[UntoHim]

When someone asks most people, perhaps even the majority of those outside of any Judeo-Christian context, or even those outside of any faith at all: "What would you consider as the 'one publication' of the Christian faith"? I would guarantee you that the vast majority would answer "Why, the Bible of course". But the rubber really only meets the road when one ventures a follow up question: "So you only use the Bible?....you have no other supporting or supplemental publications?"

Different, yet similar, answers will come forth from a Mormon, a Jehovah's Witness, a member of Christian Science, a Seventh Day Adventist, and finally a Roman Catholic (I'll stop the list here for the sake of brevity!) The follow up answer from the Mormon would quickly be "The Book of Mormon". The follow up answer from a Jehovah's Witness would be "The Watchtower and Awake!" The follow up answer from the Christian Science person would be "Science and Health". The follow up from the Seventh Day Adventist would be "The Pillars of Adventism". The answer from the Roman Catholic would be "The authority and traditions of the Church". (Interestingly enough, a similar answer would come forth from any orthordox Jew - "We hold the Talmud as equal to the Torah".)

Now let's ask any good brother or sister in The Local Church: "What is the one publication of the Local Church(es)?". After giving you a stern mini-lecture about how "the Local Church is NOT our name...it is only a description of how we meet!"...most will set off into a world-class tirade of obfuscation, evading and avoiding (aka shucking and jiving) and just a general denial that they they have any other "one publication" besides the Bible.

Why the obfuscation? Why the evading and avoiding? Why the denials of what is the manifest and undeniable fact? Why do they not proudly proclaim that they have another one publication besides the Bible - like the Mormons do? Like the Jehovah's Witnesses do? Like the Christian Scientists and Seventh Day Adventists do? Like the Roman Catholics do?

Well, the answer is obvious to even the most casual of objective observers. The Local Church of Witness Lee, at least in recent history, wants to be considered as "orthodox, evangelical Christians". They have even joined previously condemned and mocked organizations such as the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Ironically, if the Local Church/Living Stream had honestly presented their views, beliefs and understandings regarding the personal ministry of Witness Lee, they would have been soundly rejected for membership in the ECPA. Why? For the same reasons as the ECPA rejects the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Roman Catholics - They have another "one publication" besides the Holy Bible.
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