Praise the Lord for the church life in the Lord’s recovery where we are under God’s speaking and we’re being recovered to God’s original intention! We are so grateful to the Lord that He has brought us in His up-to-date move to enjoy Him and be under His speaking and be recovered to His purpose.
However, though the Lord is moving and speaking and we’re here under His speaking, there are many who oppose it.
Even as many opposed the Lord Jesus and the apostles, even as throughout the ages many have opposed the Lord’s true followers and His genuine seekers, so there are rumours and evil things being spread either by word of mouth or online regarding the church life and the leading ones in the Lord’s recovery.
This website, ShepherdingWords.com, addresses rumours that have arisen over the years regarding the local churches and the ministry of God’s word through brothers Watchman Nee and Witness Lee.
Some of these rumors were long ago disproven but still circulate today. Others are new inventions. The accounts on this site are factual and are presented to help those who have encountered these rumors and those who desire to be equipped to respond to inquiries or accusations that may come their way. This site will also seek to clarify principles concerning how to face the difficulties that the saints and churches may face from time to time. Those who sincerely seek answers to questions can find them through genuine fellowship. It is our hope that the material presented here may rescue some from stumbling (2 Cor. 6:3; Rom. 16:17; Luke 17:1-2) and restore their hearts to the Lord, His life, His light, and the joy of their salvation.
We recommend reading these articles in a spirit and atmosphere of prayer. They are in the nature of inoculation, and if we open to the Lord as we prayerfully read these articles, we ourselves can be inoculated and kept on the way of the Lord in a pure way. Read below some articles on teaching and fellowship, History Articles, and Letters from the Co-workers in the Lord’s Recovery.
Teaching and Fellowship Articles – Shepherding Words (Lord’s recovery)
A Balanced View of the Elders’ Authority
“We need to exercise particular care to have a balanced understanding of the Bible’s teaching on authority. On the one hand, the Lord Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). On the other hand, in His Body He raises up men to work together with Him among the churches, and He places men as overseers in the local churches to shepherd His flock (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2). Though he does not cede any of His authority to them, they do express and represent His authority in the church universally and in the local churches respectively. This is what is meant by the term delegated authority. This does not mean that anyone has authority in himself. If any brother appropriates the Lord’s authority to himself personally, he is essentially making the error of Diotrephes (3 John 9). In general, proper authority is carried out through ministry, although occasionally it is exercised administratively. ” Continue reading this article on, A balanced view of the elders’ authority.
A Christian’s Attitude Toward Government and Politics
In recent years many nations have been sharply divided over political controversies. As Christians, we should understand two key points related to government and politics. First, we should know what our attitude toward existing governments should be. Second, we should know what our attitude should be individually as Christians and corporately as the church toward involvement in political activities. Continue reading this article on, A Christian’s attitude toward government and politics.
A Christian’s Attitude Toward Reforming Society
In 1950, in a time of great social upheaval in China, Watchman Nee, in a series of messages for new believers, said, “Today the world is full of all kinds of problems. How will these problems be solved? What should be our attitude towards these problems?” (Messages for Building Up New Believers: Volume Three [hereafter, Messages (3)], 914). These questions and Brother Nee’s answers to them are as pertinent to believers today, a time when the world is beset with intractable problems, as it was then. Continue reading this article on, A Christian’s attitude toward reforming society.
A Harmonious Coordination between Generations to Advance God’s Move
Because the Lord is continually advancing to carry out His economy, His people must advance with Him. Individuals are finite in terms of their lifespan and what experiences they can acquire of the Lord during their life. The lessons learned through precious experiences of Christ, the cross, and the Body of Christ accumulated in one’s lifetime must be passed on to others. As a father passes his experiences and lessons learned on to his children in the hope that they will surpass him, the older generation in the church life can impart what they have learned and experienced into the younger generation so that they can advance beyond the older generation. This is a definite principle shown in the Bible (Psa. 78:1-7; Deut. 4:9-10; 2 Tim. 2:1-2). Continue reading this article on, A Harmonious Coordination between Generations to Advance God’s Move.
