Russell and the One True Catholic Church

This post is to address some of the items appearing on "on a blogsite" that presents many false statements and misleading comments concerning Brother Russell. Many others present similar misrepresentations of Russell. While we are not associated with the Jehovah's Witnesses (nor was Russell), we do highly esteem Brother Russell and the work he did.

The first statement we wish to address is:

Unlike the founders of Catholicism, namely the Apostles and Christ himself, Charles Taze Russell (and Joseph Smith for that matter) had historically documented motives for establishing a non-traditional Christian sect.

There are three points that need to be addressed here: (1) The idea that Jesus and the apostles were the founders of Catholicism. (2) Russell's motives and (3) The idea that Russell established a non-traditional "sect."

This post will address the first point:

The word "catholic" means universal. As a generic term, we can agree that Jesus and the apostles did found the one true universal church. Brother Russell believed in that Catholic Church.

This can be seen from his statements that we are reproducing below. This is an excerpt from a sermon of Pastor Russell on this point:

For some unaccountable reason numerous Catholics have gotten the thought that I am their foe, just as Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Baptists, etc., have the impression that I am their foe. I am a foe to no human being, especially to no Christian. I believe more fully in Free Grace than do Methodists -- that ultimately God's grace will reach every human being. I believe more emphatically than do most Presbyterians that the Church is an especially elect class, and is now being gathered out of the world to be God's agents in the ultimate blessing of all the non-elect. I believe with the Baptists that only the Elect, the immersed, will constitute the Kingdom of God, although I deny their claim that baptism in water is the real immersion. I hold, with the Apostle, that it is a baptism into Christ's death. Similarly I hold to the great Catholic doctrine that there is only one true Church, founded by the Lord Jesus Christ through His Apostles, nearly nineteen centuries ago.

I am aware that several churches claim to be Catholic, each declaring itself the true Church and reprobating the others as heretical. I take the still broader catholic ground-that the word catholic means general; and that any limitation such as Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, etc., to that extent denies their catholicity. Perhaps, therefore, I am really saying that I am more catholic than any of these brethren.

I must prove my point or be misunderstood. I hold, and few, if any, will dispute it, that the one catholic or general Church of Christ is that mentioned in the Bible -- "the Church of the Firstborns, written in Heaven." If this be admitted, my next proposition is that the Lord in Heaven records as members of His true Church all the saintly - whether Roman Catholics, Anglican Catholics, Greek Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, or Presbyterians, etc. -- and none others.

Have we not here the one Church, catholic, universal, the only Church which the Bible recognizes? In the past we have been too narrow and have supposed that God was as narrow as ourselves. It was on this account that Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists persecuted and were persecuted, each thinking itself the true Church. Are we not all getting broader conceptions of our God and of His Church? Do we not see that we were mistaken in calling the outward organization the Church of Christ instead of remembering that the Lord alone writes the names of the Church, that He alone reads the hearts, that He alone is the Judge, and that He alone has the right to blot out the names of reprobates?

CLICK HERE to see the entire article

We agree with Brother Russell's description of the true Biblical Catholic Church.

Russell here points out several things: The church is not to be limited to any one sect or denomination. It includes all who truly belong to Christ, irrespective of whether they be Presbyterian, Roman Catholics, and any of the many other sects and denominations that profess to be Christian. Its members are not enrolled in church membership rolls here on earth, but in heaven.

We are in general agreement with Brother Russell's statements as presented in this sermon, although we may not agree with all details, especially as applied to the harvest.

Related Links

Russell's Alleged Denunication of "Organized Religion"
But One True Church of the Living God (Sermon by Charles Taze Russell)
The Rock-Built Church (Sermon by Charles Taze Russell)
The True Church (Sermon by Charles Taze Russell)

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