[zeek]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

What you posted does not reflect the whole of Lee's teachings on the subject. I recall a specific life study or was it a training or conference where it was mentioned about how God has used Christianity to spread the gospel, even though it is a mixture of paganism and Empire.

On God's use of the Roman Empire (and the Roman Catholic Church) in spreading the gospel, quoting Lee:

"The Lord used the Roman Empire to form and spread the gospel."

On Satan's use of the Roman Empire (and the Roman Catholic Church) in persecuting believers:

"Satan used the Roman Empire to persecute the church and to kill many believers"

On the equivalence between the Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church:

"This indicates that the two - the Roman Empire and the Roman Church - are one".

Lee speaks of both genuine and false believers in the Roman Catholic Church.

"In every denomination, including the Roman Catholic Church, there are real, saved Christians. They are God’s people belonging to the Lord".

We could say the same about the USA today because it is the revived Roman Empire:

"The Lord used the USA to spread the gospel."

"Satan used the USA to persecute the church" - an example is prevention of using the name of God or Jesus, or even the local churches being called a cult by the religious arm of the American Empire.

The argument that any particular statement or passage from Witness Lee's teachings do not reflect the whole of his teachings could be used against anything that he ever said refutable only by quotintg his entire body of work. So if one accepts that argument it's useless to quote Lee.

Suffice it to say, Witness Lee's view of Christianity was predominantly negative particularly as it pertains to Church Christianity as I have defined it below. To Lee the Recovery takes place mostly within Biblical Christianity as I have defined it.

As far as using God's sovereignty to justify Christianity or anything else, it made be said that God is Sovereign over Satan and all the evil activity in the world. So if you want to include Christianity in that who can argue?