Publication date
8/1/06
Volume
27
Number
15
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1906/15/1906-15-1.html
 
 
ZION}S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA. 
in 
public 
services 
of 
the 
church 
to 
other 
congregations, 
and 
that 
his 
words 
therefore 
do 
not 
apply 
at 
the 
present 
time. 
This 
is 
sophistry, 
false 
reasoning. 
The 
epIstles 
to 
the 
Corinthians 
were 
not 
'" 
ritien 
to 
the 
debauchees, 
neither 
male 
nor 
female, 
of 
that 
time, 
but 
to 
the 
saints 
at 
Corinth, 
both 
male 
and 
fe­ 
male; 
and 
a 
saint 
at 
Corinth 
meant 
exactly 
the 
same 
thing 
as 
a 
saint 
elsewhere, 
namely, 
one 
whose 
life 
had 
turned 
from 
sin 
to 
righteousness, 
and 
who, 
accepting 
Christ 
as 
his 
Savior, 
had 
made 
full 
consecration 
of 
all 
to 
him. 
Indeed 
it 
would 
appear 
that 
the 
Apostle's 
strictures 
on 
woman's 
sphere 
came 
from 
the 
opposite 
quarter-that 
the 
church 
at 
Corinth 
seemed 
to 
feel 
itself 
superior 
to 
the 
other 
congregations, 
and 
desired 
to 
grasp 
liberties 
for 
its 
women 
which 
the 
other 
churches 
never 
thought 
of. 
Hence 
the 
Apostle 
after 
rebukmg 
them 
asks, 
"What' 
came 
the 
Word 
of 
the 
Lord 
out 
from 
you' 
[Did 
it 
originate 
with 
you' 
Are 
we 
to 
look 
to 
the 
Christians 
at 
Corinth 
as 
the 
expounders 
of 
the 
message'l 
or 
came 
it 
unto 
you 
merely' 
[Did 
you 
not 
receive 
the 
Gospel 
as 
others 
received 
it' 
Do 
you 
not 
admit 
that 
you 
were 
not 
the 
originlltors 
of 
it' 
You 
have, 
therefore, 
nothing 
whatever 
to 
do 
with 
adding 
to 
or 
changing 
its 
regulations. 
As 
you 
will 
see 
this 
matter 
in 
its 
correct 
light 
you 
will 
agree 
that 
you 
should 
receive 
the 
message 
of 
the 
grace 
of 
God 
in 
the 
line 
in 
which 
he 
sent 
it, 
and 
should 
obey 
it 
without 
thought 
of 
alteration 
or 
emendation 
to 
suit 
some 
supposed 
preferential 
teachings 
in 
your 
midst.] 
(1 
Cor. 
14: 
36.) 
"The 
faith 
once 
delive'red 
to 
the 
saints" 
is 
not 
a 
variable 
but 
a 
fixed 
one. 
Hence 
the 
Apostll' 
urges" 
that 
ye 
all 
mind 
the 
same 
things." 
Another 
line 
of 
sophistry 
used 
to 
make 
void 
the 
teachings 
of 
the 
Scriptures 
on 
this 
subject 
seeks 
its 
object 
by 
handling 
the 
Word 
of 
God 
deceitfully: 
By 
taking 
the 
statement 
of 
Colossians 
3: 
18, 
twisting 
it 
about 
so 
as 
to 
give 
it 
a 
different 
meaning 
from 
its 
proper 
one, 
and 
thl;'n 
using 
that 
improper 
twist 
in 
connection 
with 
all 
other 
Scriptures 
bearing 
on 
the 
subject. 
The 
passage 
in 
question 
reads, 
"Wives, 
suom:t 
your­ 
selves 
unto 
your 
own 
husbands, 
as 
it 
is 
fit, 
in 
the 
Lord." 
The 
meaning 
of 
these 
words 
should 
be 
evident 
to 
everyone; 
they 
are 
very 
distinct. 
They 
tell 
the 
Christian 
wife 
that 
her 
rela· 
tionship 
to 
the 
Lord, 
the 
liberty 
wherewith 
Christ 
makes 
free 
indeed, 
does 
not 
annul 
her 
relationship 
to 
her 
husband, 
whether 
he 
be 
in 
Christ 
or 
be 
not 
in 
Christ; 
and 
that 
she 
still 
owes 
to 
her 
husband 
the 
duty 
of 
a 
wife; 
that 
the 
wife 
in 
the 
divine 
order 
is 
not 
the 
head 
of 
the 
famil)", 
and 
that 
it 
is 
the 
duty 
of 
the 
wife 
to 
be 
submissive 
(in 
all 
matters 
which 
do 
not 
involve 
conscience-which 
would 
include 
all 
matters 
which 
would 
seriously 
endanger 
health). 