A Specious Claim of Racism
On a couple of occasions spurious and egregious allegations surfaced tarring Witness Lee by associating him with racist justifications of slavery based on his interpretation of Noah’s cursing of the descendants of Ham (Gen. 9:25). There are at least three problems with this criticism:
- Witness Lee’s interpretation of this prophecy is descriptive, not prescriptive, that is, it is an attempt to explain historical facts, not a justification of racism or of slavery.
- Witness Lee explicitly criticized racism and slavery.
- Witness Lee strongly affirmed that in the church there are no distinctions of race or class.
Continue reading the article on, A Specious Claim of Racism.
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (1): the Genuine Ground of the Church According to the Teaching and Practice of the New Testament
Much confusion and debate exist among Christians surrounding the definition, formation, purpose, and function of the church. In fact, the pattern of Christians meeting together in local churches is entirely consistent throughout the New Testament. Some critics admit that while the New Testament does portray local churches, this portrayal should be understood only as descriptive rather than prescriptive, thereby allowing room for alternative church models (articles 3 and 4 in this series address these claims). We believe, however, that we must follow the teaching of the Lord Jesus and the apostles and the New Testament pattern of establishing local churches. Continue reading the article on, Assailing the Ground of Oneness (1): the Genuine Ground of the Church According to the Teaching and Practice of the New Testament.
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (2): Diligently Keeping the Oneness Requiring a Local Ground
Ephesians 4 speaks of one Spirit and one Body and of our need to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace (vv. 3-6). Some Christians ask whether the oneness of the Spirit and of the Body mentioned in Ephesians 4 are not sufficient in themselves for Christian oneness, and they thereby question the need to speak of the ground of locality—the ground of one city, one church, of one church in one city—as being necessary for the preservation of the oneness of the church. Some have gone further to claim that to speak of the ground of locality is to add an additional and unnecessary requirement to the testimony of oneness and therefore constitutes a divisive teaching in and of itself. However, the practice of the church on the ground of locality is the divine and necessary prescription for keeping the oneness of the Spirit and of the Body practically. Continue reading the article on, Assailing the Ground of Oneness (2): Diligently Keeping the Oneness Requiring a Local Ground.
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (3): Was the Church in Jerusalem a “Regional” Church?
Some have argued that the church in Jerusalem was a regional church, that is, a single church that has jurisdiction over an area much broader than the boundary of a city. But how is this proposition arrived at? Does it accord with Scripture? And if not, why is it being promoted?
The Church in Jerusalem: a Regional Church? Continue reading the article at, Assailing the Ground of Oneness (3): Was the Church in Jerusalem a “Regional” Church?
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (4): Are “House Churches” Biblical?
“House churches,” in which believers meet in a house as a separate, independent unit of administration, are a popular means of circumventing the biblical pattern of keeping the oneness of the unique Body of Christ in local churches. A careful examination of Scripture shows that while a church may gather in a believer’s home, such a gathering is actually a meeting of the church in that locality, that is, a meeting of a local church. Continue reading this article, Assailing the Ground of Oneness (4): Are “House Churches” Biblical?
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (5): God’s Choice Versus Doing What is Right in Our Own Eyes
The story of Cain and Abel, the first two sons of Adam and Eve, establishes an important principle that the worship of God should not be according to man’s thought but according to God’s revelation (Gen. 4:3-8). Abel offered a lamb according to God’s revelation, but Cain offered the fruit of the work of his own hands. Since that time men have time and again supplanted God’s ordained way of worship with their own thoughts and intentions. In Deuteronomy 12 God extended this principle to the place in which He desired to receive worship. He charged Israel to bring their offerings to Jerusalem and not to follow the nations in establishing worship centers according to their own convenience and preference. Today the New Testament pattern stands in stark contrast to the common practice of going to the “church of your choice.” However, according to the Bible, God has exercised His own choice in establishing the place where He has put His name. And it is uniquely the place of God’s choice that manifests and preserves the oneness of the Body of Christ. Continue reading the article, Assailing the Ground of Oneness (5): God’s Choice Versus Doing What is Right in Our Own Eyes.
