WT admits error.

by refiners fire 20 Replies latest watchtower bible

refiners fire

I just had a look through Ray Franz two books and I didnt see this information in there. Though I cant escape the vague feeling it might be in ISOCF. If Ray has already used this example, apologies....
A couple of FRANK ADMISSIONS about the PAST from the Watchtower !!
Regarding the formerly held belief that Pastor Russell was the Faithful and Wise Servant...
THEN IS FINISHED THE MYSTERY OF GOD (1969) Page 110:
QUOTE/.... After his death on October 1, 1916, there was a tendency to form a religious sect around his teachings and organizational structure, although it was not intended to do so. In July of 1917 the book The Finished Mystery was published..This book treated CT Russell as having been the FAITHFUL AND WISE SERVANT foretold in Matthew 24 verse 45-47it presented CT Russell as being the Seventh Messenger, that is THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH OF THE LAODICEANS..in its commentary on the prophecy of Ezekial the book presented CT Russell as having been the foretold MAN CLOTHED IN LINEN WITH THE WRITERS INKHORN BY HIS SIDE. Naturally those accepting such interpretations felt a sense of loyalty to a marvellously used servant of Jehovah God ..

Remember, this information is in one of the books studied in the book study. It is most likely that only regular members will ever read it. The above quote was an ADMISSION. And it appears to be comprehensive and extremely FRANK. Now read the follow up. Page 112:
QUOTE/.... However, this tendency toward the formation of a sect among his faithful followers was displeasing to the one who holds the seven stars in His right hand. Under His guidance this tendancy toward the forming of a sect like the sects of Christendom was fought against by those who hated unchristian sectarianism..In 1927, in the issue of February 15, the Watchtower magazine published the leading article Servant- Good and EvilFaithfully and courageously this explained that the Faithful and Wise Servant was not any individual man, but a class, a servant body.....

Interesting that in Russells day the scripture used was the one referring to the "faithful and wise servant" and today they use the scripture that uses the term "faithful and discreet slave" .
A little bit of psychological distancing from the old term they used there, I think.
The main thing to notice is that the WATCHTOWER MAGAZINE corrects the error taught in the FINISHED MYSTERY book. This is most interesting, because, of course, every dub knows that JEHOVAH speaks thru the Channel of Truth and the organ thru which the channel speaks is the Watchtower magazine. Here is another passage on a similar vein but its intent to protect the CHANNEL, The Watchtower magazine, from any taint of former error is even more obvious. Again, this is a book studied in book studies. This information is not for the consumption of the general public, but is for the MEMBERSHIP:
GODS KINGDOM OF A THOUSAND YEARS HAS APPROACHED (1973)
Chapter- THE SLAVE WHO LIVED TO SEE THE SIGN. Paragraph 30:
QUOTE/..... A "ransom for all" was one of those basic doctrines of the Bible, and a great danger began to loom up that this vital dish on the spiritual table of God-fearing persons would be taken away by the devotees of higher criticism and the evolution theory. At what can now be appreciated as "the proper time" there appeared an uncompromising champion of Christ's "ransom for all." It was in the form of a brand-new magazine for Bible lovers, Zion's WatchTower and Herald of Christ's Presence, its first issue being that of July, 1879, with an initial edition of 6,000 copies. Its editor and publisher was a member of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Bible study group, namely, Charles Taze Russell. This studious Christian took note of Jesus' illustration of the "faithful and wise servant" (Matthew 24:45, AuthorizedVersion) and published his understanding of it in the WatchTower issue of November, 1881, page 5. In the fourth- and fifth-last paragraphs of the article "In the Vineyard," he said:.....
.."We believe that every member of this body of Christ is engaged in the blessed work, either directly or indirectly, of giving meat in due season to the household of faith. "Who then is that faithful and wise servant whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household," to give them meat in due season? Is it not that "little flock" of consecrated servants who are faithfully carrying out their consecration vows-the body of Christ-and is not the whole body individually and collectively, giving the meat in due season to the household of faith-the great company of believers?"....
Notice, now what paragraph 32 says:
QUOTE/...... Since the "slave" of Jesus' illustration is not just one Christian man but is the anointed congregation of Christ's disciples, the "faithful and discreet slave" class continued to serve on after the death of C. T. Russell. However, the sense of appreciation and indebtedness toward Russell moved many of his associates to view him as the fulfillment of the "faithful and discreet slave." This view was prominently featured in the book published in July of 1917 by People's Pulpit Association of Brooklyn, New York. This book was called "The Finished Mystery" and furnished a commentary of the Bible books of Revelation and Ezekiel and The Song of Solomon. On its Publishers page the book was called the "Posthumous Work of Pastor Russell." Such a book and religious attitude tended to establish a religious sect centered around a man......
Notice that the published statements that Russell was the Faithful and Discreet slave were published not in the Watchtower magazine, nor were they even published by the WTBTS. Rather, they were published by an obscure organization called "peoples pulpit". The end of paragraph 32 clears the situation completely:
QUOTE /.....Such a drift toward sectarianism was halted, however, by the publication early in 1927 of the articles "The Son and Servant" and "Servant-Good and Evil," in TheWatchTower under date of February 1 and 15, 1927. These articles showed that the "servant" of Matthew 24:45 was a composite one.-Isaiah 43:10-12.....
Later in the year 1927 any remaining stocks of the six volumes of Studies in the Scriptures by Russell and of The Finished Mystery were disposed of among the public.....
What an insidious and deceptive passage of writing this really is. The Watchtower is quoted from 1881 saying that the SLAVE is a collective. Then the publications of the PEOPLES PULPIT say that Russell is the Slave. Then the Watchtower of 1927 straightens the error mongers out. One could almost conclude from this passage that the Watchtower has ALWAYS taught that the Slave is a collective.

