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Welcome to our update!
In this program, we’ll consider
Bible principles that guide us
when making decisions
about dress and grooming.
But first, here are a few updates
about our relief work
following recent disasters.
In southeast Africa, several countries
—including Malawi,
Mozambique, and Zimbabwe—
are facing serious drought.
The Zimbabwe branch estimates
that some 13,500 publishers in that land
need basic assistance to survive.
Additionally, some of our brothers in Malawi
experienced flooding
that damaged their homes
and destroyed
their remaining food supplies.
During the end of April,
Brother Gage Fleegle
visited Malawi and Zimbabwe
to encourage the brothers and sisters.
To provide relief
from these recent disasters,
the Governing Body has sent funds
so that our brothers
may receive essential food items
such as maize, beans,
dried fish, and cooking oil.
In Japan, you’ll recall
that there was a magnitude
7.6 earthquake in January.
It damaged over 600 of our brothers’ homes
and destroyed 8.
And 13 Kingdom Halls were damaged.
Since then, the government has worked
to repair the local infrastructure.
The branch office is working hard
to help our brothers
to repair and rebuild their homes.
On April 3, Taiwan experienced
its strongest earthquake in over 25 years.
It triggered tsunami warnings
in Japan and the Philippines.
We’re glad that none of our brothers
were killed or severely injured.
And none of their homes had major damage.
But 20 Kingdom Halls
and the Amis-language
remote translation office
sustained minor damage.
The repair work is under way.
Despite the hardships
caused by these disasters,
our brothers and sisters
are quick to volunteer
to assist with relief work.
And we thank all of you for your prayers
as well as your generous donations
that make this relief work possible.
Very soon, something exciting
is being released on Video on Demand.
It’s a video about a Bible manuscript
that people thought had been destroyed.
The manuscript is an English translation
of the Christian Greek Scriptures
where Jehovah’s name
occurs over 200 times.
Let’s watch a preview of the video entitled
A Lost Bible Translation Rediscovered.
Translation in the 18th century
was the center of political
and theological dispute.
This was a time when you could not state
what you think too openly.
Truth seeking of the kind that he followed
was not something
that was welcomed by the authorities.
If you believe that the Bible
is a collection of sacred writings,
you are not going to be very happy
if there are some very obvious errors
in the translations.
Taking it for granted
—that was not what we were here to do.
We were here to ask questions.
This was a translation undertaken
by real scholars
who knew their Hebrew and Greek.
We had always assumed
that this translation
had been lost at that point.
It’s absolutely fascinating,
and it needs bringing to a wider audience.
We’re sure you’ll enjoy watching
the full-length video
about this fascinating discovery!
Recently, we’ve had updates
about dress and grooming.
We’ve talked about beards for brothers,
slacks for sisters,
and the use of jackets and ties for brothers.
We’re thankful that Jehovah
trusts us in these matters.
But some questions come up.
First of all, Do these adjustments
about dress and grooming
mean that we
are lowering our standards?
Not at all!
Our worship of Jehovah
deserves our deep respect and honor.
These adjustments should not dilute
the depth of our appreciation
for serving Jehovah.
More so, it’s a recognition
that styles change over time
and that what’s considered acceptable,
dignified dress for certain occasions
also changes over time.
For example,
do you remember these images
from the 2023 Governing Body Update #8?
We wouldn’t expect that we would still dress
as people did in Bible times;
nor would we expect that we would still dress
the same as people did 100 years ago.
Times change.
What’s considered respectable
and dignified dress and grooming
changes over time.
The adjustments announced
in recent updates acknowledge that.
Another question that arises
with this new direction is,
How do we make sure
that we still dignify Jehovah and his worship
when it comes to beards,
slacks, and not wearing ties?
As is the case with all dress and grooming,
there are a variety of styles.
Let’s consider three principles
from God’s Word.
You know these principles,
and you love Jehovah.
We know that they are important to you.
So let’s see how these verses can guide us
when making decisions
about our dress and grooming.
First, let’s consider 1 Timothy 2:9, 10.
It reads: “Likewise, the women
should adorn themselves
“in appropriate dress,
“with modesty and soundness of mind,
“not with styles of hair braiding
and gold or pearls
“or very expensive clothing,
“but in the way that is proper
for women professing devotion to God,
namely, through good works.”
From what we read in these verses,
what should characterize
our dress and grooming?
The world may choose clothing
simply based on what’s most comfortable.
But as Christians,
we have other things to consider.
We ‘profess devotion to God’!
As Christian men and women,
we want our dress and grooming
to glorify Jehovah.
And so we choose styles that are appropriate,
modest, and that reflect soundness of mind
—especially when we go to the Kingdom Hall
or in the ministry.
What do these terms mean?
Let’s consider some
of the study notes on these verses.
