Archive for the 'Church Organization' Category
The True Church (Sermon by Russell)
We are presenting below the sermon of Charles Taze Russell entitled “The True Church.” This sermon proves that Russell did not believe in sectarianism, and, while not condoing denominationalism, he believed that there could be Christians in all of the denominations that profess to be Christian. As one can see by reading this, Russell certainly did not believe in an organization such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses have today, which they style “Jehovah’s organization.” This sermon may be found on page 120 in the book, Pastor Russell’s Sermons. Please note that the owner of this website does not necessarily agree with all the details of Russell’s conclusions.
True Church – Searches of Russell’s Works
We are providing links below to Google searches of Russell’s works for the phrase “true church.”
CLICK HERE to search ctrussell.us.
CLICK HERE to search agsconsulting.com
Please note that the search results may include statements by others than Russell. One should take care to notice who the author is lest words of another author should be attributed to Russell.
The church in various denominations
Often many make the claim that Russell was the founder of the JWs, and confuse the JWs organization stance as the only true church with Russell. Russell did not believe an earthly “Jehovah’s organization,” as Rutherford and the JWs speak of. In truth Charles Taze Russell was not the founder of the JWs, nor did he believe in such an authoritative organization as the JWs. Russell believed that one can be saved by grace by faith in the blood of Jesus, regardless of denominational affiliation. Russell stated: “the Lord in Heaven records as members of His true Church all the saintly — whether Roman Catholics, Anglican Catholics, Greek Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc. — and none others…. Do we not see that a part of our mistake was in calling the outward organization the Church of Christ, instead of remembering that the Lord alone writes the names of the Church, that He alone reads the hearts, that He alone is the Judge, and that He alone has the right to blot out the names of those who become reprobates? … We must see that the Church is a comparatively small company of saintly footstep followers of Jesus, irrespective of sectarian lines.” And Russell stated: “all who are worshiping any church organization should be warned. See thou do it not.’ These are thy fellow servants. ‘Worship God.’ `Rev. 22:9`.” He further stated: “so far as the true Church is concerned, the only authority in it is the Lord, the Head of the Church, and his Word, and the words of those whom he specially chose to be his mouth-pieces, the apostles.” And, “we believe that in every nation and denomination there are some true saints of God, members therefore of the true Church of God.”
Russell’s Alleged “All or Nothing” Statements
The Internet is filled with misinformation, misquotes, quotes out of context, false accusations, insinuations, and outright falsehoods about Charles Taze Russell. One website that quotes various religious leaders under the heading: ALL OR NOTHING STATEMENTS (from those that have “the truth”). Some other sites have the same material: [1][2][3][4][5] It becomes clear from many of the quotes given that by saying “all or nothing” the editor of the page means that the one being quoted is supposedly claiming that he or she is to be considered the only channel being used by God to communicate with men. Russell never made such a claim.
“Only Channel” (A Google Search of Russell’s Writings)
CLICK HERE to search the writings of Russell for the phrase “only channel.” Many claim that Russell taught that he was God’s only channel for truth. This presents a Google search of Russell’s writings for the phrase “only channel.” The claim of “only channel” came from Rutherford of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, not from Charles Taze Russell.
CLICK HERE for another related search on “only authority”. One should note how many times Russell pointed to Jesus, the apostles and the Bible as the “only authority.” He never pointed to himself or his writings as such.
A search of Russell’s writings for “only authority” (Link)
CLICK HERE to search Russell’s writings for the phrase “only authority.” The claim is often made that Russell claimed to be the “only authority” to interpret the Bible, often relating the present-day claims of the Jehovah’s Witnesses “central authority” and “Jehovah’s organization” teachings back to Russell. This search shows that Russell considered Jesus and his apostles (through the Bible) as the “only authority” for the church.
Russell Questioned His Faith (RLCTR Blogspot Link)
The following statement has been made on a forum concerning Charles Taze Russell:
Russell questioned his faith at an early age and was uncomfortable with hell and predestination. He bounced around between Presbyterianism, Adventism, and Congregationalism before founding the movement that would become the JW’s.
Russell was right in questioning his faith in the teachings of man, especially those teachings that would depict the Creator as a fiendish demon as in such doctrines as the supposed indescribable eternal sufferings of billions of men, women, children, infants, etc., who died without believing in Jesus. Of course, as he pointed out, he thought that these teachings were actually a part of the Bible, and thus, believing this, his faith concerning the Bible also came into doubt. Once he learned that the Bible did not teach such blasphemous doctrines such as the eternal indescribable suffering of most of mankind, as well as the trinitarian dogma, and that it did teach that Christ died for all, he was right in taking up the Biblical stand for the truth concerning these matters.
For more information of the condition of the dead, hell, hades, sheol, lake of fire, eternal torment, etc., see:
For more information about the “ransom for all,” see:
For more information about the “trinity,” see:
Russell, however, learned the Biblical truths about hell, the condition of the dead, and about the trinity, as well as “the ransom for all,” from others who had become before him. His understanding of these matters did not originate from out of the blue, nor were they simply his own thoughts. It was the proper Biblical understand ing of these matters that led him to reaffirm his faith in the Bible, in the God of the Bible, and in Jesus as the Son of God who gave himself a ransom for all.
I doubt that Russell would have ever claimed to have been the founder of the Bible Students movement. At any rate, the Allegheny class of Bible Students existed before Russell became associated with N. H. Barbour, who was a “Second Adventist” (not to be confused with Seventh-Day Adventists).
Russell, of course, did not found an organization called “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” He never heard of such an organization; he did not believe in such an organization, and he preached against the formation of such an organization until the day he died. Russell refused to allow himself or the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to become a “central authority” over the local congregations, although, individually, and as congregations, many of the Bible Students had come to view him as such.
On “St. Peter’s Keys”
We are presenting the following from Pastor Russell’s Sermons because of the anti-sectarian statements that Russell made in this sermon, which show that he did not believe in an authoritarian sectarian organization as the “Jehovah’s Witnesses”. To help with searches, the names of Bible books have been expanded; we have also supplied the holy name at appropriate places. This sermon can be found in the book Pastor Russell’s Sermons, beginning on page 459.
“Upon this rock will I build My Church; and the gates of Hell [Hades, the grave] shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.” — Matthew 16:l8,19.
The Faithful and Wise Servant and Other Servants
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?" -- Matthew 24:45, Revised Standard Version
Matthew 24:35-30; Luke 12:35-48
According to a statement made to us by one with the "Jehovah's Witnesses" organization, Jesus is supposed to have clearly said he would appoint a "faithful and discreet slave" on the earth who he would "appoint over all his belongings". (Matthew 24:45-47) According to our JW neighbor, "there is ONE earthly 'slave' or organization."
The True Church (Poem)
There was a poem that once appeared in the Watch Tower , and which was reprinted in the Watch Tower book, Poems of Dawn. We haven’t been able to find out who originally wrote this poem, but it appears to have been in existence before Charle Taze Russell started printing the Watch Tower. It was probably originally written in the mid-1800s. It appears on several sites online, including some that are not related to Charles Taze Russell, the Bible Students or the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The idea of depicting Jesus as though he would actually appear to one as described in the poem, and to put words into his mouth as described, may be distasteful to some but we can agree that the sentiments expressed in the poem, as attributed to Jesus, can be found in the words of Jesus and his apostles in the Bible. We present the poem below for any who might be blessed by it.
