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Apostles of Denial : an examination and exposé of the history, doctrines and claims of the Jehovah’s Witnesses PDF

354 Pages·1975·13.83 MB·English
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Preview Apostles of Denial : an examination and exposé of the history, doctrines and claims of the Jehovah’s Witnesses

APOSTLES OF DENIAL AN EXAMINATION AND EXPOSE OF THE HISTORY, DOCTRINES AND CLAIMS OF THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES Professor of History a.nd Apologetics LChs Angelea Baptis.t College Newhall, California Permission has been granted by the author for distribution of this book on the Internet provided it is distributed freely and no changes are made to the text. Commercial use is prohibited. At the author’s request, an appendix has been added entitled: “Russell’s Bible Student Movement – A Millerite Offshoot.” This material is taken from chapter 3 of the author’s book Jehovah’s Witnesses: Their Claims, Doctrinal Changes and Prophetic Speculation. What Does the Record Show? (2001) Also added is an updated list of sources to contact for further information. Otherwise, the text of this PDF is the author’s original 1970 work. Copyright 1970 PRESBYTERIAN AND REFORMED PUBLISHING CO. First printing May 1970 Second printing October 1971 Third printing November 1971 Fourth printing January 1974 Fifth printing June 1975 Sixth printing with revisions, November 1975 Seventh printing June 1976 Eighth printing October 1978 Ninth printing April 1980 Tenth printing May 1983 Eleventh printing, March 1986 1SBN:O-87552-305-6 Printed in the United States of America DEDICATED TO THE CAUSE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST and MY FAMILY, Gel-aldene, Susan and Mark, constant sources of inspiration to His service THE AUTHOR Edmond C. Gruss. Professor of History and Apologetics at Los Angeles Baptist College, in Newhall, California, was born in Los Angeles in 1933. He received his A. B. from Los Angeles Baptist College (1955) and his B. D. from Los An- gel- Baptist Theological Seminary (1958). In 1961 he com- pleted the Th. M. in Bible and Theology at Talbot Theological Seminary, La Mirada, California. An M. A. in Modern Euro- pean History from Drake University was added in 1964. In addition to his college and seminary teaching Pro- fessor Gruss has written articles on the cults and given lectures in area churches. Interest in the cult field stems from his conversion from the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1950. His wife also graduated from Los Angeles Baptist College and is an elementary teacher. Reflecting his interests, the author is a member of The American Historical Association, Organization of American Historians, Far West Slavic Conference, Society for Early Historic Archeology, and the Creation Research Society. UPDATE Other recent works by Edmond C. Gruss: Jehovah's Witnesses: Their Claims, Doctrinal Changes, and Prophetic Speculation. What Does the Record Show? By Edmond C. Gruss Published by Xulon Press, 2001 ISBN 193123230X, 9781931232302 376 pages http://books.google.com/books?id=kSZL8BWc9KcC The Four Presidents of the Watch Tower Society (Jehovah's Witnesses): The Men and the Organization They Created By Edmond C. Gruss Published by Xulon Press, 2003 ISBN 1594671311, 9781594671319 264 pages http://books.google.com/books?id=jFDi5jGsyV8C Jehovah’s Witnesses: Their Monuments to False Prophecy By Edmond C. Gruss (with Leonard Chretien) Published by Witness, Inc., 1997 ISBN 188385877, 978188385875 307 pages http://witnessinc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_7_9&products_id=40 These books can also be obtained from: Free Minds, Inc. http://www.freeminds.org/ ABBREVIATIONS OF TRANSLATIONS USED IN THIS BOOK' ASV American Standard Version (1901). Unless other- wise stated all quotations from the Bible are from this version. ED The Emphatic Diaglott KJV King James Version (1611 ). NWT New World Tra;nslation (1950-1960). Unless other- wise noted the 1951 revised New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptu~esa nd the five vol- umes of the New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptwes are quoted. RSV Revised Standard Version (1952) lQuotation of any of the above translations does not indicate endorsement or agreement with all of its contents. NOTE : Quotation marks included in the titles of many of the Witnesses' books have been deleted in most cases. When pronouns are capitalized in the New World Trans- lation it indicates that they are in the plural number. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION - - - - . 1 Background of the Title -------------_-------------- 2 Purpose of the Study -----_~_--------_--------_--------2 Importance of the Stu.d y -.