Publication date
9/15/11
Volume
32
Number
18
The WatchTower
Views From "The Watch Tower"
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1911/18/1911-18-1.html
 
 
SEPTEMBER 
I, 
I9II 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
cate 
has 
imputed 
to 
that 
one 
a 
sufficiency 
of 
his 
merit 
to 
com­ 
pensate 
for 
any 
deficiency; 
he 
is 
thus 
rendered 
acceptable 
and 
is 
then 
in 
a 
reckonedly 
complete 
condition. 
He 
then 
has 
life-rights; 
and 
it 
is 
those 
life-rights 
that 
are 
said 
to 
be 
sacri­ 
ficed, 
or 
presented 
to 
God. 
In 
this 
manner 
the 
person 
may 
be 
said 
to 
become 
a 
member 
of 
the 
great 
High 
Priest's 
body. 
Christ 
imputes 
to 
him 
a 
sufficiency 
of 
merit 
to 
compensate 
for 
his 
demerit; 
and 
having 
been 
made 
acceptable 
to 
the 
Father 
by 
this 
imputation, 
he 
becomes 
a 
member 
of 
the 
body 
of 
the 
great 
High 
Priest. 
There 
is 
a 
difference 
between 
offering 
our 
sacrifice 
and 
pre­ 
senting 
ourselves. 
Not 
we, 
but 
the 
High 
Priest, 
does 
the 
sacrificing. 
Before 
the 
High 
Priest 
accepts 
one 
as 
a 
member 
of 
his 
body, 
he 
imputes 
to 
that 
one 
a 
sufficiency 
of 
his 
merit 
to 
give 
him 
life-rights. 
By 
virtue 
of 
being 
reckoned 
perfect, 
one 
has 
life-rights, 
a 
condition 
which 
permits 
him 
to 
be 
a 
sacrifice. 
All 
those 
life-rights 
which 
our 
Lord 
possessed 
when 
he 
died 
were 
symbolically 
represented 
in 
the 
blood 
of 
the 
bul­ 
lock; 
and 
with 
that 
blood 
the 
sprinkling 
was 
done 
in 
the 
Most 
Holy. 
There 
was 
just 
one 
moment 
when 
the 
knife 
in 
the 
hand 
of 
the 
high 
priest 
smote 
and 
slew 
the 
bullock. 
That 
moment 
represented 
the 
moment 
when 
our 
Lord, 
at 
Jordan, 
became 
dead 
as 
a 
man 
amI 
alive 
as 
a 
new 
creature, 
when" 
He, 
through 
the 
eternal 
Spirit, 
offered 
up 
himself 
without 
spot 
to 
God." 
But 
it 
was 
not 
as 
a 
new 
creature 
that 
he 
offered 
up 
himself, 
hut 
as 
the 
man 
Christ 
Jesus. 
His 
spotless 
humanity 
was 
what 
he 
there 
offered. 
This 
he 
did 
through 
the 
eternal 
Spirit 
of 
Son­ 
ship 
and 
loyalty 
to 
God; 
and 
this 
was 
the 
opportune 
moment, 
the 
moment 
foretold 
in 
prophecy. 
Then 
he 
was 
acknowledged 
a 
Priest. 
If 
Christ 
were 
on 
earth, 
on 
the 
earthly 
plane, 
He 
could 
not 
be 
a 
priest 
according 
to 
the 
flesh, 
not 
being 
of 
the 
family 
of 
Aaron. 
The 
only 
order 
of 
priesthood, 
therefore, 
to 
which 
he 
belonged 
was 
a 
spiritual 
order, 
the 
one 
mentioned 
in 
the 
Scripture 
which 
says: 
' 
'Thou 
art 
a 
priest 
forever 
after 
the 
order 
of 
Melchizeilek." 
(Psa. 
110 
:4.) 
He 
was 
not 
a 
priest 
according 
to 
the 
flesh, 
but 
as 
a 
new 
creature. 
The 
High 
Priest 
carne 
into 
his 
office 
by 
virtue 
of 
his 
work 
of 
sacrifice. 
The 
bringing 
of 
the 
bullock 
into 
the 
Court 
meant 
its 
presentation 
for 
sacrificial 
purposes. 
So 
with 
Jesus. 
When 
he 
came 
to 
John 
at 
Jordan, 
he 
made 
a 
surrender 
of 
himself. 
This 
the 
Father 
acknowledged. 
The 
disciples 
of 
the 
Lord 
pre­ 
sented 
themselves, 
but 
they 
were 
neither 
accepted 
as 
sacrifices 
nor 
begotten 
of 
the 
Spirit, 
until 
Pentecost. 
