Paradise Cafe Discussions - A Place For Bible Research And Christian Encouragement

Did Charles Russel claim hmiself as "anointed"?

The answer is no for he did not believe in an earthly resurrection per se.

He believed that all Christians were going to go to heaven and the 144,00 were all natural Jews. This was changed as the "New Light" came from "the judge"

I believe that Charles Russell believed that all true Christians were "anointed."

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." - 1Cor 12:13

Not just anointed, but the "Slave". quots from the "Proclaimers" book.

pg. 62--Throughout his life Russell had been ‘the Society.’ The work centered around his dynamic determination to see God’s will done.”

pg. 621--Was God Using a Visible Channel?

Was God particularly using Charles Taze Russell? If so, did God cease to have a visible channel when Brother Russell died? These became critical issues, ones that led to further testing and sifting.

It certainly could not be expected that God would use C. T. Russell if he did not loyally adhere to God’s Word. (Jer. 23:28; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17) God would not use a man who fearfully refrained from preaching what he saw clearly written in the Scriptures. (Ezek. 2:6-8) Nor would God use a person who exploited his knowledge of the Scriptures to bring glory to himself. (John 5:44) So, what do the facts show?

As Jehovah’s Witnesses today review the work that he did, the things he taught, his reason for teaching them, and the outcome, they have no doubt that Charles Taze Russell was, indeed, used by God in a special way and at a significant time.

pg.143--Over a decade later, (1991) however, Brother Russell’s wife publicly expressed the idea that Russell himself was the faithful and wise servant. The view that she voiced concerning the identity of the ‘faithful servant’ came to be generally held by the Bible Students for some 30 years. Brother Russell did not reject their view, but he personally avoided making such an application of the text, emphasizing his opposition to the idea of a clergy class commissioned to teach God’s Word in contrast to a lay class that was not thus commissioned. The understanding expressed by Brother Russell in 1881 that the faithful and wise servant was in reality a collective servant, made up of all the members of the spirit-anointed body of Christ on earth, was reaffirmed in The Watch Tower of February 15, 1927.—Compare Isaiah 43:10.

pg. 626--Clearing Up the Identity of the “Faithful and Wise Servant”

Many who were sifted out at that time (1917, when Rurherford took over) clung to the view that a single individual, Charles Taze Russell, was the “faithful and wise servant” foretold by Jesus at Matthew 24:45-47 (KJ), which servant would distribute spiritual food to the household of faith. Particularly following his death, The Watch Tower itself set forth this view for a number of years. ( till 1927) In view of the prominent role that Brother Russell had played, it appeared to the Bible Students of that time that this was the case. He did not personally promote the idea, but he did acknowledge the apparent reasonableness of the arguments of those who favored it. He also emphasized, however, that whoever the Lord might use in such a role must be humble as well as zealous to bring glory to the Master, and that if the one chosen by the Lord failed, he would be replaced by another.

However, as the light of truth progressively shone even more brightly after Brother Russell’s death, and as the preaching that Jesus had foretold became even more extensive, it became evident that the “faithful and wise servant” (KJ), or “faithful and discreet slave” (NW), had not passed off the scene when Brother Russell died. In 1881, Brother Russell himself had expressed the view that that “servant” was made up of the entire body of faithful spirit-anointed Christians. He saw it as being a collective servant, a class of persons who were united in doing God’s will. (Compare Isaiah 43:10.) This understanding was reaffirmed by the Bible Students in 1927. Jehovah’s Witnesses today recognize the Watchtower magazine and kindred publications to be the ones used by the faithful and discreet slave to dispense spiritual food. They do not claim that this slave class is infallible, but they do view it as the one channel that the Lord is using during the last days of this system of things.
:coffeeread:

thank you everyone,:)

Now I go to next one.

Br. Russell DID believe in an earthly resurrection. He believed in two salvations one heavenly for True Christians, and one earthly for the rest of mankind.

Br. Russell believed that true Christians, would be part of the Church class, the 144,000 who would reign with Christ during the Millennial Kingdom, he also believed that the Great Crowd was a heavenly class, who ran the rest but fell short of the prize.

The rest of mankind, everyone who ever lived would be resurrected and be taught of Jehovah. and then be given an opportunity based on their knowledge to serv Jehovah.

RR

Not in the sense that the Governing Body does. Br. Russell believed he was spirit begotten, as he was running for the prize of the high calling. And he accepted everyone who made a covenant of sacrfice to the Lord as "brethren."

RR

RR is the only one here I can see that is speaking to reality on this question... I don't think the proclaimer's book is a good source for answers to this question.... if you look at his own work, of course you would find the answers... right or wrong... as to what he actually taught and believed.

He didn't teach that all the 144,000 were natural Jews... but that they were the anointed class that would share Jehovah's Divine Nature... the joint heirs with Jesus Christ... and partakers of the Divine Nature...


He did believe as RR states in two salvations... as foretold in the original Abrahamic Promise... the stars of the heaven and the sands which are upon the seashore...

and while he did hold that all that consecrated to Jehovah during the Gospel Age would, if faithful, be a part of this heavenly class (that is, if that consecration was accepted by Jehovah)... he also taught that an earthly class was beginning to accumulate and develop as that call came to a gradual end... from 1881 to 1914... See Volume 6 pages 156-7 for instance.

We should be careful when speaking as to what someone else believes or teaches... especially when it is really easy to find out the truth of the situation...

God bless

jonalfred :heartbeat:

Just wondering why this is in the "Reasoning on Scriptures" section.

sorry. I put all my questions in one board for my convenience.:blush:

Don
Picky arent we?

I would take anything written in their about C.T. Russell with a BIG grain of salt. :D

The Society is constantly taking him out of context.

I take full responsibility on whether I take one's information seriously or not. I cannot blame anyone because I have wrong information. If I am faithful servant of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will help me to discern which information to take or not.:hibye:

thats the sense i get out of the scriptures too - maybe the Great Crowd who dont go to the literal heaven are left ruling here on earth as representatives of the heavenly kingdom?

just a thought

Me too i always thought that which book or wt is this in i have all the old wt's on pdf and the books i have the old ones and others i can get (hey does anyone have that wt bookshelf cdrom i neeeed that)