The Watchtower Society and John and Morton Edgar - A2Z.org

my body to be burned, and have not bve, it profitethme nothing."Just as a fruit-tree in addition to its leaves must developbuds, blossoms, and lastly fruit, in order to justify itsexistence, so the man of God must add to his patienceodliness, to his godliness love of the brethren, and to hisk ve of the brethren love. The godliness is representedby the buds, the love of the brethren is represented by theblossoms, and the love by the fruit. The bud, the blossommd the fruit represent three stages, the ultimate one being*e fruit, that for which the tree is grown ; in the sameHay godliness, love of the brethren and love representthree stages, the ultimate one being love in the all-comprehensivesense, the fruit for which the New Creature istrained and developed.Add to your Patience, Godliness.Some claim that godliness means God-likeness. It istrue that the root-meaning is God-likeness, but this is anexample of the error into which one may fall by insistingtoo strongly on the root-meaning of words. Godliness isone of many words which have changed their meaning inthe course of time. If it meant God-likeness, it wouldnot be necessary to add to it love of the brethren and love,because God is love, and if we are like God we shouldhave reached the mark of love in its all-comprehensivesense, the mark of perfect love. The Greek word trans-lated " godliness " in the verse which we are consideringis " cuscbcia," which means piety, reverence for God. OurEnglish word " godliness " in its usual meaning is, therefore,a good translation of the Greek term.That IS the bud, the first stage in the formation of thefruit of love. The man who has reached only this stageis not so attractive as one who has added to his godlinesslove of the brethren. The bud is a little hard, green thing.The germ of the blossom and fruit is there, but it is hidden24