I have "The Finsihed Mystery" in Watchtower Form "The 1918 ZG edition" and the hard cover and it certainly does claim that C. T. Russell was the "faithful and discreet slave". But if you desire to make an impact on a current Jehovah witness, it would be more convincing to quote whether C. T. Russell ever "claimed" to being, in his person, the faithful and wise servant. The Governing Body says no. (Ka;345-346).
Starting on page 345, paragraph 30, it says...
30 A ?ransom for all? was one of those basic doctrines of the Bible, and a great danger began to loom up that this vital dish on the spiritual table of God-fearing persons would be taken away by the devotees of higher criticism and the evolution theory. At what can now be appreciated as ?the proper time? there appeared an uncompromising champion of Christ?s ?ransom for all.? It was in the form of a brand-new magazine for Bible lovers, Zion?s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ?s Presence, its first issue being that of July, 1879, with an initial edition of 6,000 copies. Its editor and publisher was a member of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Bible study group, namely, Charles Taze Russell. This studious Christian took note of Jesus? illustration of the ?faithful and wise servant? (Matthew 24:45, Authorized Version) and published his understanding of it in the Watch Tower issue of November, 1881, page 5. In the fourth- and fifth-last paragraphs of the article ?In the Vineyard,? he said:
We believe that every member of this body of Christ is engaged in the blessed work, either directly or indirectly, of giving meat in due season to the household of faith. ?Who then is that faithful and wise servant whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household,? to give them meat in due season? Is it not that ?little flock? of consecrated servants who are faithfully carrying out their consecration vows?the body of Christ?and is not the whole body individually and collectively, giving the meat in due season to the household of faith?the great company of believers?
Blessed is that servant (the whole body of Christ) whom his Lord when he has come (Gr. elthon) shall find so doing. ?Verily, I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods.? ?He shall inherit all things.?
31 From this it is clearly seen that the editor and publisher of Zion?s Watch Tower disavowed any claim to being individually, in his person, that ?faithful and wise servant.? He never did claim to be such. * However, he did continue to edit the Watch Tower magazine down to the day of his death on October 31, 1916. He organized Zion?s Watch Tower Tract Society in the year 1881 and got it incorporated under State of Pennsylvania law in December, 1884. He also authored and published the six volumes of Studies in the Scriptures during the years 1886-1904, as well as published many booklets on Bible themes and engineered the world-famous Photo-Drama of Creation, which began to be shown in January of 1914 and was thereafter displayed around the earth. He delivered innumerable public lectures all around the globe. His death occurred during his last public lecture tour across the United States of America. It cannot be successfully disputed that, till his death in 1916, he lovingly served as a part of the ?faithful and discreet slave? class in giving to the Master?s domestics ?their food at the proper time.?
To see the foolishness in this claim one only needs to read the Society's "Studies in the Scriptures, volume I 1924-1927 editions where it says "
HARVEST WORK
Pastor Russell adhered closely to the teachings of the Scriptures. He believed and taught that we are living in the time of the second presence of our Lord, and that this presence dates from 1874; that since that time we have been living in the ?time of the end,? the ?end of the age,? during which the Lord has been conducting his great harvest work; that, in harmony with the lord?s own statement, this harvest work is separating true Christians, designated as ?wheat,? from merely professing Christians, designated as ?tares,? and gathering the true saints into the kingdom of the Lord. It is here interesting to note that Jesus said: ?Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods.? Thousands of the readers of Pastor Russell?s writings believe that he filled the office of ?that faithful and wise servant,? and that his great work was giving to the household of faith meat in due season. His modesty and humility precluded him from openly claiming this title, but he admitted as much in private conversation. For a more detailed account of his work, reference is made to The Watch Tower of June 1st, 1916.?
Now, if this does not start a road to doubt I don't believe anything will. Why? Well that is simple enough. Why should one DOUBT the channel that Jehovah God uses to teach truth to his concregation? Maybe a little Watchtower will "help" any current good standing brother KNOW that one should NEVER even THINK that what is provided through the organization's publications is wrong.