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (6): The Ground of the Church Being for the Building Up of the Body of Christ
Matthew 18:20 contains a wonderful promise: “For where two or three are gathered into My name, there am I in their midst.” However, some have misused this verse to discount the need for local churches established and built up on the proper ground. They claim that the gathering of two or three in the Lord’s name is the unique qualification to be a genuine church. This errant understanding has excused division, opened the door to the proliferation of independent “churches” and free groups, and frustrated the building up of the Body of Christ. In contrast to this misinterpretation, we need to see what Matthew 18 actually says and that the ground of the church is the basis for the building up of the Body of Christ according to the New Testament. Continue reading the article, Assailing the Ground of Oneness (6): The Ground of the Church Being for the Building Up of the Body of Christ.
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (7): The Identifying Characteristics of a Genuine Local Church and the Forbidden Grounds of Division according to the Scriptures
The New Testament presents the church as universally one in its existence and locally one in its manifestation (Eph. 1:22-23; Acts 13:1). Yet Christians today are divided among a plethora of denominations and local sects. Underlying these divisions are innumerable grounds advanced to justify their existence and separation from other Christians. Understandably, this has led to much confusion regarding the scriptural basis for identifying a genuine church. This article seeks to set forth six tests of a genuine local church and seven forbidden factors of division based upon the testimony of the Scriptures. Continue reading the article, Assailing the Ground of Oneness (7): The Identifying Characteristics of a Genuine Local Church and the Forbidden Grounds of Division according to the Scriptures.
Authority and Fellowship
God desires to establish His kingdom on the earth through a group of people who stand against all forms of rebellion and come absolutely under His authority. Establishing God’s authority over the earth is a great matter in the Bible, but fallen men have miscast divine authority according to natural human concepts and have even falsely claimed authority as God’s representatives. The Greek word—exousia (ἐξουσίᾳ)—that is translated “authority” is a compound word. Ex means “out of” or “out from,” while ousia means “being.” God’s authority issues out of His very being. If you meet God, you meet authority. If you have never met God, you have never met authority. Moreover, if a person exercises “authority” in God’s name but we do not meet God in that exercise of “authority,” either that “authority” is man’s presumption or we ourselves have some kind of insulation toward God. Continue reading the article, Authority and Fellowship.
Being Overcomers with a Vision, Not Idealists with a Dream
As the Lord’s lovers who seek to practice the church life according the way revealed by God in the New Testament, we should be people of vision, not idealists. The apostle Paul was such a person, a person who was captured by the heavenly vision of the transcendent God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the church, the Body of Christ, the great corporate “Me” (Acts 9:4). Paul was faithful to the end in spite of many problems among the churches, including internal strifes, deviations from the truth of the gospel, and even rejection of his ministry (1 Cor. 1:10; Gal. 5:7; 2 Tim. 1:15). As he faced examination as a prisoner, Paul could tell Agrippa, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19). At the end of his ministry he could testify to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Today the Lord is seeking the same kind of people—overcomers who stand steadfastly to carry out God’s economy in the midst of trying circumstances. Brother Ron Kangas has spoken many times on the difference between vision and idealism, even applying this distinction in speaking of the most disorderly church addressed in Paul’s Epistles…Continue reading the article on, Being Overcomers with a Vision, Not Idealists with a Dream.
Being Safeguarded by the Discernment in the Body
Those who bear responsibility in the ministry, the work, and the churches in the Lord’s recovery have a biblically mandated responsibility to protect the flock (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Pet. 5:2; Titus 1:9). In performing that duty they may advise the saints not to read writings in print or on the Internet that attack the local churches and the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. A few have miscast this fellowship as an attempt to hide the “truth” regarding the history of the recovery or to deprive others of the freedom to read whatever they like. However, this advice is not an exercise of control but the issue of a loving concern based on a discerning of the nature of these writings and their effect on those who read them. Such advice is based on important biblical principles to which we should give heed. Continue reading the article on, Being Safeguarded by the Discernment in the Body.
