WATCHMAN NEE
& WITNESS LEE
Miles J.
Stanford
THE LITTLE FLOCK MOVEMENT
The late Watchman Nee was the Chinese
founder and leader of the assembly-type movement named after the
Brethren The Little Flock hymnal--although it had no connection
with the Plymouth Brethren movement. Having emerged in
the early 1920's, by 1950 there were some 200 assemblies established in
China, with numbers of them spreading later into Taiwan and other parts
of Asia.
Nee sought to pattern the assemblies
after the New Testament, and they turned out to be a combination of his
extreme views, Darby's closed views, Muller's open views, and T.
Austin-Sparks' moderate views. The stress was on locality--each
group an independent unit representing the Church in its particular
area. In the larger cities, each assembly was to be in a different
postal zone. Believers were required to attend the gathering in
their particular home area or zone, none other. Like the Brethren,
a number of the assemblies would congregate centrally from time to time
for a weekend teaching conference.
China being largely unevangelized, Nee
formulated an extensive year-long program for training believers in
evangelism and soulwinning. His further emphasis was that of
growth based on the identification truths. His classic, The
Normal Christian Life, depicts the latter.
In his tendency toward extremism, Nee
went into the "warfare" teaching of Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis and Evan
Roberts via their dangerous book, War on the Saints.
Hence much of the good of Nee's ministry and writings (some thirty
volumes of his messages are in print at present) has been overshadowed
by errors such as the Arminian "baptism in the Holy Ghost" for power in
service and spiritual warfare, exercise of the sign gifts (tongues not
stressed), healing in the atonement, inner light and intuitive
revelation, demon possession of believers, and exorcism.
Nee also taught a split, or, partial
Rapture, i.e., the "overcomers" will be caught up prior to the
Tribulation, the "unprepared" believers will experience the
holocaust. All of the, teachings mentioned here are in his books,
The Release of the Spirit, and The Spiritual Man (the
latter in three volumes).
In 1952, as leader of the Little Flock
movement, Nee was imprisoned in Shanghai by the Communists. Twenty
years later, in early 1972, he was released. A few months
thereafter, at three-score and ten years, the venerable Watchman Nee
went to be with his Lord.
In 1956 the Little Flock movement was
crushed by the people (government-backed) as "counter
revolutionary." Several months later the movement was completely
reorganized and formally joined the Three Self movement. "Three
Self" stands for self-governing, self-supporting, and
self-propagating. What it really means to the Reds [Chinese
Communists] is freedom from imperialist control, imperialist finance,
and imperialist "poison."
THE
WITNESS LEE MOVEMENT
A disciple of Watchman Nee, Witness Lee
founded his assembly movement in Los Angeles some forty-five years
ago. Since that time he and his followers have been setting up
numerous gatherings throughout the country. Formerly, he was
active in China and Taiwan.
A typical feature of all assembly-type
movements is their subjection to the domination of their founders.
An exception is the open Brethren; their individual assemblies are
usually held in line by one or more local leaders. But within the
history of assembly leadership, Witness Lee takes precedence in being
the autocrat of them all, including Darby. And as for extreme
teachings, he has outstripped his mentor.
The large and noisy ruling assembly from
which Lee governs all is titled "The Church in Los Angeles." He
maintains that God is present only in the local assemblies--theirs, that
is. All others are outside the will and blessing of God. He
stresses that Christian "victory" is not gained by teaching, doctrine,
or prayer, but by just four words of praise. The assemblies often
repeat in unison, either spoken, sung, or shouted: "O Lord, Amen,
Hallelujah!"
Lee's method of teaching and control is
a definite form of brainwashing. All who join his assemblies are
admonished to forget all the doctrine they ever knew, and submit to the
ways and teachings of the Leeites. Some disgruntled open
[Plymouth] Brethren have gone over to Lee, and because of a resemblance
to the Children of God movement, many Jesus People have also joined the
ranks.
[Provided below are excerpts
from the written teachings of both Nee and Lee which will provide
support for our evaluation and conclusions.]
New To The Word
-- In no area of your Christian
life is it more essential to be centered in the truth of the Word than
in your fellowship with the Father. This is especially so as you
behold from your position the glory of the Son "who is the image of
the invisible God" (Col. 1:15).
You can best study Him from
your position in the heavenlies, in His very presence; but you
must behold Him in His proclamation, in His Word of
truth. It is within the realm of the written truth alone that the
Spirit of Truth will conform you to the image of the One who is the
Truth. "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth" (Eph. 5:9).
True To The Truth
-- Your knowledge of the Lord Jesus, your beholding His
glory, can never be based upon imagination, nor upon the imagination of
others in their writings and artistry. No, not even Sallman's
"Head of Christ!" If you are going to know the reality of personal
fellowship with the Lord Jesus, if His blessed life is going to be
manifested in your mortal body, you will have to remain a doctrinally
sound and biblically centered believer.
