Kiadás dátuma
1907. 05. 01.
Kötet
28
Szám
9
Az Őrtorony
Views from the Watch Tower
Az eredeti angol nyelvű Őrtorony folyóiratok
../literature/watchtower/1907/9/1907-9-2.html
 
MAY 
I, 
1907 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
gregation 
to 
formulate 
its 
own 
creed, 
and 
if 
desirable 
to 
change 
the 
same 
from 
time 
to 
time. 
The 
law 
provided 
that 
if 
its 
terms 
were 
not 
met 
by 
Decem­ 
ber 
11, 
1906, 
the 
churches 
should 
be 
closed 
and 
the 
property 
confiscated 
to 
the 
state. 
After 
this 
law 
was 
framed, 
about 
a 
year 
ago, 
the 
Pope 
condemned 
it, 
but 
gave 
no 
positive 
in­ 
structions 
as 
to 
procedure; 
and 
matters 
standing 
thus, 
the 
French 
government, 
just 
before 
the 
law 
went 
into 
effect, 
to 
avoid 
a 
conflict 
with 
the 
Papacy, 
announced 
that 
regular 
services 
might 
be 
continued 
another 
year 
if 
the 
congregations 
would 
comply 
with 
the 
law 
of 
1881, 
which 
required 
applica­ 
tion 
to 
the 
police 
department 
for 
the 
privilege 
of 
holding 
services, 
and 
a 
deClaration 
of 
loyalty 
to 
the 
government. 
But 
just 
before 
the 
law 
was 
to 
go 
into 
effect 
the 
Pope 
precipitated 
matters 
by 
issuing 
an 
encyclical 
instructing 
all 
the 
priests 
and 
church-wardens 
to 
abstain 
from 
any 
declaration 
or 
application 
to 
the 
authorities. 
This 
was 
esteemed 
by 
the 
French 
government 
an 
attempt 
on 
the 
Pope's 
part 
to 
intermeddle 
with 
its 
affairs 
and 
an 
en­ 
deavor 
to 
black 
the 
laws 
of 
France-an 
incitement 
of 
the 
French 
people 
to 
rebellion 
against 
the 
laws 
of 
their 
country. 
Consequently 
the 
government 
took 
prompt 
steps, 
and 
in 
re­ 
sentment 
of 
the 
interference 
deported 
the 
papal 
representa­ 
tive 
at 
Paris, 
and 
gave 
orders 
that 
bishops 
or 
priests 
or 
others 
who 
attempted 
either 
by 
word 
or 
act 
to 
interfere 
with 
the 
execution 
of 
the 
law 
should 
be 
placed 
under 
arrest. 
Thus 
the 
dissolution 
of 
church 
and 
state 
arrangements 
in 
France 
was 
effected 
without 
special 
disorder, 
though 
the 
Pope 
and 
his 
representatives 
in 
a 
quiet 
way, 
so 
as 
not 
to 
become 
amenable 
to 
the 
law, 
are 
seeking 
still 
to 
arouse 
the 
people 
to 
resentment 
against 
the 
government 
by 
refusing 
to 
perform 
various 
acts 
and 
functions 
which 
Catholics 
are 
led 
to 
believe 
are 
all 
im­ 
portant 
and 
to 
be 
performed 
only 
by 
the 
clergy, 
viz., 
baptism, 
rites 
for 
the 
dead, 
etc., 
etc. 
Evidently 
the 
time 
when 
the 
Pope 
could 
overthrow 
governments 
by 
giving 
a 
hint 
to 
the 
people 
through 
the 
clergy 
is 
about 
past. 
It 
is 
high 
time 
that 
these 
unscriptural 
unions 
of 
church 
and 
state 
corne 
to 
an 
end. 
They 
were 
built 
upon 
fraud 
to 
begin 
with, 
and 
have 
prospered 
through 
frauds 
continually. 
