inspiring qualities makes some people feel a little uneasy. They fear that God is too high for them, that they could never get close to him or even matter to such a lofty God. But is this idea correct? The Bible teaches just the opposite. It says of Jehovah: “In fact, he is not far off from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27) The Bible even urges us: “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.” (a) How can we begin to draw close to God, and with what benefit? (b) What qualities of God are most appealing to you? 19 How can you draw close to God? To begin with, continue doing what you are doing now (a) Does our inability to see God prevent us from getting close to him? Explain. (b) What may some well-meaning people urge you to do, but what should you do? 20 True, you cannot see God because he is an invisible spirit. (John 1:18; 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17) By learning about him through the pages of the Bible, however, you can come to know him as a person. As the psalmist said, you can “behold the pleasantness of Jehovah.” (Psalm 27:4; Romans 1:20) The more you learn about Jehovah, the more real he will become to you and the more reason you will have to love him and feel close to him. 21 You will come to understand why the Bible teaches us to think of Jehovah as our Father. (Matthew 6:9) Not only does our life come from him but he wants the best life possible for us 22 As you learn more from the Bible, you may find that some well-meaning people will urge you to stop such studies. They may worry that you will change your beliefs. But do not let anyone stop you from forming the best friendship you can ever have. (a) Why should you continue to ask questions about what you are learning? (b) What is the subject of the next chapter? 23 Of course, there will be things that you do not understand at first. It can be a little humbling to ask for help, but do not hold back because of embarrassment. Jesus said that it is good to be humble, like a little child. (Matthew 18:2-4) And children, as we know, ask a lot of questions. God wants you to find the answers. The Bible praises some who were eager to learn about God. They checked carefully in the Scriptures to make sure that what they were learning was the truth. 24 The best way to learn about Jehovah is to examine the Bible. It is different from any other book. In what way? The next chapter will consider that subject. ^ par. 15 There is more information on the meaning and the pronunciation of God’s name in the Appendix on pages 195-7.
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PRVO POGLAVLJE Što je istina o Bogu? Je li Bogu zaista stalo do tebe? Kakav je Bog? Ima li ime? Možemo li se približiti Bogu? Zašto je obično dobro postavljati pitanja? JESI li ikada primijetio kako djeca postavljaju pitanja? Mnoga ih počnu postavljati čim progovore. Širom otvorenih očiju pogledaju prema tebi i radoznalo pitaju: Zašto je nebo plavo? Od čega su napravljene zvijezde? Tko je ptice naučio pjevati? Možda se istinski trudiš dati im odgovor, no to nije uvijek lako. Sve i da im daš najbolji odgovor, oni će opet upitati: A zašto? 2 Ne postavljaju samo djeca pitanja. Kako čovjek raste, tako se nastavlja raspitivati o mnogim stvarima. Mi to radimo da bismo saznali kojim putem trebamo ići, otkrili opasnosti kojih se trebamo čuvati ili zadovoljili znatiželju. No mnogi ljudi prestanu postavljati pitanja, i to baš ona najvažnija. U najmanju ruku, prestanu tražiti odgovore. Zašto mnogi prestanu tražiti odgovore na važna pitanja? 