What John said of his
converts, he says to you: "For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren
came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in
the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children
walk in truth." "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the
doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine
of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son" (III John 3,4; II
John 9).
Doctrinal
Discernment -- Every aspect of your Christian life is
totally dependent upon the written Word of God and the doctrine that is
true to it. Sound doctrine is that teaching which is based upon
scriptural principles. It is in the realm of doctrine that you can
most readily discern whether or not a speaker or writer is safe and
sound. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them who cause
divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned;
and avoid them" (Rom. 16:17).
WATCHMAN NEE
BOOKS -- Since the principal mode of ministering the
growth truths today is literature, it may be helpful for us to examine
some of the contents of several books produced by one of the better
known "deeper life" leaders. We refer to Watchman Nee, concerning
whom we have shared above.
THE SPIRITUAL
MAN
This three-volume work of
Nee's is the only thing he ever wrote for publication. This was
written but eight years after he became a Christian, and in it we find
the inception of his "INNER
LIGHT," "INNER VOICE," and
"REVELATION"
INNER LIGHT," "INNER
VOICE," and "REVELATION"
teachings.
Volume I, page 32 --
"INTUITION" -- Nee says:
Intuition is the sensing
organ of the human spirit. that knowledge which comes to us
without any help from the mind, emotion or volition come
intuitively. The revelations of God and all the movements of the
Holy Spirit are known to the believer through his
intuition."
Volume I, page 149 -- Again
he states:
Spiritual life is maintained simply
by heeding the direction of the spirit's intuition. The believer
will wait quietly for the voice of the Holy Spirit to be heard
in his spirit, intuitively. Upon hearing the inner voice
he rises up to work, obeying the direction of
intuition."
Volume II, page 31 & 74
-- Here Nee says:
Well do we begin if we follow
intuition instead of thought. To perform God's will a Christian
need simply heed the direction of his intuition. There is no
necessity to ask others, or even to ask
yourself.
When Nee gives this
"intuition" first place, the mind and thought are thereby
relegated to a secondary position. In doing so he gives his
"inner light, " "inner
voice" and "revelation" first
place and consequently consigns the Word of God to an inferior
role.
Volume III, page 23 & 24
-- Here he leaves no question:
The believer must follow the
revelation of his intuition, not the though in his head. He who
heeds the mind is walking after the flesh and is accordingly led
astray. Nevertheless, we have not said that the mind is entirely
useless. True, we make a great mistake if we elevate the mind as
the organ for direct fellowship with God for receiving revelation from
Him; yet it does have a role assigned to it. That role is
to assist intuition.
This is a far cry from Paul's
Bereans! "These were more noble that those in Thessalonica, in
that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the
scriptures daily" (Acts 17:11). Paul also said, "Be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." "Let every man be
fully persuaded in his own mind" (Rom. 12:2; 14:5).
Someone has well said,
"Believing is a mode of thinking. It is that particular
manner of thinking that is guided to its object by the testimony of
another, or by some kind of intermediation, such as the Bible. It
is not intuitive." "Give attendance to reading, to
exhortation, to doctrine" (1 Tim. 5:17).
Volume II, page 195 --
"PERFECTIONISM" -- One basic error leads to
another.
Whoever genuinely desires to be
perfect must let the Cross cut deep into his
emotion.
On page 256 Nee goes on to
say that
when a believer has experienced the
practical treatment of the Cross he finally arrives at a pure
life. His soulish life has been terminated and the Lord has
granted him a pure, restful, true and believing spiritual life.
That which is soulish has been destroyed but that which is spiritual
has been established.
Volume III, page 149 --
Finally Nee writes:
They forget that unless all nerve
responses, sensations, actions, conduct, words, food and speech which
belong to the body are utterly for the Lord, they can never arrive at
perfection.
"THE BAPTISM,"
"WARFARE," & "DEMONISM" -- Watchman Nee's faulty
foundation due to lack of sound doctrine led him into "the baptism in
the Spirit for power and spiritual warfare," and inevitably on into
"demonism" as taught by Jessie Penn-Lewis and Evan Roberts. He
followed to the letter and quoted without question their dangerous
textbook, War on the Saints.
Volume II, page 39 --
"THE BAPTISM" -- In The Spiritual Man we can
see the beginnings of the familiar Pentecostal-type pattern.
In seeking the might of the Holy
Spirit we must keep our mind clear and our will alive, thereby
guarding ourselves from the enemy's counterfeit. We must also
let God purge from our life anything sinful, unrighteous or
doubtful. We then should 'receive that promise of the Spirit' by
faith.
