[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Terry

The Bible teaches the wife to submit to the husband and the husband to exercise authority. Children should obey their parents. But as deputy authorities, parents also have their responsibilities and requirements.

Originally Posted by aron

In this section Jesus, the subject, gets 2 quick sentences and the bulk of the attention goes to "teaching". Notice how easily Witness Lee turned the focus away from the leadership example of Jesus Christ. ... Lee transformed this "doing good" into being a talking head, and selling one's messages, or teachings, for lucre.

Originally Posted by alwayslearning

What the LC systems has done is equate Witness Lee's teachings with the apostles' teachings.

Originally Posted by zeek

Nee argues for strict authoritarianism over the normal exercise of human conscience and reason. History has show the disastrous consequences of such teaching. No wonder tyranny has been so prevalent in the Local Churches.

Great points by all posters.

The message of the Bible clearly tells us that the true God of the universe created the heavens and the earth, and He alone is the true absolute authority. Sure He places some authority in man, but that is never absolute, and always with numerous caveats. Whenever the importance of human authorities becomes exaggerated, and the necessary warnings and exemptions are removed, conditions are rife with abuse. Both the church and secular history are filled with these tragedies.

There was a time when Lucifer, the Daystar (take note of that title!) on high, was given great authority from God Himself to administer the universe. That authority was parlayed into the first coup d'etat in recorded history. One third of the angels "obeyed" their authority to their own peril. Obviously God has not provided them with an exemption for "obeying the authority" which God had put in place.

With Nee's exaggerated sense of deputy authority, based more on Chinese culture and dynastic history than the Bible, it's easy to see how Zeek has rightly concluded, "No wonder tyranny has been so prevalent in the Local Churches."