3 Razmisli o pitanju na naslovnoj stranici ove knjige, o pitanjima postavljenim u predgovoru ili o onima u uvodu ovog poglavlja. To su neka od najvažnijih pitanja koja možeš postaviti. Pa ipak, mnogi su prestali tražiti odgovore na njih. Zašto? Daje li Biblija te odgovore? Neki smatraju da je njene odgovore preteško razumjeti. Drugi se boje da će se osramotiti ako budu postavljali pitanja. A neki vjeruju da je ta pitanja najbolje prepustiti vjerskim vođama i učiteljima. Što ti misliš? Navedi neka od najvažnijih životnih pitanja, i objasni zašto trebamo tražiti odgovore na njih. 4 Sigurno želiš saznati odgovore na velika životna pitanja. Nesumnjivo se ponekad pitaš: ‘Što je smisao života? Je li ovaj život sve što imamo? Kakav je zapravo Bog?’ Dobro je da postavljaš takva pitanja i važno je da ne odustaneš dok ne dobiješ zadovoljavajuće, pouzdane odgovore. Isus Krist, koji je bio izvanredan učitelj, rekao je: “Molite, i dat će vam se! Tražite, i naći ćete! Kucajte, i otvorit će vam se!” (Matej 7:7). 5 Ako budeš tražio odgovore na važna pitanja, vidjet ćeš koliko vrijedna i korisna može biti ta potraga (Mudre izreke 2:1-5). Što god ti drugi rekli, odgovori postoje i ti ih možeš pronaći — i to u Bibliji. Ti odgovori nisu preteški da bi ih čovjek shvatio. Štoviše, oni pružaju nadu i donose radost. Isto tako, mogu ti pomoći da već sada vodiš smislen život. Najprije razmotrimo pitanje koje muči mnoge ljude. JE LI BOG HLADAN I BEZOSJEĆAJAN? Zašto mnogi ljudi misle da je Bog ravnodušan prema ljudskim patnjama? 6 Mnogi ljudi misle da je odgovor na to pitanje potvrdan. Oni razmišljaju: ‘Zar stanje u svijetu ne bi bilo potpuno drugačije da je Bogu stalo do nas?’ Živimo u svijetu punom rata, mržnje i bijede. Ljudi obolijevaju, pate i smrt im odnosi voljene. Stoga mnogi kažu: ‘Da je Bogu stalo do nas i naših problema, zar ne bi spriječio sve te loše stvari?’ (a) Kako vjerski vođe navode mnoge na pomisao da je Bog bezosjećajan? (b) Što Biblija doista uči o nevoljama koje doživljavamo? 7 Što je još gore, vjerski vođe ponekad navode ljude na pomisao da je Bog bezosjećajan. Kako? Kad dođe do neke tragedije, oni kažu da je to Božja volja. Oni zapravo krive Boga za loše stvari koje se događaju. Je li Bog zaista kriv? Što Biblija doista uči? Jakov 1:13 odgovara: “Neka nitko, kad se nađe u kušnji, ne govori: ‘Bog me iskušava.’ Jer Boga se ne može zlom iskušavati, a ni on nikoga zlom ne iskušava.” Dakle, Bog nikada ne uzrokuje zlo koje vidiš oko sebe (Job 34:10-12). Istina, on dopušta da se događaju loše stvari. No postoji velika razlika između dopuštanja da se nešto desi i uzrokovanja toga. (a) Kojim se primjerom može objasniti razlika između dopuštanja da zlo postoji i uzrokovanja zla? (b) Zašto bi bilo nepravedno zamjerati Bogu što je dopustio ljudima da postupaju svojevoljno? 8 Naprimjer, zamisli mudrog oca punog ljubavi koji ima odraslog sina koji još uvijek živi sa svojim roditeljima. Kad sin postane buntovan i odluči otići od kuće, otac mu to ne brani. Sin krene lošim putem i upadne u nevolju. Je li otac uzrokovao probleme svog sina? Slično tome, kad su ljudi odlučili krenuti lošim putem, Bog ih nije spriječio u tome. No to ne znači da je on uzrokovao probleme koji su zbog toga nastali. Dakle, bilo bi sasvim nepravedno kriviti Boga za sve nevolje koje ljudi doživljavaju. 9 Bog s razlogom dozvoljava ljudima da idu lošim putem. Kao naš mudri i moćni Stvoritelj, on nam ne mora objašnjavati zašto je to tako. Međutim, ljubav ga je potakla da to ipak učini. O tim razlozima saznat ćeš više u jedanaestom poglavlju. No budi siguran da Bog nije odgovoran za probleme koje imamo. Naprotiv, on nam daje jedinu nadu u izbavljenje! Zašto možemo vjerovati da će Bog ukloniti sve posljedice zloće? Osim toga, Bog je svet (Izaija 6:3). To znači da je čist i neokaljan. U njemu nema traga zloće. Zato mu možemo potpuno vjerovati. Takvo što ne možemo reći za ljude jer se oni mogu iskvariti. Čak i oni najpošteniji koji su na vlasti često nemaju moć nadoknaditi štetu koju uzrokuju loši