Quote:
Originally Posted by Igzy
Ray,
I think you are still missing my point a bit. I'm not talking about how we should ultimately judge Witness Lee. Because at this point I'm not interested in judging Lee. That's God's job. Lee's dead. I can't stone him and I'm not sure stoning false prophets carries over into the New Testament. And even if it did we couldn't legally carry it out anyway. So what are you suggesting we do to him at this point?
I'm talking about what we should do with the things he taught. You are making a strong case for judging Lee harshly. Okay, fine as far as that goes. But that still doesn't tell me what to do with the what he taught. Lee taught redemption. Should I throw that out because Lee taught it? You'd probably say "of course not." Okay then, what should I throw out? Only the things he taught that were different than conventional Christianity? That's an convenient standard, but it's also arbitrary.
I think people are ambivalent about Lee because though some of the things he did they can't countenance, some things he taught touched them deeply. It's easy to simply want to wipe his legacy away with a broad brush, and some have taken that path. But that still doesn't satisfy all the questions.
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That was a serious question. You've made a strong case that Lee should be judged as a false prophet. But there are some troublesome questions about this that I'd like your opinion on.
- If Lee was a false teacher, then why at times did his ministry seem so anointed?
- How can seemingly serious and thoughtful Christians be so deceived by someone you clearly see as a false teacher?
- Why would God seemingly bless the ministry of a false teacher? Why confuse followers in that way?
- What does one do with the truly innovative teachings of a false teacher?
- What does a former follower do with those teachings that he felt blessed him and he even treasured when he finally concludes there were elements of a false teacher in the source?
I'm not weighing on either side of this right now. I'm just asking what people think, because I think the area I'm talking about is a real source of confusion.
I know
OBW has offered that the source of Recovery blessing was not Lee, but the commitment of the members. That is plausible. But it doesn't explain why the blessing often seemed strongest when we were sitting at the feet of Lee. Can anyone explain?