As 
God 
never 
authorized 
the 
Pope 
to 
be 
the 
vicegerent 
of 
Jesus, 
never 
authorized 
his 
reign 
upon 
earth 
over 
kingdoms 
and 
peoples, 
never 
authorized 
him 
to 
set 
prince 
against 
prince 
and 
to 
cause 
awful 
bloodshed 
for 
the 
maintenance 
of 
papal 
influence, 
and 
never 
authorized 
the 
governments 
recognized 
by 
Papacy 
to 
call 
themselves 
Christendom 
(Christ's 
kingdom), 
and 
as 
the 
Pro­ 
testant 
unions 
of 
church 
and 
state 
had 
no 
more 
authority 
than 
the 
papal, 
it 
is 
well 
that 
all 
of 
these 
human 
institutions 
go 
down, 
that 
the 
shackles 
of 
superstition 
should 
be 
broken, 
and 
the 
people 
should 
be 
the 
better 
prepared 
to 
learn 
that 
all 
the 
kingdoms 
of 
this 
world 
are 
man-made 
and 
selfish 
in 
origin 
and 
practice, 
and 
that 
the 
kingdom 
of 
God's 
dear 
Son, 
the 
Millennial 
kingdom, 
which 
will 
shortly 
be 
inaugurated, 
will 
be 
the 
only 
rightful 
spiritual 
empire 
to 
have 
control 
of 
all 
the 
affairs 
of 
the 
world 
of 
mankind. 
Its 
control 
of 
human 
destin­ 
ies 
will 
be 
to 
the 
advantage 
of 
every 
creature-to 
lift 
them 
up, 
to 
set 
them 
free 
from 
superstition 
and 
by 
restitution 
processes 
to 
bring 
back 
into 
harmony 
with 
God 
and 
into 
the 
divine 
likeness 
all 
who 
will 
obey 
the 
great 
King 
of 
that 
day. 
o 
Lord, 
thy 
kingdom 
come; 
thy 
will 
be 
done 
on 
earth 
as 
it 
is 
in 
heaven. 
OPPORTl1NITIES 
FOR 
THE 
TRUTH 
IN 
FRANCE 
At 
this 
distance 
it 
would 
appear 
that 
the 
present 
crisis 
in 
religious 
affairs 
in 
France 
would 
be 
a 
most 
favorable 
oppor­ 
tunity 
for 
the 
presentation 
of 
the 
truth 
amongst 
the 
people 
of 
that 
land. 
While 
Protestants 
there 
are 
very 
few, 
undoubt­ 
edly 
there 
are 
many 
Catholics 
who 
are 
generally 
enlightened 
and 
now 
being 
set 
free 
from 
their 
superstitious 
reverence 
for 
Romanism. 
These 
as 
well 
as 
the 
Protestants 
should 
be 
ready 
for 
the 
glorious 
message 
of 
the 
Millennial 
kingdom 
and 
the 
better 
government, 
spiritual 
and 
temporal, 
which 
the 
Lord 
is 
providing 
and 
which 
shortly 
will 
be 
established. 
We 
would 
like 
to 
encourage 
the 
dear 
friends 
of 
the 
truth 
under 
such 
conditions 
to 
be 
vigilant 
for 
the 
use 
of 
every 
opportunity­ 
to 
go 
forward 
in 
the 
name 
and 
strength 
of 
the 
Lord 
with 
holy 
courage, 
to 
lift 
high 
the 
light 
and 
the 
royal 
banner. 
Similarly 
conditions 
are 
growing 
more 
favorable 
in 
Italy 
and 
Austria 
and 
Hungary. 
He 
that 
reapeth 
receiveth 
wages, 
and 
each 
one 
desiring 
to 
reap 
should 
first 
see 
what 
lies 
nearest 
to 
his 
hand 
and 
in 
which 
department 
of 
the 
service 
he 
could 
most 
effectively 
and 
most 
economically 
enlist 
his 
talents. 
