History Charles Taze Russell 1852 1916 Became wealthy

History • Charles Taze Russell – 1852 – 1916 – Became wealthy – Became a skeptic – Influenced by Millerites – Very immoral

History • Millerite Doctrine – No hell; only annihilation – Only 144, 000 saints in heaven – End of the world is near – 2 nd coming of Jesus • Recreate man • Renovate the earth

History • Publications – 1886 – Watchtower & Herald of Christ’s Presence – 1879 – Millennial Dawn • Later, “Studied in Scripture”

Scandals • 1897 – Wife sues for divorce; wins – Forced to pay $10 k in ack alimony • 1912 – Russell sues Baptist pastor – “Some Facts 7 More Facts About The Self. Styled ‘Pastor’ Charles T. Russell” • 1913 – Miracle Wheat – – – Claims would grow 5 x regular wheat Sold for $1/pound Brooklyn Daily Eagle exposed him Russell sues the paper for $100 k Russell loses the suit

Why Successful? • Understood human nature • Charismatic • Appealed to scripture • Many liked the idea of no hell • Opposed humanism/evolution

Succession • Joseph F. Rutherford – 1869 – 1942 – 1906: joined movement – 1907: Became legal counselor – 1929: Promoted publishing material – 1931: “Jehovah’s Witnesses”

New World Translation • Finished in 1950 – Dr. Bruce Metzger – “a frightful mistranslation, erroneous, pernicious, reprehensible…if the Jehovah's Witnesses take this translation seriously, they are polytheists. ” – Dr. William Barclay – “It is abundantly clear that a sect which can translate the New Testament like that is intellectually dishonest. ”

New World Translation • Who Were Translators? – “‘It is the truth rather than its servant that should be honored and proclaimed, ’ Russell wrote in 1900, adding: ‘There is too much disposition to credit truth to the preacher, forgetful that all truth is of God, who uses one or another servant in its proclamation as it may please him. ’ This is the principal reason why writers and translators of Watch Tower publications, as well as members of the New World Bible Translation Committee, choose to remain anonymous. (Awake, Oct 22, 1989, p. 20)

New World Translation Verse Greek NWT Gen 1: 2 “Spirit of God” “God’s active force” Ex 3: 14 “I am” “I shall prove to be” John 8: 58 “I am” “I have been” Matt 2: 11 “bowed down and worshipped Him” “did obeisance to it” Matt 25: 46 “eternal punishment” “everlasting cutting-off” Luke 12: 8 “confesses/acknowledges me” “confesses union with me” John 1: 1 “Word was God” “word was a god” Acts 10: 36 “Lord of all” “Lord of all [others]” Col 2: 9 “fullness of deity” “fullness of the divine quality” Heb 1: 8 “Your throne, O God” “God is your throne” Heb 12: 28 “we are receiving a kingdom” “we are to receive a kingdom” Rev 3: 14 “Ruler of God’s creation” “beginning of the creation by God”

New World Translation • By what authority? – “a translation committee of experienced anointed Christians was organized to produce the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in English. ” (Watchtower, October 15, 1997, How the Bible Came to Us, p 1112)

False Prophecies • 1908 – “In view of this strong Bible evidence concerning the Times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God, will be accomplished at the end of A. D. 1914. ” (The Time Is At Hand; 1889; 1908 ed. ; p. 99) • 1915 – “In view of this strong Bible evidence concerning the Times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the kingdom of God, will be accomplished near the end of A. D. 1915. ” (The Time Is At Hand, 1915 edition, p. 99) • 1924 – “The year 1925 is a date definitely and clearly marked in Scriptures, even more clearly than that of 1914” (Watchtower 1924, p. 211)

False Prophecies q “Regarding progressive spiritual enlightenment, Proverbs 4: 18 has proved true. It says: ‘The path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established’” How thankful we are for the progressive spiritual enlightenment we have experienced!” (Watchtower 2001 Jan 15 p. 18) q If this interpretation of Prov 4: 18 is correct: • “New light” can never contradict “old light” • Present credibility destroyed • Contradicts Russel himself – "If we were following a man undoubtedly it would be different with us; undoubtedly one human idea would contradict another and that which was light one or two or six years ago would be regarded as darkness now; … But with God there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, and so it is with truth; any knowledge or light coming from God must be like its author. A new view of truth never can contradict a former truth. "New Light" never extinguishes older "light" but adds to it…" Zion's Watch Tower 1881 Feb pp. 3, 188

False Prophecies

False Prophecies q “Apostles Taught Error Too!” • We’d both be wrong • Teaching vs. actions • How can we believe anything? Gal 2: 11 -14 – “ 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of some men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and separate himself, fearing those from the circumcision. 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? ’”

q 1981 – “No matter where we may live on earth, God's Word continues to serve as a light to our path and a lamp to our roadway as to our conduct and beliefs. (Ps. 119: 105) But Jehovah God has also provided his visible organization, his "faithful and discreet slave, " made up of spirit anointed ones, to help Christians in all nations to understand apply properly the Bible in their lives. Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that God is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible reading we do. ” (The Watchtower; 12/1/1981; pp. 27) q 1983 – “Avoid independent thinking. . . questioning the counsel that is provided by God's visible organization. ” (Watchtower, Jan. 15, 1983 pg. 22) q 1983 – “Fight against independent thinking. ” (Watchtower, Jan. 15, 1983 pg. 27 )