The Watchtower, “Paying Back Caesar's Things to Caesar”
“That is his decision before Jehovah. Appointed elders and others should fully respect the conscience of the brother and continue to regard him as a Christian in good standing. If, however, a Christian feels that he cannot perform this civilian service, his position should also be respected. He too remains in good standing and should receive loving support.”
Paragraph 21 on a Christian who concludes that national civilian service is a 'good work' he can perform. The article's only footnote reads: 'See The Watchtower of May 15, 1964, page 308, paragraph 21.'
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Provenance and verification note for The Watchtower, Paying Back Caesar's Things to Caesar
Confidence note. Opened on wol.jw.org; wording, paragraph and page confirmed.
Corroborated by. src-idx-beliefs-clarified, src-w-1998-0815-suffered-needlessly
Notes. The 'Beliefs Clarified' index lists this as the 1996 change on 'civilian service in lieu of military service' (with yb97 p. 16).
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-w-1996-0501-paying-back-caesar