On 
that 
day, 
while 
they 
were 
waiting, 
God 
accepted 
the 
sacrifice, 
and 
made 
them 
priests 
at 
that 
moment. 
THE 
IMPUTATION 
OF 
RIGHTEOUSNESS 
Question.-Does 
Christ 
impute 
His 
righteousness 
to 
the' 
members 
of 
his 
body~ 
Answer.-When 
we 
say 
that 
our 
Lord 
imputes 
his 
righteous­ 
ne,~s, 
we 
are 
not 
to 
think 
that 
he 
gives 
his 
own 
righteousness 
as 
the 
High 
Priest, 
but 
that 
he 
imputes 
the 
merit 
of 
his 
human 
sacrifice 
on 
our 
behalf. 
When, 
as 
the 
Man 
Christ 
Jesus, 
he 
laid 
down 
his 
life, 
without 
being 
under 
sentence 
of 
death 
in 
any 
degree, 
there 
was 
a 
merit 
in 
that 
sacrifice. 
The 
earthly 
life-rights, 
which 
the 
Lord 
laid 
down, 
were 
to 
his 
credit, 
giv­ 
ing 
him 
the 
power 
of 
restitution 
for 
the 
world 
of 
mankind, 
the 
power 
for 
their 
regeneration. 
But 
before 
the 
merit 
of 
that 
sacrifice 
is 
given 
to 
the 
world, 
it 
is 
made 
the 
basis 
of 
our 
justification, 
for 
the 
covering 
of 
our 
imperfections. 
It 
could 
have 
been 
used 
for 
us 
in 
restitution, 
but 
such 
was 
not 
God's 
plan 
during 
this 
age. 
Hence, 
Jesus' 
merit 
is 
imputed 
to 
be­ 
lievers 
who 
consecrate, 
and 
also 
covers 
the 
blemishes 
and 
un­ 
witting 
trespasses 
of 
their 
imperfect 
earthen 
vessels 
to 
the 
end 
of 
their 
course. 
RIGHTEOUSNESS 
AND 
MERIT 
Question.~What 
distinction 
would 
you 
make 
between 
the 
righteousness 
of 
our 
Lord 
and 
His 
merit 
~ 
Answer.-The 
righteousness 
of 
our 
Lord 
was 
His 
right­ 
doing, 
his 
right 
conduct, 
his 
perfect 
character 
while 
he 
was 
the 
man, 
while 
he 
was 
on 
trial. 
The 
merit 
is 
the 
divine 
ap­ 
preciation, 
the 
divine 
estimation 
of 
that 
character, 
of 
that 
right-doing. 
Since 
he 
ceased 
to 
be 
a 
man, 
our 
Lord 
has, 
of 
course, 
no 
righteousness 
as 
a 
human 
being. 
That 
righteous­ 
ness 
which 
was 
his 
before 
his 
consecration 
and 
which 
he 
main­ 
tained, 
constitutes 
a 
merit 
in 
the 
divine 
sight, 
which 
is 
im­ 
puted 
to 
the 
church 
now, 
and 
which 
is 
to 
be 
utilized 
by 
him 
in 
the 
blotting 
out 
of 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
whole 
world, 
shortly. 
It 
is 
a 
sufficiency 
of 
merit; 
for 
one 
man 
was 
sentenced 
to 
death 
and, 
later, 
another 
man 
was 
passed 
upon 
as 
worthy 
of 
life. 
This 
merit, 
therefore, 
this 
value 
of 
laying 
down 
a 
life 
not 
worthy 
of 
death, 
is 
at 
his 
disposal 
in 
the 
divine 
arrange­ 
ment. 
SHOULD 
BE 
APPLIED 
ANTITYPICALLY 
Question.-Have 
we 
any 
Scripture 
to 
show 
that 
the 
Aaronic 
priesthood 
will 
exercise 
their 
priestly 
office 
in 
the 
Millennial 
age~ 
Answer.-One 
Scripture 
that 
might 
be 
understood 
so 
to 
teach 
is 
found 
in 
the 
book 
of 
Malachi, 
which 
says 
that 
when 
the 
Lord 
shall 
corne 
into 
his 
temple, 
"He 
shall 
sit 
as 
a 
re­ 
finer 
and 
purifier 
of 
silver; 
and 
he 
shall 
purify 
the 
sons 
of 
Levi 
and 
purge 
them 
as 
gold 
and 
silver, 
that 
they 
may 
offer 
unto 
the 
Lord 
an 
offering 
in 
righteousness.' 
