Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1914-08-14

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Pastor Russell preached today from
the text, Woe unto you, lawyersl for
We have taken away the Key of Knowl-
edge: We entered not in yourselves, and
them that were entering in ye hinder
ed."-Luke 1l;52.
The word lawyer In New Testament
usage the Pastor began, has a very
different meaning from our usage. 1t
applied to those religious teachers of
the Jews who made special professions
of sanctity of heart and earnest desire
to know Gods will and to teach it
Today the corresponding class are des-
ignated Doctors of Divinity.
1t was customary amongst the Jews,
the speaker continued, that lessons
from the Law and the Prophets should
be read daily in the synagogues. The
people were thus familiar with the let
ter of the Scriptures. The majority
of them were illiterate; for educa
tiOnal facilities then were not what
they are now Consequently only a
few claimed to have knowledge of the
spiritual part of the Law and Prophets.
These We're chiefly of the literary and
wealthy classes. To these the COM
mon people looked for guidance
The people were hungry for the Mes
sage which Jesus brought The ma
ton would have gone over promptly
to Jesus if the Doctors of the Law had
given the word Moreover. Jesus
teachings harmonized the Law and the
Prophets, over which the Scribes and
Pharisees and the Sadducees long had
disputed. Had these Doctors of the
Law been as hungry for Truth as were
the people. undoubtedly their differ
ences of Interpretation of Scripture
would have speedily disappeared in the
light then shining upon the Bible
through the Holy Spirit. Jesus and His
Apostles being JehOyahs mouthpieces
The Pastor then drew Il parallel be-
tween the Jewish Age and its Harvest
and the Gospel Age and its Harvest
Now. as then, Gods people are perish
ing for lack of knowledge. Now, as
then, the Doctors of Divinity will not
use the Key of knowledge themselves;
and have buried it from the people IN
der Il mass of forms and ceremonies
But Is knowledge Necessary?
It was then shown that in our Lords
day the Jewish Doctors of Divinity
contented themselves with telling the
people what to do and what not TO do.
but did not help them to understand
the deep meaning of the Law and the
Prophets. So it is today, the speaker
declared; a minister stands as q rep
resentative and mouthpiece of the
Church creed. which in roundabout
terms declares that whoever does not
1--we sanity life will suffer an eter-
nifty of torment. Is not this a griev-
Gus burden TO put upon any conscien-
tiouS soul? he asked. Has it not caus-
ed UNRELIABLE anguish to many of Gods
true people? Has it not driven from
God and the Bible thousands Of the
most intelligent minds in the world?
As the Jewish Doctors of Divinity
carried no such burdens, neither do
Doctors Of Divinity. In
private they acknowledge that they
carry no such burdens. In public they
give the inference that they do-not
so much by positive terms as by i'm
plication, tone, infection Of the voice !
and by the fact that they represent !
creeds which so teach. These in |
iuential teachers are not to be excused /
because of the claim that in their
)fiieial capacity they lose their per /
;onal responsibility and shift it upon |
hose who made the creeds and those
who adopted them. The people no
onger trust the creeds. They realize
hat a greater light shines today than
when those creedS were formulated.
The people trust the Bible. the Pas
or declared. They understand our
modern Scribes and Pharisees to give
ssurance that the creeds of Christen-
lom properly represent the teachings
f Scripture. The creedal chains would
ecome ropes of sand if the prominent
Doctors Of Divinity would publicly re-
Iounce the creeds, as nearly all Of !
hem do in private conversation.
Systematic Key Hiding.
Next 1t was pointed out that our ,
MODERN Scribes and Pharisees are {
rowing themselves to be the antiques
( those addressed by Jesus. Taking
way the Key Of knowledge. they
rye the people not to bother their {,
eads about doctrines. but to leave !
lese subjects to the clergy. Bible IL
.udy has degenerated into study OF =
geography. customs. ETC., rather than q
n effort to understand the phophecies !
? the Interpretation OF them given by
esus and His Apostles.