ljudi. No Bog je svemoćan. On može i hoće ukloniti sve posljedice koje je zloća ostavila na ljude. Kad Bog krene ostvariti što je naumio, zauvijek će iskorijeniti zlo (Psalam 37:9-11). KAKO BOG GLEDA NA NEPRAVDE KOJE DOŽIVLJAVAMO? (a) Kako Bog gleda na nepravdu? (b) Kako Bog gleda na tvoju patnju? Što Bog misli o onome što se događa u svijetu i u tvom životu? Biblija uči da Bog “ljubi pravdu” (Psalam 37:28). Dakle, on jasno vidi ono što je ispravno i ono što je neispravno. On mrzi sve vrste nepravde. Biblija kaže da je Boga ‘zaboljelo u srcu’ kad je zloća ispunila svijet u drevno doba (1. Mojsijeva 6:5, 6). Bog se nije promijenio (Malahija 3:6). Njemu je još uvijek mrsko kad vidi koje se ružne stvari događaju diljem svijeta i strašno mu je teško gledati kako ljudi pate. ‘On se brine za vas’, kaže Biblija (1. Petrova 5:7). (a) Zašto imamo dobre osobine kao što je ljubav, i kako ona utječe na naš pogled na svijet? (b) Zašto možeš biti siguran da će Bog poduzeti nešto u vezi s problemima u svijetu? Zašto možemo biti uvjereni da je Bogu mrsko gledati patnju? Evo još jednog dokaza. Biblija uči da je čovjek stvoren na sliku Božju (1. Mojsijeva 1:26). Dakle, mi imamo dobre osobine jer i Bog ima dobre osobine. Naprimjer, je li ti teško kad vidiš da nedužni ljudi pate? Ako ni sam nisi ravnodušan prema takvim nepravdama, budi uvjeren da ih je Bogu još teže gledati. Ljudi mogu voljeti, što je jedno od njihovih najplemenitijih svojstava. I ono je odraz Božje osobnosti. Biblija kaže: “Bog je ljubav” (1. Ivanova 4:8). Mi možemo voljeti zato što i Bog to može. Bi li te ljubav potakla da prekineš patnje i nepravdu koje vidiš u svijetu? Da imaš toliku moć, bi li to učinio? Naravno da bi! Zato možeš biti siguran da će Bog okončati patnju i nepravdu. Obećanja spomenuta u predgovoru ove knjige nisu samo san ili lažna nada. Božja obećanja sigurno će se ispuniti! No da bi im vjerovao, trebaš bolje upoznati Boga koji ih je dao. BOG ŽELI DA SAZNAŠ TKO JE ON Kako se Bog zove, i zašto trebamo koristiti njegovo ime? Što bi učinio kad bi se s nekim želio upoznati? Zar mu ne bi rekao svoje ime? Ima li Bog ime? Mnoge religije kažu da je njegovo ime “Bog” ili “Gospodin”, no to nisu osobna imena. To su titule, baš kao što su “kralj” i “predsjednik” titule. Biblija uči da Bog ima mnogo titula. “Bog” i “Gospodin” neke su od njih. Međutim, Biblija nas uči i to da Bog ima vlastito ime: Jehova. U Psalmu 83:18 stoji: ‘Jedino si ti, kojemu je ime Jehova, Svevišnji koji je nad svom zemljom!’ Ako u tvojoj Bibliji nema tog imena, u Dodatku na 195-197. stranici ove knjige saznat ćeš zašto je došlo do toga. Božje se ime pojavljuje na tisućama mjesta u drevnim biblijskim rukopisima. Prema tome, Jehova želi da znaš njegovo ime i koristiš ga. Moglo bi se reći da ti se on predstavlja putem Biblije. Što znači ime Jehova? Bog je odabrao veoma značajno ime. Njegovo ime, Jehova, znači da može ispuniti svako svoje obećanje i ostvariti svaki svoj naum. * Božje ime je jedinstveno, uistinu posebno. Ono pripada samo njemu. Jehova je jedinstven u mnogo pogleda. Kako? Što o Jehovi učimo iz ovih titula: (a) “Svemogući”? (b) ‘Kralj vječnosti’? (c) “Stvoritelj”? Vidjeli smo da se u Psalmu 83:18 o Jehovi kaže: ‘Jedino si ti Svevišnji.’ Isto tako, jedino se Jehovu naziva “Svemogući”. U Otkrivenju 15:3 piše: “Velika su i čudesna djela tvoja, Jehova Bože, Svemogući! Pravedni su i pouzdani putevi tvoji, Kralju vječnosti!” Titula “Svemogući” pokazuje nam da je Jehova najmoćnije biće koje postoji. On ima neusporedivu, vrhovnu moć. Titula ‘Kralj vječnosti’ ukazuje na to da je Jehova jedinstven u još jednom pogledu. Jedino on postoji oduvijek. U Psalmu 90:2 stoji: “Odvijeka i dovijeka ti si Bog.” Ta misao u nama stvara osjećaj strahopoštovanja, zar ne? Jehova je jedinstven i zato što je jedino on Stvoritelj. U Otkrivenju 4:11 čitamo: “Dostojan si, Jehova, Bože naš, primiti slavu i čast i moć, jer si ti sve stvorio i tvojom voljom sve postoji i stvoreno je.” Sve na što pomisliš — od nevidljivih duhovnih stvorenja na nebu, zvijezda razasutih na noćnom nebu, voća koje raste na stablima pa do riba koje plivaju u morima i rijekama — sve postoji zato što je to Jehova stvorio. MOŽEŠ LI SE PRIBLIŽITI JEHOVI? Zašto neki ljudi misle da se nikada neće moći približiti Bogu, no što Biblija uči? Kad čitaju o Jehovinim zadivljujućim osobinama, neki se ljudi pomalo preplaše. Strahuju da je Bog previše uzvišen u odnosu na njih, da mu se nikada neće moći približiti i da su beznačajni u očima takvog uzvišenog Boga. Je li to točno? Biblija uči baš suprotno. O Jehovi kaže: ‘On nije daleko ni od koga od nas’ (Djela apostolska 17:27). Biblija nas čak potiče: “Približite se Bogu, i on će se približiti vama!” (Jakov 4:8). (a) Kako se možemo početi približavati Bogu, i kako nam to koristi? (b) Koje ti se Božje osobine najviše sviđaju? Kako se možeš približiti Bogu? Prije svega, nastavi činiti ono što sada činiš — učiti o Bogu. Isus je rekao: “Da bi dobili vječni život, trebaju dobro upoznati tebe, jedinog pravog Boga, i onoga koga si poslao, Isusa Krista” (Ivan 17:3). Da, Biblija uči da upoznavanje Jehove i Isusa vodi do ‘vječnog života’. Kao što smo već rekli, “Bog je ljubav” (1. Ivanova 4:16). Jehova ima i mnogo drugih divnih i privlačnih osobina. Naprimjer, Biblija kaže da je Jehova “Bog milosrdan i dobrostiv, spor na gnjev, pun milosti i istine” (2. Mojsijeva 34:6). On je “dobar i spreman oprostiti” (Psalam 86:5). Bog je strpljiv (2. Petrova 3:9). On je vjeran (Otkrivenje 15:4). Dok budeš sve više čitao Bibliju, saznat ćeš kako je Jehova pokazao da posjeduje te i još mnoge druge privlačne osobine. (a) Da li to što ne vidimo Boga znači da mu se ne možemo približiti? Objasni. (b) Na što te neki dobronamjerni ljudi mogu nagovarati, ali kako bi trebao postupiti? Istina, Boga ne možeš vidjeti jer je on nevidljivi duh (Ivan 1:18; 4:24; 1. Timoteju 1:17). Međutim, učeći o njemu iz Biblije, možeš saznati kakav je on kao osoba. Kao što je psalmist rekao, možeš ‘promatrati dobrotu Jehovinu’ (Psalam 27:4; Rimljanima 1:20). Što više učiš o Jehovi, to ti on postaje stvarniji i imaš sve više razloga ljubiti ga i približiti mu se. S vremenom ćeš uvidjeti zašto nas Biblija uči da na Jehovu gledamo kao na svog Oca (Matej 6:9). On ne samo da nam je dao život nego želi da vodimo najbolji život — što svojoj djeci želi svaki otac koji ih voli (Psalam 36:9). Biblija također uči da ljudi mogu postati Jehovini prijatelji (Jakov 2:23). Zamisli — možeš postati prijatelj Stvoritelja svemira! Dok budeš bolje upoznavao Bibliju, možda će te neki dobronamjerni ljudi nagovarati da prestaneš s tim. Možda se zabrinu da ćeš se odreći svojih dosadašnjih vjerovanja. No nikome nemoj dozvoliti da te spriječi u sklapanju najboljeg prijateljstva koje možeš imati. (a) Zašto trebaš nastaviti postavljati pitanja o onome što učiš? (b) O kojoj temi govori sljedeće poglavlje? Naravno, neke stvari nećeš odmah razumjeti. Budi ponizan i zatraži pomoć. Nemoj se ustručavati učiniti to samo zato što ti je neugodno. Isus je rekao da je dobro biti ponizan poput djeteta (Matej 18:2-4). A djeca, kao što znamo, postavljaju mnogo pitanja. Bog želi da dobiješ odgovore na svoja pitanja. Biblija pohvalno govori o onima koji su gorljivo željeli upoznati Boga. Oni su temeljito proučavali Pisma kako bi se uvjerili je li istina ono što uče (Djela apostolska 17:11). Istraživanje Biblije najbolji je način da se upozna Jehovu. Ona se razlikuje od svih drugih knjiga. Po čemu? O tome govori sljedeće poglavlje. ^ odl. 15 U Dodatku na 195-197. stranici nalazi se više informacija o značenju i izgovaranju Božjeg imena.