- ----_---------__-------------- 3 Procedure and Organlzatlon --_----- 1- _-__------------- 5 Sources of Data 6 11. JEHOVAH'S WITNES'SES: ANCIENT AND MODERN ANCESTORS ----_-------------_----------------------- 9 111. THE HISTORY OF JEHOVAH% WITNESSES: SOME RECENT PUBLICATI0N.S 18 . . IV. THE HISTORY OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES: THE PERIOD UNDER CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL (1870-1916) . -- - -----_- -.- 38 Background and Formative Years 38 Years of Organization and Growth 41 Reasons for Success 51 -----. V. THE HLSTORY OF THE JEHOVAH'S WITNE.SSES: THE PERIOD UNDER JOSEPH FRANKLIN RUTHERFORD (1917-1942) --__--------~----_------------_---------5 3 Background and Early Years of Administration -- 53 Years of Doctrinal Change and Expansion ---_----------- 56 Reasons for Rutherford's Success ---------- -------------- 65 VI. THE HISTORY OF THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES: THE PERIOD UNDER NATHAN HOMER KNORR (1942 to present) ........................................ 67 VII. THE HISTORY OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES: A PERIOD OF TRANSITION _---_-------------------- 73 VIII. A S'UMMARY OF WHAT THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES BELIEVE -------------------------_-------_---------- 79 Source of Authority: The Bible --__---~_-_--------------- 79 Doctrine of God ---------------- -----__--------------- 80 Satan and the Angels ..........~. ....................... 84 Doctrine of Man 84 Doctrine of Christ: His Person --_----__-----------_----- 86 Doctrine of Christ: His Work -----__---_-~------------ 89 Doctrine of Salvation _----_-_--------_----------------- 91 Doctrine of the Ordinances -----__--~------------------ 93 Doctrine of the Last Things 94 Other Distinctive Doctrines -----_-----_-------_------_- 102 A Summary -_~~----_------~__------------------------ 104 IX. A REFUTATION OF SOME OF THE MAJOR DOCTRINES OF THE JEHOVAH% WITNES,SES 105 The Trinity and the Deity of Christ __------------------_ 105 The Bodily Resurrection of Christ --------_--------_--_-_ 135 The Ransom and Salvation By Faith 142 The New Birth --_-_------ 150 Satan _ . - - - - - 1 54 The Nature of Man and His Destiny . -- -- - - _ 154 Eternal Punishment and the Future State 161 TABLE OF CONTENTS-(Continued) CHAPTER PAGE The "Second Presence" (Second Coming) of Christ ---_---- 172 Blood Transfusion -----------------------------_-------- 183 Conclusion ......................................... 190 X. THE TRANSLATIONS AND BIBLES OF THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY _----_------_--- 191 Some Bibles Used and Printed by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract 'Society ............................ 191 The Emphatic Diaglott ---_--------_-------_----------_- 193 The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures----__._ 196 The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures _---. 197 The New World Transl~a tion ~ of the Hebrew Th.Se cNriepwtu rWeso rld Transla~~ tio. n .o f the_ Hol.y .S c. ri-p tures.~---22 1,l3l Summary - .. 214 XI. THE JEHOVAH'S WITNES!SES AND BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION .. . 215 Interpretation for the Individual Witness .. .. 215 The Interpretative Methods of the Jehovah's Witnesses as Viewed by Those Outside the Society ..-. 217 The Watch Tower Bile and Tract Society as "The Channel" ._ ---_----------- --------- 218 The Witnesses' Intenpretative Sy~ stem in Operation-------- 220 Conclusion -__--_-_--------_-_-__------------------- 238 XII. .SOME TOOLS AND METHODS OF THE NEW WORLD SOCIETY --_---------------_------_----- 240 Literature 240 Meetings 244 Conventions or Assemblies -------_-------------------- 245 Films .~. . . 246 The Jehovah's Witness seven-Step Program 247 Conclusion . 249 XIII. DEALING WITH JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES 250 Previous Preparation : 251 The Encounter - . - 252 Dealing with ~atch~owPeurb lications in Private Study--- 255 XIV. CONCLUSION ---- 258 h Summary of the Study __--------__-------_----------- 258 The Problem and How It Must be Met -------_-------_--- 259 Testimonies of Former Jehovah's Witnesses -------------- 260 The Challenge _-----_--------------------------_------- 263 APPENDIX A: OTHER RUSSELLITE GROUPS _--_---_--___-_- 264 Reasons for secession -------__-------------------------2 64 Secession Groups -----_--------_----------------------- 266 The Laymen's Home Missionary Movement -----------_--- 267 The Dawn Bible Students Association -----_-------------- 272 The Associated Bible Students and the Pastoral Bible Institute -----_---_---_-----_------------- 276 Back to the Bible Way --_--_----------_-__-------------- 278 Other Sects and Publications in America -_--------__----2 79 Other Sects and Publications in Europe ------------------ 284 vii

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