BREAKING Watchman Nee and Witness Lee aren't in the Bible

[Zezima]

This post will discuss the most recent article on Shepherding Words, a website deployed by Living Stream ministry to address "rumors that have arisen over the years regarding the local churches"

In this article, the Lord's Recovery points out that the doctrine of “One City One Church is a basic principle by which the Lord's recovery is based”. Something that the "Lord's Recovery has practiced since it began in China" (I thought the Recovery has been going on for hundreds of years, that's a different topic though).

To justify this doctrine and expand on what the boundary of a “city” is, the article turns to what Watchman Nee & Witness lee said as the authority that dictates what this doctrine entails. In fact, they do this 9 times to justify this doctrine.

From the article:

- "Brother Nee studied this matter thoroughly and gave a series of messages on “The Assembly Life.” There he said:"
- "Brother Lee expressed particular concern"
- "Using the church in Taipei as an example, he (Lee) said
- "Elsewhere he (Lee) told us:"
- "Ignatius’s error is evident from Brother Lee’s careful exposition of Acts 20:
- "Brother Lee commented"
- "The Elders’ Management of the Church, Brother Lee clearly stated"
- "He (Lee) continued:"
- "Lee said in A Brief Presentation of the Lord’s Recovery:"

Why does this matter?

Well, the One City One Church doctrine states that every city should only have one church. The Lord’s Recovery believes that their church in the city, is the only real church in that city. Anyone other than churches outside their local church is degraded, and divisive.

“All the divisions and denominations will consummate in the great Babylon.- Life-study of Genesis, msg. 34: Life in Resurrection (3)”

It's a bold claim, Christians who don't attend your congregation are in fallen degraded Babylon. However, the fact that this is a bold claim doesn’t make this doctrine incorrect, I mean, Christian’s believe a man resurrected from the dead. Now this post isn't even meant to debate the legitimacy of the One City One Church Doctrine..

The interesting thing about this bold claim (One city One church), is that the Lord’s Recovery justifies it not by the Bible but by what Watchman Nee and Witness lee said. The entire article argues the nuance of the doctrine, using these two men's word as its authoritative voice.

So what?

Watchman Nee and Witness Lee are not in the Bible, and did not write a single word in the Bible. Why are their words being used as authority to justify a doctrine that identifies other Christians as degraded? Why are the words of these two men being used as justification to a doctrine that claims a Lord’s Recovery church is the only true church in a city?

The Lords Recovery claims they don’t follow a man, and yet here they are using two men's words as the authoritative foundation to a doctrine.

The Bible is the only authoritative text for Christians, not the text of Living Stream Ministry.

To quote Jesus (who’s in the Bible)
“This people honors me with their lips,
 but their heart is far from me, in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”