An interesting thing about Darby, like Nee and later Lee, is that they didn't originate their teachings. They came onto a pre-existing separatist, or dissenting group, latched onto some aspect of the teachings, and bulldozed their way to the top. And with all three, when they passed and their iron grip no longer was the force binding the assembly, it split asunder, with little fiefdoms of wanna-be's popping up all over.
With Darby the ex-Anglican priest, his new home group the Peebs was full of 'Darbyisms', some of which weren't even his ideas; later I hear that the group is now being run by the Australian Hales family, the current EB bosses.
With Nee, he came onto the already pre-existant Shanghai Christian Assembly, removed senior co-workers like Leland Wang (see Lee's "Seer of the Divine Revelation", p. 19) due to his "local ground" theory, then once he was Alpha Dog he discovered "Authority and Submission" and so forth. How convenient.
And Lee was clearly a pea in Nee's pod, hijacking the movement post-Nee to the now Dong-ites, Chu-ites, and Blended-ites. All these little kingdoms with their carefully reasoned arguments, who alone have the vision.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OBW
I know. This is a little too sarcastic. But then the Rapture hyperbole is worthy of much sarcasm. Not because there is any question that Jesus is coming again, but because of the misplaced emphasis on the future rather than on the here and now.
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I grew up on dispensationalist fundamental teaching, then took the Nee/Lee's version for years, and never challenged any of it. So it was kind of shocking for me to see its emergence on the scene so recently. What I stress here is
OBW's point that it leads tomisplaced emphasis. A lot of LC lore is not necessarily false, any more than what is held to be true at the Podunk Community Church. But there is clearly misplaced emphasis. Grace over works, "life" over righteousness, loving theology over loving one's neighbor, despising those who cannot repay you in this age, I could go on and on.
It's questionable teaching that, unquestioned, leads to orthopraxy. The fruit is too clear.