Another Sort of Good News? - 2005/03/13 05:57I was reading this Scripture and it occured to me how it related to the history of the Society. Any comments would be appreciated.
"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed." Gal 1:6-10
The Gospel is of course the 'good news' about the Christ and the reconciliation offered to mankind with God through Jesus. This is the Christian message. It contains no dates. No complicated system of prophetic interpretation relating to 'end times'.
However, this Christian gospel was not primarily Russel's message, and it cerainly wasn't Rutherfords's. Their 'good news' (which actually became rather 'bad news' for everyone but JWs) was overwhelmingly related to their personal interpretations of prophesy and to a system of dates that they had calculated based on their views of prophectic Scripture and such things as the measurements of the Great Pyramid. This was the message that the early JW's took to the people. The Christian gospel was merely an aside and always it was corrupted with a man made chronology and date predictions. This was not what Christ taught. It was not what the early Christians taught. And it is not what Bible writers like Paul urged Christians to preach. Isn't this 'another sort of good news'? Isnt this date ridden system of false interpretation what we as JW's preached? Isnt this still what JW's basically teach? Yes, taking an interest in prophesy is natural for Christians, but reaching dogmatic conclusions about interpretation and preaching that to the detriment of the message of love that is the 'good news' is not the message that Jesus commanded us to preach is it?
The early Witnesses believed that the Holy Spirit was no longer operating among them. Instead Rutherford taught that they recieved their understanding of prophesy directly from the angels:
1933 "This is the proof that the interpretation of prophesy does not proceed from man, but that the Lord Jesus...sends the necessary information to his people by and through his holy angels" (PREP 28)
But Paul said "even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!" Well, was Rutherford's message, the JW's message, 'contrary' to the 'good news'? Certainly it was. In fact, Rutherford himself openly shelved the gospel based on his own chronological interpretations with the following comment:
1934 "Vindication of Jehovah's name is now more important that God's love to man through Christ" (JEHO 320)
Well, Joseph said so, it must be true, so thats what JW's preached. A year after Rutherford made these comments and displayed his disinterest in the 'good news' about the Christ he decided that his followers should adopt the name 'Jehovah's Witnesses'. This was quite fitting. Having shelved the good news about Jesus and distorted it primarily into a message of hate and condemnation against 'Christendom', Rutherford decided that he would have his people further distance themselves from 'Christians', the name God had divinely decreed that Jesus followers should bear (Acts 11:26), by having his followers bear a different name; another sort of name, to go with Rutherfords 'other sort of good news'. This, despite the fact Jesus had clearly commanded Christians to be his "witnesses" (Acts 1:8)
As with Russels predictions, all of Rutherfords prophetic pronouncements came to nothing. And as Russel had done, Rutherford too 'distorted' the 'good news' by using it merely as a basis to promote his own ideas, his own - other - 'good news', and JW's preached it. They are still doing so. And isnt anyone who sidelines the 'good news' about God's love through Jesus to preach their own interpretation of prophesy doing that too? I think so.
Much Philia.
Phi
Post edited by: Phi, at: 2005/03/25 06:59
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Eden
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Re:Another Sort of Good News? - 2005/03/14 21:31Hi Phi,
Things have been so busy round here I have only just read this entry. Galatians comes first equal with Romans in my 'favourite books of the bible' list. I too find an uncanny resemblance between the WT's teaching and this 'perversion of the good news' rising in Galatia.
The info you highlighted about Russel and Rutherford is truely worrying (I feel like 'side show bob' when Selma asked him to rub the corns on her feet, {shudder}). This topic shoots straight to my heart. It compelled me to write the article 'what really are the requirements of Christian life', which has Galatians as its theme text.
The Galatians laboured under the faithless opinion that righteousness could be achieved. And the 'requirement' to attend ALL meetings, assemblies and conventions, preach (this perversion) from door to door etc etc etc etc etc etc ETC ETC ETC ETC! ETC!!! .....etc, is exactly the same faithless opinion. {shudder}
Paul says it beautifully when he says, "Are you so senseless? After starting in spirit are you now being completed in flesh?"
Ahh, I could go on and on....
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amosfamily
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Re:Another Sort of Good News? - 2005/03/17 20:41Dear Phi
Personally, I don't like to pass judgement on things that people said 50 to 120 years ago. I myself have uttered interpretations 7 days ago that I now thik are wrong.
If what your saying is that these brothers had evil intent in what they said or wrote, then that's dangerous territory. If you notice in John's words, the responsibility to test the utterances rested with the hearers - you and I; 1 John 4:1 Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God, because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.
So, to me it doesn't matter what is said by anyone who claims to be Jehovah's representative, it is we who bear responsibility to test it.
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Phi
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Re:Another Sort of Good News? - 2005/03/18 01:31Hi Amosfamily!
My intention was not to pass judgement on the people but, as you indicate, to examine the message to see if it was in harmony with the good news. I have no idea what the intent of the early JW's leaders was. But we can test their message and examine its "fruits". As you rightly say it is up to each one of us, the hearers, to test everything that we hear. Paul and other Bible writers do indicate that it is possible to identify "false prophets" by their message and their failed prophesys. I suppose there are both sincere false prophets and false prophets with evil intent in the world, the common denominatior being: preaching a flawed message that is not from God while claiming that it is. But God will judge hearts, while we judge their message.
Much Philia.
Phi.
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Eden
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Re:Another Sort of Good News? - 2005/03/18 11:52Hi Afamily and Phi,
For me, this is not about judging the intent of anyone except Satan. (I can judge him can't I? ) I hope with all Hope the brothers 100 years ago were sincere. But the point is, IMHO, regardless of their intentions, they were wrong - more than that, ignoring the exhortation from Paul to the Galatians.
Now, between brothers, that is fine, so long as we always strive to speak the truth about Jesus - just as Paul was exhorting the Galatians to do. However, the situation we have with the WT, is a corrupt system that has marched on, undeterred, for more than a century, claiming unashamedly to be the sole channel between God and man.
Yes, I was wrong 7 days ago, 7 months ago, 7 years ago - but I have not asserted that these mistakes were as a result of the holy spirit's leadings (or messages from angels) or claim to be the one and only faithful slave dispensing the truth about God.
For me, this situation shows Satan to be the author of the WT system FROM ITS INCEPTION - that is not to say, Russell, Rutherford and whoever else knew they were serving Satan - but establishing a religious system is not and never has been in harmony with the mind of Christ. IMHO.
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Phi
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Re:Another Sort of Good News? - 2005/03/18 12:12Hi Eden and all. For me, this situation shows Satan to be the author of the WT system FROM ITS INCEPTION - that is not to say, Russell, Rutherford and whoever else knew they were serving Satan - but establishing a religious system is not and never has been in harmony with the mind of Christ. IMHO.
Agreed. And Im sure the same goes for many other - or all - 'organized' Christian 'religions' (institutions) that have sprung up since the close of the first century. In the case of the WT, if there is evidence - and I think there is overwhelming evidence if we care to look at it - that from the very beginning it has been used as another tool to mislead it's followers and misdirect worship, then it could never have been set up by God or used by him exclusively to draw the anointed into one organizational 'household'. People speak of Israel as Gods nation becoming apostate, well, that's true, but it didnt start out that way. The WT, on the other hand, began as an institution propagating false prophesy and idolatry ('creature worship' of Russell, as the Society itself called it). Yes, it taught some truth. But the most convincing lies are always laced with truth. That way they are more easily swallowed. Satan can be a pretty convincing looking "Angel of Light". But like you Eden, I am not suggesting that the WT leaders knowing did this. I think they were more likely simply "overreached". But we can't know.
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