Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
No, my quotations of the words "true sense" means there is no true sense meaning of the word, it can be used in different ways, and Lee's useage of the term is not so different from the Orthodox or Catholic's. If you peruse Catholic forums you will see the term deification used frequently. This one is enlightening:
http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=556753 |
There is no "true sense" of the word deification?! Is there a definition of the word? I also need to know if this lack of "true sense" applies to all words, or just words that Witness Lee uses. [As an aside your explanation to me of this "lack of true sense of the word" reminds me of the word "mumbo jumbo". This is a term that refers to a "complicated language intended to obscure and confuse the real meaning".]
From what I can gather "God became man that man may become God in life and nature but not in the Godhead." is the complete summation of Witness Lee's teaching on Deification. Now he taught this through his entire ministry. He supported it with the all of the same verses. The only difference between his "deification" doctrine and his earlier teaching that I can see is that he warned that the term "deification" is associated with pagan religion, and the cult of worshipping man.
"Perhaps what comes to mind most commonly when people hear the term deification is the practice among the ancient pagan religions of elevating mere men to the status of gods. Historically, this became most prominent in the Roman Empire, where reverence for the Caesars as gods united the multi-national and multi-religious empire." (The Truth Concerning the Ultimate Goal of God's Economy, Chapter 1, Section 9).
So then, what is the difference between the "high peak revelation" that we will be "deified" which he taught during the training of Job and onwards, and his earlier ministry where he warned about not using the word as it was blasphemous? The only difference I can see is the word. What used to be referred to as "sanctification" and "transformation" and "perfecting" and "maturing in life" is now being referred to as "deification" and "being deified".
Am I missing something or is the sum total of the "high peak revelation" the terms "deification" and "deified", two admittedly pagan terms that refer to the Roman Caesars now refer to Witness Lee?
Witness Lee said that "pagan indicates something demonic, devilish, and idolatrous." (Life Study of Exodus, Chapter 74, Section 3). So beginning in 1994 it was now a "high peak" to teach that a "demonic, devilish, and idolatrous" term applies to Christians? Concerning the church in Thyatira Witness Lee said "In using the name Jezebel, the Lord was reminding us of what Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, did: she came from a heathen background and brought pagan things into the worship of God by His people. This is the crucial and most central point in the epistle to Thyatira. The principle of the deeds of the apostate church is to mix the heathen, pagan things with the worship of God by His people." (Life Study of Revelation, Chapter 13, section 2). How is using the term "deification" not a mixing of pagan things with the worship of God? "The church should be different. As the unique place chosen by God, the church should have no division. This means that the church should not follow the customs of the nations or the pagan practices of human society. Nevertheless, from the time of the second century, the church has been divided over such things as opinions concerning the Person of Christ. The different schools of Christology, the study of the Person of Christ, became "mountains" and "hills." Thus, the church was divided not mainly by evil things, but mainly by good things, even by opinions about Christ." (The Genuine Ground of Oneness, Chapter 5, Section 1). So here the early church teaching on "deification" is referred to by Witness Lee as a pagan practice, an opinion concerning Christology, that divided the church. His teaching on deification is hypocrisy.
"One of our critics has said that the origin of Christmas is not pagan. He even denied the fact that the Christmas tree is pagan. The Christmas tree is pagan, evil, and idolatrous. There can be no reconciliation between the Lord's living testimony and the traditional church. We are opposed because we, as the disciples following the Lord today, would not keep such traditions." (Life study of Matthew, Chapter 45, Section 1). So then, would you say that Witness Lee's teaching on "deification" is his attempt to reconcile the Lord's Recovery Movement with the traditional church? Does the Christmas tree have a "true sense" or not? According to Witness Lee it is pagan, evil and idolatrous. According to a billion other people it can be used in different ways and does not have a true sense. Wow, this mumbo jumbo about true sense is so confusing.
Lev 20:6And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
7Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God.
A wizard is a “man with magical powers”, a “deified man”.
Imagine you teach something that you know can be misinterpreted as blasphemy and idolatry, you use pagan words with “no true sense” to them. The definition is very clearly pagan and idolatrous. The history of the word is clearly pagan and idolatrous. How do we describe a person like that?
The serpent was crafty. That means he was clever, cunning, and subtle. He was pretending to be what he was not in order to deceive Eve. We need to beware of anything that is crafty. We should be cautious of anyone who is clever, for it is easy for clever people to be taken over by the serpent. (Life-Study of Genesis, Chapter 18, Section 3)
Imagine the hypocrisy that you teach others to “beware of anything crafty” yet you yourself are very crafty in your use of words “without a true sense” that you know and have stated clearly could be misunderstood and could be blasphemous.
The Corinthians thought that the Judaizers were wonderful and that they did an excellent work in helping the Corinthians. Actually, the Judaizers did exactly the same work as Satan. They transfigured themselves as ministers of righteousness, into apostles of Christ. Therefore, Paul uses four terms to describe them: false apostles, deceitful workers, super-apostles, and ministers of Satan. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, Chapter 52, Section 2)
A false apostle is one who fabricates stories in order to make merchandise of the saints. For example saying that Watchman Nee was excommunicated because his mother was living with him when in fact it was his mistress. A deceitful worker uses crafty words, like words that have “no true sense”. They know that pagan practices like deification are evil and demonic, they know that mixing these pagan practices with the worship of God is what Jezebel did and is condemned by the Bible, but they also do it. What is a “super apostle”? It is a “Minister of the Age”. So then, what is a minister of Satan? These are ones that have given themselves, pledged themselves to serve someone other than Jesus. Someone who is crafty, a false apostle, a deceitful worker.