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Freedom: The way that WL used his teaching of “God’s economy” was very crafty. First of all, his usage of that phrase took up a completely different meaning than what it actually means in the Bible.
In 1 Tim 1:3, the NIV renders Paul’s charge as being to “not teach false doctrines any longer”. In the RcV, a different rendering is used: “not teach different things”. Why is this significant? It is readily apparent that “false doctrine” has a much more precise meaning than “different things” What exactly does it mean to “teach different things”? Do you see what I’m getting at here? The phrase could mean just about anything.
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Freedom is on to something here. Lee used this verse to make his own ministry the de facto standard for all N.T. ministries.
Whether we understand Paul's final word in I Tim. 1.3, the Greek word
ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖν, to be “not teach false doctrines any longer” or as the RecVers renders “not teach different things,” is really not much different semantically. Both translations pass muster. The crucial question we must ask is "
different than what?" Paul makes it clear in context that he is referring to Jewish things, which he had battled throughout his entire ministry. Timothy knew this all too well.
This word
ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖν could be anglicized "hetero-doctrining" or better "
teaching differently." We use the words orthodox and heterodox teachings to refer to accepted and not accepted teachings. So Lee in his RecVers is not wrong per se, but where he was wrong, and so very wrong, was to establish in the hearts of the faithful, that his teaching and his teaching alone was the de facto standard by which every ministry must be compared. Even the Psalmists and James must defer to his ministry, and thus be critiqued as substandard and thus
different.
Let's talk about what this means to his adherents, especially those aberrant blendeds in Anaheim who are now running the show. For Lee and company the word "
differently" takes on the narrowest of all possible meanings. Instead of referring to the common faith (Titus 1.4) acceptable to all the apostles, and summarized in I Cor 15.1-3
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Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
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Lee's connotation, however, and often repeated, was "
different in taste, different in feeling, different in sense, different in flavor, different in smell, different in appearance, etc." Even Titus Chu, who similarly had a Chinese accent like Lee, could not pass the necessary "smell" test. Hence he was quarantined as a rebellious leper, and will remain in isolation until long after he is buried.