Chicago Bible Students
Posted by Matt Postiff August 21, 2013 on Matt Postiff's Blog under Cults, Etc.
Yesterday I posted a question about the Chicago Bible Students. I did receive an email back from a representative of the organization who explained a little more about them. Basically, they see themselves as true followers of the teachings of Charles Taze Russell from the pre-Rutherford version of Jehovah's Witnesses, although they claim that the JW name came into common use after some split(s) in the movement. The representative quoted extensively from Russell's writings.
This group does not believe in the deity of Christ as orthodox Christians do. My correspondent wrote:
In direct reference to Jesus, we believe Col. 1:15-18, that He was God's firstborn, the beginning of the of the creation of God, Rev. 3:14; that as the man Christ Jesus, He paid the ransom price for Adam, 1 Tim. 2:5,6; and that at His resurrection, He was given the reward of the divine nature, even as His Father, who set Him down at His right hand, Heb. 10:12.
According to their teaching, Jesus was a human who did not have a divine nature until after the resurrection. This is a false teaching that Christians must note and carefully avoid.