' 
'He 
that 
reapeth 
receiveth 
wages 
and 
gathereth 
fruit 
unto 
life 
eternal." 
-John 
4:36. 
FILTHINESS 
OF 
FLESH 
AND 
SPIRIT 
"Having 
therefore 
this 
promise, 
dearly 
beloved, 
let 
us 
cleanse 
ourselves 
from 
all 
filthiness 
of 
the 
flesh 
and 
spirit, 
perfecting 
holiness 
in 
the 
fear 
of 
the 
Lord. 
"-2 
Cor. 
7:1. 
We 
are 
not 
to 
understand 
the 
Apostle 
here 
to 
mean 
that 
we 
are 
to 
cleanse 
ourselves 
from 
the 
condemnation 
of 
original 
sin. 
Time 
and 
again 
the 
Apostle 
Paul 
and 
all 
the 
writers 
of 
the 
New 
Testament 
reiterate 
in 
various 
forms 
the 
declaration 
that 
by 
the 
deeds 
of 
the 
law 
no 
flesh 
can 
be 
justified 
in 
God's 
sight. 
This 
signifies 
that 
nothing 
that 
we 
can 
do 
can 
enable 
us 
to 
live 
perfectly, 
even 
if 
original 
sin 
were 
cancelled 
for 
us; 
hence 
it 
would 
be 
a 
still 
greater 
impossibility 
for 
us 
not 
only 
to 
live 
perfectly 
now 
but 
to 
accumulate 
a 
merit 
which 
would 
cancel 
for 
us 
our 
share 
in 
the 
original 
transgression. 
On 
the 
contrary, 
the 
Scriptures 
with 
united 
voice 
declare 
that 
only 
by 
the 
shedding 
of 
blood 
could 
there 
corne 
a 
remission 
of 
original 
sin-that 
only" 
by 
his 
stripes 
are 
we 
healed: 
" 
that 
the" 
Lord 
laid 
on 
him 
[Jesus] 
the 
iniquity 
of 
us 
all," 
"He 
died 
the 
just 
for 
the 
unjust 
that 
he 
might 
bring 
us 
to 
God," 
and 
that 
by 
virtue 
of 
his 
sacrifice 
for 
our 
sins 
we 
are 
made 
acceptable 
with 
God, 
and 
the 
condemnation 
against 
us 
as 
members 
of 
Adam's 
race 
is 
set 
aside 
that 
we 
may 
have 
a 
new 
start. 
(Heb. 
9 
: 
22; 
Isa. 
53: 
5, 
6; 
1 
Pet. 
3: 
18. 
) 
Not 
only 
so, 
but 
knowing 
that 
in 
our 
fallen 
flesh 
dwelleth 
no 
perfection, 
the 
Lord 
has 
graciously 
arranged 
to 
cover 
all 
our 
blemishes 
that 
are 
of 
heredity 
and 
not 
of 
intention, 
not 
of 
our 
willing. 
Thus 
we 
have 
what 
is 
Scripturally 
known 
as 
justification 
by 
or 
through 
faith 
in 
the 
great 
atonement 
which 
God 
has 
effected 
through 
the 
death 
of 
his 
Son. 
It 
is 
this 
class, 
already 
justified 
"through 
faith 
in 
his 
blood" 
(Rom. 
3:25), 
that 
the 
Apostle 
addresses 
in 
the 
words 
of 
our 
text-urging 
them 
to 
cleanse 
themselves 
from 
all 
filthi­ 
ness 
of 
the 
flesh 
and 
the 
spirit. 
What 
does 
he 
mean' 
If 
we 
were 
cleansed 
by 
faith 
in 
Christ 
why 
address 
us 
thus 
along 
the 
line 
of 
works 
of 
our 
own 
for 
our 
own 
cleansing' 
We 
reply 
that 
our 
justification 
by 
faith 
was 
granted 
to 
us 
as 
the 
basis 
for 
our 
consecration 
to 
God 
as 
disciples 
of 
Jesus, 
as 
"fol­ 
lowers 
of 
the 
Lamb." 