Should there be delay, use the
opportunity for closer scrutiny of your life beneath His light.
Gladly accept any feeling which does come with power; for if God deems
it suitable not to accompany power with feeling, simply believe He has
indeed fulfilled His Word. How does one judge whether he has
received the promise or not? By looking into his
experience. He who has received power has his spiritual senses
sharpened and also possesses an utterance--not of this world--to
witness for the Lord.
Volume II, page 55-57 --
"WARFARE" -- Penn-Lewis and Roberts found to their
sorrow that what they considered to be the best, turned out to be the
worst. The "baptism" inexorably leads to "warfare." In this
Nee was no exception.
Upon experiencing the baptism that
believer's intuition becomes acutely sensitive and he discovers in his
spirit a spiritual world opening before him.
Now it is just here that spiritual
warfare begins. This is the period when the power of darkness
disguises himself as an angel of light and even attempts to
counterfeit the person and work of the Holy Spirit. It is also
the moment when the intuition is made aware of the existence of a
spiritual domain and of a reality of Satan and his evil spirits.
Spirit-baptism marks the starting point of spiritual
warfare.
Volume II, page 60-64 -- TO
THE "BATTLE"
Even now a battle is raging in the
world of the spirit. Though unobserved by the eyes of the flesh,
it is sensed and proven by those who are seeking heavenly
progress. Many who are deceived and bound by the enemy need to
be released. When the evil spirits succeed in their deceptions
they gain a foothold in the believer.
Now obviously he who himself is
bound cannot possibly set other free. Only when wholly freed
experientially from the powers of darkness can the believer himself
overcome the foe and rescue others. The incidence of the danger
of deception increases in proportion to the numbers of those who
experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
If the believer forgets that the
enemy may influence his spirit as much as the Holy Spirit can, he
unwittingly may accept every moving in his spirit to be from the Holy
Spirit and thereby cede ground to Satan for pursuing his aim of
destroying the moral, mental, and physical well-being of the saint.
This is exactly what has happened to many who have experienced
'the baptism in the Holy Spirit.'"
Volume III, page 120, 126,
131 -- "DEMON POSSESSION" -- Shades of the instigators
of this error, Mrs. Penn-Lewis and Mr. Roberts. And the end is not
yet. Now it has come to demon possession of believers!
Deception unlatches the gate for
evil spirits to rush in; passivity provides a place for them to stay;
and the result of these two is entrenchment.
The powers of darkness pay no
attention to one's resolve, but should he choose with his will to
oppose them through the power of God then they will most certainly
flee. Just as in the beginning the believer permitted the evil
spirits to enter, so now he chooses the very opposite, the
undercutting of any footing of the enemy. Everything hinges on
the volition. The evil spirits will withdraw if the believer's
volition withstands them and forbids them to occupy his organs any
further.
Volume III, page 224, 225 --
"VICTORY OVER DEATH" -- Having gone this far in his
doctrinal deviation, it was but a step for Nee to follow Evan Roberts in
his teaching on "overcoming death." Nee finally writes,
The Lord will enable you to
overcome death. So lay hold of the promise of God has given
you, ask for life, and trust that nothing can harm you. Do not
concede to the power of death, or else it will touch
you.
For instance, you may be staying in
a disease-infected area; yet you can withstand all diseases and not
permit anything to come upon you. Do not let death attach you
through sickness.
No longer can we wait passively for
the Lord's return, comforting ourselves with the thought that we will
be raptured anyway. We must be prepared. Death must be
singularly resisted and rapture must be claimed
wholeheartedly.
THE
RELEASE OF THE SPIRIT
Publication
Data -- Watchman Nee was saved in 1920, at the age of
seventeen. In 1928 he wrote The Spiritual Man in three
volumes. The edition we have referred to in the previous section
was published in 1968 by Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc.
This organization is composed of devotees of Watchman Nee and his
disciple, Witness Lee. It is now [1974] located in Washington,
D.C.
At the beginning of Vol. I, in the
publisher's "Explanatory Notes, " is this startling
statement:
Long after this book's initial publication in
Chinese our brother Nee was once heard to express the thought that it
should not be reprinted because, it being such a 'perfect' treatment
of its subject, he was fearful lest the book become to its readers
merely a manual for principles and not a guide to experience as
well.
There was no need for brother Nee to
fear that which he considered to be perfect, but rather should he have
realized and feared the book's imperfections--errors of a very serious
nature, as we have seen.
