Expanded Biblical Comments

1. Purpose of the Work

   • Created to compile Charles Taze Russell’s biblical interpretations from 1879–1916 in a verse-by-verse format.

   • Intended to make it easier for Bible Students to locate his thoughts on specific scriptures since his original writings were largely topical.

2. Historical Background

   • Earlier attempts included the 1901 Wide-Margin Bible and the 1908 Bible Student’s Bible with marginal notes.

   • Those editions became popular but were incomplete, only covering writings up to 1907.

3. Initiation of the Expanded Project

   • Launched by the Chicago Bible Students Book Republishing Committee to update and expand previous works.

   • Aimed for completeness, accuracy, and objectivity while preserving Russell’s original expressions.

4. Research Process (Phase One)

   • 50 volunteers (“readers”) combed through Watch Tower Reprints (1909–1916) and other Russell publications.

   • Extracted 20,000–25,000 individual comments, organized by scripture.

   • Checked all texts listed in various indexes for additional commentary.

5. Compilation & Verification (Phase Two)

   • Four manuscript compilers integrated the new material with earlier editions.

   • All citations were verified for accuracy; discrepancies were corrected.

6. Editing Stage (Phase Three)

   • A master editor reviewed for accuracy, objectivity, and completeness.

   • 13 secondary editors independently checked the manuscript.

   • Two final editors re-read source materials and ensured consistency.

7. Production Stage (Phase Four)

   • Volunteers handled typesetting, proofreading, and formatting.

   • Standardized abbreviations and reference symbols were established.

8. Content and Scope

   • Old Testament volume alone contains over 20,200 comments and 27,659 references.

   • More than triple the content of the earlier 1908 manual.

   • Includes comments from other authors that appeared in Russell-edited works (marked with an asterisk).

9. Editorial Principles

   • Contradictory viewpoints were both included unless a clear change in Russell’s stance was documented.

   • Paraphrasing was used when necessary for brevity, aiming to remain faithful to the original meaning.

   • Excluded unverifiable quotations (e.g., certain “Newspaper Sermons”).

10. Related Works

    • Companion Expanded Biblical Comments on the New Testament prepared later using the same method.

    • Appendix in the New Testament volume shows parallel Gospel accounts.

    • Future plan: topical index covering 75–100 biblical subjects.

Conclusion:

The Expanded Biblical Comments: 1879–1916 stands as a monumental research and preservation effort, representing thousands of volunteer hours over more than a decade. It offers Bible Students a powerful tool for locating and studying Charles Taze Russell’s interpretations in both topical and contextual formats. While the editors acknowledge possible errors, the work’s guiding principle is to encourage personal Bible study and reliance on Scripture over human authority. Rather than serving as a doctrinal “answer book,” it functions as a bridge to original source material, aiming to deepen the reader’s understanding of God’s Word.