None 
were 
thus 
accepted 
unless 
in 
their 
hearts 
they 
turned 
from 
sin, 
desiring 
to 
be 
in 
harmony 
with 
God 
and 
his 
righteousness. 
Their 
consecration 
to 
God 
on 
the 
basis 
of 
their 
justification 
signified 
that 
they 
had 
not 
only 
turned 
from 
sin 
but 
that 
they 
had 
united 
their 
hearts 
and 
lives 
with 
Jesus-that 
they 
had 
enlisted 
under 
him 
as 
the 
Captain 
of 
their 
salvation, 
to 
1i!!'ht 
the 
good 
fight 
against 
sin 
in 
its 
every 
form, 
within 
and 
without, 
under 
his 
guidance 
a1'(1 
direction. 
Should 
the~e 
now 
after 
enlisting 
rest 
content 
and 
do 
no 
fighting 
against 
sin, 
either 
in 
their 
own 
mortal 
bodies 
or 
in 
their 
surrounding-s, 
it 
would 
be 
an 
indication 
that 
they 
had 
not 
the 
spirit 
of 
Christ, 
which 
calls 
to 
mind 
the 
declara­ 
tion 
of 
the 
Apostle. 
"If 
any 
man 
have 
not 
the 
spirit 
of 
Christ 
he 
is 
none 
of 
his. 
"-Rom. 
8 
:9. 
"FIGHTING 
THE 
GOOD 
FIGHT" 
We 
see 
then 
that 
it 
is 
God's 
will 
concerning 
us 
that 
we 
should 
do 
more 
than 
renounce 
sin 
in 
our 
minds-we 
are 
to 
give 
our 
hearts 
to 
the 
Lord, 
desiring 
fellowship 
with 
him: 
we 
are 
to 
be 
imbued 
with 
his 
spirit 
of 
opposition 
to 
sin, 
so 
that 
as 
new 
creatures 
we 
will 
fight 
the 
good 
fight 
of 
faith 
against 
the 
adversary 
and 
the 
world's 
spirit 
of 
selfishness. 
and 
against 
the 
weaknesses 
and 
blemishes 
and 
sinwardness 
of 
our 
own 
mortal 
bodies. 
These 
were 
the 
conditions 
of 
our 
en­ 
listment, 
the 
conditions 
under 
which 
we 
were 
accepted 
of 
the 
Lord, 
and 
we 
must 
fight 
this 
fight 
of 
faith, 
as 
the 
Apostle 
says, 
if 
we 
would 
lay 
hold 
upon 
eternal 
life-if 
we 
would 
ever 
get 
the 
great 
reward 
of 
glory, 
honor 
and 
immortality 
with 
our 
Captain. 
Our 
text 
does 
not 
relate 
to 
our 
resistance 
of 
the 
adversary 
and 
the 
world, 
but 
confines 
itself 
to 
our 
dealings 
with 
ourselves, 
which 
certainly 
is 
our 
chief 
concern, 
our 
chief 
battle-he 
who 
rules 
his 
own 
spirit, 
his 
own 
mind, 
is 
a 
greater 
soldier, 
a 
IZreater 
hero, 
than 
he 
that 
captures 
a 
city 
in 
literal 
warfare. 
This 
is 
the 
Lord's 
estimation 
of 
the 
matter, 
and 
hence 
should 
be 
ours.-Prov. 
16 
:32. 
The 
Lord 
requires 
such 
a 
demonstration 
on 
our 
part-of 
activity 
against 
the 
motions 
of 
sin 
in 
our 
flesh, 
in 
our 
minds, 
as 
a 
demonstration 
that 
the 
new 
creature 
is 
alive 
to 
the 
re­ 
sponsibilities 
of 
its 
conduct 
as 
a 
soldier 
of 
the 
cross, 
and 
ad­ 
ditionally 
because 
he 
has 
decreed 
that 
none 
shall 
be 
of 
the 
little 
flock 
of 
joint-heirs 
with 
his 
Son 
who 
do 
not 
in 
these 
respects 
of 
loyalty 
to 
the 
Father 
and 
to 
righteousness 
and 
opposition 
to 
sin 
demonstrate 
their 
heart-likeness 
to 
Jesus. 
