Waka Long “Field” Bifor Harvest

OLKETA disaepol bilong Nambawan Teacher barava konfius. Jesus hem just finisim wanfala story abaotem wheat and rabis grass. Hem wanfala long olketa tokpiksa wea Jesus storyim long datfala day. Taem hem finis, planti long olketa audience go nao. Bat olketa follower bilong hem savve hao olketa tokpiksa hia garem mining—especially datwan abaotem wheat and rabis grass. Olketa savve hao Jesus hem no just wanfala man for talem interesting story nomoa.

Matthew reportim hao olketa ask olsem: “Minim kam for mifala tokpiksa abaotem olketa rabis grass long field.” For ansarem olketa, Jesus explainim datfala parabol, and talem profesi abaotem wanfala bigfala wei for apostate wea bae kamap midolwan olketa wea sei olketa disaepol bilong hem. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-38, 43) Diswan happen, and wei for apostate spread kwiktaem bihaen dae bilong aposol John. (Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thessalonians 2:6-12) Diswan kamap  big tumas so kwestin wea Jesus askem, olsem hem stap long Luke 18:8, hem fitim: “Taem Son bilong man hem kam, waswe, bae hem barava faendem faith long earth?”

Kam bak bilong Jesus bae markem start bilong “datfala harvest” bilong olketa Christian wea olsem wheat. Datwan hem bae markem ‘taem bilong end bilong disfala system,’ wea start long 1914. Iumi shud no sapraes hao samfala start for interest long Bible truth long olketa taem wea lead go long start bilong harvest.—Matthew 13:39.

Wei for lukluk gud long record bilong history mekem olketa pruv showaot klia hao start from mek-15 century, pipol start for tingting, nomata midolwan pipol bilong Christendom tu wea olsem datfala “rabis grass,” or olketa giaman Christian. Taem Bible hem stap for iusim and olketa redyim olketa Bible concordance, olketa man wea garem honest heart start for lukluk gud long olketa Scripture.

Laet Kamap Braet

Midolwan olketa man olsem long start bilong mek-19 century hem Henry Grew (1781-1862), from Birmingham, England. Taem hem 13 year, hem go long ship witim famili bilong hem akrosim Atlantic go kasem United States, and arrive there long July 8, 1795. Olketa go stap long Providence, Rhode Island. Mami and dadi bilong hem putim love for Bible insaed long hem. Long 1807, taem hem 25 year, olketa invaetem Grew for serve olsem pastor bilong Baptist Church long Hartford, Connecticut.

Hem tinghevi long teaching responsibility bilong hem and trae for helpem olketa wea hem lukaftarem for live followim olketa Scripture. Bat, hem biliv long wei for keepim kongregeson klin from eni man wea go ahed for duim sin. Samfala taem, hem, witim olketa narafala man insaed church wea garem responsibility, mas aotem (disfellowshipim) olketa wea duim fornication or duim narafala samting wea no klin.

Samfala nara problem tu stap insaed church wea hem no hapi witim. Olketa iusim olketa man wea no member bilong church for duim samfala bisnis samting and leadim singsing long  service. Olketa man hia savve vote tu for samfala samting bilong kongregeson and there nao olketa garem samfala kontrol long church. Long faondeson bilong wei for stap separate from world, Grew biliv strong hao olketa faithful man nomoa shud duim olketa waka hia. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18; James 1:27) Long tingting bilong hem, for iusim olketa man wea no biliv for singim praise long God hem wanfala wei for tokspoelem God. Bikos long biliv bilong hem, long 1811, church rejectim Henry Grew. Long semtaem olketa narafala member wea garem sem tingting separate tu from datfala church.