'-Mal. 
3 
:3. 
Some 
might 
apply 
this 
Scripture 
to 
the 
sons 
of 
Levi 
in 
a 
literal 
way. 
But 
we 
think 
that 
it 
is 
anti 
typical, 
that 
the 
church 
constitutes 
the 
Levitical 
system 
and 
that 
these 
are 
the 
spiritual 
Levites 
whom 
the 
Purifier 
will 
make 
ready, 
that 
they 
may 
offer 
unto 
God 
an 
acceptable 
sacrifice, 
as 
antitypical 
Levites 
and 
a 
royal 
priesthood. 
VOL. 
XXXII 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
SEprrEMBER 
15, 
1911 
No. 
18 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
"SPEAKING-WITH-TONGUES" 
DELUSION 
from 
the 
Apostles 
by 
the 
laying 
on 
of 
hands, 
so 
that 
when 
We 
have 
heretofore 
referred 
to 
some 
earnest 
people 
who 
the 
Apostles 
were 
dead 
and 
also 
those 
upon 
whom 
they 
are 
evidently 
ensnared 
by 
the 
adversary 
into 
believing 
had 
laid 
their 
hands 
and 
communicated 
the 
gifts, 
it 
ended 
that 
they 
are 
enjoying 
a 
restoration 
of 
the 
gifts 
whereby 
those" 
gifts" 
in 
the 
church. 
Antl 
the 
next 
step 
of 
prog- 
Goil 
blessed 
anil 
established 
the 
Christian 
church 
in 
the 
ress 
was 
the 
manifestation 
of 
the 
fruits 
of 
the 
Spirit, 
as 
first 
eentury. 
Their 
strong 
delusions 
continue 
to 
increase 
St. 
Paul 
most 
clearly 
points 
out.-l 
Cor. 
13 
:8. 
under 
a 
spirit 
power 
which. 
we 
believe, 
is 
not 
from 
God 
UNREST 
IN 
CHINA-BRITISH 
UNFAITHFUL 
nor 
from 
the 
dead, 
but 
from 
the 
fallen 
spirits, 
the 
fallen 
Bishop 
W. 
B. 
Lewis, 
of 
the 
Ml'thodist 
Episcopal 
church 
angels. 
In 
addition 
to 
the 
speaking 
with 
tongues 
and 
the 
of 
Foo 
Chow, 
China, 
discussing 
rE'CE'nt 
trouble 
and 
present 
miraculous 
healing 
of 
the 
sick 
and 
the 
seeing 
of 
visions, 
unrest 
in 
the 
Canton 
Province, 
savs:- 
they 
now 
have 
spirit 
manifestations. 
Their 
latest 
claims, 
"The 
real 
root 
of 
the 
troubic 
is 
beeause 
the 
Chinese 
reported 
in 
their 
religious 
journals, 
are 
that 
the 
Lord 
Je.sus, 
government 
has 
suppressed 
the 
growing 
of 
poppy. 
In 
1906 
on 
several 
occasions, 
has 
appeareil 
in 
their 
midst 
at 
their 
England 
and 
China 
entered 
into 
a 
treaty 
to 
suppress 
the 
meetings, 
has 
been 
seen 
with 
the 
natural 
eye, 
etc. 
opium 
traffic. 
The 
terms 
of 
the 
treaty 
were 
that 
England 
That 
these 
people 
are 
earnest 
and 
evidently 
honest 
only 
was 
to 
i1ecrease 
the 
importation 
of 
opium 
one-tenth 
each 
increases 
our 
sorrow 
for 
them. 
(For 
dishonest 
people 
we 
year 
and 
China 
agreed 
to 
suppress 
the 
growing 
of 
poppy 
have 
comparatively 
little 
sympathy.) 
We 
fear 
that 
a 
later 
in 
the 
same 
ratio. 
development 
will 
be 
spirit 
manifestations 
of 
a 
still 
more 
"China 
has 
lived 
up 
to 
the 
terms 
of 
the 
treaty 
and 
pronounced 
type. 
The 
fallen 
angels 
are 
evidently 
desirous 
England 
has 
not. 
In 
consequence 
of 
this 
the 
price 
of 
of 
deluding 
the 
whole 
world. 
They 
have 
certainly 
had 
opium 
in 
China 
has 
increased 
fourfold 
and 
the 
result 
is 
great 
success, 
so 
far 
as 
many 
of 
the 
false 
doctrines 
are 
that 
millions 
of 
dollars 
are 
flowing 
out 
of 
the 
country 
and 
concerneil. 