Edited by - refiners fire on 30 January 2003 3:24:28
Edited by - refiners fire on 30 January 2003 3:39:17
Debz

Hmmm...bit deep for me Refiner!...but you knwo ya stuff!....well done....
simwitness

Refiners,
FYI, the "Peoples Pulpit" was an early name for the publishing corporation. It was not an outside group. This is documented in the Divine Pourpose book.
IMHO, I think that Rutherford was using the Finished Mystery as a way to later discredit Russell.
I also think that the Watchtower's Admissions were a way to discredit the "bible students" that continued on after the split when Rutherford took control. Remember, that it wasn't until (about) 1935 that the "Jehovah's Witnnesses" Name was adopted, until then the IBSA, the Bible Students, the "Peoples Pulpit Association", etc... were all one and the same group. When Russell died, many of the original members of the "Bible Students" chose not to follow Rutherford.
So, the Watchtower's admissions were really more of an admission that early writing were "not inspired", and then they try to muddy who wrote/published them as well.
simwitness

Another minor point:
I don't have specific proof of this, but I understand that the "Studies" were still available on the Watchtower order forms up until the 50-60s. The finished mystery was edited/reprinted in a smaller version (cut out the Ezekial bits) in 1927.
refiners fire

..."FYI, the "Peoples Pulpit" was an early name for the publishing corporation. It was not an outside group. This is documented in the Divine Pourpose book"....
Sim. Yeah, I know that the "peoples pulpit" was a publishing arm of the Organization . Thats the whole point. A modern Witless isnt necessarily aware that "peoples pulpit" was a WTBTS subsidiary. So they think... "Ah, the Watchtower never said it"
As you say ...." muddying the waters" .....
Farkel

