Spiritual Authority by Watchman Nee

[aron]

Originally Posted by alwayslearning

in regards to so called "spiritual authority" the question [] is: where does spiritual authority reside? If it resides in a certain person or select group of leaders than we are in trouble. Because this idea and practice allows this person or select handful of people to freely say and do whatever they want and everyone else is expected to submit to them regardless of what their own conscience says or what the Word of God says...

here is a section from page 80 "Elder's training, book 9"

"The New Testament leadership in the Gospels was a person. That person was the Lord Jesus Himself. But from Acts to Revelation, the unique New Testament leadership became the teaching of the apostles. Thus, neither Peter nor Paul controlled any church, but their teaching controlled. We can see this in 1 Timothy where Paul exhorted Timothy to remain in Ephesus in order that he might charge certain ones not to teach different things other than the economy of God (1:3-4). Different teachings are teachings which are different from the apostles' teaching concerning God's economy. This teaching is the unique leadership."

In this section Jesus, the subject, gets 2 quick sentences and the bulk of the attention goes to "teaching". Notice how easily Witness Lee turned the focus away from the leadership example of Jesus Christ. Jesus had led people back to their Father in heaven by doing: by serving (see John 13:12-17), by healing, feeding, comforting, and freeing people from oppression. Yes Jesus taught, but the focus, authority, and basis of his ministry was arguably "good works" --- see e.g. the declaration by one who was there with him: "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." ~Acts 10:38

Lee transformed this "doing good" into being a talking head, and selling one's messages, or teachings, for lucre. This is an infection from the spirit which was operating in Simon Magus, and which clearly penetrated the souls of both Lee and his fellow merchandizer Dong Yu Lan. Good works were ignored in the rush to convert "grace" into "cash".