The meeting concludes with a song and prayer.- Matthew 26:30 Ephesians 5:19. Subjects recently considered include: “Parents-Train Your Children With Love,” “Return Evil for Evil to No One,” and “Why All Suffering Is Soon to End.” Although the meeting is conducted in a question-and-answer format, audience participation is voluntary and comments are usually given by those who have read and thought about the article and supporting scriptures beforehand. You may obtain a copy of the study edition from one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The information discussed and the questions posed by the conductor appear in the study edition of this magazine. This meeting encourages those in attendance to follow the example of the Beroeans in Paul’s day, who “received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures.”- Acts 17:11.
In most congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the public talk is followed by the Watchtower Study, a one-hour question-and-answer discussion of a Bible subject.
Therefore, you may wish to bring along your own copy of the Bible, or you may ask one of Jehovah’s Witnesses for a copy of the Bible before the meeting. The speaker frequently invites the audience to look up pertinent scriptures and to follow along as the verses are read. (See box “ Practical Discourses for the Public.”) His talk is solidly based on the Bible. After a brief prayer, a qualified speaker delivers a 30-minute discourse. * All who wish to stand and join in singing the song are welcome to do so. The meeting begins with a song from the book Sing Praises to Jehovah. ( Acts 17:22-34) Following that pattern, meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses feature a discourse especially designed for the general public, some of whom may be attending a meeting for the first time. ( Matthew 5:1 7:28, 29) The apostle Paul spoke to the men of Athens. Jesus Christ often gave public discourses-among them the famous Sermon on the Mount.
The first meeting most people attend is a Bible discourse designed for the public, which is normally held on the weekend. ( Romans 1:12) What happens at each of these meetings? Before and after the meetings, those who attend enjoy an “interchange of encouragement” by means of upbuilding conversation. Where possible, the program is the same worldwide, and each meeting has its own spiritual objective. The meetings help attendees to appreciate, understand, and apply Bible principles. In harmony with these Scriptural precedents, Jehovah’s Witnesses meet together at their Kingdom Halls twice a week. The apostle Paul wrote: “Let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other.” ( Hebrews 10:24, 25, Holman Christian Standard Bible) Just as family bonds are strengthened when family members spend time together, so bonds of love between those who want to serve God are strengthened when Christians meet together for worship.
Almost 3,500 years ago, the Israelites were told: “Congregate the people, the men and the women and the little ones and your alien resident who is within your gates, in order that they may listen and in order that they may learn, as they must fear Jehovah your God and take care to carry out all the words of this law.” ( Deuteronomy 31:12) Thus, in Israel young and old alike were taught to worship and obey Jehovah God.Ĭenturies later, when the Christian congregation was formed, meetings continued to be an important feature of true worship. Since ancient times, people have gathered together to worship and learn about God.
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