Publication date
2/15/07
Volume
28
Number
4
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1907/4/1907-4-1.html
 
 
 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA. 
the 
church 
when 
quarrels 
arise 
it 
will 
generally 
be 
found 
that 
the 
basis 
of 
the 
quarrel 
is 
a 
misunderstanding 
or 
selfishness, 
covetousness, 
a 
desire 
to 
be 
chief 
and 
greatest. 
It 
behooves 
each 
of 
the 
Lord's 
people 
under 
such 
circumstances 
to 
examine 
well 
his 
own 
heart, 
and 
to 
see 
that 
his 
own 
eye 
is 
good 
before 
he 
attempts 
to 
assist 
his 
brother 
who 
has 
the 
oppo­ 
site 
view. 
Having 
made 
sure 
of 
his 
own 
generosity 
of 
heart, 
and 
intent 
and 
willingness 
to 
yield, 
and 
to 
see 
and 
admire 
and 
approve 
the 
good 
in 
others, 
he 
will 
then 
be 
prepared 
to 
reason 
with 
others 
and 
to 
help 
them 
to 
also 
take 
the 
proper, 
broad, 
generous 
view 
of 
the 
situation. 
, 
I 
Let 
nothing 
be 
done 
through 
strife 
or 
vain 
glory," 
urges 
the 
Apostle-neither 
in 
the 
church 
nor 
in 
the 
home. 
Love 
is 
the 
only 
motive 
power 
that 
should 
be 
recognized 
amongst 
those 
who 
have 
passed 
from 
death 
unto 
life, 
who 
are 
new 
creatures 
in 
Christ 
Jesus. 
There 
is 
generally 
a 
peaceful 
way 
of 
settling 
all 
differences, 
and 
our 
Lord 
himself 
has 
set 
it 
forth, 
and 
we 
have 
presented 
the 
matter 
in 
detail 
in 
DAWN, 
Vol. 
VI, 
chap. 
vi. 
But, 
where 
all 
fails, 
rather 
than 
allow 
the 
spirit 
of 
brotherhood 
to 
fail 
and 
enmity 
or 
anger 
to 
prevail, 
it 
were 
far 
better 
that 
those 
who 
find 
themselves 
totally 
un­ 
able 
to 
fellowship 
in 
love 
together 
should 
seek 
to 
maintain 
fellowship 
in 
spirit 
by 
a 
separation, 
as 
in 
the 
case 
of 
Abraham 
and 
Lot. 
Nevertheless 
while 
this 
is 
to 
be 
approved 
as 
a 
final 
resort 
rather 
than 
to 
have 
internal 
strife, 
the 
necessity 
for 
such 
a 
course 
would 
certainly 
be 
lamentable--it 
would 
cer­ 
tainly 
imply 
that 
some 
if 
not 
all 
of 
the 
company 
were 
very 
immature 
as 
respects 
the 
new 
nature, 
very 
deficient 
as 
respects 
the 
powers 
of 
a 
peacemaker, 
very 
lacking 
in 
the 
brotherly 
love 
which 
can 
hide 
a 
multitude 
of 
faults, 
and 
endure 
much 
with 
long-suffering 
and 
patience, 
gentleness, 
kindness 
and 
love. 
HOW 
READEST 
THOU?-CAREFULL 
Y? 
Dear 
Brother 
Russell: 
I 
am 
perplexed 
by 
what 
I 
have 
read 
in 
the 
January 
1 
Issue 
of 
the 
TOWER, 
respecting 
the 
bullock 
sacrificed 
for 
the 
Levites 
and 
the 
goat 
for 
the 
other 
tribes,-p. 
11. 
Am 
I 
right 
in 
understanding 
you 
to 
teach 
that 
Jesus 
redeemed 
the 
church 
and 
the 
church 
is 
to 
redeem 
the 
world' 
If 
so 
how 
could 
this 
be 
harmonized 
with 
these 
Scriptures: 
(1) 
/I 
Jesus 
Christ 
... 
tasted 
death 
for 
every 
man"; 
(2) 
II 
As 
all 
in 
Adam 
die, 
even 
so 
all 
in 
Christ 
shall 
be 
made 
alive"; 
(3) 
/I 
He 
is 
the 
propitiation 
for 
our 
sins, 
and 
not 
for 
ours 
only, 
but 
also 
for 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
whole 
world"; 
(4) 
and 
that 
"he 
gave 
himself 
a 
ransom 
for 
all." 
