05-20-2007, 06:16 AM
This was posted by Resolute.
"Already the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree, then, that does not produce fine fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire. I, for my part, baptize YOU with water because of YOUR repentance; but the one coming after me is stronger than I am, whose sandals I am not fit to take off. That one will baptize YOU people with holy spirit and with fire. His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will completely clean up his threshing floor, and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with fire that cannot be put out.” -- Matthew 3:10-12
I've been pondering these words for some time, wondering just how they might apply to organizations claiming to be Christian in our day, including the WT, because it refers to "trees" (plural).
It says that the ax is lying at the ROOT. Why the root? As far as I can figure, a tree cut down at the trunk can eventually sprout again, as in Daniel 4:23-26:
"CHOP the tree down, and RUIN it. However, LEAVE its rootstock itself in the earth, but with a banding of iron and of copper. . .And because they said to leave the rootstock of the tree, your kingdom will be sure to you after you know that the heavens are ruling."
However, John is speaking of trees being cut off at the rootstalk...utterly destroyed....being burned with everlasting fire.
Regarding the WT, I've often asked myself where and when did they go wrong...where did corruption creep in. Was it in 1991, when they became NGO? and lied about it? Or, before that, when they changed the questions for baptism in 1985, cutting out the Bible, Jesus Christ and the holy spirit from that which would guide a Christian in their course of life and substituting "the spirit-directed organization"?
Was it in 1935, when Rutherford separated the body of the Christ by saying that the heavenly posts were filled and now there was to be a gathering of the Great Crowd of Other Sheep? or when he wrested power from those named in Russell's will by legal manoeuvres? Where did the rottenness start?
But, surely Russell had it right--right?
So I was quite taken aback to discover some things that Russel wrote in the September 15th 1910 WT, pages 297-298 that didn't jibe with what I'd always believed about him -- that he was a deeply humble man who revered God's word, the Bible. The article is entitled: "IS THE READING OF "SCRIPTURE STUDIES" BIBLE STUDY?" (hover mouse over the date for link).
Here are some examples that show me that the rottenness now present in the WT is at the roots:
Firstly, Russell makes a disclaimer similar to what we tell new students of the Bible and all seems well.
"Already the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree, then, that does not produce fine fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire. I, for my part, baptize YOU with water because of YOUR repentance; but the one coming after me is stronger than I am, whose sandals I am not fit to take off. That one will baptize YOU people with holy spirit and with fire. His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will completely clean up his threshing floor, and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with fire that cannot be put out.” -- Matthew 3:10-12
I've been pondering these words for some time, wondering just how they might apply to organizations claiming to be Christian in our day, including the WT, because it refers to "trees" (plural).
It says that the ax is lying at the ROOT. Why the root? As far as I can figure, a tree cut down at the trunk can eventually sprout again, as in Daniel 4:23-26:
"CHOP the tree down, and RUIN it. However, LEAVE its rootstock itself in the earth, but with a banding of iron and of copper. . .And because they said to leave the rootstock of the tree, your kingdom will be sure to you after you know that the heavens are ruling."
However, John is speaking of trees being cut off at the rootstalk...utterly destroyed....being burned with everlasting fire.
Regarding the WT, I've often asked myself where and when did they go wrong...where did corruption creep in. Was it in 1991, when they became NGO? and lied about it? Or, before that, when they changed the questions for baptism in 1985, cutting out the Bible, Jesus Christ and the holy spirit from that which would guide a Christian in their course of life and substituting "the spirit-directed organization"?
Was it in 1935, when Rutherford separated the body of the Christ by saying that the heavenly posts were filled and now there was to be a gathering of the Great Crowd of Other Sheep? or when he wrested power from those named in Russell's will by legal manoeuvres? Where did the rottenness start?
But, surely Russell had it right--right?
So I was quite taken aback to discover some things that Russel wrote in the September 15th 1910 WT, pages 297-298 that didn't jibe with what I'd always believed about him -- that he was a deeply humble man who revered God's word, the Bible. The article is entitled: "IS THE READING OF "SCRIPTURE STUDIES" BIBLE STUDY?" (hover mouse over the date for link).
Here are some examples that show me that the rottenness now present in the WT is at the roots:
Firstly, Russell makes a disclaimer similar to what we tell new students of the Bible and all seems well.
Quote:
The six volumes of SCRIPTURE STUDIES are not intended to supplant the Bible. There are various methods to be pursued in the study of the Bible and these aids to Bible study are in such form that they, of themselves, contain the important elements of the Bible as well as the comments or elucidations of those Bible statements, on exactly the same principle that our Lord and the Apostles quoted from the Old Testament, and then gave elucidations of those Old Testament passages. Many of the elucidations were such that if we had not had them, had not had specific interpretations, we might never have been able to discern the proper application of them.
Notice that Russell puts his own "elucidations" on the same level as those of our Lord and the Apostles.
But the real bombshell for me was the following quote:
Quote:
If the six volumes of SCRIPTURE STUDIES are practically the Bible topically arranged, with Bible proof-texts given, we might not improperly name the volumes-- the Bible in an arranged form. That is to say, they are not merely comments on the Bible, but they are practically the Bible itself, since there is no desire to build any doctrine or thought on any individual preference or on any individual wisdom, but to present the entire matter on the lines of the Word of God. We therefore think it safe to follow this kind of reading, this kind of instruction, this kind of Bible study.
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.
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.
A little farther down in the article under the subheading, "THEY SHALL BE ALL TAUGHT OF GOD" appears this beaut:
Quote:
"We would conclude, practically, that we could not understand anything about the Bible except as it was revealed. We would, therefore, not waste a great deal of time doing what we know some people do, reading chapter after chapter, to no profit. We would not think of doing it. We would not think we were studying the Scriptures at all. We would think we were following the course that had been anything but profitable to ourselves and many others in the past--merely reading over the Scriptures. We would say that the same Heavenly Father who had guided us to this Truth, to this understanding of the Scriptures as his children, if he had some further information for us he would bring it to our attention in some manner; and therefore we would not see the necessity of reading the New Testament every day or every year; we would not consider that necessary. We would consider that the Scripture which says, "They shall be all taught of God," would imply that in his own appointed way God would bring to our attention whatever feature of Divine truth would be "meat in due season for the household of faith."
So there you have the "roots" of the idea that we are being guided by God's "spirit-directed organization". It is not a modern invention after all.
All comments welcome! 
Love, Rez
The rest of the discussion is found here.
http://www.paradisecafediscussions.net/s...p?tid=1404