Here is the February 15, 1981 WT, under the heading ?Do We Need Help to Understand the Bible? We read:
A NOBLE-MINDED VIEW
How shall we view the spiritual food provided by this ?faithful and discreet slave?? Should it be viewed critically??Oh, well, it might be true but then again it might not be and so we have to scrutinize it very critically?? Some apparently have felt that way about it . To support their way of thinking they have quoted Acts 17:11, which says of newly interested persons at Beroea: ?Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.?
But does this mean that those Beroeans were looking for flaws in the message they were hearing, or that their attitude was one of doubting? Does this set a precedent for regarding critically the publications brought forth by the ?faithful and discreet slave,? with a view to finding fault? Not at all!
First of all, let us note the setting of the statement about the noble-minded Beroeans. Paul, accompanied by Silas, was on his second missionary tour. Due to persecution that arose, the brothers at Thessalonica sent them on to Beroea. In Beroea they met sincere Jews who had strong faith in God?s Word. These were not Christians yet. They were simply interested persons who had to satisfy themselves that what Paul was telling them had the support of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Up to this time, these devout Jews in Beroea may never have heard of Jesus Christ. What Paul was telling them was entirely new. So those noble-minded Jews in Beroea searched the Scriptures daily to make certain that the references that Paul gave were really part of God?s Word. And with what mental attitude did they pursue their studies? With a skeptical attitude, trying to prove Paul wrong? No, they were altogether unlike Paul?s critics on Mars Hill, for we read that they heard Paul?s testimony with ?the greatest eagerness of mind.??Acts 17:11, 32.
These Beroeans listened with a readiness, yes, an eagerness, to believe. Thus not only were they open-minded, but they were wanting to have this ?good news? proved true. In fact, for a person to acquire faith he must have ?the will to believe.? If he is determined not to believe, then no amount of evidence will convince him; for if a person looks for them he can always find excuses, plausible reasons for not accepting the accountability that belief will bring upon him . As the apostle Paul well said: ?Faith is not a possession of all people.? (2 Thess. 3:2) But the Beroeans had the will to believe. They considered what they heard with a receptive frame of mind. As a result, ?many of them became believers, and so did not a few of the reputable Greek women and of the men.??Acts 17:12.
Jesus? disciples wrote many letters to Christian congregations, to persons who were already in ?the way of the truth.? (2 Pet. 2:2) But nowhere do we read that those brothers first, in a skeptical frame of mind, checked the Scriptures to make certain that those letters had Scriptural backing, that the writers really knew what they were talking about.
OUR VIEW OF THE ?SLAVE?
We can benefit from this consideration. If we have once established what instrument God is using as his ?slave? to dispense spiritual food to his people, surely Jehovah is not pleased if we receive that food as though it might contain something harmful. We should have confidence in the channel God is using. At the Brooklyn headquarters from which the Bible publications of Jehovah?s Witnesses emanate there are more mature Christian elders, both of the ?remnant? and of the ?other sheep,? than anywhere else upon earth.
True, the brothers preparing these publications are not infallible. Their writings are not inspired as are those of Paul and the other Bible writers. (2 Tim. 3:16) And so, at times, it has been necessary, as understanding became clearer, to correct views. (Prov. 4:18) However, this has resulted in a continual refining of the body of Bible-based truth to which Jehovah?s Witnesses subscribe. Over the years, as adjustments have been made to that body of truth, it has become ever more wonderful and applicable to our lives in these ?last days.? Bible commentators of Christendom are not inspired either. Despite their claims to great knowledge, they have failed to highlight even basic Bible truths?such as the coming Paradise earth, the importance of God?s name, and the condition of the dead.
Rather, the record that the ?faithful and discreet slave? organization has made for the past more than 100 years forces us to the conclusion that Peter expressed when Jesus asked if his apostles also wanted to leave him, namely, ?Whom shall we go away to?? (John 6:66-69) No question about it. We all need help to understand the Bible, and we cannot find the Scriptural guidance we need outside the ?faithful and discreet slave? organization .
Any questions brothers?
FDS