Separate From Christendom

Disfala grup, wea Henry Grew tu insaed diswan, startim wanfala study long Bible witim goal for mekem laef bilong olketa and evri samting wea olketa duim for fitim kaonsel bilong Bible. Study bilong olketa kwiktaem lead go long wei for minim moa Bible truth and mekem olketa for talemaot olketa mistek bilong Christendom. Olsem example, long 1824, Grew raetem wanfala kliafala pruv wea showimaot Trinity hem no tru. Lukim kliafala tingting long disfala raeting bilong hem: “‘Abaotem datfala day, and datfala hour no eni man savve, olketa angel wea stap long heven tu no savve, Son tu no savve, bat FATHER nomoa.’ [Mark 13:32] Lukim wei wea diswan followim order. Man, olketa Angel, Son, Father. . . . Lord bilong iumi teachim iumi hao Father nomoa savve long datfala day. Bat diswan bae no tru, sapos, olsem samfala tingim, Father, Word, and Holy Spirit olketa thrifala man insaed wanfala God; from, for fitim diswan [teaching, datfala Trinity teaching,] . . . Son hem savve semsem witim Father.”

Grew showimaot hypocrite fasin bilong olketa bigman bilong church and olketa army komanda wea giaman for servem Christ. Long 1828 hem talemaot diswan: “Waswe, iumi savve tingim eni samting wea againstim hemseleva moa, winim wei wea wanfala Christian lusim rum bilong hem bihaen hem prea for olketa enemy bilong hem, and then komandim olketa soldia bilong hem for pushim go olketa samting for faet witim bigfala kros, insaed long heart bilong olketa enemy hia? Long wanfala wei, hem olsem Masta bilong hem wea redy for dae; bat long nara wei hem olsem hu nao? Jesus hem prea for olketa wea killim hem dae. Olketa Christian killim dae pipol wea olketa prea for olketa.”

Long strongfala wei moa, Grew hem raet olsem: “What taem nao bae iumi biliv long Olmaeti wea promisim iumi hao no eniwan ‘trikim hem?’ What taem nao bae iumi minim wei, and mark, bilong datfala holy religion wea askem iumi for stap klia long nomata ‘lukluk bilong nogud fasin?’ . . . Waswe, hem no wei for againstim Son bilong God, for tingse religion bilong hem askem wanfala man for act olsem wanfala angel long wanfala wei, and long narafala wei hem letem hem for act olsem demon?”

Laef Olowe Hem No Samting wea Iumi Born Witim

Long olketa year bifor radio and television, wanfala main wei for talemaot tingting hem for raetem and givimaot olketa pepa. Kasem samting olsem 1835, Grew raetem wanfala important pepa wea showimaot teaching abaotem soul wea no savve dae and hellfire hem no kam from Bible. Hem feel olsem olketa teaching hia tokspoelem God.

Disfala pepa changem planti samting. Long 1837, George Storrs wea hem 40 year faendem wanfala copy insaed train. Storrs hem wanfala native bilong Lebanon, New Hampshire, wea long datfala taem hem stap long Utica, New York.

Hem wanfala minister long Methodist-Episcopal Church and pipol respectim hem tumas. Taem hem readim datfala pepa, hem sapraes hao strongfala pruv olsem stap wea againstim olketa main teaching bilong Christendom, wea hem no daotem bifor. Hem no savve hu nao raetem, and hem still no savve go kasem samfala year bihaen, long 1844, hem meetim Henry Grew taem tufala stap long Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nomata olsem, Storrs studyim diswan seleva for thrifala year, and storyim nomoa witim olketa nara minister.

Gogo, from no eniwan fit for denyim olketa samting wea hem lanem, George Storrs disaed  hao hem bae no faithful long God sapos hem go ahed for stap long Methodist Church. Hem resign long 1840 and muv go long Albany, New York.

Long spring bilong 1842, Storrs givim sixfala tok insaed sixfala week long disfala subject “Wanfala Kwestin—Waswe, Olketa wea Wicked Kanduit Dae?” Staka tumas interest long diswan so hem stretem for pablisim, and insaed 40 year, 200,000 go aot long United States and Great Britain. Storrs and Grew waka tugeta for againstim teaching abaotem soul wea kanduit for dae. Grew go ahed for preach go kasem dae bilong hem long August 8, 1862, long Philadelphia.

