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Q: To me, in my opinion, Pastor Russell's teachings were and are very wrong, in fact, I think he is one of the false prophets of the last days mentioned in the Bible, so why do you spread his teachings to the world? G.
A: All who seek to serve God faithfully want to be able to identify any 'false prophet' who claims to represent Him in any fashion, so your question and concern is absolutely valid. Our Lord warned that "false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles for the purpose of deceiving the chosen ones ". (Matthew 24:24)
There are many ways to address this question, but let's not beat around the bush — Pastor Russell never claimed to be an inspired prophet, and none who respect his ministry and teachings see him as such. Frequently, those who see him as a false prophet have made assumptions based upon certain comments he made, taken out of context. It is unfair to make a judgment about anyone based upon one or two misapplied comments culled from forty years of extensive writing and preaching. The plain and simple fact is that he sought no power, authority, recognition, or worship. He never forced his will on others, and never attempted to trick others into doing things contrary to their consciences. Such attitudes would not have been put up with by those who study his writings. How do we know this? Once he died, his successor, Joseph Rutherford, began to enforce his will and seek personal glory. As soon as that happened, the Bible Student movement was split in two with the majority fleeing his dictatorial and unchristian attitudes.
Some express concern that Pastor Russell did not believe in the creeds and traditions that had been passed down from the Roman Church, including the Trinity and Hellfire. Many descendents of the Reformation likewise did not believe in these doctrines, including men such as Sir Isaac Newton, and Abraham Lincoln. But, not believing in the creeds does not make one a false prophet. Protestantism was founded upon the premise that the Roman Catholic Church had replaced the word of God with their own traditions, and ignored the clear statements of Scripture. Each Protestant denomination formed around one key point of truth that they saw Rome had either cast off or defiled. For example:
The list could go on and on.
What Pastor Russell taught was essentially a combination of all these elements of truth, putting them together as a cohesive unit, but proving them by the word of God. If Pastor Russell was a false prophet, then all of Protestantism is a sham.
But why all this attention on Pastor Russell in the first place? Who cares if he put all these things together? Well, most people do not know their religious history anymore, and there are some very important facts all must know. It is ESSENTIAL to realize that for over 1,200 years the Bible was not available to the common man. In fact, from the time of the Dark Ages until the 19th century many could not even read. It was not until the after effects of the Reformation took hold that people were able to look at their Bibles and see what is there. Many are shocked when they learn that the first Bible Society wasn't founded until 1804, followed by the America Bible Society in 1816. Thus, the 19th century was the first century in over a millennium where Bible Study was taking place. Once the Bible was available in every language, and no longer chained to the pulpit of the churches it was discovered that Rome had been lying all along. Christians all over the world began to see this almost simultaneously. Charles Taze Russell and the Bible study group he was part of in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania were one of them. What makes him stand out from all the rest is that he devoted his personal fortune to teaching these truths throughout the world. But had it not been that man, it would have been somebody else, because the time had come for the understanding of the Bible to be restored. The events of the 18th and 19th centuries clearly establish that fact. Many responded to the message, not because they were beguiled by a false prophet, but because they too saw what the Bible was really saying.
Sadly, as the 20th century rolled on, western society became more secular, and lost interest in Bible study, replacing it with emotionalism and empty worship. Going to church became a source of entertainment, music, dancing, or access to child-care and Sunday School. Church is no longer academic and spiritual, but shallow and worldly. We should go to learn, and encourage others even as they encourage us. Because the spirit of Bible study that had been awakened in the 19th century died in the last half of the 20th, those Protestants who take a surface view of Pastor Russell's ministry simply refer to him as a false prophet without recognizing they are actually condemning their own church.
At no time should a Christian be in bondage to another human being. We are to serve Christ, and Christ alone. (no preacher, pastor, or pope) If any feel they are in bondage, they should immediately flee, most especially if that bondage was falsely formulated in the name of Christ. "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 7:20-22) "When the Son of Man returns, shall he even find the faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8)
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