The 
Apostle 
points 
out 
that 
this 
is 
the 
fit 
course-the 
course 
which 
he 
has 
elsewhere 
pointed 
out 
to 
be 
the 
proper 
one 
also 
for 
the 
natural 
man 
or 
woman 
j 
for 
he 
distinctly 
declares 
that 
the 
primacy 
of 
the 
man 
in 
the 
family 
was 
established 
at 
ere· 
ation, 
and 
that 
the 
man 
was 
created 
not 
to 
be 
the 
helpmate 
of 
the 
woman, 
but 
the 
woman 
to 
be 
the 
helpmate 
of 
the 
man. 
This 
is 
the 
fit 
course 
in 
nature 
j 
and 
in 
this 
verse 
the 
Apostle 
del'lared 
that 
it 
is 
still 
the 
fit 
course 
as 
respects 
the 
Christian 
wife 
(" 
fit 
in 
the 
Lord 
") 
after 
she 
has 
been 
received 
into 
the 
liberty 
of 
the 
family 
of 
God. 
In 
other 
words, 
she 
has 
a 
rela· 
tionship 
of 
heart 
and 
conscience 
to 
God 
and 
a 
relationship 
in 
the 
flesh 
to 
her 
husband; 
and 
these 
are 
not 
to 
be 
understood 
to 
conflict 
but 
are"in 
full 
agreement 
uuder 
the 
Lord's 
arrange­ 
ment. 
Do 
you 
ask 
how 
sophistry 
could 
change 
the 
plain 
state­ 
ment 
of 
this 
verse' 
We 
reply 
that 
it 
attempts 
to 
do 
so 
by 
juggling 
with 
the 
word 
"fit," 
and 
implying 
that 
the 
Apostle 
means 
that 
the 
wife 
should 
subject 
to 
her 
husband 
as 
her 
mind 
tells 
her 
would 
be 
fit 
and 
proper. 
Of 
course 
the 
minds 
of 
many 
women 
would 
never 
tell 
them 
that 
it 
was 
fit 
or 
proper 
to 
be 
SUbject 
to 
their 
husbands, 
and 
according 
to 
this 
false, 
sophist­ 
ical 
interpretation 
they 
would 
be 
following 
the 
Apostle's 
in· 
junction 
by 
violating 
the 
spirit 
of 
his 
Word 
in 
this 
text. 
After 
establishing 
this 
fallacious 
thought 
in 
the 
mind-and 
it 
seems 
to 
appeal 
to 
the 
natural 
mind 
of 
some,--this 
philosophy 
which 
seeks 
to 
upset 
the 
teaching 
of 
God's 
Word, 
while 
appal" 
ently 
remaining 
loyal 
to 
it, 
proceeds 
to 
deal 
WIth 
all 
the 
other 
texts 
of 
Scripture 
which 
relate 
to 
the 
wife's 
relationship 
to 
her 
husband, 
by 
saying 
that 
they 
must 
all 
be 
understood 
and 
interpreted 
in 
harmony 
with 
this 
declaration 
of 
the 
Apostle, 
"if 
it 
is 
fit," 
meaning 
as 
the 
woman 
sees 
fit 
in 
her 
judgment 
and 
certainly 
not 
as 
the 
husband 
would 
see 
fit. 
The 
Apostle 
on 
the 
contrary 
is 
saying 
that 
the 
submission 
of 
the 
wife 
to 
the 
husband 
is 
the 
fit, 
proper 
course 
"in 
the 
Lord" 
as 
also 
in 
nature. 
As 
before 
stated. 
we 
realize 
that 
many 
women, 
both 
in 
and 
out 
of 
the 
truth, 
suffer 
great 
hardships 
at 
the 
hands 
of 
incon· 
siderate 
and 
sometimes 
brutal 
husbands 
j 
and 
in 
view 
of 
our 
knowledge 
of 
this 
fact 
nothing 
would 
be 
further 
from 
our 
natural 
disposition 
than 
to 
give 
such 
advice 
respecting 
gen· 
eral 
submission. 
Rather, 
our 
natural 
mind 
on 
the 
subject 
would 
have 
been 
resistance, 
self·assertion, 
contending 
for 
rights, 
etc. 
