[MacDuff]

Aron

The only myth I would dispel is the notion that God doesn’t need anyone. It comes, I think, from Calvinistic thinking that God is sovereign and does everything. We can only go with the flow, as it were. God chose people to represent him in the Old Testament and Jesus chose the twelve in the New Testament. Doesn’t seem to me like either God or the Son of God didn’t need anybody. Besides why would God create something superfluous? And then want to save something superfluous after the fall? There are indications that the plan of God existed prior to the act of creation. Which is what seems to give many Christians the impression of a Calvinistic scenario.

As far as what you said, the nail has been struck squarely on the proverbial head in my view. But it does not concern the Churches of Christianity. Rather you’re speaking with reference to the ekklesia. And it must be made clear that to me there is a definite distinction to be made between the two.

In the ekklesia, the purpose of the overseer/elder as a leader is to serve, not to rule. In imitation of Jesus prior to the crucifixion. Christianity, with its ruling leaders, miss a significant lesson Jesus was teaching when he washed the disciples feet.

The one with experience is the best person to serve because of experience. And that is what leading is all about in the ekklesia. Who better to lead others in the right direction than one who has already been there and experienced what is there?

In Christianity, the best leader is an educated leader. Educated by colleges and seminaries. Because the one being educated is being educated to rule. All that kind of education in the world won’t make one a better leader in the ekklesia. That kind of education can’t replace experience and common sense. Not common sense from a human perspective, common sense as given by God. Wisdom. And the overseer/elder shouldn’t be the only one with experience. There should be more who are experienced, than are overseer/elders.

The Churches of Christianity obviously are singing a different tune. A natural human tune, not a heavenly one related to God or Jesus Christ. And it was hearing that natural human song that revealed to me that Christianity is just a man-made religion.

Witness Lee didn’t innovate the idea of everyone sitting in a circle in the Recovery meetings. Neither is the term meetings for Liturgy his innovation, for that matter. The Mennonites and groups like them had it long before Witness Lee (or Charles Taze Russell who called their gatherings meetings and their places of meeting, halls) were born.

It’s a way of meeting that originally was intended to show that all have the same life. And it gives everyone opportunity to function (in the sense of 1Cor 12-14) in the meetings. More than that, for the Holy Spirit to function in the meetings through anyone he chooses. In the Recovery that became more of a time for a testimonial than for the Spirit to function through them. And Lee called the testimonials prophesying. Making the same error of emphasis that the Pentecostals made.

The whole point of Paul in 1Cor 12-14 was that all the Spiritual functions are equally necessary. Paul was dealing with an emphasis on speaking in tongues. Sound familiar? When he said it was better to prophesy, Paul in no way intended to convey the idea it was more important. He said it in the context of dealing with an emphasis. The Pentecostals and Witness Lee totally missed that. Not surprising. Seeing as neither saw the difference between the ekklesia portrayed in the New Testament and the historically developed Churches of Christianity.

Today it’s all a matter of Tradition in the Recovery. If the Spirit was ever allowed to function in the Recovery, the greatest opportunity would have been during the era of Elden Hall in those few years prior to the move to Anaheim. The influx of people during that period made it more difficult for Lee to rule in the stead of the Spirit. He was at that point spread quite thin as a ruler. He even had a hard time controlling the so-called leading ones apparently. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole purpose for the move to Anaheim for Witness Lee was to gain better control of the people. The idea of the meshing of the Ministry with the Church was certainly for that purpose. It was already evident by the time I was involved with Elden Hall in the early 70’s. But my inexperience at that time hindered my seeing that fact. At the time I thought it was all spontaneous, and that Jesus was really leading, and that it was not under a human ruler at all. Of course, I’m aware of certain things that lead me to a different conclusion today.

MacDuff