[aron]

"Let me tell you a story concerning my own experience. For a period of six years, from 1942 to 1948, Brother Watchman Nee was out of his ministry. Because of the work of the Devil in China, there was a spiritual storm that kept Watchman from ministering. He and I were separated during the war. After the war, in 1946, I was invited to come from the north to the capital city in the south. When some of the co-workers who were involved in that storm against Brother Nee and who also knew me very well came from afar to meet with me, they said, 'Brother Lee, can you say that Brother Nee has ever been wrong?' I replied, 'Brothers, whether he is wrong or right is not my business. You must admit one thing—that we all owe very much to Brother Nee. We all must admit that he was just like a father to us all. If he was not a father to you, I must testify strongly that, in the Lord's economy, he certainly was a father to me. Before I met with Brother Nee, I knew nothing of the Lord's economy. He is my spiritual father, and my spiritual being came out of him.' Then I told the brothers the story of Noah. I said, 'Brothers, look at Noah's case. Was Noah wrong? Certainly he was wrong. But, it is not a matter of whether Noah was right or wrong; it is all a matter of from where we have received our being. Was Noah not our father? If he was your neighbor and not your father, it would be another story. But remember that you derived your being from him. He is your father. Whatever you are and whatever you obtained has come out of him. This involves you with the divine government.

Brothers, I didn't see the thing for which people condemn Brother Nee. Even if I did see that he was wrong, I have no position to say anything about his wrongdoing, because he is my spiritual father and my spiritual being came out of him. I could never say anything against him. I am under God's government. Brothers, you must consider that it is not a small thing to be against our spiritual father. When you were not against Brother Nee, what was your inner feeling?' They all admitted that they felt so much life. When I asked, 'How about now?' they responded, 'We have to admit that we are just dead. We have no anointing or watering within. We are dried up.' Then I said, 'Brothers, you should listen to this real sensation. Don't care for your mental analysis. According to your mental analysis, Brother Nee is condemned, but as long as you condemn him, you are dead. The more you condemn him, the more dead you are.' Immediately, the brothers turned and were saved from their dead situation." [Life-Study of Genesis]

Witness Lee told the Shanghai elders, "It is a matter of receiving your being", and "You derived your being from him", meaning Watchman Nee. What 'being' is this they derived? Human or divine? Clearly human, i.e. status and position. Watchman Nee here is not "Our Father who art in heaven", but instead an earthly analog. Fallen and sinful, but clearly necessary for the Little Flock to go on.

Yet the NT tradition had clearly departed from the 'respecter of persons' method. "Call no man your father, for you have one Father in Heaven: that is God." The 'ekklesia' brooked no fallen human culture promoting hierarchies of control, respect, and obedience. That is the way of the gentiles, but it should not be the way with you (Matt 10:5). Yet here in China, clearly established NT precedent is contravened because it isn't useful for the survival of Nee's and Lee's religious offices.

Then, Lee said that he didn't see the things for which Nee was condemned. Remember this is 1946, before the Communist show trial, with the pictures and confession. So the context here in 1946 is, "tell it to the church"; Lee says, "I didn't see it, therefore it doesn't exist." Again, this is clearly human culture trumping scripture. The clear word of Jesus in the gospels is simply ignored as if it didn't exist, and cultural imperatives steamroll God's word into oblivion. "Brothers, these things should not be so."

Philip Lin said, "I know in my conscience you brothers are right according to the truth, but in my culture I must be loyal to Brother Lee." This statement by Lin repeated a pattern set by Witness Lee, regarding Watchman Nee, a pattern which eventually preserved Lee's organizational leadership as well. Human culture was the incubator of the Little Flock of Nee, as well as the Local Church of Witness Lee, and also was their conduit to full flower and fruit-bearing.