Why Shouldn't We Have Wealthy Saints From Upper Class In The Churches?

[Truthseeker]

When I read a message from the Life-study of Isaiah, i feel stumbled by Lee's teaching. Lee says:

...The church of God is composed not mainly of the upper class, but of the lowborn of the world and the despised. To appreciate the upper class is against God's mind and a shame to the church. Because Brother Nee realized this, he visited the homes of the poor saints, not the wealthy ones. God chose mostly the foolish, the weak, the lowborn, and the despised, so that no one would be able to boast before Him.

Exerpt from the Life-study of Isaiah, message 36, www.ministrybooks.org.

I don't get it. Shouldn't we have wealthy persons in the church. Should we just have poor saints for building up the Body? We must become financially poor all of our life ? If we preach gospel to the upper class people, will it shame to the Body of Christ?
I don't know what Lee's teaching. So, we need to be poor saints for being chosen by Him?

[Nell]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

When I read a message from the Life-study of Isaiah, i feel stumbled by Lee's teaching. Lee says:

...The church of God is composed not mainly of the upper class, but of the lowborn of the world and the despised. To appreciate the upper class is against God's mind and a shame to the church. Because Brother Nee realized this, he visited the homes of the poor saints, not the wealthy ones. God chose mostly the foolish, the weak, the lowborn, and the despised, so that no one would be able to boast before Him.

Exerpt from the Life-study of Isaiah, message 36, www.ministrybooks.org.

I don't get it. Shouldn't we have wealthy persons in the church. Should we just have poor saints for building up the Body? We must become financially poor all of our life ? If we preach gospel to the upper class people, will it shame to the Body of Christ?
I don't know what Lee's teaching. So, we need to be poor saints for being chosen by Him?

Stumbled indeed.

The entirety of the "ministry" or ministries of men...all men...Lee and Nee included...relies on the interpretation of scriptures by the men who teach...Lee and Nee included. That is, men who teach their personal interpretation of scriptures as fact. Some of these teachings may be truth, some may not. The more we know the Lord, the better we will be able to hear "truth" in interpretations of scripture...or not.

Here's a factoid about Lee's teaching. A publishing house came into being to publish Lee's teachings. After Lee died, there is nothing "new" coming out. The business, LSM, concentrates its efforts by repackaging all of Lee's teachings to continue to make money.

It's our job to test all things. There's a big red flag for you on this one. Does God agree? God is the maker, owner, creator of the universe? Does he need money? I'm guessing that the personal wealth of his creations is the last thing on his mind. (But that's just me.) There's a verse "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh." Psalm 2.

God is a real, living person who is not deaf or mute. Witness Lee died. He was not the arbiter of truth. He tried to make us believe that he was "God's Oracle..." "God's man on the earth." ...another self-serving, money-maker teaching.

The importance to our walk with God is to know him and his ways. It's not about having the wealthy class of people in the church...or not. It's his church. Not ours. Not Lee's. He will build his church. The best we can do is to get out of his way and let him build as he sees fit.

There are many, many nonsensical Lee teachings discussed on this forum. Add this one to the list. There's a reason it doesn't make sense to you. Perhaps you should find a quiet place and read your post (pray-read? ) to God and ask him about it.

Nell