Concerning Allegorizing the Bible
From the beginning of the church age reputable Bible teachers have recognized that many portions of the Scriptures, in addition to their literal meaning, also symbolize spiritual truths. Extracting the spiritual meaning from the literal words of the Bible is called allegorizing the Bible. Some people argue that it is wrong to allegorize any portion of the Bible that is not explicitly interpreted in the New Testament. Some go so far as to say that the Old Testament has no applicability to New Testament believers but was written only for the nation of Israel. These thoughts are mere human opinions of an unlearned and unrenewed mind and lead to serious errors that rob believers of the riches of the divine revelation in the Word of God. Continue reading the article on, Concerning Allegorizing the Bible.
Concerning Having One Publication Work
The churches in the New Testament were established by and continued in the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). The apostles’ teaching brought them into the apostles’ fellowship, which was the unique fellowship of the Body of Christ in and with the Triune God (1 Cor. 1:9; 1 John 1:3). Only one teaching was recognized in the early churches—the apostles’ teaching. The apostles taught the same thing in every church (1 Cor. 4:17), which was a strong factor in maintaining the oneness and one accord among the churches. Continue reading the article on, Concerning Having One Publication Work.
Concerning Hierarchy and Organization
The local churches in the Lord’s recovery function according to the principles of the Body of Christ as an organism, not as a hierarchical organization as some have mistakenly claimed. We should not confuse the proper organic order of the Body with worldly hierarchical organizations. To say that the church is an organism does not mean that in the church as the Body there is no order. In any complex organism there must be a corresponding organic order with a differentiation of roles and functions among its component parts. As Paul writes in Romans 12:4-5, “For just as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we who are many are one Body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (see also vv. 6-8; 1 Cor. 12). Continue reading the article on, Concerning Hierarchy and Organization.
Concerning the Ministry’s Attitude Toward Sisters
Some on social media have used a short out-of-context excerpt from Witness Lee’s Life-study of First Peter, omitting both context and balance, to support a spurious claim that he denigrates women. These sources begin with a sentence from the middle of a paragraph in his message that says, “Therefore, as a household servant submits himself to his master, so the wives should subject themselves to their own husbands” (199). They omit his quotation of 1 Peter 3:1— “In like manner, wives, be subject to your own husbands, that even if any disobey the word, they will be gained without the word through the manner of life of their wives”—at the beginning of the paragraph. Witness Lee’s exposition simply pointed out that in like manner refers back to 1 Peter 2:18, which speaks of household servants being subject to their masters. Continue reading the article, Concerning the Ministry’s Attitude Toward Sisters.
Concerning Turmoils
Some saints are troubled when turmoils happen. They feel that if the local churches are part of God’s move today and under His blessing, such things should not occur. This view, however, does not match the Bible, which records turmoil after turmoil among God’s people. The book of Numbers is filled with records of turmoils among God’s people as they journeyed with Him (chs. 11—14; chs. 16—17; 20:1-13, 23-29; 21:4-9; 25:1-18). More problems arose in Ezra 9 and 10 and Nehemiah 5 and 13 among those who returned from Babylon. The churches in the New Testament passed through many such tests, fifty-one of which are analyzed in Chapter 5 of Elders’ Training, Book 10: The Eldership and the God-ordained Way (2). As God’s people we should expect to encounter turmoils as we seek to follow the Lord, and we should know what conditions foster turmoils, why God allows them, and how we can pass through them and be preserved in our Christian life and church life. Continue reading the article, Concerning Turmoils.
Covering, Not Covering Up
By misrepresenting Witness Lee’s teaching concerning Noah and his three sons, some have falsely claimed that he justified covering up gross sins, particularly if the sinning one occupies a position of authority. Any who appeal to his teaching on Noah and his sons to justify covering up gross sins are abusing his ministry. Continue reading the article, Covering, Not Covering Up.
