Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Was Charles Taze Russell the founder of the JW's? Part 2


During Russell’s tenure as President of the WTBTS these other gems were published for public consumption.

1897 "Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874," (Studies in the Scriptures, vol. 4, p. 621). Oops, didn’t happen. Present day JW’s said this was going to happen in 1914. When that didn’t occur, they said it did happen only it was an invisible return.

1892 "The date of the close of that 'battle' is definitely marked in Scripture as October, 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from October 1874." Watchtower Reprints, 1/15/1892, p 1355. Historians missed this one—The battle of Armegeddon starting in 1874 and ending in 1914.

1899 "...the 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Revelation 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced," (The Time Is at Hand, 1908 edition, p. 101). Unless earth’s’ rulers were completely overthrown in 1914, Russell missed this one, Big Time.

Lastly, here is the quotation of Pastor Russell that supposedly was taken out of context.

“Furthermore, not only do we find that people cannot see the divine plan in studying the Bible by itself, but we see, also, that if anyone lays the 'Scripture Studies' aside, even after he has used them, after he has become familiar with them, after he has read them for ten years - if he then lays them aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness. On the other hand, if he had merely read the 'Scripture Studies' with their references, and had not read a page of the Bible, as such, he would be in the light at the end of the two years, because he would have the light of the Scriptures." (“Zion’s Watchtower”—later renamed “The Watchtower,” Sep. 15, 1910, p. 298.)

I summarized the article by saying, “If you read nothing but the WT ‘Studies’ you will be in the ‘light’ (truth). If you read only the Bible, you will be in darkness (error).”

What does the WTBTS have to say about the subject, “reading exclusively the Bible and only the Bible as opposed to reading WT publications and only WT publications?”

"From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah's people those, who, like the original Satan, have adopted an independent, faultfinding attitude...They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such ‘Bible reading,' they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years ago..." WT, August 15, 1981.

Russell’s own WTBTS (which he started in 1879) echoes Russell’s conclusions, “read the Bible and only the Bible and you will be in darkness (believing in apostate doctrines.)”

Taken out of context? Both the WTBTS and I don’t think so!

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