1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org
1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org 1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org
====================R744 : page 6LORD AND SAVIOUR."But there were false prophets also among the people, even asthere shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring indamnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, andbring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall followtheir pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall beevil spoken of."--2 Pet. 2:1,2.We are asked to examine the above passage critically. First weremark that the words italicised above are all from the same Greekword. Destructive heresies swiftly destroy the teachers as teachers,and others follow their destructive ways and bring the trueteachings of Scripture into disrepute.A question arises: Does the Apostle predict that the class referred towill deny the Lordship of Christ, or deny that he "bought" orransomed them? Those who have the Emphatic Diaglott will noticethat its interlineary translation reads thus: "Even the having boughtthem, Sovereign Lord denying." Thus making prominent the denialof their having been bought, as the destructive heresy.And when we carefully consider the matter, the reasonableness ofthis view becomes apparent. If these "false teachers" denied theLordship of Christ, they would not be received at all by the church;hence could have no opportunity of bringing in that as a heresy, forall the church and all pretending, even, to be of the Church ofChrist, acknowledge Christ as the Lord and Head of the Church. Onthe contrary, had any man said, I believe in the ransom, but rejectthe Redeemer as my Lord, such position would be ridiculous. Wehave never yet known or heard of any one who acknowledged theransom that denied the Lordship of Christ. We have heard of someboth in the days of the Apostles, and especially now, whoacknowledge Jesus as Lord, but deny that he "bought them." It isevident, then, that to this last named class only this Scripture isapplicable.And that it is a destructive heresy is evident--destructive of thetruth, destructive of the faith once delivered to the saints. It makesshipwreck of faith, by removing from it the only sure foundation --redemption and remission of sins through the blood of the cross.The heresy to which the Apostle alludes was future from his day,and though the cross of Christ has ever been a stumbling blockwhich hindered many from coming into the nominal church, yetnever until the present time has this destructive and subversiveheresy obtained so strong a foothold among professing Christians.The description suits the methods now employed by teachers of theno ransom theory: They "privily" or privately bring in the doctrine.
They do not openly deny the meaning of the words "bought" and"ransom," etc., and openly contradict the Scriptures where thesewords are used; but while quoting these words they covertly andprivily seek to leave an impression contrary to their true andundeniable meaning.Let us see well to it that we acknowledge Jesus both as Lord andSaviour, and not as Lord only. He was the Lord or Master of theDisciples when as a perfect man he made consecration of himselfand called them to be his disciples or pupils. In view of what he hadbeen before he left the glory of the heavenly condition, and in viewof his superiority as a perfect man among imperfect ones, no lessthan in view of the high exaltation to which he was heir through hissacrificial death, it was proper that his followers, who recognizedhis true character and believed his claims, should call him Lord andMaster, for such indeed he was.Our Lord was publicly recognized as Saviour when as a babe hewas named Jesus. (See Matt. 1:21.) He was publicly recognized ofGod through John at the time of his baptism, as the Saviour-- theLamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. It was byvirtue of his putting away the sin by the sacrifice of himself that hehad the right to exercise to some extent his power as Lord, incasting out devils and reviving the dead and dying. But it was whenhe had fully completed the sacrifice at Calvary, that the full rightand authority and Lordship began.When he was risen from the dead, he no longer said, "I can of mineown self do nothing" (Jno. 5:30; 8:28); but on the contrary he thendeclared, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth"(Matt. 28:18.) The Apostle tells us that full power and authoritywere bestowed on him at his resurrection. He says, he was declaredto be Lord of the living and dead BY a resurrection from the dead.Him hath God raised up to be a prince (Master or Lord) and aSaviour. Rom. 14:8,9; Acts 5:31; Rom. 1:4.He was our Saviour or Redeemer first, and having bought,purchased, redeemed, ransomed us from the dominion or control ofdeath, he became rightfully our owner, our Lord, our Master. Let uskeep our faith-building on the rock foundation, recognizing himwho is Lord of all, as equally Redeemer or Saviour of all--"OurLord AND Saviour Jesus Christ."R745 : page 6====================TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH."It must needs be that offences come, but woe to that man bywhom the offence cometh,"-- MATT. 18:7.It is needful and right that severe trial of faith should test thechurch whose trial is now closing, that the faithful overcomers may
- Page 135 and 136: These thoughts were suggested by tw
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- Page 149 and 150: trust we shall be able to show this
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- Page 155 and 156: faith. And apparently most of the "
- Page 157 and 158: would you not, sacrifice your honor
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- Page 163 and 164: BROTHER RUSSELL: I received the pap
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- Page 201 and 202: of Christ's presence] is a day of t
- Page 203 and 204: If all could see that the world's h
- Page 205 and 206: R750 : page 2the race. When I first
- Page 207 and 208: I baptized four into Christ on Apri
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- Page 231 and 232: consequently, not many are now able
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====================R744 : page 6LORD AND SAVIOUR."But there were false prophets also among the people, even asthere shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring indamnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, andbring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall followtheir pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall beevil spoken of."--2 Pet. 2:1,2.We are asked to examine the above passage critically. First weremark that the words italicised above are all from the same Greekword. Destructive heresies swiftly destroy the teachers as teachers,and others follow their destructive ways and bring the trueteachings of Scripture into disrepute.A question arises: Does the Apostle predict that the class referred towill deny the Lordship of Christ, or deny that he "bought" orransomed them? Those who have the Emphatic Diaglott will noticethat its interlineary translation reads thus: "Even the having boughtthem, Sovereign Lord denying." Thus making prominent the denialof their having been bought, as the destructive heresy.And when we carefully consider the matter, the reasonableness ofthis view becomes apparent. If these "false teachers" denied theLordship of Christ, they would not be received at all by the church;hence could have no opportunity of bringing in that as a heresy, forall the church and all pretending, even, to be of the Church ofChrist, acknowledge Christ as the Lord and Head of the Church. Onthe contrary, had any man said, I believe in the ransom, but rejectthe Redeemer as my Lord, such position would be ridiculous. Wehave never yet known or heard of any one who acknowledged theransom that denied the Lordship of Christ. We have heard of someboth in the days of the Apostles, and especially now, whoacknowledge Jesus as Lord, but deny that he "bought them." It isevident, then, that to this last named class only this Scripture isapplicable.And that it is a destructive heresy is evident--destructive of thetruth, destructive of the faith once delivered to the saints. It makesshipwreck of faith, by removing from it the only sure foundation --redemption and remission of sins through the blood of the cross.The heresy to which the Apostle alludes was future from his day,and though the cross of Christ has ever been a stumbling blockwhich hindered many from coming into the nominal church, yetnever until the present time has this destructive and subversiveheresy obtained so strong a foothold among professing Christians.The description suits the methods now employed by teachers of theno ransom theory: They "privily" or privately bring in the doctrine.
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