Hello everyone,
As usual we wish to pay attention to many
things, and among thosethe words published
by the WTBSand given publicly as Bible
based informations and also as spiritual
food for out times .
Lets see together a recent example, taken from
The main article : What does the Lords
Evening meal mean to you? and published in
The Watchtower February 15 th , 2003 page 19
paragraph 8, study article for April 6 th 2003:
Over the centuries , genuine anointed ones grew
as wheat in a field of weeds, or false Christians.
(Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) Since the 1870s, the wheat
became increasingly evident, and some years later anointed
Christians overseers were told : The elders . . . should set
before those who assembles themselves {for the Memorial}
these terms and conditions,- (1) faith in the blood {of Christ};
and (2) consecration to the Lord and his service, even unto death.
They should then invite all who are thus minded and thus con-
Secrated to join in celebrating the Lords death. Studies in the
Scriptures, Serie VI, The New Creation, page 473.*
*Published by Jehovahs Witnesess but now
out of print.
At first glance , such quote might pass like any other quote, but we shoul
rally, as we have been exhorted digg, and digg deeper. Lets make some
observations:
1) Why quote now Studies in the Scriptures Serie VI, The New Creation, in this issue of The Watchtower, when in the year 2000 concerning the same subject and author i.e. Charles Taze Russell an article published in The Watchtower January 1 st , 2000, page 9 and 16, it was written:
One example will underline how important this principle is. In 1886 when
C.T. Russell published a book that came to be called The Divine Plan of
The Ages, this volume contained a chart linking the ages of mankind with the
Great Pyramid of Egypt. It was thought that this memeorial of Pharaoh Khufu
Was the pillar referred to at Isaiah 19:19,20.
Some Bible Students became engrossed with measuring different features of the
Pyramid to determine such matters as the day they would be going to heaven!
17 This so-called Bible in Stone was held in esteem for some decades until the
Watchtower issues of November 15 and December 1, 1928 made clear that Jehovah needed no stone monument built by pagan pharahos and containing
Demonic signs of astrology to confirm the witness given in the Bible.
So when it is to the advantage of the WBTS, they take - distance from the works of brother C.T.Russell, not only not quoting as normally the Publishers but blaming everything to a watchman class and
even asking the readers on 16 :
(a) What false idea did the watchman class hold
for some decades?
forgetting that in 1993 in the book Proclaimers..they wrote:
*** jv 200 14 "They Are No Part of the World" ***
For some 35 years, Pastor Russell thought that the Great Pyramid of Gizeh was Gods stone witness, corroborating Biblical time periods. (Isa. 19:19) But Jehovahs Witnesses have abandoned the idea that an Egyptian pyramid has anything to do with true worship. (See Watchtower issues of November 15 and December 1, 1928)
2) Concerning the Studies in the Scriptures
the book Jehovahs Witnesess-Proclaimers Of Gods Kingdom
(published in 1993 by the WatchTower Bible and Tract Society of N.Y. Inc.) contains the following informations:
*** jv 52-3 5 Proclaiming the Lord's Return (1870-1914)
Its Truth Captured My Heart At Once
The publishing of Bible truths took a significant step forward in 1886 with the release of the first volume of a promised series of books called Millennial Dawn, written by C. T. Russell.
Volume I was called The Divine Plan of the Ages. It contained studies on 16 subjects, such as The Existence of a Supreme Intelligent Creator Established, The Bible as a Divine Revelation Viewed in the Light of Reason, Our Lords ReturnIts Object, the Restitution of All Things, and The Permission of Evil and Its Relation to Gods Plan. Eventually, C. T. Russell wrote five other books of the Millennial Dawn series.(*)
(*) *** jv 53 5 They were: Volume II, The Time Is at Hand (1889); Volume III, Thy Kingdom Come (1891); Volume IV, The Day of Vengeance (1897; later called The Battle of Armageddon); Volume V, The At-one-ment Between God and Man (1899); and Volume VI, The New Creation (1904).