* 
* 
* 
We 
reply: 
No, 
dear 
brother, 
you 
have 
misread 
and 
mis­ 
understood 
the 
article, 
considerably. 
You 
have 
never 
read 
in 
any 
of 
our 
articles 
or 
books 
or 
sermons 
the 
statement 
that 
the 
church 
redeems 
any 
thing 
or 
any 
body. 
Quite 
to 
the 
contrary: 
we 
have 
often 
been 
accused 
of 
making 
a 
hobby 
of 
the 
ransom 
doctrine,-that 
our 
Lord 
Jesus 
"tasted 
death 
for 
every 
man," 
II 
gave 
himself 
a 
ransom 
for 
all." 
Surely 
no 
other 
writings 
ever 
more 
zealously 
upheld 
the 
ransom 
as 
the 
very 
center 
of 
Christian 
faith. 
The 
trouble, 
dear 
brother, 
is 
that 
you 
have 
read 
into 
our 
artirle 
things 
which 
are 
not 
in 
it. 
This 
overbrilliancy 
is 
a 
fault 
common 
to 
many 
of 
us. 
Do 
we 
not 
see 
it 
illustrated 
in 
all 
of 
our 
experiences 
with 
the 
Word 
of 
God' 
W 
nich 
of 
us 
has 
not 
had 
his 
principal 
difficulty 
along 
this 
line 
of 
reading 
into 
or 
out 
of 
the 
Word 
of 
God 
enough 
to 
confuse 
usf 
We 
cannot, 
therefore, 
chide 
you 
for 
misreading 
our 
message. 
Reading 
the 
article 
in 
question 
more 
carefully 
you 
will 
perceive 
that 
it 
is 
not 
discussing 
the 
Redemption, 
but 
the 
Sin-Offering, 
which 
is 
a 
different 
view 
of 
the 
great 
trans­ 
action. 
Briefly 
examining 
the 
texts 
you 
quote 
we 
find: 
(1) 
They 
teaeh 
that 
the 
death 
of 
Christ 
is 
the 
fOWldatwn 
upon 
which 
the 
hope 
of 
every 
man's 
salvation 
rests. 
Whatever 
blessing 
ultimately 
shall 
come 
to 
every 
man 
must 
result 
from 
the 
death 
of 
JeSus, 
however 
others 
may 
subsequently 
be 
asso­ 
ciated 
with 
him 
in 
the 
work. 
(2) 
The 
grand 
truth 
that 
none 
can 
ever 
have 
eternal 
life 
except 
by 
relationship 
with 
Jesus 
in 
no 
way 
hinders 
the 
Lord 
from 
using 
the 
church 
as 
his 
assistant 
and 
agent 
in 
bringing 
the 
world 
into 
that 
blessed 
state. 
(3) 
Truly 
our 
Lord 
is 
already 
the 
propitiation 
for 
the 
church's 
sins, 
because 
he 
II 
appeared 
in 
the 
presence 
of 
God 
f01' 
us." 
It 
is 
also 
true 
that 
the 
satisfaction 
of 
justice 
which 
he 
effects 
will 
ultimately 
be 
extended 
to 
all 
mankind 
at 
the 
close 
of 
this 
age 
and 
the 
opening 
of 
the 
Millennium; 
but 
this 
does 
not 
hinder 
our 
Lord 
from 
accepting 
the 
church 
as 
'I 
members 
of 
his 
body" 
and 
sacrificing 
them 
as 
such 
during 
this 
antitypical 
Atonement 
Day. 
(4) 
Our 
Lord 
truly 
gave 
himself 
II 
a 
ransom 
for 
all" 
eighteen 
centuries 
ago, 
but 
evi­ 
dently 
he 
has 
not 
yet 
applied 
the 
benefits 
to 
any 
except 
"the 
household 
of 
faith." 
And 
meantime 
what 
difference 
does 
it 
make 
to 
the 
world 
if 
by 
the 
Father's 
plan 
our 
Re­ 
deemer 
reckons 
to 
adopt 
the 
church 
as 
/I 
members 
of 
his 
body" 
and 
allows 
these 
to 
participate 
in 
the 
sufferings 
of 
Christ 
in 
this 
present 
time 
and 
thus 
also 
to 
share 
coming 
glories' 
Summing 
up 
the 
matter: 
We, 
believers, 
have 
no 
per- 
sonal 
standing 
before 
God 
nor 
share 
in 
the 
sacrifice 
of 
the 
sin-offering. 
