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

NeitherFirstnorLast · 12-02-2012, 07:45 PM

Here I am skipping ahead some 20 pages, although we may go back later... I felt, after the last post I made on the "Does LSM hold to Apostolic Succession?" thread, that readers might want to know where 'Blended Brothers' Ron Kangas, Benson Phillips, and Bill Lawson got their ideas from.

Ecclesiology, the House that Lee Built (Chapter Three Cont'd)

"Although the crux of the Local Church's theology is the mingling of God and humanity, Witness Lee's ecclesiology (or doctrine of 'the church') is also momentous.

Local Church members claim to be the only true Christians, the only true Church. Lee justifies the founding of the Local Church by exegeting Old Testment prophecy and New Testament narrative. He devotes his book 'Christ and the Church Revealed and Typified in the Psalms'to demonstrate that only the Local Church, not the catholic (universal) Christian faith, is prophesied in many texts. Lee argues that Matthew 18:15-20 is a text alluding to the Local Church, as are all the letters of Paul that are addressed to cities. Throughout his writings Lee exalts the Local Church with such appellations as "God's dwelling", "God's beauty", "the place of God's blessing", and "the dispatcher of true salvation".

"Furthermore, the salvation of God's people comes out of the local churches. Psalm 53:6 'Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion'." (WL C&C Revealed pg 95). (apparently, Lee believed his Local Churches were also Zion).

...Lee deprecates "Christianity", using perjorative adjectives like "misled", "poor", "fallen", "lost", "mistaken", "pitiful", and "heathen" to describe religious non-local Church people.

"Do not try to be neutral. Do not try to reconcile the denominations with the local church. You can never reconcile them. Can you reconcile black and white? You can, but it will be grey; it will be neither black nor white." (WL The Practical Expression of the Church, pg 92).

Those who criticize the Local Church often find themselves admonished to heed the advice of Gamaliel: "Let these men alone; you might actually find yourselves to be fighting against God." Application of that Scripture on behalf of Witness Lee's movement is based on his assumption that the Local Church has the same relation to contemporary Christianity that early Christianity had to Judaism, namely, that it supersedes it. That attitude is expressed rather boldly within the confines of the Local Church. Public teaching on the matter has been somewhat more guarded; nevertheless, Lee has committed himself on several occasions, declaring that Christians of today occupy the spiritual position of Gentiles in New Testament times.
(alienated from the life of God)

"We are simply putting off religion, putting off Christianity. In the early days the church had to put off Judaism. Today we have to put off Christianity." (WL Ibid, pg 133).

"All Christians not in the local church are in captivity, in the wilderness of Babylon, and without much regard from the Lord". (WL C&C Revealed pg 198 & The Vision of God's Building pg 69-70).

"Today's remnant, however, can flee only to the local church." (WL Christ vs Religion, pg 115).

"Is this religion? No. Is this Christianity? No. Is this a kind of new sect? No. Then what is this? It is the church life, Hallelujah!" (WL, Christ vs Religion, pg 34).

"Some say that the church in Los Angeles is 'awful'. But it is still not 'awful' enough! We need to be more 'awful'. We want to frighten all of Christianity to such an extent that the whole universe will be shaken." (WL The Practical Expression of the Church, pg 138).

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What can I possibly add to that?

12-02-2012, 07:45 PM	#219
NeitherFirstnorLast Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 348	Our Reading Continues Here I am skipping ahead some 20 pages, although we may go back later... I felt, after the last post I made on the "Does LSM hold to Apostolic Succession?" thread, that readers might want to know where 'Blended Brothers' Ron Kangas, Benson Phillips, and Bill Lawson got their ideas from. *Ecclesiology, the House that Lee Built (Chapter Three Cont'd)* "Although the crux of the Local Church's theology is the mingling of God and humanity, Witness Lee's ecclesiology (or doctrine of 'the church') is also momentous. Local Church members claim to be the only true Christians, the only true Church. Lee justifies the founding of the Local Church by exegeting Old Testment prophecy and New Testament narrative. He devotes his book 'Christ and the Church Revealed and Typified in the Psalms'to demonstrate that only the Local Church, not the catholic (universal) Christian faith, is prophesied in many texts. Lee argues that Matthew 18:15-20 is a text alluding to the Local Church, as are all the letters of Paul that are addressed to cities. Throughout his writings Lee exalts the Local Church with such appellations as "God's dwelling", "God's beauty", "the place of God's blessing", and "the dispatcher of true salvation". "Furthermore, the salvation of God's people comes out of the local churches. Psalm 53:6 'Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion'." (WL C&C Revealed pg 95). (apparently, Lee believed his Local Churches were also Zion). ...Lee deprecates "Christianity", using perjorative adjectives like "misled", "poor", "fallen", "lost", "mistaken", "pitiful", and "heathen" to describe religious non-local Church people. "Do not try to be neutral. Do not try to reconcile the denominations with the local church. You can never reconcile them. Can you reconcile black and white? You can, but it will be grey; it will be neither black nor white." (WL The Practical Expression of the Church, pg 92). Those who criticize the Local Church often find themselves admonished to heed the advice of Gamaliel: "Let these men alone; you might actually find yourselves to be fighting against God." Application of that Scripture on behalf of Witness Lee's movement is based on his assumption that the Local Church has the same relation to contemporary Christianity that early Christianity had to Judaism, namely, that it supersedes it. That attitude is expressed rather boldly within the confines of the Local Church. Public teaching on the matter has been somewhat more guarded; nevertheless, Lee has committed himself on several occasions, declaring that Christians of today occupy the spiritual position of Gentiles in New Testament times. (alienated from the life of God) "We are simply putting off religion, putting off Christianity. In the early days the church had to put off Judaism. Today we have to put off Christianity." (WL Ibid, pg 133). "All Christians not in the local church are in captivity, in the wilderness of Babylon, and without much regard from the Lord". (WL C&C Revealed pg 198 & The Vision of God's Building pg 69-70). "Today's remnant, however, can flee only to the local church." (WL Christ vs Religion, pg 115). "Is this religion? No. Is this Christianity? No. Is this a kind of new sect? No. Then what is this? It is the church life, Hallelujah!" (WL, Christ vs Religion, pg 34). "Some say that the church in Los Angeles is 'awful'. But it is still not 'awful' enough! We need to be more 'awful'. We want to frighten all of Christianity to such an extent that the whole universe will be shaken." (WL The Practical Expression of the Church, pg 138). ********************** What can I possibly add to that?