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Eusebius Pamphili—Compromising Bishop of CaesareaThe Watchtower—1959 | October 1
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history’s last two hundred years? Only one reason can be adduced: he was not proud of the part he played at that Council. So he left it to other historians to record its proceedings, including his own speeches and lengthy explanation as to why he subscribed to the Nicene Creed. While because of that fact trinitarians like to claim Eusebius Pamphili as their own, at heart he had not changed; Jerome was right in terming him an avowed champion of Arianism.
Eusebius was so highly esteemed by Constantine that he declared that Eusebius could be bishop of well-nigh the whole world. And the one who at last baptized Constantine, just before his death, was an intimate friend of Eusebius Pamphili, namely, Eusebius of Nicomedia, who had even stronger Arian sympathies and who only at the very end subscribed to the Nicene Creed. It is not inconceivable therefore that had Eusebius Pamphili been as ardent a champion for the Scriptural position as was Arius, had he had the courage of his convictions, the Council of Nicea might have decided against instead of for the trinity, especially since so many of the bishops present did not feel strongly on the subject.
But Eusebius Pamphili was more concerned with policy than with principle, with gaining the approval of Constantine than with gaining the approval of Jehovah God. He sacrificed truth for the sake of expediency. He must therefore take his place among such as Nicodemus, who dared to come to Jesus only under the cover of night, and with Joseph of Arimathea, “who was a disciple of Jesus but a secret one out of his fear of the Jews.”—John 3:1, 2; 19:38.
Truly the facts regarding Eusebius underscore the Scriptural and logical weakness of the Nicene Creed. And they leave no doubt that Eusebius secretly often regretted his compromise at the Council of Nicea, in which he serves as a warning to all Christians: The punishment of having to live with a guilty conscience should make us ever sensitive and alert to the danger of compromising.
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Questions From ReadersThe Watchtower—1959 | October 1
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Questions From Readers
● Who are the writers of the publications of the Watch Tower Society, and what are their educational qualifications?—M.D., U.S.A.
The literature published by the Watch Tower Society is published in the name of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Regardless of who may write certain articles, they are checked carefully by members of the governing body before they are published; so they are properly viewed as coming from the Society. Our publishing work is not done to glorify any men or to give them a name of prominence before this world, depending upon the name of men in order to induce a study of God’s Word with the aid of the Watch Tower Society’s publications. We avoid all kinds of creature worship and anything that would stimulate to creature worship. In harmony with this endeavor the Society does not identify the writers of the various books, booklets, magazines, or articles that it publishes. They prefer to remain anonymous, not because of their educational background but in order that the students of the literature may concentrate on the truths and the facts presented instead of upon the identity of the writer and being influenced by who he is. They prefer that the Society and not the individual contributor to its publications should be the thing to recommend the Watch Tower publications to all readers and that the attention of readers should be directed to the organization that is being used by Jehovah God as his instrument rather than to any individual.—Matt. 24:45-47.
So we let the literature speak for itself. The scholarliness of it, the logical presentation of the Scriptures that it sets forth and its faithful adherence to the Bible are the things that should impress the reader and that should convince him that this is the Bible truth. Worldly scholarship is not the thing to be required. It was not the thing required in the production of the Christian Greek Scriptures from Matthew to Revelation. The writers of those twenty-seven Bible books were obscure men according to worldly standards. Peter and John were ordinary fishermen, Matthew a tax collector, Mark a resident of Jerusalem of no scholastic fame, James was a half-brother of Jesus who was a carpenter in the city of Nazareth. Only the apostle Paul lays claim to some education. And yet in Philippians the third chapter he says that all the worldly advantages that he had he considered as mere refuse in comparison with the knowledge of Jesus Christ that he gained after he became a follower of the Savior.
The Bible shows that it was possession of the holy spirit that was the important factor in the writing of the books of the Bible and that it moved men of faith to record God’s Word. (2 Pet. 1:21; Acts 28:25) It is also possession of that spirit that is necessary to understand the Scriptures. “Now we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that have been kindly given us by God. These things we also speak, not with words taught by human wisdom, but with those taught by the spirit, as we combine spiritual matters with spiritual words. But a physical man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are examined spiritually.” (1 Cor. 2:12-14) Thus it is that the world, with its wisdom, has not come to know God and understand his purposes, because it does not have the wisdom that comes from above.
With these things in mind, we encourage all who seek the Bible truth to see the prime necessity of the possession of the holy spirit on the part of those who are responsible for the material that goes into the publications of our Society. The evidence of the holy spirit in the quality and content of the writings published by the Watch Tower Society should be the thing that satisfies, that convinces, together with a comparison of these things with the inspired Word of God, the Holy Scriptures.
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AnnouncementsThe Watchtower—1959 | October 1
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Announcements
FIELD MINISTRY
“I am awake!” people will often say, and no doubt they are awake to many things. Yet how easy it is to overlook matters vital to one’s well being! To aid people to be awake to matters of greatest importance, during October Jehovah’s witnesses will offer a year’s subscription for the magazine Awake! for $1. New subscribers will receive free three enlightening Bible booklets.
NOTICE TO READERS!
Have you seen Awake!, the companion magazine to this one you hold in your hand? Awake! does not deal primarily with Bible doctrine, but it is awake spiritually because it is governed by true Bible principles, not philosophy or expediency. It is a magazine of facts, news, everyday problems, practical sciences, human interests, natural wonders. It is instructive, wholesome reading for every member of the family. Over 2,800,000 copies are printed each issue in nineteen languages. Send only $1 for a year’s subscription and receive three booklets on timely Bible subjects free.
“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS
November 8: Finding the Truth That Makes Men Free, ¶1-21. Page 584.
November 15: Finding the Truth That Makes Men Free, ¶22-43. Page 590.
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