IBSA, ORIGINAL INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

https://www.internationalbiblestudents.com/

https://www.friendsofjehovahswitnesses.com/2013/04/10/the-original-international-bible-students-association-still-alive-and-well/

https://ibsaproperty.com/

After the death of Brother Russell in 1916, J.F. Rutherford took control of the WBTS, contrary to the instructions in Brother Russell’s Will and the Watchtower Bylaws.  By 1931 J.F. Rutherford had fundamentally transformed the WBTS into an authoritative theocratic organization.  J.F. Rutherford renamed the group from Bible Students to “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” in order to distinguish itself from the various groups formed by the 75% of original Bible Students no longer associated with the WBTS.  Hundreds of these Bible Student congregations worldwide have continued to the present, thus constituting a continuation of the original IBSA.

The International Bible Students have always been actively engaged in witnessing the Truth to the world and our beliefs remain unchanged since the days of Brother Russell.  We continue to treasure the Studies in the Scriptures, early Watchtowers and other writings of Brother Russell.   We believe that the light continues to shine brighter (clearer), but that it never changes.  If we agree that the Truth has changed, then it never was the Truth in the first place.

 

Peter K. (admin)

October 11, 2018 at 6:41 am · Reply

George,

The last thing the Governing Body and JW Organization would want to do is bring Bible Students to court over publishing rights. This would draw attention to the existence of the original Bible Students (who supposedly died out according to JW Org). Also, an investigation of the history would reveal a hostile and illegal takeover of the Watchtower by Rutherford and his supporters, which would be a public relations nightmare. The original Watchtower Directors eventually decided not to take legal action as some brethren pointed them to these Bible verses.

So questions.

Who are the ( ORIGINAL ) INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION ?  Because they seem to be in opposition to JW Org. 

BUT, IBSA London Properties says this :-

About Us

 

IBSA London Properties is part of IBSA (International Bible Students Association) a registered charity acting on behalf of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Britain and Ireland. For more information about Jehovah’s Witnesses please follow this link.

On the one hand we have an IBSA that say " This would draw attention to the existence of the original Bible Students (who supposedly died out according to JW Org)."

But then we have the IBSA London Properties that say that they are " a registered charity acting on behalf of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Britain and Ireland.

@TrueTomHarley ridicules me about my idea concerning the True Anointed. So I'm just wondering if an International Bible Students Association could  provide the answer. After all wasn't it them that first had the 'new light' ? 

 

 

[Arauna]

Whatever happens in a court.  Rutherford did well to change the Name because it brings attention to the name of jehovah. 

I became a witness and left the church I was in BECAUSE the churches stick to traditions that are centuries old.  There is no place for spiritual growth. 

If these IBSA guys still cling to age old ideas and the person of  Russel - no matter how sincere-  their inability to change may be their Achilles heel.  Russel made quite a few mistakes....... because   the light was only starting to shine in the days of the bible students.

As Christian's we need to grow all the time.  Core teachings remain the same but as prophecies go into fulfillment we will definitely see new light. 

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

But there seems to be two IBSA 's. That's what i cannot understand. 

One seems to be the 'original' IBSA that say that, Rutherford / JW's broke away from them. 

Now that would make Rutherford and his new Org, (JW ORG) apostate to the original IBSA. 

The other IBSA seems to be part of the JW Org and is a big property business in London. 

The Original IBSA was, as it says, INTERNATIONAL. So it was preaching the 'Good News' Earthwide long before JW Org.  

So if Rutherford turned against the original IBSA then was he in fact turning away from God.

As for the name Jehovah, the scriptures in English it seems, say YHWH. Now YHWH is much closer to Yahweh than it is to Jehovah. And wasn't the name Jehovah previously used by a Catholic monk ?  I was always told, (way back in the 1960's when I first listened to JWs), that the name Jehovah was used because it was already known to members of the public. The leaders wanted to have a name that people already knew. Convenience it seems ?  But back then I was naive and just accepted it as right. 

One more point. Russell and Co had the International Bible Students Association Earthwide before 1916.   But the GB  / JW Org is against having a Faithful and Discreet Slave Earthwide now. However NOW we have internet, mobile phones / cell phones, all manner of communication, and there must be Anointed earthwide, NOT just in America. It would seem that Russell was far more advanced than the GB and JW Org.  

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

Um, a suspicious silence from those who usually mock me.  

The Watch Tower Society opened overseas branches in London (1900),^[40] Germany (1903), and Australia and Switzerland (1904).^[41] The Society's headquarters were transferred to Brooklyn, New York in 1909.^[42]

International Bible Students Association[edit]

In 1910 Russell introduced the name International Bible Students Association as a means of identifying his worldwide community of Bible study groups. He wrote:

Now in the Lord's providence we have thought of a title suitable, we believe, to the Lord's people everywhere, and free from objection, we believe, on every score—the title at the head of this article (IBSA). It fairly represents our sentiments and endeavors. We are Bible students. We welcome all of God's people to join with us in the study. We believe that the result of such studies is blessed and unifying. We recommend therefore that the little classes everywhere and the larger ones adopt this unobjectionable style and that they use it in the advertising columns of their newspapers. Thus friends everywhere will know how to recognize them when visiting strange cities.^[46]

Russell explained that the Association would be directed and managed by the Peoples [sic] Pulpit Association which, in turn, represented the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. All Bible Student classes using Watch Tower Society publications could consider themselves identified with the Association and were authorized to use the name International Bible Students Association in connection with their meetings. The name was also used when advertising and conducting Bible Students conventions.^[46]

^{--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

A number of schisms developed within the congregations of Bible Students associated with the Watch Tower Society between 1909 and 1932.^[2][3] The most significant split began in 1917 following the election of Joseph Franklin Rutherford as president of the Watch Tower Society two months after Russell's death. The schism began with Rutherford's controversial replacement of four of the Society's board of directors and publication of The Finished Mystery.

