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Originally Posted by Indiana
(I am not getting into apostolic authority per say; Both Nee and Lee stayed away from touching this idea concerning themselves as far as I know;UntoHim might have other information). In a sharing on shepherding the saints, I saw WL denounce himself publicly when considering himself next to Paul. In a video he was there standing on the platform in a suit, sharing about that poignant scene with Paul on the shore after three years in Ephesus,with saints he had been with, even going house to house to visit them, not holding anything back of what he had seen. Witness Lee knew he did not match Paul. And, who ever has!
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Steve, surely you know this is just one side of the story.
Didn't Lee write "The Vision of the Age?" Didn't he again and again imply or state he was the Minister of the Age? What is the MOTA except an apostle of the highest caliber?
Whether Lee met the moral standard of Paul is not the issue here. The issue is that he and his followers considered him an Apostle with a commission equal to Paul's in weight. You know this.
Personal humility is one thing. Paul had that, too. Appealing to Lee's humility is irrelevant. The question is did he think his commission was on the level of Paul's. I'd say given the way he threw his weight around when push came to shove, he did. And there is no doubt many of his deputies and followers think this as well.
But there is no reason to believe Lee had any kind of commission near the level of Paul's.
(1) Lee did not see the Lord Jesus physically. Paul and the other apostle's did (1 Cor 9:1).
(2) Lee did not perform miracles as the sign of a apostle. Paul did (2 Cor 12:12).
(3) Lee did not have the authority to write scripture. Paul did (2 Pet 3:16).
Lee was a Christian teacher. He may have been sent in some way. He was not an apostle in the sense applied to those of the first generation who knew the Lord Jesus, wrote Scripture, and performed miracles as a sign of their authority.
Let's get passed this ignorance about what an apostle is. Paul was one with a capital 'A'. Lee and the rest of us since the early church are at best apostles with a little 'a.'