Local Church Discussions - View Single Post - Does 2 Peter 2's warning of false teachers describe Witness Lee?

bearbear · 01-12-2014, 06:26 AM

2 Peter 2
New Living Translation (NLT)
The Danger of False Teachers

Verse 1: "But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves."

Commentary: Many of you may disagree but let me just speak from a Lordship Salvation adherent's point of view. Witness Lee taught that we shouldn't worry about whether something is good or bad, but whether or not it has God. This sounds biblical, but it overrides commands in many scriptures throughout the OT and NT which tell us to pay attention to righteousness and to live holy lives (eg Romans 6, Ezekiel 18, James, Titus, 1 2 Timothy etc.). Furthermore he distorted the biblical definition of good fruit (recruiting more LSM adherents) and bad fruit (being disloyal to the ministry). The NT clearly teaches that good fruit are works born of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, kindness etc.) and bad fruit are works of the flesh (greed, sexual immorality etc.). Because the NT teaches that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cast down and burned (Matthew 7:19, Luke 3:9), I believe the value system he set in place is destructive and leading many of his followers to hell whether or not they think they are saved and believe in Jesus.

Another one is easy-believism. Witness Lee taught you are saved once you simply say "O Lord Jesus!" regardless of the condition of your heart and knowledge of the gospel. This teaching only encourages false converts to think they are saved of which I may have been one for over twenty years of my life. http://www.bcbsr.com/topics/lc.html does an excellent analysis of this:

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"We have seen that to reach the unbelievers, no preaching is necessary. If we help them say "O Lord" three times, they will be saved. If they open the window, the air will get in. All they have to do is to open their mouths and say, "O Lord, O Lord." Even if they have no intention of believing, still they will be caught! Regardless of whether they have the intention or not, as long as they open the window, the air will get in. It is not a matter of teaching; it is a matter of touching the seven Spirits of God." Witness Lee, Stream Magazine, Vlll: l, Feb l, 1970, 6.

I was recently at a gospel meeting when one was sharing about a story of a man in China who used to ride his bike around and simply call out "O Lord Jesus" and tried to get other people - who had no knowledge of Christ to do the same so that by doing so they would be saved, having "called on the name of the Lord." Ac 2:21 "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." In this phrase they take "calling on the name" out of context, not considering the figure of speech being used. But they should have realized their error if they simply read Romans 10

Romans 10:13,14
"for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?
And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

To call on someone's name is not simply to mouth the words, as they advocate. One must first know the person. In reality what happens in such conversions is that a person is given the phrase "O Lord Jesus", and then sticks it on whatever idol the person has built in their own mind of what a "Jesus" is, rather than conforming their definition of Christ to the Bible. (But then again I find similar practices quite common in other evangelical churches too)
Secondly in teaching unbelievers to say "O Lord" they are teaching people to lie. To call Jesus "Lord" without the intention of doing what he said, that is to practice lying. Jesus said,"Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?"Luke 6:46 According to Jesus what he thinks calling him "Lord" means is that, perhaps among other things, you are agreeing to to what he said. In fact there are perhaps many Christians who likewise are lying, not having the right to call Jesus "Lord", as allegedly "believing in Christ" but without the intention of doing what he said.
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I'm sure many of you can think of other destructive heresies Witness Lee taught, but these are two that come to mind.

01-12-2014, 06:26 AM	#2
bearbear Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 733	Re: Does 2 Peter 2's warning of false teachers describe Witness Lee? 2 Peter 2 New Living Translation (NLT) The Danger of False Teachers Verse 1: "But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves." Commentary: Many of you may disagree but let me just speak from a Lordship Salvation adherent's point of view. Witness Lee taught that we shouldn't worry about whether something is good or bad, but whether or not it has God. This sounds biblical, but it overrides commands in many scriptures throughout the OT and NT which tell us to pay attention to righteousness and to live holy lives (eg Romans 6, Ezekiel 18, James, Titus, 1 2 Timothy etc.). Furthermore he distorted the biblical definition of good fruit (recruiting more LSM adherents) and bad fruit (being disloyal to the ministry). The NT clearly teaches that good fruit are works born of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, kindness etc.) and bad fruit are works of the flesh (greed, sexual immorality etc.). Because the NT teaches that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cast down and burned (Matthew 7:19, Luke 3:9), I believe the value system he set in place is destructive and leading many of his followers to hell whether or not they think they are saved and believe in Jesus. Another one is easy-believism. Witness Lee taught you are saved once you simply say "O Lord Jesus!" regardless of the condition of your heart and knowledge of the gospel. This teaching only encourages false converts to think they are saved of which I may have been one for over twenty years of my life. http://www.bcbsr.com/topics/lc.html does an excellent analysis of this: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "We have seen that to reach the unbelievers, no preaching is necessary. If we help them say "O Lord" three times, they will be saved. If they open the window, the air will get in. All they have to do is to open their mouths and say, "O Lord, O Lord." Even if they have no intention of believing, still they will be caught! Regardless of whether they have the intention or not, as long as they open the window, the air will get in. It is not a matter of teaching; it is a matter of touching the seven Spirits of God." Witness Lee, Stream Magazine, Vlll: l, Feb l, 1970, 6. I was recently at a gospel meeting when one was sharing about a story of a man in China who used to ride his bike around and simply call out "O Lord Jesus" and tried to get other people - who had no knowledge of Christ to do the same so that by doing so they would be saved, having "called on the name of the Lord." Ac 2:21 "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." In this phrase they take "calling on the name" out of context, not considering the figure of speech being used. But they should have realized their error if they simply read Romans 10 Romans 10:13,14 "for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" To call on someone's name is not simply to mouth the words, as they advocate. One must first know the person. In reality what happens in such conversions is that a person is given the phrase "O Lord Jesus", and then sticks it on whatever idol the person has built in their own mind of what a "Jesus" is, rather than conforming their definition of Christ to the Bible. (But then again I find similar practices quite common in other evangelical churches too) Secondly in teaching unbelievers to say "O Lord" they are teaching people to lie. To call Jesus "Lord" without the intention of doing what he said, that is to practice lying. Jesus said,"Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?"Luke 6:46 According to Jesus what he thinks calling him "Lord" means is that, perhaps among other things, you are agreeing to to what he said. In fact there are perhaps many Christians who likewise are lying, not having the right to call Jesus "Lord", as allegedly "believing in Christ" but without the intention of doing what he said. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm sure many of you can think of other destructive heresies Witness Lee taught, but these are two that come to mind.