Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
But like Paul, he said we should not be worshiped, so it's OK  . In order to slander and discredit Lee and his ministry, you are clutching at straws to prove he taught deification just because he used that word, when he explicitly taught many times we are not to be worshiped. |
He did teach deification. That is not up for debate. Ask Kerry R.
The only thing that you can debate is what the word means. But you don't use a dictionary, you use WL's own special definition.
I am not slandering him. I have quoted him completely, thoroughly and with context. I have made it clear that he always has his caveat there.
My point is simple.
1. Using this word is forbidden by the Bible. (A point that WL made in 1984).
2. Using this word is to "go beyond what the apostle's taught" and manifests that WL is not of the apostle's fellowship.
3. Trying to use a highly provocative word by creating your own special ("limited") definition is deceitful, subject to strict judgement, and typical of a false prophet.
These points are not "straws". They completely discredit his ministry from the point he began to teach this and they expose his modus operandi.
What you probably don't understand is that I am not interested in debating if a particular ministry is scriptural or not. To me that is not profitable. My only concern is if Witness Lee is a false prophet or not, that is important.
1. The key indicator of a false prophet is that the ministry will be built on a fabricated story designed to make merchandise of the saints (according to Peter).
When I realized that Witness Lee had fabricated the story about Watchman Nee's discipline in Shanghai I became alarmed. I realized his motivation was his own ministry as the "closest coworker of Watchman Nee" wouldn't mean anything if Watchman Nee's legacy was adultery.
You have trivialized very key issues of Witness Lee making merchandise of the saints.
2. According to the Gospels you know a tree by its fruit. This is obviously the most important criteria for Igzy as he refers to the fruit of Witness Lee's ministry frequently. The fruit is abhorrent.
3. You trivialize 419 elders being forced to sign a "loyalty pledge" as not being sin. Christians were willing to die in the Colosseum rather than sign a similar pledge to the "deified" Cesar. The term "666" is known by all as being the sign of the AntiChrist but indicates a kind of "loyalty pledge" to him. Hitler used this tactic on the German Army. This is clearly offensive, it is an insult to Jesus authority, and in my opinion is what Paul means when he talks of "another Jesus".
4. Any reasonable and objective reading of the Bible would realize that "the ground of the church" doctrine is nothing but a sham attempt to create a monopoly for Witness Lee's ministry. It is the establishment of a "damnable heresy" for the express purpose of making merchandise of the saints. Any objective reading of Witness Lee would realize he never had any legitimate concern for the oneness of any believers that did not accept him as "the apostle". His doctrine is nothing but a deceitful way to say that only churches that he establishes and submits to his authority are legitimate, condemning the other 99.9% of Christians as wrong. The Pride and arrogance are truly astounding.
5. The MOTA doctrine is certainly the most utterly offensive. To use Moses word about there being another minister, like unto him and then to build this doctrine with OT types of Jesus is despicable. He takes types of Jesus Christ, and applies them to Watchman Nee. This is outrageously offensive. This is precisely what Paul meant when he talked of "preaching another Jesus".
My interest in understanding Witness Lee is because he gives me tremendous insight into Balaam and Jezebel. The Sister's rebellion, and numerous other rebellions, excommunications, etc have helped me understand Jezebel's use of slander to steal vineyards. Being in NYC has given me a very close view of this as this is what he did with the congregation here.
Also, my close association with Kerry R., Ed M., Ray G., and Benson P. has helped me understand the whole compassing the entire world to find a disciple and make them twofold a son of Gehenna.
When I look back on the entire experience I realize that the one thing that would have been a huge safeguard, the one thing that would have prevented any false prophet from deceiving me or a congregation, would have been to embrace James word that pure religion is to visit orphans and widows in their trouble. Not as some kind of "good works" program, but as someone who through faith is obedient to the Lord's word to "love your neighbor as yourself". When a church embraces this there is no way for a false prophet to "make merchandise of them".
Instead of Witness Lee's legal defense team, and anti charitable works campaign, you would have a group of Christians, receiving the Spirit by faith, expressing Jesus in their life, and being doers of the word. As someone who served in Living Stream Ministry from 1980 to 1995 in various capacities I saw first hand that the goal of the ministry was to make the saints hearers of the word only. The New Way was designed to create a new market for the ministry. Any pocket of success was leveraged for book sales, which in turn salted the field and wiped out the fruit.