In the Beginning

January 1, 2022

Doctrines and Viewpoints In the wake of the French Revolution and the weakening of Papacy, Heroes of Conviction outlines the move toward Christian character as the only test of fellowship and the Bible as the only creed. Then the Adventist movement followed, bringing us to the Harvest of the Gospel Age. Development of a Chart of the Ages sketches the steps to develop a Chart of the Ages (1876‑1881), with vertical lines marking events in time and horizontal lines illustrating the Christian’s […]

Heroes of Conviction

January 1, 2022

A Review of the Christian Connexion and the Adventist Movements By Jeff Mezera After the French Revolution, there was a new enlightenment in the thinking of the populace. People began to free themselves from chains of oppression, and from superstitions that had long prevailed over science, philosophy, and religious thought. A different denomination sprang up in the United States at the dawn of the nineteenth century, which attempted to do just that. It was called the “Christian Connexion.” These “Christians” as they […]

Development of a Chart of the Ages

January 1, 2022

Divine Plan at a Glance “Write down the vision and make it plain upon the tables, that everyone may read itfluently” (Habakkuk 2:2, Leeser). By James Parkinson The earliest form of a chart of the ages may be in Herald of the Morning 4, 2 (March 1876). The three worlds were shown by three partial ellipses, with three smaller ones within “The world that now is”(“Patriarch,” “Jewish,” “Gospel”), and two more in the “World to come” (“Millennial,” and “ages”). It is seen […]

Foundation Principles

January 1, 2022

True Fundamentalism These two articles, published August 1, 1913, are soul-searching and remain edifying in our day. — Pastor Charles Russell, The Watch Tower, R5284 (both articles) Why There is Diversity Amongst God’s People “Who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). WHILE it is true that all men are born with inalienable rights and privileges, yet no man is born without sin. The Scriptures very properly declare that the race […]

A Pastor’s Advice on Profitable Meetings

January 1, 2022

Instruction and Different Views “If in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you” (Philippians 3:15 ASV). The Bible does not specifically tell us what kinds of Bible meetings Christians should conduct. Pastor Russell suggests four kinds of profitable meetings: Discourses, Bible Studies, Different Views Heard, and Testimony Meetings. From Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 6, page 314, we read — “Where the Lord has laid down no positive law it would be inappropriate for us or for […]