Training vs Seminary

[aron]

Originally Posted by aron

One of the things which should be noted about Watchman Nee is the influence of Jessie Penn-Lewis and other mystics; people unfettered by the safety and shepherding of the flock, who felt free to pursue personal mysticism.

The second edition of Spiritual Man 'editor's preface' admits that large portions of the book were merely cribbed, unattributed, from these sources. This was arguably the foundation for Nee's entire ministry.

Nee came under the tutelage of a former missionary who'd broken off from her sending church(es). Let's take the tale for what it is: Margaret Barber was too pure and spiritually advanced to suffer under the corruption of the Western missionaries. So rather than obey their dictates, she broke off and went solo.

Fine. Then this spiritually-developed woman began to teach and train Watchman Nee. And she told him NOT to read Jessie Penn-Lewis, and he surreptitiously got hold of the "War on the Saints". Which he then copied verbatim into his foundational "Spiritual Man" book. Which laid the foundation for him to be a "spiritual giant" of the 20th century.

Note that "giants" were unholy monsters who ate the flesh of men, per Genesis. Ones who lifted themselves up beyond their measure. Why should any Christian want to be a giant?

Probably Dana Roberts or some critical biographer has noted these imbalances laid into the foundation of Watchman Nee's spiritual thought, and work. Not sure. For sure we saw the fruit: the Local Church meat grinder, which spit out how many battered and disillusioned believers? No way to know.

And then the unbalanced, hyper-spiritual self-fixated and myopic thought-worlds and practices led through Nee and then Lee into the Lord Changshou Shouters and the Eastern Lightning. More self-obsessed fruit from the Nee tree.

Yes, he appears to have been a giant, all right. A gigantic monstrosity.