[aron]

Originally Posted by aron

Human culture possibly explains a lot here.

First off, the emergence of the Little Flock was a culturally-driven reaction to economic, cultural, and political imperialism by the west.

Originally Posted by Ohio

The Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity had a brief biography of Watchman Nee (Ni) by G. Wright Doyle.

Here are a few excerpts ...

For a variety of reasons, including the anti-Western movement of the 1920s, many Chinese Christian leaders were seeking ways to form indigenous churches that would be free from Western missionary control. Having moved to the International Settlement in Shanghai in 1926, Ni constituted in 1932 a group of “apostolic” co-workers that would lead what became the Little Flock Movement: Wang Peizhen (Peace Wang) and Li Yuanru (Ruth Lee), with Ni himself as supreme. They soon grew from a small household gathering to a network of local churches.

Here is another quote, from a 2005 article in the magazine Church History. The author is Joseph Tse-Hei Lee, who teaches history at Pace University.

Originally Posted by aron

Calling for a return to the early forms of Christian fellowship as shown in the Book of Acts, Watchman Nee encouraged Christians to break away from the well-established denominational churches. He believed that the denominations had lost their faith in the biblical truth and become corrupted by their hierarchical structure. Apart from converting non-Christians, he "reconverted" regular churchgoers, members of denominational churches, and graduates of prestigious Christian mission schools. Many Chinese Christians left their denominations to join the Little Flock, to the extent that the Protestant missionaries in Fuzhou often accused the Little Flock of "stealing sheep." It was indeed very common for Christians of other denominations to "convert" to the Little Flock throughout the 1920s and 1930s. As Watchman Nee wrote on December 4,1932, "For three years now, more than ten places in Tsao Ning (Zaoning), of Kiangsu (Jiangsu), belonging to the [American] Presbyterians, more than ten places in T'ai Shuen (Taishun), of Chekiang (Zhejiang), belonging to the [China] Inland Mission, a number of places in Fukien (Fujian) of other sects, agreeing in doctrine, have already been amalgamated, have done away with their original name, changed the rules of pastors and leaders, and attached themselves to the Little Flock." Given his emphasis on the independence of local churches, many Chinese Christians found it irresistible to affiliate with the Little Flock. Thus, the theme of xenophobia and Western imperialism was a strong element in these conversions..

In Chinese culture, it's not the Western, egalitarian, "We hold these rights to be self-evident, that all men are born equal" idea that forms the basis of social cohesion, but rather it's the idea that people are valued only so much as they add value to the system, or network, of human relations. So once Nee and Company threw off the yoke of foreign domination, and then the "local" and "autonomous" part of the Little Flock could be done away with. Then it was the centralizing "Jerusalem Principle", because centralization also added value to the network. Centralization made the network more valuable.

It also explains why 30 years later Lee put his admittedly ne'er-do-well on Philip in charge of the Living Stream Ministry: because Philip was in the network of family. To have not given him some of the spoils of the flock would have been an unforgivable sin, for Lee's culture. Ditto for son Timothy and Daystar. A father couldn't abandon his children, no matter how scurrilous, reprobate, or unspiritual they may be. They're in the network. You have to honor the network, and give them something. Culture triumphs.

And Lee himself was the Top Dog, publishing all those books, so his ministry added the most value to the network. So the idea of his "ministry" became the stand-in for Jesus Christ. Those like EM, RG, BP who incessantly promoted the ministry added value to the network, and rose to become the Blendeds. Those who valued their conscience more than the network were disposable. It's all about the network: without the network you are nothing.

It also makes perfect sense that they constantly promoted the recruiting of "good building materials" and ignored the divine mandate to give to those who couldn't repay you in this age. Because it's all about adding value to the network. People who don't repay you in this age add nothing to the network: forget about them.

It also explains why the Party and the People remain unchallenged in China decades after its main Western analog, the Russian Soviet Federation, collapsed. The Chinese culture values the system, not the individual. The individual only has value as much as he or she is related into the system. Put "church" instead of "Party", and suddenly you have the Lord's Recovery and you have the same thing. Instead of Chairman Mao adding to value to the system it is the Apostle of the age, God's humble bondslave Witness Lee.

It also explains how the "Lord Changshou" sect of the Shouters broke off. Elevate Lee to Godhood, and you as the chief value-adder (promoting Lee to God status) get elevated, also. Just like BP and RK and EM: elevate Lee, and elevate yourself. Lee added value, so you promote Lee's ministry, then you add value to the network. And it's just what Lee himself did by calling Nee the Seer of the Divine Revelation. Lee elevated Nee as the top value adder, then he (Lee) as Nee's chief promoter got to be next in line. Pretty simple math, really. Add value to the system, and your value goes up, also. Your value is proportional to the value that you add to the system.

There's nothing wrong with that system, per se, and it's certainly not inferior to the Western model - it works, after all - but it is still "the way of the Gentiles".