JEHOVAH God is a Worker perfectly equipped for any undertaking, whether it be building an atom or a universe. He now oversees a strange work in the earth, a work whereby Bible truth exposes religious lies. It is the glorious work of announcing God's established Kingdom and its early march against Satan and his organization in the destructive cataclysm of Armageddon. When that war of vindication breaks, the "strange work" will have been cut short in righteousness; then God's "strange act" will occur in witness to his supremacy. Now is the time for Jehovah's witnesses to work at their assignment of Kingdom service, while possible. Now is the acceptable time for them to be fruitful and abound in good works. And though imperfect themselves, they are perfectly equipped workmen. They have no need to be ashamed before God. With confidence they can work out their own salvation and need not fear the time when all will be judged and rewarded according to their works. They have sown good works; they will reap a good reward.
Why can the weak and imperfect worker hold to such confidence? It is because of his equipment. Listen to Paul's description of it to young Timothy: "From infancy you have known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise to obtain salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in right doing; so that the man of God may be complete, perfectly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:15-17, Weymouth) Workmen who diligently study these inspired
scriptures of God's Word will be unashamed in service, perfectly equipped, approved by Jehovah God. They will be armed with the same instructed mind as was in Christ Jesus. Remember how he retired to the wilderness solitudes and studied God's Word, and how that study equipped him to beat down tempter Satan's evil work and come forth to launch a campaign of good Kingdom work? Bible knowledge protects against evil work, equips for good work.
This book is published by the Watch Tower Society to turn the mind of the reader to the inexhaustible storehouse of perfect equipment. It lays a foundation for Bible study by considering the birth and growth and preservation and authenticity of the Bible. It shows how subtle Satan and his dupes failed to destroy its written pages, failed to supplant it with rabbinical tradition, and failed to contaminate it with a mixture of apocryphal fables. With this foundation as a springboard, the student is plunged into a detailed study of the Bible, book by book, and before the reader's eyes God's work of centuries passes in review. By the time the conclusion is reached the student's heart and mind will be filled with Bible truth, and the devoted heart and mind will express themselves publicly in good works. This book, along with its companion book Theocratic Aid to Kingdom Publishers, will further equip the witness of Jehovah to advance God's "strange work". That is the reason why it has been published.
