Responses to a Roman Catholic concerning Russell

[ResLight]

It is being claimed that Russell offered "himself to the public as a prophet, and as the founder of a new religion."

Fact: Russell never offered himself to the public as a prophet, nor did he ever offer himself "as the founder of a new religion." Russell -- by staying close to the Bible and ignoring man's self-proclaimed orthodoxy -- viewed himself as a reformer seeking to promote the "faith once delivered to the saints" that was corrupted through man's self-proclaimed "orthodox" teachings.

It is claimed that Russell wanted "his religion" to be public property.

Russell wanted no religion of "his". The only religion Russell upheld was that of Christ and the apostles.

It is claimed that Russell is a public figure whose life should be an open book.

The problem is that many use this as an excuse to promote all kinds of falsehoods, distortions, miserepresentations, evil surmissings, etc.

It is claimed that Christ is the Founder of the Catholic Church.

Christ is the founder of the true Catholic Church as given in the Bible; Christ is not the founder of that which he preached against, in the same way that Russell is not the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Russell did not believe in a religion such as the Jehovah's Witnesses; Russell preached against an organization such as Jehovah's Witnesses, and he preached against the kind of alleged "good news" that is preached by the Jehovah's Witnesses. As Russell was not the founder of that which he did not teach, so Christ was not the founder the Papal system, which replaced the basis of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus with doctrines such as the trinity, dual nature of man, etc.

Russell's own words:

I am aware that several churches claim to be Catholic, each declaring itself the true Church and reprobating the others as heretical. I take the still broader catholic ground-that the word catholic means general; and that any limitation such as Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, etc., to that extent denies their catholicity. Perhaps, therefore, I am really saying that I am more catholic than any of these brethren.

I must prove my point or be misunderstood. I hold, and few, if any, will dispute it, that the one catholic or general Church of Christ is that mentioned in the Bible -- "the Church of the Firstborns, written in Heaven." If this be admitted, my next proposition is that the Lord in Heaven records as members of His true Church all the saintly - whether Roman Catholics, Anglican Catholics, Greek Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, or Presbyterians, etc. -- and none others.

Have we not here the one Church, catholic, universal, the only Church which the Bible recognizes?... St. Paul declared that the saints of God, the true catholic Church, "are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Corner Stone." (Ephesians 2:20) The Twelve Apostles are here referred to in their double office-Apostles especially commissioned by the Lord as His representatives, and Prophets, mouthpieces, for the proclamation of His Message. Jesus pictures the Church of Glory as the New Jerusalem, and its twelve foundations as twelve precious stones, in which are the names of the TWELVE Apostles of the Lamb-no more, no less-St. Paul being God's choice to take Judas' place....

In proportion as God's people throw away their sectarian spectacles they can read God's Message in the words of Jesus and the Apostles. Let us hold fast the precious Word, which Jesus exhorts us to search and which is sufficient that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished.

Let us remember that there is only one true catholic, universal Church, each member of which is a saint, related to God and the Lord Jesus Christ through faith, repentance and remission of sin and begetting of the Holy Spirit; and that a member of the Body of Christ is a member of that Body anywhere, "Now are ye the Body of Christ, and members in particular." -- 1 Corinthians 12:27. -- Bible Students Monthly, Volume 7, Number 8 (1915)

http://rlctr.blogspot.com/2008/09/xf01-catholic-church.html

You will not find the Jehovah's Witnesses making such a broad claim for the true church as did Russell.

[ResLight]

It is being claimed that Russell traded on the ignorance of simpletons; and his followers still do the same.

In reality, it is man's orthodox tradition that trades on the ignorance of the simpletons, and does not wish one look under the carpet (so to speak) to see the dirty accumulation of man's tradition that is being imagined, assumed, added to and read into the scriptures. Russell, however, showed from the scriptures what is said, and what is not said, which led those who did not like such an exposure to attack Russell along personal lines, and to misrepresent what Russell had shown.

As to simpletons, most of those who became associates with Russell were not simpletons, but of the educated class.

Additionally, a true Bible Student will not be a "follower of Russell", but rather a follower of Christ. One should only follow Russell in that Russell may be able to lead one to a greater understanding of Christ.

I will say, however, that much of what is produced by the Watchtower today does indeed 'trade on the ignorance of simpletons.' Similar to the way Papacy has led millions into subjection to the leadership of a human organization, the JW leadership has led millions into subjection, not to Russell, but their leaders of a human organization. Russell never sought to do such a thing.

It is being claimed that throughout his books "Russell pretended to deep learning, quoting Greek words, and frequently attributing a special sense to them which they never possessed in the original language at all."

I wonder if the writer of the above has actually studied Russell's works to reach the above conclusion, or if such a conclusion is reached simply out of imagination, or by having been influenced by others?

At any rate, Russell was constantly referring to the works of Bible scholars and translators, both Catholic and Protestant, and showed how these had translated certain words, and how translators often translated words certain ways in order to support the tradition of man. Russell simply pointed out the usage of the Hebrew and Greek words using those works that had been provided, most of which were written by scholars who believed in the trinity. Russell, however, was not the first to point out such things, and Russell learned from those who came before him. (Thomas Read, Aaron Ellis, Henry Grew, George Storrs, and others)

One Hebrew and Greek scholar who came to similar conclusions as Russell was Prof. Paul S. L. Johnson (who changed his name from Paul Levitsky). Johnson (then Levitsky) graduated from from Capital University in Columbus, OH on May 25, 1898. He won the valedictory and also the highest honors ever given in the history of that university. He also graduated from the Theological Seminary of the Ohio Synod of the Lutheran Church. He was thoroughly educated in both Hebrew and Greek; this gave him the skills necessary to understand the Bible from the original languages. He had been taught in the seminary the doctrine of eternal torture of those not saved; through his studies of the Bible itself he came to understand that a God of perfect, wisdom, justice, power and love, would not, could not, punish his enemies with such a punishment as eternal roasting. He also came to see the Hebraic viewpoint of God, as opposed to the trinitarian or oneness views. With few exceptions, he confirmed the conclusions that Russell had reached. Johnson, however, did not come to his conclusions regarding the trinity, the mortality of the human soul, and hell, because he read what Russell said, but he had come to such conclusions before he had ever read Russell's works. Nevertheless, many people do not know that Prof. Johnson became an assistant to Russell, and that Russell had direct consultation of a such Hebrew and Greek scholar.

[Alexander]

Just a brief note here Ronald, I do not have the e-mail address of the person concerned but here is statement I am posting to all my contacts:

                                  THE TRUE ORIGINAL CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT

A special response to all those claiming to be Catholic, this is not and never was the so-called ‘Mother Church’ due to the fact that The Catholic Church was invented by the Emperor Theodosius in 390 A.D when he declared that: “All those embracing the doctrine of the Trinity shall henceforth be known as Catholic.”

This original edict can still be found in Gibbons ‘Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’ under The Emperor Theodosius Magnus. So like the rest of the man-made churches, organizations and movements in Christendom along with their man-made doctrines; the Catholic Church also joins these ranks while the original followers of ‘The Way’ (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 24:14) were ahead of them by 390 years being the foundation congregation of ‘The Christ’ and bound together by the Good News of the ‘Second Chance’ for all mankind by way of an earthly resurrection during the Sabbath Millennium of The Christ. (Matthew 24:14; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:6) Charles Taze Russell also taught this same truth.

In the name of Yeshua ha Notzri Messiah Liberatus

Pathfinder in truth and hope

Alexander