THE "LOCAL CHURCH”
MOVEMENT
Of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee
The movement began with a man named Watchman Nee in China who stared a "house church" among the Plymouth Brethren in Foodchow in 1922. He wrote his first book, The Spiritual Man, in 1920. When he moved to Shanghai, he started the first of his own churches, "The Little Flock". In 1938, he wrote The Normal Christian Church Life, spelling out his positions as separate from denominations, championing the view that there should be only one church in each geographic locality or city. By 1940, Witness Lee has become a very associate of Watchman Nee. Lee had a talent of organization that Nee never possessed, and by 1948 Nee's church developed an hierarchial central control form which differed little from the denominations which he so strongly opposed. Later, Nee appointed Lee as leader of the "Little Flock" of Taiwan. (C. L Lyall, Three of China's Mighty Men, pp. 45-86.)
"The Local Church" constituency outside the U.S.A numbers about 35,000, plus 7,000 in the U.S.A and Canada. However, Lee's influence extends far beyond "The Local Church" because of his widely read books. Living Stream, Inc. of Anaheim, California is a legal structure over which Witness Lee presides. It distributes his book, tapes, articles, etc. It also sponsors two ten-day training sessions each year in Los Angeles attended by some 3,000 followers. Stream Publishers receives nearly $750,000 annually. Until 1962, Taiwan was the base of operation. (The God-Men, by Neil Dudley, pp. 26-27, Intervarsity Press, 1981)
Nee’s Tradition
Word of God
• Watchman Nee was a receiver of light, was inspired of God to receive revelations as an apostle. [Confer Further Talks on The Church Life, by Watchman Nee, pp. 5, 15-16; 48, 153, 168.]
• There is no vacuum in the Scriptures as a pattern for all things pertaining unto life and godliness (2 Peter 1:1-3); 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Jude 3). If any main claims to have received “inspired revelations” since the New Testament was delivered in the first century, his claims must be false.
• Apostles are in the church today. [Ibid, pp. 16, 67, 159, 163]
• An apostle must have been a witness to the resurrected Christ (Rom. 1:5; 1 Cor. 15:8); must have seen the Lord (1 Cor. 9:1); must have been able to work miracles (2 Cor. 12:12).
Watchman Nee could work no miracles nor did he see the resurrected Christ. There cannot be living apostles in the church today.
• The “ground: of the church is the Holy Spirit; he speaks of the “complete authority of the Holy Spirit.” (Ibid, pp. 14, 23)
• Jesus Christ has “all authority” (Mt. 28:18; Col. 1:18) as head over all things in the church (Eph. 1:22-23). Unbiblical terminology characterizes unbiblical doctrine (1 Peter 4:11)
• Baptism is mentioned, but is defined as one of the “unimportant” doctrines. (Ibid, pp. 27, 53, 93-94, 166)
• See Acts 2:38 and Mark 16:15-16. Nee’s tradition makes void the word of God, which says immersion is essential “for the forgiveness of sins” and must be obeyed in order to be “saved.”
• There was only one church in Rome and it “was in the house of Priscilla and Aquilla.” (Ibid, pp. 34, 35, 38, 124.) There were “tens of thousands” of members in the Jerusalem church and “1500 in the church” in Shanghai.
• There is no evidence that all the church in Rome met in one house, but rather that several homes were used as assembly places (Rom. 16). The thousands in Jerusalem met “from house to house: (Acts 2:46), evidently in many houses from the beginning of the church.
• The only doctrine that “must be argued” is “concerning the Person of the Lord Jesus.” Other doctrines are “ordinary” and should not be “argued.” (Ibid, pp. 54-66, 109)
• Philip taught “Jesus” and the immediate request was to be immersed (Acts 8). No man has a right to divide Scripture into “unimportant, ordinary” doctrines on one hand, and “important” doctrines. God joined Christ and His work, and man must not divide what God has joined.
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Nee’s Tradition
Word of God
The Bible enjoins that we “contend earnestly for the faith,” all that doctrine that was delivered (Jude 3).
The root of all denominational division lies here, that each leader divides the Bible into essential and nonessential parts. “The sum of thy word is truth,” not the parts of a man may choose and divide with his own arbitrary dissecting knife. All of God’s commands are righteous and holy and good.
• Groups in the church today specialize in the gift of healing, tongues, etc..(Ibid, p. 67)
• See 1 Corinthians 13:10; Jude 3; 1 Thess. 5:21; Eph. 5:6-11; Titus 1:10-11; 2 Thess. 2:10-12. (Confer chapter on “Charismatic” tradition elsewhere in this book for fuller discussion).
• “No church is bigger than the locality or city; neither is any church smaller than the locality or city.” (Ibid, p. 47).
• The statement at the left is true, but why have an apostle or headship like Watchman Nee or Witness Lee who guard the entire movement through publications from Stream Publishers in Anaheim, California, and through vigorous litigation in civil courts (contrary to 1 Cor. 6)? The early disciples never protected their doctrines and their local churches through threats of civil court action.
• Witness Lee, who has assumed the role of apostle of the Church, asserts many unbiblical doctrines such as God dispensed into the body, the Jews restoration to Palestine, the Church not the place for education, pray-reading, do not think with the mind, women preaching boldly, elders are to be appointed by apostles, opposition of soul and spirit, etc., in his books such as Practical Expression of the Church.
• These can all be summed up in Galatians 1:8-9. Any doctrine that cannot be read word for words in the Bible is not the gospel and its proponent, whether given by man or angel, but is “accursed” according to this passage.
For a fuller review of Witness Lee’s doctrines, as contrasted to the Bible, contact the publisher.