But 
as 
we 
have 
learned 
not 
to 
follow 
our 
own 
inclinations 
and 
judgment 
in 
respect 
to 
our 
own 
matters, 
interests 
and 
rights, 
sO 
we 
have 
learned 
and 
are 
more 
and 
more 
learning 
to 
advise 
others 
to 
most 
carefully 
follow 
not 
their 
own 
combativeness 
nor 
their 
own 
ambitions 
in 
these 
matters, 
but 
that 
if 
they 
would 
be 
overcomers 
and 
win 
the 
crown 
they 
should 
hearken 
to 
him 
who 
speaketh 
from 
heaven. 
We 
surmise 
that 
a 
large 
proportion 
of 
the 
trouble 
that 
is 
coming 
upon 
the 
world 
in 
general 
will 
be 
the 
result 
of 
dis­ 
content, 
which 
we 
expect 
to 
see 
increasing 
year 
by 
year 
until 
the 
turmoil 
of 
anarchy 
shall 
ruin 
all 
except 
those 
who 
shall 
have 
submitted 
their 
wills 
to 
the 
Lord 
and 
waited 
for 
him 
to 
establish 
righteousness 
and 
justice 
in 
the 
earth. 
We 
urge 
upon 
the 
Lord's 
people, 
male 
and 
female, 
all 
the 
fruits 
and 
graces 
of 
the 
Spirit,-meekness, 
gentleness, 
patience, 
long 
suf­ 
fering, 
brotherly 
kindness, 
love. 
We 
assure 
them, 
in 
harmony 
with 
the 
Word, 
that 
whether 
such 
conduct 
on 
their 
part 
be 
iovingly 
received 
and 
appreciated, 
or 
whether 
it 
shall 
bring 
them 
increased 
trials 
and 
oppositions 
and 
injustice, 
neverthe­ 
Jess 
the 
peaceable 
fruits 
of 
righteousness 
prevailing 
in 
their 
hearts 
will 
bring 
them 
the 
peace 
of 
God 
which 
passeth 
all 
un­ 
derstanding 
even 
in 
the 
present 
life, 
and 
will 
prepare 
them 
the 
more 
surely 
for 
the 
kingdom 
and 
its 
glories 
and 
honors. 
' 
, 
He 
that 
humbleth 
himself 
shall 
be 
exalted, 
he 
that 
exalteth 
him· 
self 
shall 
be 
.abased." 
"Humble 
yourselves, 
therefore, 
under 
the 
mighty 
hand 
of 
God, 
that 
he 
may 
exalt 
you 
in 
due 
time. 
For 
it 
is 
written, 
he 
giveth 
his 
favor 
to 
the 
humble, 
but 
resist· 
eth 
the 
proud," 
the 
self-assertive.-Luke 
14: 
11; 
J 
as. 
4: 
6. 
• 
VOL. 
XXVII 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
AUGUST 
1, 
1906 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
15 
How 
clearly 
those 
whose 
eyes 
are 
opened 
to 
the 
true 
teach· 
ings 
of 
the 
Bible 
can 
see 
that 
the 
difficulty 
of 
the 
writer 
of 
the 
above 
and 
the 
general 
difficulty 
of 
Christendom 
is 
that 
the 
Truth 
of 
divine 
revelation 
has 
been 
buried 
under 
nonsensical 
human 
traditions 
which 
make 
the 
gospel 
an 
absurdity 
to 
them. 
There 
are 
two 
views 
of 
this 
matter. 
(1) 
If 
Christianity 
be 
off 
we 
were 
here 
the 
better 
it 
would 
be 
for 
us 
in 
the 
next, 
and 
vice 
verRa. 
"It 
is 
wonderful 
how 
complete 
and 
rapid 
the 
change 
hal'! 
been. 
The 
churches 
now 
are 
trying 
to 
emphasize 
points 
of 
agreement, 
rather 
than 
of 
difference, 
and 
are 
working 
har· 
moniously 
together 
for 
moral 
and 
humanitarian 
ends. 
Theology 
and 
doctrine 
have 
been 
sent 
to 
the 
rear, 
and 
it 
is 
recognized 
that 
the 
true 
work 
of 
the 
church 
is 
here 
and 
now 
in 
making 
this 
world 
a 
happier 
and 
better 
place 
for 
everybody 
to 
live 
in, 
on 
a 
basis 
of 
unselfishness 
and 
brotherly 
love. 
In 
this 
effort 
agnostic 
and 
churchman, 
Jews 
and 
infidels, 
are 
working 
to· 
gether, 
and 
what 
a 
man 
believes 
is 
regarded 
as 
of 
compara· 
tively 
little 
consequence." 