No longtaem bihaen Storrs hem givim sixfala tok wea iumi story abaotem finis, hem start for interest long teaching bilong William Miller, man wea expectim kam bak bilong Christ long wei wea man savve lukim long 1843. For samting olsem tufala year, Storrs hem barava strong for preachim disfala message evriwea long northeast United States. Bihaen 1844, hem no interest for markem eni date for kam bak bilong Christ, bat hem no savve againstim sapos nara pipol want for lukluk gud long date. Storrs bilivim hao kam bak bilong Christ hem klosap and hem important for olketa Christian for go ahed for wekap and lukaot long spiritual wei, and redy for day bilong lukluk gud long evri samting. Bat hem no kaban moa witim grup bilong Miller bikos olketa acceptim olketa teaching wea no kam from Bible, olsem soul kanduit dae, world bae bone, and olketa no bilivim hao hope for laef olowe stap for olketa wea dae finis bat wea no savve long stret samting.

Love Bilong God Bae Lead Go Long Wanem?

Storrs hem barava againstim tingting bilong Adventist hao God bae resurrectim nogud pipol for killim olketa moa. Hem no lukim eni pruv long Bible for wanfala iusles wei for God pei bak olsem. Storrs and grup bilong hem ova tumas for sei hao nogud pipol bae nating resurrect. Nomata hem hard for olketa explainim samfala scripture wea story abaotem resurrection bilong pipol wea no raeteous, luk olsem tingting bilong olketa hem moa stret witim love bilong God. Wanfala wei for minim gud purpose bilong God hem klosap for kam.

Long 1870, Storrs kamap sik tumas and no savve waka for samfala month. Long disfala taem, hem fit for lukluk gud moa long evri samting wea hem lanem finis insaed 74 year bilong hem. Hem sei hao hem missim important part long purpose bilong God for olketa man olsem hem showaot long covenant bilong Abraham—hao ‘evri famili bilong earth bae kasem blessing bikos Abraham lisin long toktok bilong God.’—Genesis 22:18; Acts 3:25.

 Diswan mekem kamap wanfala niu tingting long mind bilong hem. Sapos “evri famili” bae kasem blessing, waswe, evriwan bae no need for herem gud nius? Hao nao bae olketa herem? Waswe, planti million pipol no dae finis? Taem hem lukluk gud moa long olketa Scripture, hem luksavve hao tufala sekson long olketa “wicked” man stap: olketa wea min for rejectim love bilong God and olketa wea dae taem olketa no savve long stret samting.

Mek-tu sekson hia, Storrs hem sei, bae laef bak from dae for givim olketa chance for kasem gud samting from ransom sakrifaes bilong Jesus Christ. Olketa wea acceptim bae stap olowe long earth. Olketa wea rejectim diswan bae finis evribit. Yes, Storrs bilivim hao God bae no resurrectim eniwan sapos hem bae no givim hem chance for laef olowe. Gogo, no eniwan bae dae finis from sin bilong Adam bat only Adam nomoa! Bat, waswe long olketa wea stap long taem bilong kam bak bilong Christ? Gogo Storrs luksavve hao bigfala preaching waka bae go ahed evriwea long world for kasem olketa hia. Hem no garem eni idea long hao nao for duim samting olsem, bat long faith hem raet olsem: “Bat staka pipol bae rejectim diswan sapos olketa no luksavve hao nao bae olketa duim, olsem hem hard for God duim bikos olketa no savve lukim.”

George Storrs hem dae long December 1879, long hom bilong hem long Brooklyn, New York, no farawe from ples wea bihaen bae kamap main ples bilong disfala preaching waka evriwea long world wea hem barava luk forward long hem.

Needim Moa Laet

Waswe, olketa man olsem Henry Grew and George Storrs minim truth long kliafala wei olsem iumi distaem? Nomoa. Olketa luksavve long wei wea olketa stragol hard, olsem Storrs talem long 1847: “Hem gud for rememberim hao iumi just kamaot from taem bilong spiritual darkness bilong church; and iumi bae no sapraes sapos iumi still werem samfala ‘kaleko bilong Babylon’ olsem truth.” Olsem example, Grew luksavve finis long ransom wea Jesus givim, bat hem no minim hao hem olsem wanfala “ransom wea semsem,” hem nao, perfect laef bilong Jesus wea hem givim for changem bak perfect laef bilong Adam wea lus. (1 Timothy 2:6) And tu Henry Grew hem mistek for bilivim hao Jesus bae kam bak and rul long earth long wei wea man savve lukim. Bat, Grew hem interest long wei for mekem nem bilong Jehovah kamap holy, wanfala subject wea tu-thri pipol nomoa interest long hem start long mek-tu century C.E.