And 
as 
we 
read 
the 
Scriptures, 
we 
believe 
they 
nothing 
is 
coming 
in. 
All 
the 
time 
England 
is 
profiting 
will 
for 
a 
time 
have 
a 
still 
greater 
influence 
in 
human 
af- 
by 
the 
condition 
as 
it 
now 
is. 
The 
residents 
of 
a 
large 
fairs 
shortly. 
Those 
of 
our 
readers 
who 
have 
contact 
with 
part 
of 
Southern 
China 
do 
not 
understand 
the 
treaty 
and 
any 
of 
these 
deluded 
people 
should 
point 
out 
to 
them 
the 
hence 
the 
rebellion 
was 
brought 
ahout. 
However, 
the 
pres- 
Apostle's 
worils, 
"Believe 
not 
every 
spirit," 
and 
should 
ent 
condition 
will 
not 
continue 
much 
longer, 
as 
the 
British 
remind 
them 
that 
the 
fallE'n 
angels 
are 
"lying 
spirits," 
government 
cannot 
face 
the 
worl,l 
ber3use 
of 
failure 
to 
and 
that 
the 
entire 
confidence 
of 
God's 
people 
should 
be 
abide 
by 
the 
terms 
of 
the 
trE'aty. 
I 
believe 
the 
English 
in 
the 
teachings 
of 
the 
Scriptures. 
are 
coming 
to 
the 
realization 
that 
this 
condition 
cannot 
The 
Scriptures 
clearly 
testify 
that 
those 
who 
posseS.'led 
go 
forward, 
and 
I 
believe 
developments 
will 
occur 
in 
the 
the 
gifts 
of 
the 
Spirit 
in 
the 
early 
church 
received 
them 
near 
future. 
The 
final 
outcome 
will 
be 
that 
England 
will 
VI--IO 
[4877] 
SEPTEMBER I, 191! cate has imputed to that one a sufficiency of his merit to compensate for any deficiency; he is thus rendered acceptable and is then in a reckonedly complete condition. He then has life-rights; and it is those life-rights that are said to be sacrificed, or presented to God. In this manner the person may be said to become a member of the great High Priest’s body. Christ imputes to him a sufficiency of merit to compensate for his demerit; and having been made acceptable to the Father by this imputation, he becomes a member of the body of the great High Priest. There is a difference between offering our sacrifice and presenting ourselves. Not we, but the High Priest, does the sacrificing. Before the High Priest accepts one as a member of his body, he imputes to that one a sufficiency of his merit to give him life-rights. By virtue of being reckoned perfect, one has life-rights, a condition which permits him to be a sacrifice. All those life-rights which our Lord possessed when he died were symbolically represented in the blood of the bulwok and with that blood the sprinkling was done in the Most oly. There was just one moment when the knife in the hand of the high priest smote and slew the bullock. That moment represented the moment when our Lord, at Jordan, became dead as a man and alive as a new creature, when ‘‘ He, through the eternal Spirit, offered up himself without spot to God.’’ But it was not as a new creature that he offered up himself, but as the man Christ Jesus. His spotless humanity was what he there offered. This he did through the eternal Spirit of Sonship and loyalty to God; and this was the opportune moment, the moment foretold in prophecy. Then he was acknowledged a Priest. If Christ were on earth, on the earthly plane, He could not be a priest according to the flesh, not being of the family of Aaron. The only order of priesthood, therefore, to which he helonged was a spiritual order, the one mentioned in the Scripture which says: ‘‘Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.’’ (Psa. 110:4.) He was not a priest according to the flesh, but as a new creature. The High Priest came into his office by virtue of his work of sacrifice. The bringing of the bullock into the Court meant its presentation for sacrificial purposes. So with Jesus. When he came to John at Jordan, he made a surrender of himself. This the Father acknowledged. The disciples of the Lord presented themselves, but they were neither accepted as sacrifices nor begotten of the Spirit, until Pentecost. On that day, while they were waiting, God accepted the sacrifice, and made them priests at that moment. THE IMPUTATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Question.—Does Christ impute His righteousness to the’ members of his body? THE WATCH TOWER (351-355) Answer.—When we say that our Lord imputes his righteousness, we are not to think that he gives his own righteousness as the High Priest, but that he imputes the merit of his human sacrifice on our behalf. When, as the Man Christ Jesus, he laid down his life, without being under sentence of death in any degree, there was a merit in that sacrifice. The earthly life-rights, which the Lord laid down, were to his credit, giving him the power of restitution for the world of mankind, the power for their regeneration. But before the merit of that sacrifice is given to the world, it is made the basis of our justification, for the covering of our imperfections. It could have been used for us in restitution, but such was not God’s plan during this age. Hence, Jesus’ merit is imputed to believers who consecrate, and also covers the blemishes and unwitting trespasses of their imperfect earthen vessels to the end of their course. RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERIT Question.