When the Millennial Dawn volumes began to be called Studies in the Scriptures, Volume I was designated as Series I, Volume II as Series II, and so forth. The name Studies in the Scriptures was adopted in limited editions beginning about October 1904, and the new name was more generally used beginning in 1906.
3)Now lets go to the quote:
Studies in the
Scriptures, Serie VI, The New Creation, page 473.*
And the interesting mention:
*Published by Jehovahs Witnesess but now
out of print.
(from this link :
http://www.heraldmag.org/literature/links.htm
wa can have a list of many Bible Students
groups, assocations etc.
Other Christian Literature on the Web (listed alphabetically)
|
Adrian Bible Students
http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/adrianbiblestudents/truthseekers.html
Statement of belief and special offers from the Adrian Bible Students.
Associated Bible Students of Central Ohio
http://www.biblestudents.org/absco/ Associated Bible Students of Central Ohio http://www.biblestudents.com Mirror Site http://www.biblestudents.xentec.com/ Two pages of Bible Study material including a selection of video and audio recordings. Associated Bible Students of Jersy City http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/6854/ Bible study material on line and additional materials available by order. Associated Bible Students Wilmington - Chesapeake http://www.godspromises.org Bible Student (Jack Ensley) http://users.colfax.com/jensley/Religion.htm Bible Students Online (Rolando Rodriguez) http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4876/ Mirror Site http://www.biblestudendts.net Extensive site of new articles. Of special interest to Jehovah's Witnesses. Bible Students Congregation of New Brunswick http://www.bible411.com A large choice of current event and doctrinal topics with emphasis on God's dealings with Israel. Bible Students Congregation of New Brunswick (Spanish Language) http://www.bible411.com/spanish Bible Student Convention Page http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/3187/ Listing Bible Student conferences and conventions and their programs. Bible Werkz (A Memorial Meditation) http://members.aol.com/biblewerkz/index.htm A Scriptural meditation of the last days of Jesus' life on earth. Chicago Bible Students http://www.chicagobible.org/ Christian reading material on-line. Christian Devotionals and Bible Study Aids http://members.aol.com/sewhttkr/christia.htm A good source for Christian devotional readings and an outline of God's plans for man. Christian Graphics http://www.biblestudents.org/harvestgraphics/ Tabernacle Pictures to color. Dawn Bible Students http://www.dawnbible.com "Read the Dawn Magazine on line. Helpful articles on Christian living, doctrine, and current events. "Frank and Ernest" radio and "The Bible Answers" TV schedules." Dutch Language Bible Student Site (Belgium) http://www.biblestudent.org Family Corner http://www.cmfellowship.org/family.htm Articles of special interest to Christian parents. Los Angeles Bible Students http://www.heleadethme.org Focus on Jews who believe in Jesus and will be offering the abbreviated version of the first volume in Hebrew. North Seattle Bible Students http://www.nsbible.org/ The Divine Plan of the Ages and other Bible study aid on line Oakland County Bible Students http://www.bibletoday.com Polish Bible Students (in Polish language) http://www.nastrazy.pl Polish Bible Program (in Polish language) http://www.ist.agh.edu.pl/~dariuszb/biblia.html Quiet Waters http://members.aol.com/quietwtrs/quiet.htm Many assorted readings for the Christian's devotional life in a pleasant graphic setting. Revelation http://www.revelation-today.com An exposition on the last book of the Bible San Diego Bible Students http://members.aol.com/SDBible Studies in the Scriptures http://www.eskimo.com/~billz/Truth/Volumes/ The popular book, The Divine Plan of the Ages, on line with hypertext to biblical references. The Divine Plan of the Ages http://www.godsplan-today.com An illustrated Christian classic. The Divine Plan On Line (Fort Worth) http://www.divineplan.org Mirror Site http://www.biblestudents.org/dpo/ By the publishers of The Divine Plan Journal. Includes radio and television schedules for the Divine Plan Program. Tim Cimbura's Bible Study Page http://www.cimbura.com/biblestudy Various Bible topics available as PDF documents and links to Bible study helps. |
4)
Then from this one, The Chicago Bible Students
http://www.nsbible.org/library.htm
anyone can read and download , among other
things, the entire Studies on the Scriptures,
including the Serie VI, The New Creation.