: IMHO, I think that Rutherford was using the Finished Mystery as a way to later discredit Russell.
Actually, that was a slow process. After Joe wrested control of the society, he spent a number of years assigning almost sainthood status to Russell. This was a good business move, because the charismatic Russell was the glue that held the Bible Students together. Then slowly throughout the 1920's he began to distance himself and his little pet Cult from Russell. His hatred of facial hair on men and later his rulings on banning facial hair in the Bethels and on dub men in general was due solely to the fact that many men grew beards in emulation of their adoration of Russell.
The reason the Studies in the Scriptures were still for sale years after they were discredited by the society was all Bible-Based: it's based upon the principle clearly outlined in the scriptures which is known as "excess inventory."
Every book written by Joe proudly flaunted his name as the author and some books of his that I have in my possession shows HIM as the owner of the copyright for the books. He clearly wanted his own pet Cult and was patient enough to wait it out until the memory of Chuck Russell was fading and he could then make the moves necessary to consolidate control and turn the worship of dubs from Russell to him.
This of course, is ALL Bible-Based.
Farkel
refiners fire

Regarding the Finished Mystery, My take on it would be that Ruitherford was desperate to tie his regime in with the prior regime , to establish some continuity, so published that book of very scrappy information and called it number 7 in the series. Correct me if Im wrong.
With regard to discrediting Russell. As I recall, 1925 was established on a new slant on the Jubilees reasoning used by Russell. Russell had esposed 50 x 50 cycles in His writings and the new regime espoused a new understanding of 50 x 70 cycles and came up with 1925 for Armaggedon. A lot of the math was pretty whacky. It seems to me (correct me if Im wrong again) the Org, after Russell was dead just didnt have anyone who was good at prophetic exposition. I think the use of the Jubilees reasoning to establish the 1925 date was the last gasp of Russellism. When 25 didnt happen.... well, the groundwork was already laid to boot it holus bolus.
RR