The Normal Christian
Life -- In the late 1930's Nee visited England and came in
contact with some of the Exclusive Plymouth Brethren leaders, as well as
Mr. T. Austin-Sparks of the Honor Oak movement. The brief but
effective influence of these associations, especially that of
Sparks, is reflected in a series of messages Nee gave to a group of his
co-workers upon returning to China in 1938. We have this material
today in the form of Nee's classic, The Normal Christian
Life. The overall message of this book is practically without
peer. It has good doctrinal content, and the identification truths
are presented clearly with the Cross central and the Christ-life
predominant.
The Release of the
Spirit -- ANTI-DOCTRINAL -- However, nearly ten years
later--in 1947--Nee gave a series of messages at a co-workers
conference, and these were subsequently published under the title of
The Release of the Spirit. Here we have the errors of
The Spiritual Man confirmed and compounded.
Our reference is to the 1965 edition
published by the Fromke holiness group, Sure Foundation
Publishers. Here we will deal with Nee's anti-doctrinal attitude,
without going into the book's strange and dangerous teaching of
projecting one's spirit to touch the spirit of the Bible, the spirit of
others, etc.
PAGES 17, 88, 90 -- On page 17 Nee
says:
Doctrine does not have much use, nor does
theology. What is the use of mere mental knowledge of the Bible
if the outward man [the soul] remains
unbroken?
But God says, "All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (II Tim.
3:16). On page 88 Nee states:
We must clearly understand what is meant by
being edified. It cannot mean expanded thoughts, nor improved
understanding, nor greater doctrinal
accumulation.
While on page 90 we see:
Do you not realize that edification is not a
question of doctrine, but of spirit? If your brother speaks
through his spirit, you will be washed and cleansed each time his
spirit comes out and touches you. Any teaching of doctrine which
does not result in reviving the spirit can only be considered as dead
letter.
In direct contrast to such erroneous
teaching the Scripture makes it plain that growth and edification are
dependent upon sound doctrine--the truth of the Word. (This is not
to be equated with the doctrinal emphasis of Colonel Thieme).
Thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the
words of faith and of good doctrine, unto which thou hast attained.
Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. In all
things showing theyself a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing
uncorruptness. (I Tim. 4:6; Titus 2:1,7).
There is only one result of depised
doctrine and that is despicable error. Again on page 88 Nee
says:
When there is the flowing of the spirit we
will forget the theology we have learned. All we know is that
the Spirit has come. Instead of mere knowledge we have an 'inner
light.'
But Paul says to "preach the word;
be diligent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
long-suffering and doctrine (II Tim. 4:2).
MAN OVERBOARD!
-- In this book Nee substitutes his "inner
light of revelation" for the
Scriptural work of the Cross. He makes the following radical
statement on page 78:
Whatever is revealed 'in the light' is slain
by it. Right then and there your pride, your self, your flesh
wither away and die with no hope of
survival.
There is more of the same on page
74:
As soon as the light strikes, the flesh is
dead.
Dear friend, beware of any teaching, no
matter what the source might be, that denigrates doctrine and
practically deletes the Cross. Take heed unto thyself and unto
the doctrine; continue in them (I Tim. 4:16).
There are thirty or more books composed
of Nee's spoken messsages, and it is true that they contain much that is
good. However, his material includes too much abject error for him
to be considered "safe and sound."
The following are excerpts from Witness
Lee's magazine, The Stream. Lee, chief disciple of
Watchman Nee, reveals herein what it means to follow Nee. Like
leader, like disciple. For the time will come when they will
not endure sound doctrine (II tim. 4:3).
Then the fourth thing that we must see in
order to participate is life! We all must know life.
Revelation is a book of life. Do not pay attention to the forms,
the regulations, the teachings, the doctrines, Christianity and
religion. No, we must pay our full attention to
life.
Today, if you were to ask me how to be
victorious, I would tell you that there is no need for you to try to
be victorious. Just say from deep within, "O Lord, Amen,
Hallelujah! O Lord, Amen, Hallelujah! O Lord, Amen,
Hallelujah!" and you will be so victorious.
If you would go to the Lord and praise Him in
this way (above) for five or ten minutes, you will be over all, and
strengthened in your spirit. Why? It is because you
contact the living Lord! It is not a religion, a Christianity, a
lot of doctrines, or a set of teachings, forms or regulations.
No!
We do not need the Bible study classes; we
need the weeping classes to weep for the spiritual poverty and
deadness. We must listen to the Spirit--not just read what is
written. We must listen to the present, instant speaking of the
living Spirit.
Why have Christians been divided? It is
simply because of the different teachings and doctrines. The
more teachings there are, the more divisions there will be. All
the various teachings and opinions have done much damage to the
recovery of the church. I fear that some of us are still under
the influence of the Babylonian doctrines. May the Lord have
mercy upon us that we may forsake all of those teachings, regardless
of whether they are right or wrong. Let us go back to Jerusalem
with the Spirit. We all must have our "heads cut
off."
Also see,