The 
Apostle 
affirms 
this, 
saying 
that 
we 
are" 
predestinated 
to 
be 
conformed 
to 
the 
image 
of 
his 
Son." 
(Rom. 
8: 
29.) 
Who­ 
ever 
refuses 
or 
neglects 
the 
development 
of 
such 
a 
character- 
[3985] 
May 1, 1907 gregation to formulate its own creed, and if desirable to change the same from time to time. The law provided that if its terms were not met by December 11, 1906, the churches should be closed and the property confiscated to the state. After this law was framed, about a year ago, the Pope condemned it, but gave no positive instructions as to procedure; and matters standing thus, the French government, just before the law went into effect, to avoid a conflict with the Papacy, announced that regular services might be continued another year if the congregations would comply with the law of 1881, which required application to the police department for the privilege of holding services, and a declaration of loyalty to the government. But just before the law was to go into effect the Pope precipitated matters by issuing an encyclical instructing all the priests and church-wardens to abstain from any declaration or application to the authorities. This was esteemed by the French government an attempt on the Pope’s part to intermeddle with its affairs and an endeavor to black the laws of France—an incitement of the French people to rebellion against the laws of their country. Consequently the government took prompt steps, and in resentment of the interference deported the papal representative at Paris, and gave orders that bishops or priests or others who attempted either by word or act to interfere with the execution of the law should be placed under arrest. Thus the dissolution of church and state arrangements in France was effected without special disorder, though the Pope and his representatives in a quiet way, so as not to become amenable to the law, are seeking still to arouse the people to resentment against the government by refusing to perform various acts and functions which Catholics are led to believe are all important and to be performed only by the clergy, viz., baptism, rites for the dead, ete., ete. Evidently the time when the Pope could overthrow governments by giving a hint to the people through the clergy is about past. It is high time that these unscriptural unions of church and state come to an end. They were built upon fraud to begin with, and have prospered through frauds continually. As God never authorized the Pope to be the vieegerent of Jesus, never authorized his reign upon earth over kingdoms and peoples, ZION’S WATCH TOWER (133-135) never authorized him to set prince against prince and to cause awful bloodshed for the maintenance of papal influence, and never authorized the governments recognized by Papacy to call themselves Christendom (Christ’s kingdom), and as the Protestant unions of church and state had no more authority than the papal, it is well that all of these human institutions go down, that the shackles of superstition should be broken, and the people should be the better prepared to learn that all the kingdoms of this world are man-made and selfish in origin and practice, and that the kingdom of God’s dear Son, the Millennial kingdom, which will shortly be inaugurated, will be the only rightful spiritual empire to have control of all the affairs of the world of mankind. Its control of human destinies will be to the advantage of every creature—to lift them up, to set them free from superstition and by restitution processes to bring back into harmony with God and into the divine likeness all who will obey the great King of that day. O Lord, thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE TRUTH IN FRANCE At this distance it would appear that the present crisis in religious affairs in France would be a most favorable opportunity for the presentation of the truth amongst the people of that land. While Protestants there are very few, undoubtedly there are many Catholics who are generally enlightened and now being set free from their superstitious reverence for Romanism. These as well as the Protestants should be ready for the glorious message of the Millennial kingdom and the better government, spiritual and temporal, which the Lord is providing and which shortly will be established. We would like to encourage the dear friends of the truth under such conditions to be vigilant for the use of every opportunity— to go forward in the name and strength of the Lord with holy courage, to lift high the light and the royal banner. Similarly conditions are growing more favorable in Italy and Austria and Hungary. He that reapeth receiveth wages, and each one desiring to reap should first see what lies nearest to his hand and in which department of the service he could most effectively and most economically enlist his talents. ‘‘He that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal.’’ ~—John 4:36. FILTHINESS OF FLESH AND SPIRIT ‘Having therefore this promise, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.’’—2 Cor. 7:1. We are not to understand the Apostle here to mean that we are to cleanse ourselves from the condemnation of original sin. Time and again the Apostle Paul and all the writers of the New Testament reiterate in various forms the declaration that by the deeds of the law no flesh can be justified in God’s sight. This signifies that nothing that we can do can enable us to live perfectly, even if original sin were cancelled for us; hence it would be a still greater impossibility for us not only to live perfectly now but to accumulate a merit which would cancel for us our share in the original transgression. On the contrary, the Scriptures with united voice declare that only by the shedding of blood could there come a remission of original sin—that only ‘‘by his stripes are we healed:’’ that the ‘‘Lord laid on him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all,’’ ‘‘He died the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God,’’ and that by virtue of his sacrifice for our sing we are made acceptable with God, and the condemnation against us as members of Adam’s race is set aside that we may have a new start. (Heb. 9:22; Isa. 53:5, 6; 1 Pet. 3:18.) Not only so, but knowing that in our fallen flesh dwelleth no perfection, the Lord has graciously arranged to cover all our blemishes that are of heredity and not of intention, not of our willing. Thus we have what is Scripturally known as justification by or through faith in the great atonement which God has effected through the death of his Son. It is this class, already justified ‘‘through faith in his blood’’ (Rom. 3:25), that the Apostle addresses in the words of our text—urging them to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit. What does he mean? If we were cleansed by faith in Christ why address us thus along the line of works of our own for our own cleansing? We reply that our justification by faith was granted to us as the basis for our consecration to God as disciples of Jesus, as ‘‘fol\owers of the Lamb.’’? None were thus accepted unless in their hearts they turned from sin, desiring to be in harmony with God and his righteousness, Their consecration to God on the basis of their justification signified that they had not only turned from sin but that they had united their hearts and lives with Jesus—that they had enlisted under him as the Captain of their salvation, to fight the good fight against sin in its every form, within and without, under his guidance arc direction. Should these now after enlisting rest content and do no fighting against sin, either in their own mortal bodies or in their surroundings, it would be an indication that they had not the spirit of Christ, which calls to mind the declaration of the Apostle, ‘‘If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his.’’—Rom. 8:9. “FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT’’ We see then that it is God’s will concerning us that we should do more than renounce sin in our minds—we are to give our hearts to the Lord, desiring fellowship with him: we are to be imbued with his spirit of opposition to sin, so that as new creatures we will fight the good fight of faith against the adversary and the world’s spirit of selfishness, and against the weaknesses and blemishes and sinwardness of our own mortal bodies. These were the conditions of our enlistment, the conditions under which we were accepted of the Lord, and we must fight this fight of faith, as the Apostle says, if we would lay hold upon eternal life—if we would ever get the great reward of glory, honor and immortality with our Captain. Our text does not relate to our resistance of the adversary and the world, but confines itself to our dealings with ourselves, which certainly is our chief concern, our chief battle—he who rules his own spirit, his own mind, is a greater soldier, a greater hero, than he that captures a city in literal warfare. This is the Lord’s estimation of the matter, and hence should be ours.—Prov. 16:32. The Lord requires such a demonstration on our part—of activity against the motions of sin in our flesh, in our minds, as a demonstration that the new creature is alive to the responsibilities of its conduct as a soldier of the cross, and additionally because he has decreed that none shall be of the little flock of joint-heirs with his Son who do not in these respects of loyalty to the Father and to righteousness and opposition to sin demonstrate their heart-likeness to Jesus. The Apostle affirms this, saying that we are ‘‘predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son.’’ (Rom. 8:29.) Whoever refuses or neglects the development of such a character [3985]

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