For the term “appropriate,”
the study note explains it this way:
“Or ‘respectable.’
“In this context, the Greek word used
“suggests dress that would be considered
honorable and proper.
Such attire would be suitable for one
who professes to be a minister of God.”
If our clothes are revealing or tight,
would that be appropriate,
honorable, or proper?
Would that be suitable to wear
when worshipping Jehovah?
I’m sure you’d agree
that it would not be appropriate.
That means that we need
to carefully evaluate what we will wear,
especially when we are worshipping Jehovah.
If our clothes are casual,
would that be appropriate for us to wear
when worshipping Jehovah
at the meetings or when in the ministry?
Well, no.
That wouldn’t be appropriate.
Of course, I’m sure you would agree
that what’s considered appropriate
also depends on the occasion.
For example, there are clothes
that are appropriate
for when we go to the beach or on a picnic.
And there are clothes that are appropriate
for when we attend a wedding.
And there are also clothes
that are appropriate
for when we go to worship
at the Kingdom Hall or in the ministry.
What’s the point?
Although styles change over time,
it’s good for us to recognize
that there are different levels of dress
that should be decided
based on the occasion.
That’s an idea
that we all want to keep in mind.
Let’s consider the next study note.
What does it mean to dress “with modesty”?
The study note says:
“In this context, modesty includes
taking into consideration
“one’s own conscience
“as well as the feelings
or opinions of others.
“A modest Christian
would avoid adornment
“that is considered indecent,
“that draws undue attention,
or that is likely to offend
or stumble others.”
So when making decisions,
we consider
how others would be affected
—our brothers and sisters
as well as the community.
Of course, we would not be
displaying modesty
if our style of dress or grooming
was viewed as odd or extreme.
We don’t want to draw
undue attention to ourselves
or distract others
by the way we dress or groom ourselves.
We want all attention to go to Jehovah
and the Kingdom message we proclaim.
Let’s consider the next study note.
What does the term
“soundness of mind” mean?
The study note says
it refers to “good judgment; sensibleness.”
This quality helps us
to avoid appearing sloppy or untidy.
To illustrate, imagine you were invited
to a formal reception
with government officials.
How would you dress?
Would you wear your pajamas
or something you would wear to the beach?
Definitely not!
We would want to dress in a way
that showed respect
for the occasion and for those present.
How much more so
when we worship Jehovah at the meetings
or when we share in the ministry!
Let’s consider a second Bible principle.
It’s found at 2 Corinthians 6:3, 4:
“In no way are we giving
any cause for stumbling,
“so that no fault may be found
with our ministry;
but in every way
we recommend ourselves as God’s ministers.”
It’s good for us to analyze
how our dress and grooming
will affect the way others view our ministry
and the God we worship.
After all, people
may form an opinion of the truth
—good or bad—
based on our appearance.
We can ask ourselves:
‘In this part of the territory,
‘would the neighbors view me
as one of “God’s ministers”
‘if I dress or groom myself this way?
‘Would they “see the distinction”
between Jehovah’s people
and those who do not serve God?’
What’s the third principle we’ll consider?
It’s 1 John 2:15-17:
“Do not love either the world
or the things in the world.
“If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him;
“because everything in the world
“—the desire of the flesh
and the desire of the eyes
“and the showy display
of one’s means of life—
“does not originate with the Father,
but originates with the world.
“Furthermore, the world is passing away
and so is its desire,
but the one
who does the will of God remains forever.”
From these verses, we’re reminded
that our dress and grooming
should not reflect a love of the world.
Styles change over the years,
and there are a wide variety of styles
that are not offensive to most people.
Our publications have often stated
that we ‘should not be the first
to adopt a new style
or the last to abandon an old one.’
But we all know
that there are many styles
that we would never want to adopt,
especially those that are immodest,
sensual, careless, or sloppy.
And to be honest, we need to consider
not just the style of the garment
but also whether that garment fits
in a modest way.
We would never want
to show disrespect for Jehovah
or his righteous standards.
We’ve considered three Bible principles
that can help us make good decisions
about our dress.
Of course, these same principles
apply to hairstyles, beards,
and to all the ways
we dress and groom ourselves.
They help us to determine
the length and style of our hair.
Brothers use them to determine
how to groom their beards
so that they look sharp and well cared for.
Aren’t we grateful that Jehovah
has given us these principles in his Word?
It’s so good to review them
in view of the recent adjustments.
What else should we do
with these reminders?
Pray about them.
Ask Jehovah to help you see
if any changes are needed.
Ask a spiritually mature friend
for honest comments.
And family heads,
show your love for your wife and children
by helping them to apply these principles.
Brothers and sisters,
we love and respect you very much.
From the World Headquarters
of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
this is JW Broadcasting®.

2024 Governing Body Update #3