— What distinction would you make between the righteousness of our Lord and His merit? Answer.—-The righteousness of our Lord was His rightdoing, his right conduct, his perfect character while he was the man, while he was on trial. The merit is the divine appreciation, the divine estimation of that character, of that right-doing. Since he ceased to be a man, our Lord has, of course, no righteousness as a human being. That righteousness which was his before his consecration and which he maintained, constitutes a merit in the divine sight, which is imputed to the church now, and which is to be utilized by him in the blotting out of the sins of the whole world, shortly. It is a sufficiency of merit; for one man was sentenced to death and, later, another man was passed upon as worthy of life. This merit, therefore, this value of laying down a life not worthy of death, is at his disposal in the divine arrangement. SHOULD BE APPLIED ANTITYPICALLY Question.—Have we any Scripture to show that the Aaronic priesthood will exercise their priestly office in the Millennial age? Answer.—One Scripture that might be understood so to teach is found in the book of Malachi, which says that when the Lord shall come into his temple, ‘‘He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.’’—Mal. 3:3. Some might apply this Scripture to the sons of Levi in a literal way. But we think that it is antitypical, that the church constitutes the Levitical system and that these are the spiritual Levites whom the Purifier will make ready, that they may offer unto God an acceptable sacrifice, as antitypical Levites and a royal priesthood. Vou. XXXIT VIEWS FROM “SPEAKING-WITH-TONGUES’’ DELUSION We have heretofore referred to some earnest people who are evidently ensnared by the adversary into believing that they are enjoying a restoration of the gifts whereby God blessed and established the Christian church in the first century. Their strong delusions continue to increase under a spirit power which. we believe, is not from God nor from the dead, but from the fallen spirits, the fallen angels. In addition to the speaking with tongues and the miraculous healing of the sick and the seeing of visions, they now have spirit manifestations. Their latest claims, reported in their religious journals, are that the Lord Jesus, on several occasions, has appeared in their midst at their meetings, has been seen with the natural eye, ete. That these people are earnest and evidently honest only increases our sorrow for them. (For dishonest people we have comparatively little sympathy.) We fear that a later development will be spirit manifestations of a still more pronounced type. The fallen angels are evidently desirous of deluding the whole world. They have certainly had great success, so far as many of the false doctrines are concerned. And as we read the Scriptures, we believe they will for a time have a still greater influence in human affairs shortly. Those of our readers who have contact with any of these deluded people should point out to them the Apostle’s words, ‘‘Believe not every spirit,’’ and should remind them that the fallen angels are ‘‘lying spirits,’’ and that the entire confidence of God’s people should be in the teachings of the Scriptures. The Scriptures clearly testify that those who possessed the gifts of the Spirit in the early church received them VI—10 BROOKLYN, N. Y., SEPTEMBER 15, 1911 THE WATCH TOWER No. 18 from the Apostles by the laying on of hands, so that when the Apostles were dead and also those upon whom they had laid their hands and communicated the gifts, it ended those ‘‘gifts’’ in the church. And the next step of progress was the manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit, as St. Paul most clearly points out.—1 Cor. 13:8. UNREST IN CHINA—-BRITISH UNFAITHFUL Bishop W. B. Lewis, of the Methodist Episcopal church of Foo Chow, China, discussing recent trouble and present unrest in the Canton Province, says:— ‘‘The real root of the trouble is because the Chinese government has suppressed the growing of poppy. In 1906 England and China entered into a treaty to suppress the opium traffic. The terms of the treaty were that England was to decrease the importation of opium one-tenth each year and China agreed to suppress the growing of poppy in the same ratio. ‘‘China has lived up to the terms of the treaty and England has not. In consequence of this the price of opium in China has increased fourfold and the result is that millions of dollars are flowing out of the country and nothing is coming in. All the time England is profiting by the condition as it now is. The residents of a large part of Southern China do not understand the treaty and hence the rebellion was brought about. However, the present condition will not continue much longer, as the British government cannot face the world because of failure to abide by the terms of the treaty. I believe the English are coming to the realization that this condition cannot go forward, and I believe developments will occur in the near future. The final outcome will be that England will [4877]

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    .