Thousands of members left congregations of Bible Students associated with the Watch Tower Society throughout the 1920s prompted in part by Rutherford's failed predictions for the year 1925, increasing disillusionment with his on-going doctrinal and organizational changes, and his campaign for centralized control of the movement.^[2] William Schnell, author and former Jehovah's Witness, claims that three-quarters of the original Bible Students who had been associating with the Watch Tower Society in 1921 had left by 1931.^[4][a][6] In 1930 Rutherford stated that "the total number of those who have withdrawn from the Society... is comparatively large."

I haven't found any mention of any of this in the 'God's Kingdom  Rules' book, but I'll keep looking. 

 

[Arauna]

8 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

suspicious silence from those who usually mock

I replied above: I am happy that we are now called Jehovahs Witnesses because it brings honor to God's name and  we are therefore distinct from all other  Christian denominations by our loyalty to person of jehovah  God.

I am happy that we do not cling to the cult of persona.  There was a tendency of old for people to do this as in case of Russel and Rutherford.

There is a need to distribute the same choice of "food" to everyone world-wide. A brother in Uzbekistan must have the same food available for meetings  as in Kenya. For this to happen there is a need for central translation  and distribution services.

Practical reasons drove the centralization of services.

 

13 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

the name Jehovah previously used by a Catholic monk ?  I was always told, (way back in the 1960's when I first listened to JWs), that the name Jehovah was used because it was already known to members

A Jewish scholar set out to collect extant manuscripts where the pronouncement of jehovahs name is indicated by th point system. So far he has collected over 1000 from museums all over the world where they were hidden.

Many bible names such as Jeho-saphat, jeho-ram etc. also contain the name of the true god. Hallelu-jah. The pronunciation is correct....... but the use of this name is even more important than the pronunciation.

 

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

Once again silence.

@Arauna did answer , but more so to divert attention to what the Org says is God's name. 

It seems that the International Bible Students Association took God's message to the world long before the name Jehovah's Witnesses was thought of. But it also seems that the JW Org is trying to hide the IBSA now. 

Has no one any information on this ?  Or is it too sensitive a subject ? 

[Witness]

To add to the confusion:

Corporations outside the United States

International Bible Students Association

The International Bible Students Association (IBSA) is a corporate not-for-profit organization used by Jehovah's Witnesses in the United Kingdom for the production and distribution of religious literature. Its stated purpose is "to promote the Christian religion by supporting congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses and others in connection with their spiritual and material welfare in Britain and abroad within the charitable purposes of the Association."^[22]

The IBSA was founded in 1914 as a corporation of the Bible Students by Charles Taze Russell in London, England, and was the first legal corporation representing Russell's ministry in Europe. The Watch Tower Society stated in 1917 that the IBSA, along with its Pennsylvania and New York based corporations "were organized for identical purposes and they harmoniously work together."^[23] Other similarly named corporations operate in various countries to promote the interests of Jehovah's Witnesses.^[24]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporations_of_Jehovah's_Witnesses

 

Also... https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/24472/watchtower-society-evil-slave-proof

 

 

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

The plot thickens then, or deepens.  Thank you for the info.

But are there still two IBSA's. One serving JW Org and the other opposed to it ?

And it seems the W/t / JW Org have other companies under different names earth wide, so are they business companies / real estate etc ? 

[Witness]

30 minutes ago, 4Jah2me said:

The plot thickens then, or deepens.  Thank you for the info.

But are there still two IBSA's. One serving JW Org and the other opposed to it ?

The plot does thicken, but what can we expect with the Watchtower.

Here's more food for thought, from a few with extraordinary views at times.  It looks like some info you have already found.

https://www.reddit.com/r/JehovahsWitnesses/comments/89naxc/the_greatest_act_of_apostasy_the_watchtower_owns/?utm_source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_body

  

 

[Arauna]

20 hours ago, Witness said:

plot thickens then, or deepens.  Thank you for the info.

Always suspicious. I am glad there are more registered companies...... if persecution comes on one, the others can still provide limited spiritual food.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

22 minutes ago, Arauna said:

Always suspicious. I am glad there are more registered companies...... if persecution comes on one, the others can still provide limited spiritual food.

I think you are either naive or deliberately trying to defend the GB / Org as usual.

The company here in the UK is not a spiritual one, it is a business one. I am also thinking the Watchtower / GB / JW Org have more business companies earthwide. It might be good for a Government department in the USA to investigate the complete income of W/t / GB / JW Org et al. After all if they have nothing to hide they wouldn't mind handing over information.

Oh yes of course they don't hand over information do they. They keep secrets. 

The GB and their lawyers can act illegally or immorally and call it spiritual warfare it seems. The latest info from Montana proves that. 

HELENA, Mont. -- The Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday reversed a $35 million judgment against the Jehovah's Witnesses for not reporting a girl's sexual abuse to authorities. ... However, the state's high court said in its 7-0 decision that the Jehovah's Witnesses fall under an exemption to that law in this case.14 hours ago

Court reverses $35M verdict against Jehovah's Witnesses ...

[Arauna]

My personal opinion is that parents should report abuses if they are aware of it.  Often they do get the option to report it  but refuse because of the shame involved - especially if a family member was involved. 

Before 2007 many chose not to report sex abuse  because the child could be cross examined in court by the prosecutor in the presence of the 'perpetrator.'  This is a second trauma to the child.

I think there has been enough debates on here about that!