Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
When Lee and LSM needed a little credibility, then they "stand on Luther's shoulders." When Lee and LSM demanded exclusive authenticity, then they alone "started afresh." It may just be a "contrived illusion" to the entire body of Christ, but they just need their own folks to believe it.
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The narrative is so self-serving as to astound - talk about "signs and wonders" - one wonders how anyone over 12 years of age can accept it on face value?
The Church Age was filled with Spiritual Giants, one after the other, until Lee died. Then, poof! The Age of Spiritual Giants was over; now it was the Age of Small Potatoes.
Or, each stage of the Recovery Narrative claims that it's the Final Stage, with no more modifications necessary. Somehow the Recovered Truth isn't quite right until The Final Apostle came along (Darby/Nee/Lee), with the Final Modification. Then it somehow became perfect, complete and entire. Mustn't change anything, or you'll be ambitious, divisive, and rebellious.
(Aka, Just because I did it, doesn't mean you can!)
In that vein, Watchman Nee could use some 3,000 "Christian classics" but don't dare violate the One Publication Bull today! Just because he was free to pick and choose his sources doesn't mean you can.
And Nee learned much of his theology and spirituality from Margaret Barber, Jessie Penn-Lewis, Madame Guyon et al, but no uppity sister better try to teach today, or be a Blended Co-Worker, because we all know women can't teach in the church! Doesn't matter that Ruth Lee and Elizabeth Fischbacher edited all his original books. That was then, this is now.
Ohio noted a doozy - the LC trumpets it's "goodly heritage" from the Protestants; that is, until the LC wants to move on, and then Protestants are "daughters of the whore".
Or the idea of "locality" of the "local churches" being promoted until HQ suddenly decides it's time to take control, then they "recover" the Jerusalem Principle. Suddenly we don't want to do anything "outside the fellowship" of the Big Boss in Central HQ.