MOVEMENT
Of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee
The movement began with a man named Watchman Nee in China who stared a "house church" among the Plymouth Brethren in Foodchow in 1922. He wrote his first book, The Spiritual Man, in 1920. When he moved to Shanghai, he started the first of his own churches, "The Little Flock". In 1938, he wrote The Normal Christian Church Life, spelling out his positions as separate from denominations, championing the view that there should be only one church in each geographic locality or city. By 1940, Witness Lee has become a very associate of Watchman Nee. Lee had a talent of organization that Nee never possessed, and by 1948 Nee's church developed an hierarchial central control form which differed little from the denominations which he so strongly opposed. Later, Nee appointed Lee as leader of the "Little Flock" of Taiwan. (C. L Lyall, Three of China's Mighty Men, pp. 45-86.)
"The Local Church" constituency outside the U.S.A numbers about 35,000, plus 7,000 in the U.S.A and Canada. However, Lee's influence extends far beyond "The Local Church" because of his widely read books. Living Stream, Inc. of Anaheim, California is a legal structure over which Witness Lee presides. It distributes his book, tapes, articles, etc. It also sponsors two ten-day training sessions each year in Los Angeles attended by some 3,000 followers. Stream Publishers receives nearly $750,000 annually. Until 1962, Taiwan was the base of operation. (The God-Men, by Neil Dudley, pp. 26-27, Intervarsity Press, 1981)
Nee’s Tradition
Word of God
• Watchman Nee was a receiver of light, was inspired of God to receive revelations as an apostle. [Confer Further Talks on The Church Life, by Watchman Nee, pp. 5, 15-16; 48, 153, 168.]
• There is no vacuum in the Scriptures as a pattern for all things pertaining unto life and godliness (2 Peter 1:1-3); 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Jude 3). If any main claims to have received “inspired revelations” since the New Testament was delivered in the first century, his claims must be false.
• Apostles are in the church today. [Ibid, pp. 16, 67, 159, 163]
• An apostle must have been a witness to the resurrected Christ (Rom. 1:5; 1 Cor. 15:8); must have seen the Lord (1 Cor. 9:1); must have been able to work miracles (2 Cor. 12:12).
Watchman Nee could work no miracles nor did he see the resurrected Christ. There cannot be living apostles in the church today.
• The “ground: of the church is the Holy Spirit; he speaks of the “complete authority of the Holy Spirit.” (Ibid, pp. 14, 23)
• Jesus Christ has “all authority” (Mt. 28:18; Col. 1:18) as head over all things in the church (Eph. 1:22-23). Unbiblical terminology characterizes unbiblical doctrine (1 Peter 4:11)
• Baptism is mentioned, but is defined as one of the “unimportant” doctrines. (Ibid, pp. 27, 53, 93-94, 166)
• See Acts 2:38 and Mark 16:15-16. Nee’s tradition makes void the word of God, which says immersion is essential “for the forgiveness of sins” and must be obeyed in order to be “saved.”
• There was only one church in Rome and it “was in the house of Priscilla and Aquilla.” (Ibid, pp. 34, 35, 38, 124.) There were “tens of thousands” of members in the Jerusalem church and “1500 in the church” in Shanghai.
• There is no evidence that all the church in Rome met in one house, but rather that several homes were used as assembly places (Rom. 16). The thousands in Jerusalem met “from house to house: (Acts 2:46), evidently in many houses from the beginning of the church.
• The only doctrine that “must be argued” is “concerning the Person of the Lord Jesus.” Other doctrines are “ordinary” and should not be “argued.” (Ibid, pp. 54-66, 109)
• Philip taught “Jesus” and the immediate request was to be immersed (Acts 8). No man has a right to divide Scripture into “unimportant, ordinary” doctrines on one hand, and “important” doctrines. God joined Christ and His work, and man must not divide what God has joined.
92 | P a g e
Nee’s Tradition
Word of God
The Bible enjoins that we “contend earnestly for the faith,” all that doctrine that was delivered (Jude 3).
The root of all denominational division lies here, that each leader divides the Bible into essential and nonessential parts. “The sum of thy word is truth,” not the parts of a man may choose and divide with his own arbitrary dissecting knife. All of God’s commands are righteous and holy and good.
• Groups in the church today specialize in the gift of healing, tongues, etc..(Ibid, p. 67)
• See 1 Corinthians 13:10; Jude 3; 1 Thess. 5:21; Eph. 5:6-11; Titus 1:10-11; 2 Thess. 2:10-12. (Confer chapter on “Charismatic” tradition elsewhere in this book for fuller discussion).
• “No church is bigger than the locality or city; neither is any church smaller than the locality or city.” (Ibid, p. 47).
• The statement at the left is true, but why have an apostle or headship like Watchman Nee or Witness Lee who guard the entire movement through publications from Stream Publishers in Anaheim, California, and through vigorous litigation in civil courts (contrary to 1 Cor. 6)? The early disciples never protected their doctrines and their local churches through threats of civil court action.
• Witness Lee, who has assumed the role of apostle of the Church, asserts many unbiblical doctrines such as God dispensed into the body, the Jews restoration to Palestine, the Church not the place for education, pray-reading, do not think with the mind, women preaching boldly, elders are to be appointed by apostles, opposition of soul and spirit, etc., in his books such as Practical Expression of the Church.
• These can all be summed up in Galatians 1:8-9. Any doctrine that cannot be read word for words in the Bible is not the gospel and its proponent, whether given by man or angel, but is “accursed” according to this passage.
For a fuller review of Witness Lee’s doctrines, as contrasted to the Bible, contact the publisher.