“From this it is clearly seen that the editor and publisher of Zion’s Watch Tower disavowed any claim to being individually, in his person, that ‘faithful and wise servant’. He never did claim to be such” (God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached, 1973, page 346, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society).
“Thousands of the readers of Pastor Russell’s writings believe that he filled the office of ‘that faithful and wise servant,’ and that his great work was giving to the household of faith meat in due season. His modesty and humility precluded him from openly claiming this title, but he admitted as much in private conversation” (The Watch Tower, Dec. 1, 1916, in Watchtower Reprints page 5998).
“Then by degrees there came into existence a special class called ‘the clergy,’ who regarded themselves, and were regarded by others, as the proper guides to faith and practice, aside from the Word of God. Thus in time the great system of Papacy was developed by an undue respect for the teaching of fallible men and a neglect of the Word of the infallible God” (The Divine Plan of the Ages, 1908, page 23, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society).
“We should eat and digest and assimilate what is set before us, without shying away from parts of the food because it may not suit the fancy of our mental taste…. We should meekly go along with the Lord’s theocratic organization and wait for further clarification, rather than balk at the first mention of a thought unpalatable to us and proceed to quibble and mouth our criticisms and opinions as though they were worth more than the slave’s provision of spiritual food. Theocratic ones will appreciate the Lord’s visible organization and not be so foolish as to pit against Jehovah’s channel their own human reasoning and sentiment and personal feelings” (The Watchtower, Feb. 1, 1952, pages 79,80).
“Many times failure to receive God’s spirit is caused by relying on men rather than God. Even in the days of the apostles there were some who were inclined to look more to the individual than to God or Christ. This is a form of creature worship…. The creature worshiper is unable to exercise the mind of Christ because his mind is not free and he must lean entirely upon the imperfect object of his worship for all decisions as to his course of action” (The Watchtower, May 1, 1964, page 270).
