JWs: How did pastor Russel die?

Question

I obtained a copy of the new world translation of the bible and couldn't believe how different it was to other bibles that I have read.

As an LDS I have had the scripture in Revelation quoted to me ad nausem so I was wondering whether Pastor Russell died of plagues or how he died.

There were two differences that jumped out at me when read some of the NWT.

I say unto thee Today, shalt thou be with me in paradise.
in the KJV the comma is before the word today.

the other one is were the NWT instead of saying the word was god it says the word was a god

Answer 1

During his return from a ministerial tour of the western and southwestern United States, the already ill Pastor Russell died from the result of multiple ailments on the night of October 31, 1916 in a train car as it approached Pampa, Texas.

His death was a major front-page headline in many newspapers across the globe.

Russel showed similar teachings as the LDS in that there was a Great Apostasy in the 1st century. The corruption of Christian doctrine particularly with the infusion of Greek or other allegedly pagan philosophies such as Neo-Platonism, Platonic realism, Aristotleanism and Asceticism.

Answer 2

You're not kidding it's different from other Bibles, in spite of the Watchtower saying they've only dispensed with the archaic language of the KJV. My biggest problem with the NWT is that it calls the Holy Spirit an "it", while all other translations accurately refer to the Holy Spirit as "He" or "Him".

And what about using "Jehovah" in Rev. 1:8 and Jesus in Rev. 2:8, when reading straight through both chapters, in context, it is obvious that they are speaking of one person throughout--that person being Jesus Christ, who is the only one of the two who "is, was, and is to come" (1:8) and who "was dead and is alive". (2:8).

Answer 3

First off, the New World Translation was not released until 1961. Russell died in 1916. Russell along with other bible students came upon their understanding of what doctrines were bible based using the King James Bible and other translations of their time.

Before you speak ill of the dead, you may find the following interesting.

Below is an interesting excerpt from the book Where Else but Pittsburgh! Pittsburgh : Davis & Wade, Inc., 1958 rF159 .P6 S86 .
It's a book written by George Swetnam , an ordained Presbyterian minister, who wrote for years for the Pittsburgh Press newspaper , and is regarded as the foremost historian of the Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania areas.
"It is an amazing thing that no Pittsburgh history has ever even so much as contained the name of C.T. Russell, since his influence has easily been the widest of any man who ever lived in a city...including Andrew Carnegie.
"He was a pioneer in the Chain store, the Motion Picture industry and other important ventures. He was one of the most prolific and widely read authors of his day, turning out many books and a column carried by more then 1500 newspapers, with some 15 million readers. Russell traveled over a million miles, delivering more than 30,000 sermons and lectures.
"He was always interested in religion, writing Bible verses on the sidewalks with chalk when a youth. As a boy he was quick & alert, so his father took him into partnership in his general store at the age of 11. When he was 15 he was sent out as a buyer.
"Like many other youths Charles was troubled in mind. He battled over the doctrine of predestination and was pondering these things for while he was unable to accept religion he was unable to let it go. It was a successful but skeptical businessman of 18 that he stepped into a dingy basement to see if a handful who met there had anything more sensible than the creeds of the churches. What he heard set him searching the Bible again, which he did for 46 years!
"Soon he rented a hall & started a Bible School where for 5 years he lectured. Then, convinced he had a divine mission, he did a strange thing for a young man of 26 with no formal theological education. He invited ALL the ministers of Pittsburgh to a meeting, explained his beliefs and urged them to unite with him! The fact that they accepted his invitation shows how high young Russell stood in the community. Yet after hearing they declined his offers..
"Rebuffed by the ministers in his home town Russell turned himself to a life of evangelism. He carried on his haberdashery business for some time but his interest in commerce gradually waned and he closed his store for the next year.
"Russell was nearly 6 feet tall, well built, with piercing gray eyes. His manner was always CALM, stressing argument rather then emotion, sometimes adding a touch of humor. In later life he was snowy haired, white bearded, and saintly in appearance.
"In 1914 he completed work on the first epic motion picture: "The Photo Drama of Creation" 15 years before any other sound pictures were produced. It ran for eight hours and was viewed by some eight million people!
"Late in life he set up his entire fortune, by now amounting to well over a million dollars, into a trust fund for the W.T.B.& T Society, the business organization for Jehovah's Witnesses.
"He made many close friends and bitter enemies. He was the target of many stories accusing him of all sorts of crimes and wrong doing in regard to his marriage, although there appears to be little if any basis for such charges.
"All through his life Russell told his followers NOT to revere him; He taught them this so well that the publishing house he founded has never published a biography of "Pastor Russell".
"The movement he founded now has worldwide scope & is still one of the worlds fastest growing religions. In 1958 some 250,000 came to NYC to hear the same doctrines Russell preached to the unreceptive clergy 80 years earlier."

I don't know what scripture you are talking about in Revelation? But if you truly compare the New World Translation with others, there are minor difference. The most notiable is the adding back of Jehovah's name, where it had been taken out do to supersition on the part of the Jews.
For one man's unbaised opinion of the New World Translation, read the book "Truth in Translation" written by Jason David BeDuhn. He compares nine translations of the New Testiment.

Jehovah's Witnesses base their beliefs on the bible. Not on traditions or doctrines of men.

Answer 4

There may be few Jw's on this morning due to allot of them attending their"super weekend of cult indoctrination" aka the district convention being held in many places this past weekend.

Answer 5

The false pastor who is manning a false religion?
jtm