Congregation Study for April 27 to May 3, 2026

Jesus chose 12 men who were already his disciples, including fishermen such as Peter and John and even a former tax collector like Matthew. They were simple men, most of them from Galilee, whom the religious leaders looked down on as “ordinary and uneducated,” as Acts 4:13 says.

He chose men who, though imperfect, deeply loved Jehovah. Among them were men with very different personalities, such as the “Sons of Thunder” and the cautious Thomas. Jesus saw in their hearts the potential to become pillars of the future Christian congregation.

It is interesting to note that some of them were married. According to 1 Corinthians 9:5, the apostles had wives who accompanied them on their travels. This shows that they were men with normal lives and family responsibilities, yet they put the Kingdom first.

Jesus chose his friends. At John 15:15, he explains that he no longer calls them slaves but friends because he opened his heart to them and told them everything he learned from his Father. It was a choice based on trust and mutual love.

He assigned them the mission of preaching the Kingdom message. First he took them with him so that they could learn by watching him, and later, as Matthew 10:1-10 says, he sent them out on their own, even giving them power to cure the sick and expel demons.

Jesus assigned them the responsibility of guiding the congregation after he would no longer be on the earth. According to Ephesians 2:20-22, the apostles became part of the foundation on which the congregation was built, with Jesus as the cornerstone.

He assigned them to be his closest witnesses. They had the privilege of being with him during the most important moments, such as the night before his death and after his resurrection. Their work was to testify about everything they had seen and heard in order to strengthen the faith of others.

The first thing Jesus taught is that we must recognize our “spiritual need.” Being Jehovah’s friends means realizing that we need him in our life and that we must make an effort to learn from him and truly love him. It does not happen automatically; it requires us to seek his friendship actively.

Being God’s friend means putting our relationship with him above material things. As Jesus explained at Matthew 6:19-21, we must store up “treasures in heaven.” Unlike money, which can be lost or stolen, friendship with Jehovah is an everlasting treasure that no one can take away.

To be Jehovah’s friends, we must trust fully that he will care for us. Jesus used the example of the birds and the flowers to teach that we should not be overly anxious about our basic needs. A true friend of God trusts that his heavenly Father knows what he needs and will provide it.

According to Matthew 5:3, those who are “conscious of their spiritual need” are the ones who are happy. This means that being Jehovah’s friend includes keeping a humble attitude and always being willing to be taught by him, just like the people who listened to Jesus on the mountainside.

Jehovah wants us to apply the “Golden Rule”: to treat others exactly as we would like them to treat us. This leaves no room for mistreatment or selfishness because it requires us to put ourselves in the other person’s place before we act or speak.

Jesus raised the standard by saying that it is not enough to love our friends; we must love even our enemies. Jehovah wants us to be merciful and to pray for those who persecute us, proving that we are children of a God who is kind to everyone, even to those who do not deserve it.

Peace among brothers is very important to Jehovah. Jesus taught that if we know someone has something against us, we should go “right away” and make peace. This shows that our worship of God is not valid if we are not at peace with our neighbor.

Jehovah wants us to be people who forgive from the heart. The Sermon on the Mount teaches that forgiveness is not optional, but a condition for God to forgive us too. We must be kind and righteous with everyone, without exception.