C. T. RUSSELL GREETS A YOUTH |
C. T. RUSSELL SALUDA A UN JOVEN |
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Next summer saw the turn of the century and I met Pastor Russell. It was at a convention in Philadelphia. June 17 was Bunker Hill day in Massachusetts and, of course, a holiday. There were special train rates to Philadelphia at that time because the Republican party was also holding a convention there. That year they nominated William McKinley as president and Theodore Roosevelt vice-president of the United States. So I took advantage of the holiday and special rates and went to the Bible students' convention sponsored by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. There, as I now recall, Russell talked to the public on the subject, "Salvation from what, to what?" The theme of his discourse was that men are not saved from eternal torment, which does not exist. They are saved from eternal death to everlasting life. |
Durante el verano siguiente tuvo lugar el cambio del siglo, y conocí al pastor Russell. Fue en una asamblea en Filadelfia. El 17 de junio era el aniversario de la batalla de Bunker Hill en Massachusetts, y por lo tanto era festivo. Había billetes de tren a Filadelfia a precio especial porque el Partido Republicano también celebraba una convención allí. Ese año nombraron a William McKinley presidente y a Theodore Roosevelt vicepresidente de los Estados Unidos. Así que aproveché el día de la fiesta y las tarifas reducidas y asistí a la asamblea de estudiantes de la Biblia patrocinada por la Sociedad Watch Tower Bible and Tract. Recuerdo que Russell se dirigió al público con el tema: “Salvación ¿de qué y para qué?” La idea de su discurso era que los hombres no son salvados del tormento eterno, que no existe. Más bien, son salvados de la muerte eterna para conseguir vida eterna. |
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After the talk I was delighted to meet the speaker. He was an extremely kind man. I was just about the only young person there. All others present seemed mature in years. His willingness to talk to me impressed me greatly, because I knew of no man of his importance on the public platform who would talk face to face with young people from his audience after his lectures. I recall that in Boston Dwight L. Moody would leave the hall immediately after his sermons and go to his hotel nearby. Anyone who desired to ask questions would have to go to others of Moody's party. But C. T. Russell always made himself personally available to anyone who wished to talk to him. |
Después de la conferencia, me encantó conocer al orador. Era un hombre sumamente amable. Yo era el único joven presente, todos los demás parecían de edad madura. Me impresionó mucho que se detuviera a hablar conmigo, porque no conocía a ningún hombre de la misma importancia en la plataforma pública que hablara cara a cara con los jóvenes asistentes después de pronunciar un discurso. Recuerdo que Dwight L. Moody, en Boston, al terminar sus sermones abandonaba inmediatamente el local y se iba a su hotel. Si alguien quería formular alguna pregunta tenía que dirigirse a otros de su grupo. Pero C. T. Russell siempre atendía personalmente a cualquiera que quisiera conversar con él. |
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