by Insight- 4 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I'm so curios about when Jehovah's witnesses started to use/mention "Proverbs 4:18" for changing their doctrines or briefs.
Did they start it from early 1800's by Russell ? or next generation of JW's --- J.F. Rutherford? N.H. Knorr??
Please let me know if you know any record(s) or evidence(s). Thank you.
That`s a good question Insight and welcome to the board .
This is what I found from 1952/2/1 watchtower p81,para14
Some of the speculating ones are more rebellious than others, disagreeing dogmatically with the discreet slave’s provisions, exalting themselves above the Lord’s established channel. They argue that the theocratic organization has not always been right, and that they once had ideas the organization rejected but now teaches, and thus imply that their present theories will likewise be accepted in time. They never mention the numerous speculations they have advanced in the past that were never adopted. That would spoil their campaign to get their present ideas gobbled up. What their conceit blinds them to is that the visible theocratic organization has never claimed infallibility, that it knows the message will be continually purified by the elimination of erroneous ideas, that it expects new truths to become manifest as more prophecies are fulfilled, that gradually the light will shine more and more until the perfect day, and that the clarifications will come through the discreet slave and not self-exalting speculators. (Prov. 4:18; Isa. 6:5-7; Mal. 3:1-3) It is a continuous process, for the slave is “to keep giving them their measure of food supplies at the proper time”. (Luke 12:42, NW) Doubtless some do have ideas that are not published until later; to do so earlier may have been premature, may not have been “at the proper time”. Wait upon the Lord.
If you need more let me know
Zing
An interesting
comment made by Russell in the February 1881 Zion's Watchtower page 3:
'As we look backward we can see that our pathway has been as "a shining
light...shining more and more." It has been progressive, bringing us
strength with "meat in due season." It has caused us to grow both in
grace and knowledge and this growth, taken in connection with the fact that we
are not obliged to look back and now call darkness what was then called by some
of the brethren, "a great flood of light," is the very strongest
grounds for confidence that the same Lord who then supplied us light from the
word, is still providing of the same kind. We say then, "cast not away
your confidence" in our Leader, "the great shepherd of the
sheep."
'If we were following a man undoubtedly it would be different with us;
undoubtedly one human idea would contradict another and that which was light
one or two or six years ago would be regarded as darkness now: But with God
there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, and so it is with truth;
any knowledge or light coming from God must be like its author. A new view of
truth never can contradict a former truth. "New light" never
extinguishes older "light," but adds to it. If you were lighting up a
building containing seven gas jets you would not extinguish one every time you
lighted another, but would add one light to another and they would be in
harmony and thus give increase of light: So is it with the light of truth; the
true increase is by adding to, not by substituting one for another.'
This view of Russell's is something that should be pointed out to today's JW's. It still holds true.
"self exalting speculators"
What a perfect self description!