5) Now we can take a more complete look at the WBTS quote, before and after the quoted part:
::page 457::
STUDY XI
THE PASSOVER OF THE NEW CREATION
The Yoke of Egypt and Deliverance Therefrom, in Type and Antitype-- "The Church of the First-Born"--"We, Being Many, are One Loaf"-- The Memorial Still Appropriate--Who May Celebrate--Who May Officiate--An Order of Service--Easter-Passover--Extracts from McClintock and Strong's Encyclopedia.
"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." `1 Cor. 5:7,8`
NOTABLE amongst the experiences of typical Israel was the Passover. The Feast of the Passover, celebrated every year for seven days, began with the fifteenth day of the first month. It celebrated in a general way the deliverance of the people of Israel from the bondage of Egypt--but particularly the passing over, or sparing alive, of the first-born of that nation during the plague of death which came upon the Egyptians, and which, as the last of the plagues, finally compelled them to release the Israelites from their compulsory servitude. The passing over of the first-born of Israel became the precursor of the liberation of the whole nation of Israel, and their passing in safety over the Red Sea into freedom from the bondage of Egypt. We can readily see that so portentous an event would properly be commemorated by the Israelites as intimately identified with the birth of their nation; and thus it is celebrated by Jews to this day. The members of the New Creation are interested in those events, as they are interested in all the doings and arrangements of their Heavenly Father, both in respect to his typical people, Israel after the flesh, and in respect to the whole world of mankind. But the New Creation has a still deeper interest in those matters which occurred in Egypt, in view of the fact that the Lord has revealed to them the "mystery" that those things which happened unto natural
::page 458::
::page 461::
Moreover, as each household was to eat with staff in hand and girded for a journey, it represented that the antitypical first-born and household of faith who would thus partake of the Lamb during the night time of this Gospel age would be pilgrims and strangers in the world, who would realize the bondage of sin and death, and be desirous of being led by the Lord into freedom from sin and corruption--into liberty of the sons of God.
Our Lord's Memorial
It was in harmony with this type of the killing of the Passover lamb on the 14th day of the first month--the day preceding the seven days' Feast of the Passover, celebrated by the Jews--that our Lord died, as the antitypical Passover Lamb, "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." At no other time was it possible for our Lord to have finished in death the sacrifice which he began when he was thirty years of age, in his baptism unto death. Hence it was that, although the Jews many times sought to take him, no man laid hands on him, because "his hour was not yet fully come." `John 7:8,30` As the Jews were commanded to select the lamb of sacrifice on the tenth day of the first
The Church of England revised its Prayer-book in 1552 and excluded the word Mass. The custom of the Mass practically took the place of the annual celebrations of the Lord's Memorial Supper; for the Masses were said at frequent intervals, with a view to cleansing the people repeatedly from sin. As the Reformers saw the error of this they attempted to come back to the original simplicity of the first institution, and disowned the Romish Mass as being an improper celebration of the Lord's Memorial Supper. However, not seeing the close relationship between the type of the Passover and the antitype of our ---------- *Vol. II, Chap. ix, and Vol. III, Chap. iv.