Dispensational Discipline
Dispensational discipline refers to God’s discipline of His children in the next age. The New Testament shows that God judges His own children (1 Pet. 1:17; 4:17), and the Lord Jesus makes it abundantly clear that His followers will be rewarded or disciplined at His return (Rev. 22:12; Matt. 25:14-30). Therefore, those who claim that the teaching that a believer may spend a thousand years in outer darkness is a kind of fearmongering designed to enable control err greatly by denying the plain word of Scripture in the New Testament (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). In doing so they have become those referred to in 2 Timothy 4:3 who “will not tolerate the healthy teaching.” The ministry of the Lord’s recovery faithfully presents what the Bible itself teaches regarding dispensational discipline, the intent of which is to motivate the Lord’s believers to be faithful in their life and service to the Lord until His return. Continue reading the article, Dispensational Discipline.
Does the Ministry Replace the Bible?
Some falsely claim that the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee has replaced the Bible in the local churches. In making this claim, they set the ministry against the Bible, the Word of God, as if these two things are in rivalry with each other. They have created a false dichotomy. The ministry is the ministry of the Word. Rather than replacing the Bible, the ministry issues from the Bible and opens the Bible so that we can be constituted with the riches of God’s Word. Without the Bible, there can be no ministry, and without the ministry, our understanding and appreciation of the Word of God would be far less accurate and rich than it is today. Continue reading the article, Does the Ministry Replace the Bible?
Following the Vision or Following a Man
Some have asserted that the saints in the Lord’s recovery merely follow men—Brothers Watchman Nee and Witness Lee—rather than God. This claim denigrates the saints, who are said to exalt Brother Lee above the headship of Christ, and it falsely accuses Brother Lee of seeking a personal following. However, the real objective of such an accusation is not only to demean the saints or Brother Nee and Brother Lee but to cast doubt on the ministry in the Lord’s recovery and to set aside the vision of God’s New Testament economy that it imparts. Continue reading this article, Following the Vision or Following a Man.
Forgiveness and the Building Up of the Body of Christ
The Bible says that we are to forgive one another as God in Christ forgave us (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13). This is a crucial factor in practicing the church life for the building up of the Body of Christ and thus merits our attention in these days. The word church is used in the Gospels only twice, both times in Matthew. In chapter 16 the Lord told His disciples, “I will build my church” (v.18). There the Lord was speaking of the universal church. In chapter 18 the Lord instructed His disciples that if an offense between brothers could not be resolved between themselves or with the help of a few others, it should be told to the local church in which these believers were meeting (v. 17). These two mentionings show that in the practice of the church life for the building up of the Body of Christ, dealing with offenses between believers is an important matter. Continue reading this article, Forgiveness and the Building Up of the Body of Christ.
God’s Economy, Different Teaching, and the Central Line of the Bible
In 1 Timothy 1:3-4 the apostle Paul wrote to his young co-worker Timothy, saying, “Even as I exhorted you, when I was going into Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things, nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.” These two verses contain two key expressions—God’s economy and not to teach different things. One unique characteristic of the ministry in the Lord’s recovery is its unremitting stress on both the biblical revelation and the working out of God’s economy. Some have rejected this stress, insisting on teaching their own interpretations and emphases. However, we need to be clear concerning the seriousness of teaching differently. Continue reading this article, God’s Economy, Different Teaching, and the Central Line of the Bible.
God’s Government and God’s Grace
God has two complementary systems—a system of government and a system of grace— through which He accomplishes His eternal economy. A proper understanding of these two systems and how they interrelate yields great insight into the revelation of the Bible, the ways of God, and the nature of God’s salvation. It is a grave error to use God’s grace as an excuse to neglect or rebel against God’s government. Continue reading this article this article, God’s Government and God’s Grace.
