"TRY THE SPIRITS"
1 John 4: 1
THE APOSTLE JOHN exhorts in this text: "Beloved, believe not every spirit [teaching], but try [test, prove] the [and [teachings, doctrines] whether they are of God [he shows why this is necessary, and warns]: because many false prophets [with their false teachings] are gone out into the world [thus it is evident that the word spirits here means teachings]." Pastor Russell, "that faithful and wise servant," indicates (F 232, 278) that the spirits in this text are teachings and teachers (comp. Life-Death-Hereafter, pp. 129-132, 209). We are to "prove [test by the truth of God's Word] all things," all teachings presented to us by those we have reason to believe are true Bible teachers, and to hold fast only to those teachings that are good and true (Isa. 8: 20; Acts 17: 11; 1 Thes. 5: 21). We are not in any manner to accept the erroneous doctrines of false teachers or to give heed to their wrong practices, but, as the Apostle Paul advises, "from such turn away" (2 Tim. 3: 5; Rom. 16: 17)…
...Therefore this Scripture proves that, generally speaking, Jesus as God's Mouthpiece, and thus the exclusive Interpreter of the Word, would use in the end of this Age the Parousia and Epiphany Messengers as antitypical Aaron, generally speaking, to interpret to the brethren the Word as due, especially on new doctrines, prophesies and types. And during the earthly lifetime of these two Messengers, any attempt of others to unravel these three things as new matters would be the prohibited "gazing"—speculation—of Ex. 19: 21-25, and would meet with a cutting off from their standing, if wilfully persisted in (comp. P '76, p. 92, pars. 3, 4). Had this matter been heeded, the Lord's people in the Parousia, and especially in the Epiphany, would have been spared much confusion and many a fall from class standings before the Lord.
We should, however, differentiate between "gazing" and watching for fulfilments of Scriptures (Hab. 2: 1; Luke 21: 36). We understand that this watching, as distinct from "gazing," means the meek and humble study of current events for signs of the times in the light of the Scriptural forecasts and interpretations given by God's special mouthpieces, including the one serving at the time, in order to see how these are being fulfilled...
PT. 1978
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
"Exposing and Refuting Error A Necessity"
EXPOSING AND REFUTING ERROR A NECESSITY
SOME have questioned the advisability of our exposing and refuting various errors from time to time, claiming that to do so is entirely negative and not really edifying or necessary for the welfare of the Lord's people. The thought has been expressed that we should merely state what we believe, and let others set forth and believe what they wish, without our pointing out or refuting any of their errors for our readers' benefit.
But let us not forget that a large part of the New Testament, of the teachings of both Jesus and the Apostles, is made up of this very kind of ministry—namely, showing the Satanic origin, and therefore the dangers and unsettling results, of the propagation of erroneous doctrines, which the Apostle Peter (2 Pet. 2: 1) so definitely refers to as "damnable heresies."
Our Lord prophesied and warned (Matt. 24: 4, 5, 24), "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Throughout the Gospel Age, and even in our own day, how many antichrists have arisen (1 John 2: 18; 4: 3), and how many false prophets, deceiving many!
The Apostle Paul predicted and warned (Acts 20: 28-31), "Take heed therefore unto yourselves . . . for I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them...
PT. 1965
SOME have questioned the advisability of our exposing and refuting various errors from time to time, claiming that to do so is entirely negative and not really edifying or necessary for the welfare of the Lord's people. The thought has been expressed that we should merely state what we believe, and let others set forth and believe what they wish, without our pointing out or refuting any of their errors for our readers' benefit.
But let us not forget that a large part of the New Testament, of the teachings of both Jesus and the Apostles, is made up of this very kind of ministry—namely, showing the Satanic origin, and therefore the dangers and unsettling results, of the propagation of erroneous doctrines, which the Apostle Peter (2 Pet. 2: 1) so definitely refers to as "damnable heresies."
Our Lord prophesied and warned (Matt. 24: 4, 5, 24), "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Throughout the Gospel Age, and even in our own day, how many antichrists have arisen (1 John 2: 18; 4: 3), and how many false prophets, deceiving many!
