Problems with the Local Church - Merged Thread

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by jesusislord

Brother Nee followed the Brethren church footsteps, claiming have seen something, thus he went to execute it. That's why the LC is always like the brethren never wanted to admit that they themselves are just a group or denomination of Christianity.

As with all of the LC teachings, we must separate Brethren ideals from contemporary Brethren practice. Whenever a member of the Brethren or the Recovery talks to new ones or outsiders, then will always state their ideals, or founding principles, such as leaving traditions and returning to the pure word of God, leaving the divisions and returning to the oneness of the body of Christ, leaving the clergy/laity system and returning to the priesthood of all believers, etc. As such, each movement was a "new and improved" version of the church, supposedly better than what was currently available. Admittedly each had begun by the Spirit, (Galatians 3) but quickly deteriorated into a work of the flesh.

Unfortunately, J. N. Darby used these lofty and scriptural ideals to lure seeking Christians away from the Anglican state church. W. Nee used these ideals to lure seeking Christians away from the Western denominational missions in China. W. Lee likewise used these ideals to lure seeking Christians away from the established American denominations. None of that is wrong per se, until the followers are brought to a man, rather than the Lord. (Acts 20.30) It is only from the benefit of history that we are able to know the underlying intentions of these gifted men.

What we are left with in all 3 groups in no way resembles their primitive ideals. Actually, in these movements, these ideals are more apt to be seen with those excommunicated from the system. In every case I have studied, in both the Brethren and Recovery movements, the expelled ones had no other "transgression" than clinging to the founding ideals.