When did name change occur?

mooneyes

I was wondering if any one could tell me when the JWs officially changed their name to be Jehovah's Witnesses? If I remember correctly they were 1st called Bible Students and then Russelites. I think the answer is in the book Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom and I will go and try to find it. In another post on the Private Discussion board I have posted about my mother and I. Today we discussed the religion for about 3 hours and one point she brought out was that she knows she's in the truth because of the scripture that says "you are my witnesses". I asked her then who decided to call them that and if they were indeed the true religion would'nt Jehovah had told them that name from the start. That once only about 5 minutes of our 3 hours but now its bugging me that I can't remember.

Another thing is does anyone know if the corporate holdings of the WTBTS is availible for public record? I would think in would be. We were talking about their stock holdings in various things and I would love to be able to back up some of what I am saying. I will start researching myself but if anyone knows off the top of their head that would be much appreciated.

Thanks for your help as this has been a long time coming between me and my family and it is a very difficult place to be.

Mooneyes

mooneyes

An apology for asking about the stocks. I just realized I could search that question within this forum and found the answer I was looking for.

Mooneyes

Gopher

The organization assigned itself the name "Jehovah's Witnesses" in the year 1931. The reasoning given was to avoid being named after a man and also to avoid confusion with other bible study groups.

mooneyes

Thanks so much for the quick answer!

Maverick

Rumpot Judge R did an illegal hostile takeover of the asset of the International Bible Students. He was not even a member of the group Russel appointed over the organization before he died. The Judge apparently was a ruthless person while the men Russel had in place were more interested in the spiritual things and let him walk over them. After a few years he wanted to make a clean break from them so changed the name of his group. Jehovahs Witnesses are a totally different group than the one Russel started. They use his name as a prop to "legitimize" their stealing his assets! Maverick

mizpah

"Russellites" was a name that was used by the opposition. "Bible Students" was the name that was preferred by most Watchtower members up until 1931 when Rutherford introduced "Jehovah's Witnesses." Many think that it was Rutherford's attempt to divorce himself from the old Bible Students from Russell's time. Most of them had left the organization by then. Some had formed Bible Student associations of their own.

The Bible Students of Russell's day formed autonomous congregations that elected their own elders. They voluntarily chose to recognize Russell as their "Pastor." But they could maintain association with other religious groups if they desired. When Rutherford took over he introduced the idea of loyalty to the "theocratic organization." All other religions were part of "Satan's organization." And the old Bible Student associations then became the "evil servant" class.

gumby

Once upon a time there was a mean alcoholic piece of crap of a man named Joe Rutherford who had a bad mental problem. One day while in a drunken stupor........just after he peed all over himself.......he was reading Isa. 43:10 and BINGO! A flash of truth came out of the bible and almost blinded him.........actually he was passing out from the booze, ............and behold.........Six million people have been stuck with the name ever since!

Gumby

Special K

Gumby .. your soooo funny with your redneck version...haha

But.. your redneck version is probably the right one...

sincerely

Special K

RR

In the 1860s, and early 1870s, the groups didn't really have a name, they studied their Bibles and refrained from giving themselves a sectarian name. However, when in 1879 Russell began publishing the Zion's Watch Tower, they bagn to publish small tracts called Bible Students Tracts. As a result people bagn to call them "Bible Students," This eventually became their designation, as they grew, and became international, they adopted the name International Bible Students thus if there were a groups in Boston, they were International Bible Students of Boston, etc.

In 1914, Russell incorporated the name Internationa BIble Students Association, adding "Association" and advised the independent groups to refrain from using the name IBS for legal purposes and suggested, for advertising purposes they use the name Associated Bible Students. This they did and constionue to do, till this present day.

When the judge took over, he prefered the IBSA name over the WTS name, and those groups and individuals that stayed with the Society, took the name International Bible Students Asociation of ..... [City].

Because of all the confusion with the term Bible Students, some groups used Free, Asociated, Independent, Berean. And his hatred for Russell, the Judge cahnged their name3 to Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931.

Orginally the term "Jehovah's Witnesses" was spelled with a small "w" and the term applied ONLY to anointed ones within the movement, non-anointed ones were given an array of titles and designations.

In the 1950, Knorr decided the term applied to all!

RR

gumby

In the 1950, Knorr decided the term applied to all!

You sure about that RR? In 1935 booze Rutherford miraculously realised there were TWO groups of christians.....the annointed and the great crowd. I don't remember only the annointed class being called Jehovahs Witnesses up till 1950.

Gumby

When did name change occur?

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