For Years it has been said that Bible Students are guilty of creature worship. What is the creature they are charged with worshipping? None other then Charles Taze Russell, organizer of the International Bible Students Association and founder and first president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. And who are these accusers who make such a claim? None other then the very Society Russell founded, the Watch Tower and it's current members the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Notice this statement found in the book; Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose:
The insistence that Russell had been "that Servant" led many to regard Russell in what amounted actually to creature worship. They believed that all the truth God had seen fit to reveal to his people had been revealed to Russell, and now nothing more could be brought forth because "that servant" was dead." [1959, pg 69]
As recent as 1988, in the book Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand! The Watchtower makes this claim:
"The John class, however, emerged from the tumultuous days of the first world war with a love for Jehovah and for the truth that impelled them to serve him with flaming zeal. They resisted those who tried to introduce sectarianism through practically idolizing the first president of the Watch Tower Society, Charles T. Russell, following his death in 1916." [p. 35, 36]
Who were "those" the "John class" tried to resist? And how did "those" try "to introduce sectarianism"? The answer lies in the book; God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in 1973. It had this to say concerning the issue of idolizing C.T. Russell:
"This view was prominently featured in the book published in July of 1917 by the People's Pulpit Association of Brooklyn, New York. This book was called "The Finished Mystery" and furnished a commentary of the Bible books of Revelation and Ezekiel and The Songs of Solomon. On its Publishers page the book was called the "Posthumous Works of Pastor Russell." Such a book and religious attitude tended to establish a religious sect centered around a man" [pg 347]
Who or what was the People's Pulpit Association? The answer again can be found in the pages of the book Qualified to Be Ministers published in 1967, by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. It had this to say about the Association:
"Such a corporation came into legal existence February 23, 1909, and was named People's Pulpit Association. Thirty years later, in 1939, the name was changed to its present one, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc." [pg. 309]
So, in essence, the Watchtower Society itself was to blame for promoting the idolizing of C.T. Russell, not a group of individuals. The Book The Finished Mystery was published by the Watchtower Society, it was sanctioned by then president J.F. Rutherford, and was the cause of much schism within the Bible Students Association, not because it was promoting Russell, but because it was filled with misquotes, half truths and perversion of thoughts.
Nowhere within the pages of C.T. Russell's writings, is there a thought alluding to worshipping him. Never did he ever claim to be "That Faithful and Wise Servant" mentioned in Matthew 24:45-48. Yes ... there were those in his day who believe he filled that office, members of the Association, some representatives of the Watch Tower Society, but Russell never made such a claim for himself. In fact his thought on the matter was:
"I have nothing to say about the subject. What I would say would not change matters any way. You have your right to your opinion and they have their right to theirs. [Convention Reports 1909, pg. 25]
Russell did teach "that servant" to be a class, representing the church as early as 1897 in the book, The Battle of Armageddon, but some years later, would change his mind and believed it to be an individual. Yet he never claimed to be that individual.
In fact, the thought of promoting Russell as "That Servant" and giving him prominence was J.F. Rutherford. In the 1916 Watchtower it stated:
Thousands of the readers of Pastor Russell's writings believe that he filled the office of "that faithful and wise servant," and that his great work was giving to the Household of Faith meat in due season. His modesty and humility precluded him from openly claiming this title, but he admitted as much in private conversation. [pg 357]
The only ones who admitted to these so-called private conversations were, Rutherford, VamAmburgh and MacMillan, the three individuals responsible for seizing control of the Watch Tower Society. Their motives behind such a promotion was to appease the close friends, colleagues and supporters of Russell. Rutherford vowed to continue the work Russell had started. But in promoting Russell, elevating him and his writings to that of equal par to the Scriptures, he created a monster. Many Bible Students parted company with the Society. Some actually believed and accepted this new idea. It was even taught through the pages of The Watch Tower that Russell was still directing the affairs of the Society from heaven.
Evidently Rutherford, decided to slay the monster he created, by cunningly denouncing all he had stated and written in The Watch Tower. Not only was Russell pushed to the background, but the Scriptures had been reinterpreted. Russell's books were left to go out of print, with no new editions being published. His name if mentioned at all, was done only in passing, as "first President" of the Society. His writings were replaced by newer ones. This cause more schisms and departures by Bible Students who could not and would not accept the Society's leadership, and autonomous rule.
For years afterwards, Bible Students and Jehovah's Witnesses grew apart, animosity and hatred was promoted by the Society towards the independent Bible Student groups who rejected the Society as God's Sole Channel of communication. The Society rewrote its history, omitting many important facts, and in the cases cited above distorted many events, to place them in a good light and branding Bible Students as evil opposers who would rather follow and worship a man, rather than their organization.
For years, the Society shifted the blame on Professor Paul S.L. Johnson, a colleague of Russell, an ordained minister, born a Jew, who joined the Bible Students Association and became an important promoter of Bible Truths. He was the Society's scapegoat for many years. Most of the attacks on Johnson came after his death in 1950, and continued until the 1980s, it was as the old saying goes "beating a dead horse", as Johnson was not alive to defend himself.
The Society tried to silence the Bible Students, by holding on to the copyrights of such works as Studies in the Scriptures and the Watch Tower Reprints. As Bible Students, they relied on their Bibles and nothing more. When the copyrights ran out, Paul S.L. Johnson, decided to reprint the Studies in the Scriptures. He contacted Rutherford, as they at one time were like brothers. Rutherford's reply came in the destruction of the original plates. It was a slow process, but Johnson in 1937, made the Volumes available to the brethren. In 1940, the Dawn Bible Students Association, also reproduced the volumes. And years later, the original Watch Towers were made available to the brethren by way of the Chicago Bible Students.
The Society's publications having a much larger circulation then all the Bible Student literature combined, tried a new tactic, everytime they mentioned the term "Bible Students" they always had in parenthesis "as Jehovah's Witnesses were then known as". Giving the reader the thought that Bible Students and Jehovah's Witnesses are one and the same. When people came across the name or writings of Russell or Bible Students, they would automatically associate it with the Witnesses.
In recent years, with the advent of computers, and counter cult ministries, Witnesses were being made aware of the Bible Students, and the real issues being raised by the Watchtower Society. Some did their research, many returned to their roots, namely the Bible Students Association. Some were simply enlightened to their history as Jehovah's Witnesses. It was not until the Society was forced to write a new history, still intent on perverting the truth, they nevertheless, did admit a distinction between Bible Students and Jehovah's Witnesses:
"After the death of Brother Russell, some former associates refused to cooperate with the Watch Tower Society and the International Bible Students Association, even opposing the work of these societies. Such fragmented groups used a variety of names, some of them clinging to the designation Associated Bible Students." [Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, pg. 151]
This however does not state that the Bible Students still exist today, it merely referred to "fragmented" groups during the schism of 1917. However the fact that you are reading this ... shows that you now know ... that Bible Students and Jehovah's Witnesses are two distinct groups, with distinct beliefs. It is not so much the importance that we stress the individuality of both groups, for we do recognize the Watchtower Society, and do recognize our Jehovah's Witness friends. But the fact that we have been misrepresented, not by Christians in general, but by the very association we helped build.
It is very strange ... that the Watchtower Society, forbids its members from associating with the "evil slave class", namely the Bible Students, and have chastised those witnesses, who possess and read Russell's writings, and at the same time, the Society has been in contact with various Bible Student groups, exchanging literature and purchasing one anothers books. This has been verified by both correspondence to and from the Society from Bible Students, as well as eye-witness accounts of Bible Student literature sitting on not only Kingdom Hall libraries, but Watchtower libraries as well.
One would be apt to conclude this is a love/hate relationship on the part of the Watchtower Society. But we know the promises contained in Scriptures will not allow this relationship to continue. For one day, in God's due time, all of mankind will learn the truth, and all will reside under His loving care.
Food for Thinking Jehovah's Witnesses
RR