The Apostle Paul predicted and warned (Acts 20: 28-31), "Take heed therefore unto yourselves . . . for I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them...
PT. 1965
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Come To You In Sheep's Clothing
Fishmongers who seek to sell fish unfit to be eaten never cry, "Nasty, old fish," nor label them as such, but usually offer them as "nice, fresh fish"; likewise, "false prophets," of whom the Lord told us to beware, never identify their repudiations of the Truth, their restatements of old errors, their erroneous new interpretations, their misapplications of Scripture or their wild speculations as being such, but usually misrepresent them as being revelations from heaven, "advancing Truth," "new light," "mature thoughts," etc.
PT. 1958
PT. 1958
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Another Great Door of Favor
It is quite clear from the Scriptures, reason and facts that 1914 marked a very significant point of time in history, the end of the Times of the Gentiles and the beginning of the great Time of Trouble foretold in Dan. 12: 1 and referred to also by Jesus in Matt. 24: 21, 22.
But what many are not aware of is that 1914 marked also an important milestone for God's people. The plowman (the great Time of Trouble, as identified by Pastor Russell—Amos 9: 13; Z 5761) then overtook the reaper, those who were doing the harvesting work of gathering the remnant of the Spirit-begotten saints of God (Psa. 50: 5).
According to Rev. 7: 1-3, all of the Elect, the 144,000, were sealed in their foreheads before the wind—the World War—began to blow in 1914-16. Before the War began where they were, they all had received enough of the Truth as due to leave Babylon or wherever they were and to come into an understanding of the Truth as due on Jesus' Second Presence, etc. Before nominal Zion's travail, in the great Time of Trouble (Isa. 66: 7; 1 Thes. 5: 3), she brought to Spirit-begettal the Man-child—the full number of the Body of Christ, the one New Man of Eph. 2: 15.
Some of the Spirit-begotten remained after 1914 for many years to complete their earthly course, but the passage of time, as well as other considerations, show that now they have all finished their earthly course.
However, another great door of favor of God has opened—another special class has been developing here in the end of the Gospel Age—the Spirit-enlightened, Spirit-energized, non-Spirit-begotten, dedicated servants of Jehovah, who have consecrated too late to be of the Spiritual elect, but who are nevertheless greatly beloved of God and Christ and are given Their fellowship, joy, mercy and peace in believing (1 John 1: 3-7; Rom. 14: 17). They will have marvelous rewards in the Millennial Kingdom in association with the Ancient Worthies in its earthly phase. Pastor Russell referred to them in Z 5761 as "Those Consecrating Between the Ages."
PT. 1983
But what many are not aware of is that 1914 marked also an important milestone for God's people. The plowman (the great Time of Trouble, as identified by Pastor Russell—Amos 9: 13; Z 5761) then overtook the reaper, those who were doing the harvesting work of gathering the remnant of the Spirit-begotten saints of God (Psa. 50: 5).
According to Rev. 7: 1-3, all of the Elect, the 144,000, were sealed in their foreheads before the wind—the World War—began to blow in 1914-16. Before the War began where they were, they all had received enough of the Truth as due to leave Babylon or wherever they were and to come into an understanding of the Truth as due on Jesus' Second Presence, etc. Before nominal Zion's travail, in the great Time of Trouble (Isa. 66: 7; 1 Thes. 5: 3), she brought to Spirit-begettal the Man-child—the full number of the Body of Christ, the one New Man of Eph. 2: 15.
Some of the Spirit-begotten remained after 1914 for many years to complete their earthly course, but the passage of time, as well as other considerations, show that now they have all finished their earthly course.
However, another great door of favor of God has opened—another special class has been developing here in the end of the Gospel Age—the Spirit-enlightened, Spirit-energized, non-Spirit-begotten, dedicated servants of Jehovah, who have consecrated too late to be of the Spiritual elect, but who are nevertheless greatly beloved of God and Christ and are given Their fellowship, joy, mercy and peace in believing (1 John 1: 3-7; Rom. 14: 17). They will have marvelous rewards in the Millennial Kingdom in association with the Ancient Worthies in its earthly phase. Pastor Russell referred to them in Z 5761 as "Those Consecrating Between the Ages."
PT. 1983
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