* 
* 
* 
CHANGE 
IN 
CHURCmANITY'S 
METHODS 
The 
Editor 
of 
the 
Cincinnati 
Enquirer 
says:­ 
"The 
churches 
of 
the 
country 
enter 
so 
largely 
into 
the 
character 
and 
direction 
of 
its 
growth, 
and 
accomplish 
so 
much 
that 
is 
helpfUl 
in 
variouR 
ways 
in 
the 
uplifting 
of 
society, 
that 
information 
as 
to 
their 
progress 
is 
of 
interest 
to 
readers 
outside 
as 
well 
as 
inside 
thl'ir 
varied 
folds. 
No 
one 
can 
fail 
to 
notice 
how 
much 
in 
a 
general 
way 
their 
teaching 
and 
aims 
have 
chang-ed 
with 
the 
times, 
and 
to 
how 
large 
an 
extent 
sec· 
tarian 
differences 
and 
angularities 
are 
disappearing 
and 
being 
disregarded. 
Fifty 
years 
ago 
churches 
were 
looked 
upon 
chiefly 
as 
divinely 
constituted 
organizations, 
insuring 
their 
members 
safe 
passage 
to 
and 
first·class 
accommodations 
in 
a 
better 
world, 
and 
their 
teaching 
was 
mostly 
along 
theological 
and 
doctrinal 
lines. 
Every 
sect, 
while 
doubting 
the 
efficiency 
of 
the 
insurance 
provision 
in 
the 
tickets 
of 
all 
rivals, 
was 
wholly 
confident 
of 
its 
own, 
and 
missions 
to 
the 
heathen 
were 
urged 
on 
the 
ground 
that 
unless 
converted 
they 
were 
all 
doomed 
to 
everlasting 
punishment 
for 
not 
accepting 
what 
they 
had 
never 
heard 
of. 
This 
world 
was 
not 
worth 
thinking 
about; 
the 
worse 
[3828] 
(239-243) in public services of the church to other congregations, and that his words therefore do not apply at the present time. This is sophistry, false reasoning. The epistles to the Corinthians were not written to the debauchees, neither male nor female, of that time, but to the saints at Corinth, both male and female; and a saint at Corinth meant exactly the same thing as a saint elsewhere, namely, one whose life had turned from sin to righteousness, and who, accepting Christ as his Savior, had made full consecration of all to him. Indeed it would appear that the Apostle’s strictures on woman’s sphere came from the opposite quarter—that the chureh at Corinth seemed to feel itself superior to the other congregations, and desired to grasp liberties for its women which the other churches never thought of. Hence the Apostle after rebuking them asks, ‘‘What? came the Word of the Lord out from you? [Did it originate with you? Are we to look to the Christians at Corinth as the expounders of the message?]} or came it unto you merely? [Did you not receive the Gospel as others received it? Do you not admit that you were not the originators of it? You have, therefore, nothing whatever to do with adding to or changing its regulations. As you will see this matter in its correct light you will agree that you should receive the message of the grace of God in the line in which he sent it, and should obey it without thought of alteration or emendation to suit some supposed preferential teachings in your midst.] (1 Cor. 14:36.) ‘‘The faith once delivered to the saints’’ is not a variable but a fixed one. Hence the Apostle urges ‘‘that ye all mind the same things.’’ Another line of sophistry used to make void the teachings of the Scriptures on this subject seeks its object by handling the Word of God deceitfully: By taking the statement of Colossians 3:18, twisting it about so as to give it a different meaning from its proper one, and then using that improper twist in connection with all other Scriptures bearing on the subject. The passage in question reads, ‘‘ Wives, subm:t yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit, in the Lord.’’ The meaning of these words should be evident to everyone; they are very distinct. They tell the Christian wife that her relationship to the Lord, the liberty wherewith Christ makes free indeed, does not annul her relationship to her husband, whether he be in Christ or be not in Christ; and that she still owes to her husband the duty of a wife; that the wife in the divine order is not the head of the family, and that it is the duty of the wife to be submissive (in all matters which do not involve conscience—which would include all matters which would seriously endanger health). The Apostle points out that this is the fit eourse—the course which he has elsewhere pointed out to be the proper one also for the natural man or woman; for he distinctly declares that the primacy of the man in the family was established at creation, and that the man was created not to be the helpmate of the woman, but the woman to be the helpmate of the man. This is the fit course in nature; and in this verse the Apostle declared that it is still the fit course as respects the Christian wife (‘‘fit in the Lord’’) after she has been received into the liberty of the family of God. In other words, she has a relationship of heart and conscience to God and a relationship in the flesh to her husband; and these are not to be understood ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa, to conflict but are*in full agreement under the Lord’s arrangement. Do you ask how sophistry could change the plain statement of this verse? We reply that it attempts to do so by juggling with the word ‘‘fit,’’ and implying that the Apostle means that the wife should subject to her husband as her mind tells her would be fit and proper. Of course the minds of many women would never tell them that it was fit or proper to be