::page 472::
Lord's death, and the Supper as a memorial of the antitype, they did not grasp the thought of the propriety of its observance on its annual recurrence. Hence, we find that amongst Protestants some celebrate monthly, others every three months, and some every four months--each denomination using its own judgment--the "Disciples" celebrating weekly, through a misunderstanding of the Scriptures somewhat similar to their misunderstanding respecting baptism. They base their weekly celebration of the supper on the statements of the Acts of the Apostles to the effect that the early Church came together on the first day of the week, and at such meetings had "breaking of bread." `Acts 2:42,46; 20:7` We have already observed* that these weekly celebrations were not commemorations of the Lord's death; but, on the contrary, were love-feasts, commemorative of his resurrection, and of the number of breakings of bread which they enjoyed with him on several first-days during the forty days before his ascension. The remembrance of these breakings of bread, in which their eyes were opened and they knew him, probably led them to meet on each first day of the week thereafter, and, not improperly, led them to have together a social meal, a breaking of bread. As we have already noticed, the cup is never mentioned in connection with these, while in every mention of the Lord's Memorial Supper it occupies fully as important a place as does the loaf.
Who May Celebrate?
We answer, first of all, that none should commune who do not trust in the precious blood of Christ as the sacrifice for sins. None should commune except by faith he have on the doorposts and lintel of his earthly tabernacle the blood of sprinkling that speaketh peace for us, instead of calling for vengeance, as did the blood of Abel. (`Heb. 12:24`) None should celebrate the symbolical feast unless in his heart he ---------- *See previous chapter.
::page 473::
has the true feast, and has accepted Christ as his Life-giver. Further, none should commune unless he is a member of the one body, the one loaf, and unless he has reckoned his life, his blood, sacrificed with the Lord's in the same chalice, or cup. There is here a clearly drawn line of distinction, not only between the believers and unbelievers, but also between the consecrated and the unconsecrated. However, the line is to be drawn by each individual for himself--so long as his professions are good and reasonably attested by his outward conduct. It is not for one member to be the judge of another, nor even for the Church to judge, unless, as already pointed out, the matter has come before it in some definite form, according to the prescribed regulations. Otherwise the elders, or representatives of the Church, should set before those who assemble themselves these terms and conditions--(1) faith in the blood; and (2) consecration to the Lord and his service, even unto death. They should then invite all who are thus minded and thus consecrated to join in celebrating the Lord's death and their own. This, and all invitations connected with this celebration, should be so comprehensively stated as to leave no thought of sectarianism. All should be welcomed to participate, regardless of their faith and harmony on other subjects, if they are in full accord in respect to these foundation truths--the redemption through the precious blood, and a full consecration unto death, giving them justification. It is appropriate here to consider the words of the Apostle:
"Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh condemnation to himself, if he discern not the Lord's body." `1 Cor. 11:27-29`
The Apostle's warning here seems to be against a careless celebration of this Memorial, which would make of it a feast, and against inviting persons to it in a promiscuous manner. It is not such a feast. It is a solemn Memorial, intended only for the members of the Lord's "body"; and
::page 474::
whoever does not discern this, whoever does not discern that the loaf represents the flesh of Jesus, and that the cup represents his blood, would, in partaking of it, properly come under condemnation--not "damnation" as in the common version, but a condemnation in the Lord's sight, and a condemnation also in his own conscience. Before partaking of these emblems each individual, therefore, should decide for himself whether or not he believes and trusts in the broken body and shed blood of our Lord as being his ransom price; and secondly, whether or not he has made the consecration of his all that he may thus be counted in as a member of that "one body." Having noted who are excluded, and who properly have access to the Lord's table, we see that every true member of the Ecclesia has the right to participate, unless that right has been debarred by a public action of the whole Church, according to the rule therefor laid down by the Lord. (`Matt. 18:15-17`) All such may celebrate; all such will surely desire to celebrate--will surely desire to conform to the Master's dying admonition, "Eat ye all of it; drink ye all of it." They will realize that unless we eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, we have no life in us; and that if they have in heart and mind partaken of the merits of the Lord's sacrifice really, and of his life, that it is both a privilege and a pleasure to memorialize this, and to confess it before each other and before the Lord.
(Bold the quote from the WBTS).
If you read carefully youll note many, many interesting
and scripturally based things
Written by brother Charles Taze Russell.
I do hope that youll like these points. Greetings,
James Charles MacHislopp