Quote:
Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah
Wow! Can you provide evidence that this doctrine was associated with the lawsuits? Also do they actually liken WL to the "commander in chief"? What a heresy. He is making himself out to be another Christ. That would be a perfect example of the false prophet denying the master who bought us.
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Here is what I found:
On the one hand, we are an army, and with the army there should be a commander in chief. In the New Testament you cannot find the term “commander in chief.” We can realize this matter, though, by inference from Paul's mentioning of the uncertain sound of the trumpet for the battle (1 Cor. 14:8). Surely the battle implies an army, and in an army there is the need of a general to command the army, to direct the army to fight.. (Elders' Training, Book 07: One Accord for the Lord's Move, Chapter 7, Section 2)
You could certainly understand that brothers like RG and BP would take this and run with WL is the C-in-C.
The following quote is quite disturbing. He is responding to some that have been calling him "C-in-C" and instead of rebuking or rejecting it he implies that they don't understand what is involved in following him. This is as clear as it gets that he has set himself up as the leader for everyone to follow and that he expects a very big commitment from them.
You may say that you follow Brother Lee, that you are one with this ministry. This sounds very good, but I am a little concerned that you may not know what it means to be one with the ministry. You may want to take me as your commander in chief and follow me, but I do not want to have many followers who know nothing about God's New Testament economy. (Elders' Training, Book 07: One Accord for the Lord's Move, Chapter 7, Section 4)
Here he talks about Jesus as the "invisible captain" and Joshua as the visible one, saying that the children of Israel needed a captain. It would be perfectly reasonable (and heretical) for someone to read this and conclude that the church needs Jesus as the "invisible" captain and Witness Lee as the visible one.
The fourth item of intrinsic significance concerns the Captain of Jehovah's army. The children of Israel were ready. They had been circumcised, they had enjoyed the Passover, and they had enjoyed the produce of the good land. However, they still needed a Captain. Then Joshua saw a vision in which Christ was unveiled as the Captain of Jehovah's army. Joshua was the visible commander, but Christ was the invisible One. Before the children of Israel attacked the Canaanites, they were fully prepared and qualified with Christ, the embodiment of God, as their Captain. When they attacked Jericho, they did this under the commanding of the Captain typified by the ark. The ark, a type of Christ, who was their Commander-in-chief, took the lead to attack the enemies. (Life-Study of Joshua, Judges & Ruth, Chapter 5, Section 1)
Here he uses the analogy of a "commander-in-chief" to himself and the way in which he prepares messages for the church.
Our use of reference books can be compared to a commander-in-chief who consults his advisers for their opinions in order to develop a strategy. Sometimes these opinions give us good ideas. If we do not read or consult reference books, we limit ourselves. The reference books that we consult can be helpful in improving our understanding. (The Perfecting of the Saints and the Building Up of the House of God, Chapter 5, Section 4)