subject to their husbands, and according to this false, sophistical interpretation they would be following the Apostle’s injunction by violating the spirit of his Word in this text. After establishing this fallacious thought in the mind—and it seems to appeal to the natural mind of some,-—this philosophy which seeks to upset the teaching of God’s Word, while apparently remaining loyal to it, proceeds to deal with all the other texts of Scripture which relate to the wife’s relationship to her husband, by saying that they must all be understood and interpreted in harmony with this declaration of the Apostle, ‘if it is fit,’’ meaning as the woman sees fit in her judgment and certainly not as the husband would see fit. The Apostle on the contrary is saying that the submission of the wife to the husband is the fit, proper course ‘‘in the Lord’’ as also in nature. As before stated, we realize that many women, both in and out of the truth, suffer great hardships at the hands of inconsiderate and sometimes brutal husbands; and in view of our knowledge of this fact nothing would be further from our natural disposition than to give such advice respecting general submission, Rather, our natural mind on the subject would have been resistance, self-assertion, contending for rights, ete. But as we have learned not to follow our own inclinations and judgment in respect to our own matters, interests and rights, so we have learned and are more and more learning to advise others to most carefully follow not their own combativeness nor their own ambitions in these matters, but that if they would be overcomers and win the crown they should hearken to him who speaketh from heaven. We surmise that a large proportion of the trouble that is coming upon the world in general will be the result of discontent, which we expect to see increasing year by year until the turmoil of anarchy shall ruin all except those who shall have submitted their wills to the Lord and waited for him to establish righteousness and justice in the earth, We urge upon the Lord’s people, male and female, all the fruits and graces of the Spirit,—meekness, gentleness, patience, long suffering, brotherly kindness, love. We assure them, in harmony with the Word, that whether such conduct on their part be iovingly received and appreciated, or whether it shall bring them increased trials and oppositions and injustice, nevertheJess the peaceable fruits of righteousness prevailing in their hearts will bring them the peace of God which passeth all understanding even in the present life, and will prepare them the more surely for the kingdom and its glories and honors. ‘‘He that humbleth himself shall be exalted, he that exalteth himself shall be-abased.’’ ‘‘Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. For it is written, he giveth his favor to the humble, but resisteth the proud,’’ the self-assertive.—Luke 14:11; Jas. 4:6. Vou. XXVIT ALLEGHENY, PA., AUGUST 1, 1906 No. 15 a VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER CHANGE IN CHURCHIANITY’S METHODS The Editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer says:— ‘‘The churches of the country enter so largely into the character and direction of its growth, and accomplish so much that is helpful in various ways in the uplifting of society, that information as to their progress is of interest to readers outside as well as inside their varied folds. No one ean fail to notice how much in a general way their teaching and aims have changed with the times, and to how large an extent sectarian differences and angularities are disappearing and being disregarded. Fifty years ago churches were looked upon chiefly as divinely constituted organizations, insuring their members safe passage to and first-class accommodations in a better world, and their teaching was mostly along theological and doctrinal lines. Every sect, while doubting the efficiency of the insurance provision in the tickets of all rivals, was wholly confident of its own, and missions to the heathen were urged on the ground that unless converted they were all doomed to everlasting punishment for not accepting what they had never heard of. This world was not worth thinking about; the worse off we were here the better it would be for us in the next, and vice versa. ‘‘Tt is wonderful how complete and rapid the change has been. The churches now are trying to emphasize points of agreement, rather than of difference, and are working harmoniously together for moral and humanitarian ends. Theology and doctrine have been sent to the rear, and it is recognized that the true work of the church is here and now in making this world a happier and better place for everybody to live in, on a basis of unselfishness and brotherly love. In this effort agnostic and churchman, Jews and infidels, are working together, and what a man believes is regarded as of comparatively little consequence. ’’ * * * How clearly those whose eyes are opened to the true teachings of the Bible can see that the difficulty of the writer of the above and the general difficulty of Christendom is that the Truth of divine revelation has been buried under nonsensical human traditions which make the gospel an absurdity to them. There are two views of this matter. (1) If Christianity be [3828]

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