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Originally Posted by Ohio
For some reason, I personally need solid irrefutable evidence to dislodge long held belief systems. Someone could scream the c-word at me for months with little result than to harden my resolve. Years ago, during the Mindbender controversy, I had even psychologically prepared myself for kidnapping and deprogramming, as it seemed almost an inevitable certainty at the time.
Documents, such as John Ingalls account and Nigel Tomes' recent article, have done for me what no amount of so-called "persecution" could ever do. As KisstheSon said, this article has taken the "axe to the root" to undermine WL's authority and integrity as a minister. It was not just teachings like the "ground of the church," or practices like "calling on the word," that caught my attention regarding the uniqueness of the "Recovery," but also the numerous allegorical expositions of the word of God, many of which singled out WL as "special." I began in the Recovery believing that WL's allegorizing ministry was divine inspired by the Head.
I found it just unbelievable that the allegorizing method of Bible exposition was used by Rome to enslave God's people prolonging the dark ages, and that the reformers ushered in the dawning day by categorically rejecting the methods of allegorizing. What I once viewed, with so many other saints, to be fresh anointing on the ministry of WL, turns out to be nothing more than age-old speculative devices, begun by Origen, and long discarded by Reformers and Christian scholars alike.
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Your experience matches my experience, dear brother
Ohio. I was always enthralled by all the "riches" Witness Lee could extract from the Bible by allegorizing. Surely we in the Local Churches had special access to riches hidden in the Word of God that the rest of Christianity knew so little about!
This article by dear brother Nigel is a "game-changer". While properly limiting the scope of his article in the section entitled "Some Caveats", Nigel proceeds to demonstrate how excessive, and how often arbitrary, was WL's approach to allegorizing. Nigel is ripping out a whole section of the bottom layer of LSM's "house of cards".
Probably the most sobering aspect of this article is that it reveals how close are the results of Rome's allegorizing and WL's allegorizing. I have often heard Roman Catholics claim that they have a Scriptural basis for their church's organized hierarchy and their various practices. We can all see that a plain reading of the Scriptures does not support this claim. But, once allegorizing of the Scripture is freely allowed, Rome can produce some really fanciful "proofs" which rely on hidden meanings dug out of the Scriptures by their learned "Doctors of the Church".
How scary it is to see the parallels between the results of Roman Catholic allegorizing and Witness Lee's allegorizing. Ironically, Rome is actually more consistent in its use of allegorzing!
May Nigel's efforts be examined by all who have an open heart and mind to truly consider these things in the light of God's presence. May this article serve as a healing balm to some troubled souls. May some be truly set free.