A Ride With A Russellite A Little Story that Reveals the ALways-at-it Spirit of Those W ho Teach Error By REV. WM . H. PIKE Los Angeles. Cal.
It was one of those cold blustering winter nights in Central New York. We were speeding along through a se vere snow storm. The train was late, everyone was tired, and I had curled up in the seat for a nap. The maga zine which I had been reading I placed under my head. Very shortly I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and a paper appeared in front of my face. A very pleasant female voice said, “Here is some good reading.” I sat up, glanced at the heading of the paper and saw Pastor Russell’s picture. I turned and said, “ Did you say this was good reading?” “ Oh, yes,” she replied, “ the best in the world.” “Well, I am sorry to contradict you, but this is not good reading.” “Why?” she asked, some what surprised. “ Because,” said I, “ it is not true.” “ What isn’t true?” she questioned. I replied, “Neither the writing or the man.” Then with great solicitation she said, “ How dare you speak thus of one of God’s prophets.” I replied, “ Many false prophets are en tered into the world and we are com manded to ‘Preach the Word, be in stant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.’ ” As I quoted this I turned so as to get a square look into her face. She was a woman of about thirty-two years of age, of beautiful complexion, winning smile and manner, neatly dressed and with a degree of cul ture that was attractive. She was per sistent and said, “ But I know Pastor Russell. I have known him intimately for eight years. I work with him. Tell me, please, what is wrong with his writings.” “Well,” said I, “ most of his teach
ings are not according to the teaching of the Bible. For instance, Pastbr Rus sell says that Jesus was not God mani fest in the flesh. To use his own words he said, ‘When Jesus was in the flesh, He was a perfect human being and since His resurrection He is a perfect spiritual being of the highest or. Divine order.’ Now these words of Pastor Russell do not agree at all with Jno. 1:15, ‘And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only be gotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.)’, or I Jno. 5:20 where it says that Jesus ‘is the true God and eternal life’ or I Tim. >3:16.” “ Oh, but you do not take the Bible rightly,” she said very hastily. “ I take it as it reads,” I ventured to suggest. “ But,” she insisted, “ you know that .all the Bible harmonizes when you see it as Mr. Russell sees it.” “ It certainly does not harmonize if you make Jesus Christ only human because He was weary He slept in the boat on the Sea of Galilee, but He also arose and re buked the winds and the waves. Cbuld one who was only human do this?” I asked. Again she turned from the Scripture by saying, “ If you only un derstood you would see it all harmon ized. But is this the only teaching that you think is wrong, Mister?” “ No,” T said, “ the whole system is in error. Pastor Russell teaches (in Vol. 1, page 185), that men and angels are always mortal. Nowhere in Scripture is it stated that angels are immortal, nor that mankind restored will be immbr- tal. But this again does not agree with Jesus’ words in Lu. 20:36 where He said, speaking of redeemed men',
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