Local Church Discussions - View Single Post - The God-Men: An Inquiry into Witness Lee & the Local Church

NeitherFirstnorLast · 11-22-2012, 01:39 AM

A Source is Revealed

"One of our sources of information on Local Church practices was Max D. Rapoport, who served as Witness Lee's right-hand man for more than four years, ending in 1978. A forceful, dynamic personality, Rapoport provided leadership and counsel for the Local Church nationally and internationally. His responsibilities included directing leaders' training sessions, drafting church policy and managing church business affairs. Rapoport eventually became Lee's most intimate associate and favored confidante. Then, as president of the Anaheim Local Church and a member of the board of directors of Living Stream, Inc, Rapoport became convicted about Local Church practices and for eighteen months sought to instigate reform. He gradually slipped from his status as Lee's heir apparent and finally was publically denounced before the LC's in Orange County. A videotape of that meeting was sent to all the other LC's in the US. By that time he had left the LC, accompanied by a number of other disquieted members. Lee and LC officials have decried Rapoports defection and labeled him a lost son of perdition. Rapoport and his associates, however, have opted for biblical truth, sound practice, and open fellowship with all Christians.
In Rapoport's appraisal, "Lee's attempts to restate biblical teachings in nontraditional theological vocabulary have almost inevitably led to misunderstanding." Many times Lee speaks or writes to fit the need of the moment as he seeks to control the so-called "flow" and direction of all the LC's. Rapoport asserts, however, that Lee is not a "modalist". Nor, according to Rapoport, does Lee believe that "mingling" deifies the Christian convert, even though Lee's oral teachings, writing and illustrations appear to affirm both a modalistic Godhead and the deification of believers. Rapoport believes that Lee personally holds a more biblical view than many of his words indicate."

Well, I never knew Max. I only "know" what I've read on Bereans (http://www.thebereans.net/forum2/showthread.php?t=35391). For any unfamiliar, I would direct you there to the back-and-forth testimonies regarding the man. Whatever your ultimate conclusion, you cannot say that he isn't someone who would be "in the know". He *might* have had an axe to grind (or he might not, I've heard he won't speak about the matter of his quarantine, and is working with John Ingalls and a number of other brothers?) Whatever the case, he definitely is intimately familiar with Witness Lee and LSM.

11-22-2012, 01:39 AM	#31
NeitherFirstnorLast Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 348	Our Reading Continues A Source is Revealed "One of our sources of information on Local Church practices was Max D. Rapoport, who served as Witness Lee's right-hand man for more than four years, ending in 1978. A forceful, dynamic personality, Rapoport provided leadership and counsel for the Local Church nationally and internationally. His responsibilities included directing leaders' training sessions, drafting church policy and managing church business affairs. Rapoport eventually became Lee's most intimate associate and favored confidante. Then, as president of the Anaheim Local Church and a member of the board of directors of Living Stream, Inc, Rapoport became convicted about Local Church practices and for eighteen months sought to instigate reform. He gradually slipped from his status as Lee's heir apparent and finally was publically denounced before the LC's in Orange County. A videotape of that meeting was sent to all the other LC's in the US. By that time he had left the LC, accompanied by a number of other disquieted members. Lee and LC officials have decried Rapoports defection and labeled him a lost son of perdition. Rapoport and his associates, however, have opted for biblical truth, sound practice, and open fellowship with all Christians. In Rapoport's appraisal, "Lee's attempts to restate biblical teachings in nontraditional theological vocabulary have almost inevitably led to misunderstanding." Many times Lee speaks or writes to fit the need of the moment as he seeks to control the so-called "flow" and direction of all the LC's. Rapoport asserts, however, that Lee is not a "modalist". Nor, according to Rapoport, does Lee believe that "mingling" deifies the Christian convert, even though Lee's oral teachings, writing and illustrations appear to affirm both a modalistic Godhead and the deification of believers. Rapoport believes that Lee personally holds a more biblical view than many of his words indicate." Well, I never knew Max. I only "know" what I've read on Bereans (http://www.thebereans.net/forum2/showthread.php?t=35391). For any unfamiliar, I would direct you there to the back-and-forth testimonies regarding the man. Whatever your ultimate conclusion, you cannot say that he isn't someone who would be "in the know". He might have had an axe to grind (or he might not, I've heard he won't speak about the matter of his quarantine, and is working with John Ingalls and a number of other brothers?) Whatever the case, he definitely is intimately familiar with Witness Lee and LSM.