Long sem wei tu George Storrs hem no minim long stretfala wei samfala important point. Hem luksavve long olketa giaman wei bilong olketa bigman bilong religion, bat samfala taem hem ova nao. Olsem example, maet from hem ova tumas for againstim tingting bilong olketa bigman bilong orthodox abaotem Satan, Storrs hem rejectim disfala idea wea sei Devil hem wanfala really man. Hem rejectim Trinity; bat, hem no sure sapos holy spirit hem wanfala man go  kasem no longtaem bifor hem dae. Nomata George Storrs expectim hao firstaem no eniwan bae lukim kam bak bilong Christ, hem tingim hao gogo man bae savve lukim. Nomata olsem, hem luk olsem tufala man hia garem honest heart, and tufala moa klos long truth winim planti narawan.

Datfala “field” wea Jesus story abaotem long tokpiksa bilong wheat and rabis grass hem no redy yet for harvestim. (Matthew 13:38) Grew, Storrs, and olketa narawan waka long “field” for redyim for datfala harvest.

Charles Taze Russell, wea start for pablisim disfala magasin long 1879, raet olsem abaotem olketa first year bilong hem: “Lord givim iumi planti help for studyim word bilong Hem, midolwan long olketa hia hem olo brata bilong iumi wea iumi lovem tumas, George Storrs, wea, thru toktok and raeting givim iumi bigfala help; bat iumi nating aftarem wei for kamap follower bilong olketa man, nomata olketa gud and wise, bat ‘Olketa follower bilong God olsem olketa pikinini wea hem lovem.’” Tru nao, olketa Bible student wea honest kasem gud samting from waka bilong olketa man olsem Grew and Storrs, bat hem still important for lukluk gud long Word bilong God, Bible, wea hem nao really start bilong truth.—John 17:17.

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Wanem Henry Grew Bilivim

Pipol bringim shame long nem bilong Jehovah, and hem need for kamap holy.

Trinity, soul kanduit for dae, and hellfire hem olketa giaman teaching.

Christian kongregeson mas stap separate from world.

Olketa Christian no tekpart long olketa war bilong nation.

Olketa Christian no stap anda Saturday or Sunday Sabbath law.

Olketa Christian shud no joinim eni secret grup, olsem Freemason.

Midolwan olketa Christian no eni spesol grup bilong bigman stap.

Olketa title bilong religion hem againstim Christ.

Evri kongregeson mas garem wanfala body of elders.

Olketa elder mas holy long evri fasin bilong olketa, mas no garem blame.

Evri Christian mas preachim gud nius.

Samfala pipol bae stap olowe long Paradaes long earth.

Christian singsing shud givim praise long Jehovah and Christ.

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Photo: Collection of The New-York Historical Society/​69288

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Wanem George Storrs Bilivim

Jesus givim laef bilong hem olsem ransom price for olketa man.

Olketa no duim yet waka for preachim gud nius (long 1871).

From diswan, end hem no klosap long datfala taem (long 1871). Wanfala taem stap long future wea olketa bae duim preaching waka.

Samfala pipol bae kasem laef olowe long earth.

Resurrection hem stap for pipol wea dae finis taem olketa no savve long stret fasin. Olketa wea acceptim ransom sakrifaes bilong Jesus bae kasem laef olowe long earth. Olketa wea rejectim diswan bae finis evribit.

Soul kanduit dae and hellfire hem giaman teaching wea no honorim God.

Evening Kaikai Bilong Lord hem wanfala celebration wea kamap evri year long Nisan 14.

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Photo: SIX SERMONS, by George Storrs (1855)

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Long 1909, C. T. Russell, man wea raetem “Zion’s Watch Tower,” muv go long Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.