It 
is 
only 
those 
who 
are 
II 
beheaded," 
and 
thus 
cease 
to 
be 
themselves 
and 
are 
accepted 
as 
members 
of 
the 
Anointed 
One--the 
Christ-only 
these 
share 
the 
sufferings 
or 
the 
glory 
of 
Christ. 
Jesus 
the 
Head 
does 
all 
the 
sacrificing. 
All 
of 
the 
under 
priests 
are 
represented 
in 
the 
High 
Priest 
as 
his 
members. 
They 
all 
are 
associated, 
but 
the 
Head 
is 
the 
recognized 
representative 
of 
all. 
VOL. 
XXVIII 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
FEBRUARY 
15, 
1907 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No.4 
CURRENT 
AFFAIRS 
IN 
GERMANY 
According 
to 
the 
advices 
received 
from 
the 
Society's 
representative 
in 
Germany 
there 
is 
a 
great 
religious 
unrest 
there 
at 
the 
present 
time. 
Roman 
Catholics 
are 
stoutly 
re­ 
sisting 
the 
movement 
known 
as 
/I 
Los 
von 
Rom 
"--i. 
e., 
'I 
Away 
from 
Rome' 
'-and 
the 
tendency 
of 
our 
times 
to 
individual 
thinking 
on 
the 
part 
of 
its 
supporters. 
Its 
party 
in 
the 
German 
parliament-the 
Reichstag-is 
now 
very 
necessary 
to 
the 
government 
in 
connection 
with 
the 
passage 
of 
government 
measures, 
because 
the 
Socialist 
party 
has 
be­ 
come 
so 
strong. 
Under 
the 
patronage 
of 
the 
Emperor, 
Catholics 
are 
proclaiming 
loudly 
the 
duty 
of 
loyalty 
to 
religion 
and 
the 
government, 
even 
though 
not 
a 
great 
while 
ago 
they 
were 
quite 
willing 
to 
inveigh 
against 
that 
very 
same 
government. 
The 
('ry 
now 
IR 
for 
the 
nceessity 
of 
all 
religious 
people 
uniting 
in 
opposition 
to 
infidelity 
and 
revolutionary 
parties. 
Protestants, 
under 
similar 
influences, 
are 
taking 
somewhat 
the 
same 
stand, 
but 
decline 
to 
be 
brought 
too 
closely 
into 
union 
with 
the 
Church 
of 
Rome. 
Thus 
the 
ques­ 
tion 
of 
the 
hour 
is 
held 
to 
be 
outward 
formalistic 
religion 
and 
patriotism 
to 
the 
government. 
Under 
this 
plea, 
no 
doubt, 
Socialists 
and 
Revolutionists 
will 
be 
more 
and 
more 
opposed 
year 
by 
year, 
and 
no 
doubt 
ourselves, 
and 
others 
considered 
out 
of 
line 
with 
the 
majority 
of 
/I 
Orthodoxy," 
will 
be 
similarly 
brought 
under 
the 
ban, 
and 
treated 
as 
though 
we 
were 
in 
some 
war 
associated 
with 
or 
responsible 
for 
the 
revolutionary 
conditIOns 
and 
their 
program. 
Unable 
to 
secure 
legislation 
desired 
by 
him 
Emperor 
William 
recently 
dissolved 
the 
German 
Reichstag 
(Congress) 
and 
ordered 
a 
fresh 
election 
at 
which 
a 
stout 
contest 
was 
made 
by 
the 
three 
leading 
parties, 
one 
of 
which, 
the 
Social­ 
Democrat, 
had 
been 
too 
powerful 
for 
the 
Emperor's 
purposes. 
It 
is 
claimed 
that 
the 
Emperor 
appealed 
to 
the 
Pope 
to 
influ­ 
ence 
the 
Catholic 
vote 
away 
from 
the 
Socialist 
party 
be­ 
cause 
they 
were 
a 
menace 
to 
both 
church 
and 
state. 
The 
election 
certainly 
reflects 
this, 
for 
in 
it 
the 
Socialists 
lost 
34 
members 
of 
the 
Reichstag. 
The 
event 
was 
celebrated 
at 
Berlin, 
where 
noisy 
crowds 
saluted 
the 
Emperor 
and 
subse­ 
quently 
the 
Crown 
Prince. 