I don't have specific proof of this, but I understand that the "Studies" were still available on the Watchtower order forms up until the 50-60s. The finished mystery was edited/reprinted in a smaller version (cut out the Ezekial bits) in 1927.

YOu're right. shortly after the death of Russell, his books were replaced with the writings of Rutherford. Rutherford's books were eventually replaced with books by succeeding leaders. Why were Russell's books replaced? According to the book "God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached" [WtBTS, 1973, p. 347] Russell's books were promoting creature worship. Thus the Watchtower Society stated "... in the year 1927 any remaining stocks of the six volumes of Studies in the Scriptures by Russell ... were disposed of among the public" [ibid, p. 347]
Is this true? Were Russell's writings discarded in the year 1927? According to the Watch Tower the Studies in the Scriptures were still being offered to the public as late as November 1929.
"The Society has decided to designate the week beginning November 10 as a special drive week for the sale of Studies in the Scriptures" [Watchtower 11/01/29, p. 322]
The fact that the Society "decided to designate" the sale of the Scripture Studies shows that the remaining stock was not disposed of in 1927. Some may say, the Society made a mistake, they were off by two years, the remaining stock was disposed of in 1929, not 1927.
Again, let us look at the facts ... in the paper "Bulletin for Jehovah's witnesses" published in December 1932, it stated that some 1,646,316 bound books were placed in the hands of the public, and that "... during 1931 over 100,000 Studies in the Scriptures were included in the total ...".
Again, this is 1932, a year after the Watchtower changed the name of their followers to "Jehovah's witnesses", the fact that the Society would sell Russell's books, books which they were no longer in agreement with is a story in itself, but here we are a five year gap between 1927 and 1932, were the researchers of "God Kingdom" simply careless in their research? What do the facts tell us?
In the "Watchtower Cost List" of February 1, 1962, on page 12, under "Other Items" there is listed, the set of Studies in the Scriptures. 35 years after 1927, as late as 1976 in the Society's "Kingdom Ministry" there is an announcement that "The Battle of Armageddon" Volume 4 of Studies in the Scriptures, was now out of stock. So, were the researchers of the "God's Kingdom" book, careless or were they trying to hide the truth?
RR
MacHislopp

Hello R.R.,
many thanks for kindly posting , again,
for all those unaware of its existence
such proofs, unmasking without doubt
who was behind it!
This part was the core of the problem:
"The Book The Finished Mystery was published by the
Watchtower Society, it was sanctioned by then president J.F. Rutherford,
and was the cause of much schism within the Bible Students Association,
not because it was promoting Russell, but because it was filled with
misquotes, half truths and perversion of thoughts. "
Excellent!
Greetings, J.C.MacHislopp

WT admits error.

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