The 
effect 
will 
be 
to 
more 
than 
ever 
separate 
the 
religious 
from 
the 
Socialists 
and 
drive 
the 
irreligious 
to 
them. 
Thus 
we 
see 
the 
cleavage 
coming 
along 
the 
very 
lines 
laid 
down 
in 
prophecy-on 
the 
one 
side 
II 
the 
beast 
and 
his 
image 
and 
the 
kings 
of 
the 
earth 
and 
their 
armies" 
or 
sup­ 
porters, 
and 
on 
the 
other 
side 
the 
army 
of 
anarchy, 
which 
unwittingly 
will 
as 
II 
the 
Lord's 
great 
army" 
overthrow 
all 
present 
institutionR 
preparatory 
to 
the 
Millennial 
reign 
of 
peace 
and 
righteousness. 
But 
let 
us 
never 
lose 
sight 
of 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
"saints," 
the 
"elect," 
have 
nothing 
to 
do 
with 
supporting 
or 
assisting 
either 
side 
in 
that 
awful 
con­ 
flict. 
It 
is 
the 
Father 
that 
shall 
put 
all 
things 
under 
the 
control 
of 
the 
Christ. 
It 
will 
be 
accomplished 
by 
the 
let­ 
ting 
go 
of 
natural 
laws, 
II 
the 
loosing 
of 
the 
winds," 
which 
will 
allow 
human 
selfishness 
on 
both 
sides 
to 
wreck 
the 
pres- 
[3940] 
(47-51) the church when quarrels arise it will generally be found that the basis of the quarrel is a misunderstanding or selfishness, covetousness, a desire to be chief and greatest. It behooves each of the Lord’s people under such circumstances to examine well his own heart, and to see that his own eye is good before he attempts to assist his brother who has the opposite view. Having made sure of his own generosity of heart, and intent and willingness to yield, and to see and admire and approve the good in others, he will then be prepared to reason with others and to help them to also take the proper, broad, generous view of the situation. ‘‘Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory,’’ urges the Apostle—neither in the church nor in the home. Love is the only motive power that should be recognized amongst those who have passed from death unto life, who are new creatures in Christ Jesus. There is generally a peaceful way ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa. of settling all differences, and our Lord himself has set it forth, and we have presented the matter in detail in Dawn, Vol. vi, chap. vi. But, where all fails, rather than allow the spirit of brotherhood to fail and enmity or anger to prevail, it were far better that those who find themselves totally unable to fellowship in love together should seek to maintain fellowship in spirit by a separation, as in the case of Abraham and Lot. Nevertheless while this is to be approved as a final resort rather than to have internal strife, the necessity for such a course would certainly be lamentable—it would certainly imply that some if not all of the company were very immature as respects the new nature, very deficient as respects the powers of a peacemaker, very lacking in the brotherly love which can hide a multitude of faults, and endure much with long-suffering and patience, gentleness, kindness and love. HOW READEST THOU?—CAREFULLY ? Dear Brother Russell: I am perplexed by what I have read in the January 1 issue of the Tower, respecting the bullock sacrificed for the Levites and the goat for the other tribes—p. 11. Am I right in understanding you to teach that Jesus redeemed the church and the church is to redeem the world? If so how could this be harmonized with these Scriptures: (1) ‘‘Jesus Christ ... tasted death for every man’’; (2) ‘‘As all in Adam die, even so all in Christ shall be made alive’’; (3) ‘‘He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world’’; (4) and that ‘‘he gave himself a ransom for all.’’ * * * We reply: No, dear brother, you have misread and misunderstood the article, considerably. You have never read in any of our articles or books or sermons the statement that the church redeems any thing or any body. Quite to the contrary: we have often been aceused of making a hobby of the ransom doctrine,—that our Lord Jesus ‘‘tasted death for every man,’’ ‘‘gave himself a ransom for all.’’ Surely no other writings ever more zealously upheld the ransom as the very center of Christian faith. The trouble, dear brother, is that you have read into our article things which are not in it. This overbrilliancy is a fault common to many of us. Do we not see it illustrated in all of our experiences with the Word of God? Which of us has not had his principal difficulty along this line of reading into or out of the Word of God enough to confuse us? We cannot, therefore, chide you for misreading our message. Reading the article in question more carefully you will perceive that it is not discussing the Redemption, but the Sin-Offering, which is a different view of the great transaction. Briefly examining the texts you quote we find: (1) Vout. XXVIII ALLEGHENY, PA., FEBRUARY 15, 1907 They teach that the death of Christ is the fowndation upon which the hope of every man’s salvation rests. Whatever blessing ultimately shall come to every man must result from the death of Jesus, however others may subsequently be associated with him in the work. (2) The grand truth that none can ever have eternal life except by relationship with Jesus in no way hinders the Lord from using the church as his assistant and agent in bringing the world into that blessed state. (3) Truly our Lord is already the propitiation for the church’s sins, because he ‘‘appeared in the presence of God for us.’’ It is also true that the satisfaction of justice which he effects will ultimately be extended to all mankind at the close of this age and the opening of the Millennium; but this does not hinder our Lord from accepting the church as ‘‘members of his body’’ and sacrificing them as such during this antitypical Atonement Day. (4) Our Lord truly gave himself ‘‘a ransom for all’’ eighteen centuries ago, but evidently he has not yet applied the benefits to any except ‘the household of faith.’? And meantime what difference does it make to the world if by the Father’s plan our Redeemer reckons to adopt the church as ‘‘members of his body’’ and allows these to participate in the sufferings of Christ in this present time and thus also to share coming glories? Summing up the matter: We, believers, have no _personal standing before God nor share in the sacrifice of the sin-offering. It is only those who are ‘‘beheaded,’’ and thus cease to be themselves and are accepted as members of the Anointed One—the Christ—only these share the sufferings or the glory of Christ. Jesus the Head docs all the sacrificing. All of the under priests are represented in the High Priest as his members. They all are associated, but the Head is the recognized representative of all. No. 4 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER CURRENT AFFAIRS IN GERMANY According to the advices received from the Society’s representative in Germany there is a great religious unrest there at the present time. Roman Catholics are stoutly resisting the movement known as ‘‘Los von Rom’’—1. ¢., ‘Away from Rome’’—and the tendency of our times to individual thinking on the part of its supporters, Its party in the German parliament—the Reichstag—is now very necessary to the government in connection with the passage of government measures, because the Socialist party has become so strong. Under the patronage of the Emperor, Catholies are proclaiming loudly the duty of loyalty to religion and the government, even though not a great while ago they were quite willing to inveigh against that very same government. The cry now 1s for the necessity of all religious people uniting in opposition to infidelity and revolutionary parties. Protestants, under similar influences, are taking somewhat the same stand, but decline to be brought too closely into union with the Church of Rome. Thus the question of the hour is held to be outward formalistic religion and patriotism to the government. Under this plea, no doubt, Socialists and Revolutionists will be more and more opposed year by year, and no doubt ourselves, and others considered out of line with the majority of ‘‘Orthodoxy,’’ will be similarly brought under the ban, and treated as though we were in some way associated with or responsible for the revolutionary conditions and their program. Unable to seeure legislation desired by him Emperor William recently dissolved the German Reichstag (Congress) and ordered a fresh election at which a stout contest was made by the three leading parties, one of which, the SocialDemocrat, had been too powerful for the Emperor’s purposes. It is claimed that the Emperor appealed to the Pope to infiuence the Catholic vote away from the Socialist party because they were a menace to both church and state. The election certainly reflects this, for in it the Socialists lost 34 members of the Reichstag. The event was celebrated at Berlin, where noisy crowds saluted the Emperor and subsequently the Crown Prince. The effect will be to more than ever separate the religious from the Socialists and drive the irreligious to them. Thus we see the cleavage coming along the very lines laid down in prophecy—on the one side ‘‘the beast and his image and the kings of the earth and their armies’’ or supporters, and on the other side the army of anarchy, which unwittingly will as ‘‘the Lord’s great army’’ overthrow all present institutions preparatory to the Millennial reign of peace and righteousness. But Jet us never lose sight of the fact that the ‘‘saints,’’ the ‘‘elect,’’ have nothing to do with supporting or assisting either side in that awful conflict. It is the Father that shall put all things under the control of the Christ. It will be accomplished by the letting go of natural laws, ‘‘the loosing of the winds,’’ which will allow human selfishness on both sides to wreck the pres [3940]

This website uses cookies to improve the website and your experience. By continuing to browse this website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. If you require further information or do not wish to accept cookies when using this website, please visit our Privacy Policy    Terms of Use    .