Handling Allegations of Abuse
Developing, updating, and implementing policies to handle a variety of issues, including deterrence strategies and response practices related to physical, psychological, and sexual abuse or harassment, has been an ongoing process among the local churches. Similar efforts are ongoing among those who take the lead in extra-local work among the children, young people, and college age to better protect the minors and young adults among us. Though state laws vary, some basic principles will be outlined here for the benefit of all the saints and especially the leading ones in the churches. Many of these principles apply also to abuse of the elderly or of those with diminished capacity. Keeping these principles is crucial to maintain the testimony of the Lord before men and to care for the saints and their children in all the churches. Continue reading this article via, Handling Allegations of Abuse.
Magnifying Christ in the Midst of Turmoil
The book of Philippians shows us the great need that believers have in times of turmoil. The church in Philippi was a very good church that participated with the apostle Paul in the furtherance of the gospel (Phil. 1:5-7; 4:14-19). However, it had two problems—Judaizers who sought to bring the believers back under the bondage of the law (Phil. 3:2-4) and internal dissension (1:27; 2:1-4; 4:2-3). Of this book Brother Nee said, “Philippians does not talk about such profound doctrines as those contained in Ephesians and Colossians; rather, it emphasizes one thing: freedom from disputes” (CWWN, Volume 8: The Present Testimony (1), 165). Paul’s antidote to these problems was the normal experience of Christ that produces people who live and magnify Him in every circumstance. Continue reading this article at, Magnifying Christ in the Midst of Turmoil.
Obsession and Subjectivity
In the 1930s Brother Watchman Nee gave a word concerning “Obsession and God’s Light” (The Collected Works of Watchman Nee [CWWN], Vol. 36: Central Messages, 257-271). His speaking should help us discern dissenting speakings directed at the Lord’s recovery in general and at the leadership in His recovery in particular. Brother Nee began by contrasting lying with obsession. He said:
If a man does something wrong, yet stubbornly says with his mouth that it is right, this is lying. But if a man does something wrong, and not only says with his mouth but even believes in his heart that it is right, this is obsession. Lying is being stubborn outside and being shriveled inside. In this case, the more confident one is outwardly, the more timid he is inwardly. But obsession is being stubborn both outwardly and inwardly. It is being confident both outwardly and inwardly to the extent that even the conscience seems to justify the act. (258-259). Continue reading this article via, Obsession and Subjectivity.
Our Attitude Toward Ecumenism
One defining characteristic of the ministry in the Lord’s recovery is an absoluteness for the truth. If we are faithful to the Lord, we cannot compromise the truth. For that reason we can accept only what matches God’s intention as expressed in the Bible; we cannot accept manmade imitations or compromises. This is why we cannot accept or participate in the kind of organizational unity advocated and practiced by those in the ecumenical movement, which seeks a form of unity among separate denominations while retaining their divisions. The oneness that is described in the Bible is not an ecumenical oneness. It is the oneness of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3). It is the oneness of the Body (1 Cor. 12:13). It is a oneness rooted in the very being of the Triune God (Eph. 4:4-6). It is the enlargement of the coinhering oneness among the three of the Divine Trinity (John 17:21, 23). It is a oneness among members of an organic Body, the Body of Christ (Rom. 12:4-5). This oneness is realized and expressed in fellowship among members, not in cooperation among organizations. Continue reading this article at, Our Attitude Toward Ecumenism.
Our Attitude Toward Other Christians and Their Work Part 1: Maintaining the Oneness With Fellow Believers
This three-part article will address the relationship between those who meet in the local churches and fellow believers, the denominations and free groups to which they may belong, and their work. If we are not clear in these matters, we may be influenced by accusations that those in the recovery divide themselves from other Christians. Any sectarian attitude, and the divisiveness that it entails, is absolutely against both the truth and the ministry that we have received. These three articles will review the teaching of the ministry in the Lord’s recovery concerning how those in the local churches practice the oneness of the Body of Christ with all believers while avoiding confusion and division. In this article we will consider our relationship with fellow believers. Continue reading this via, Our Attitude Toward Other Christians and Their Work Part 1: Maintaining the Oneness With Fellow Believers.
Our Attitude Toward Other Christians and Their Work Part 2: The Vision of the Lord’s Recovery Being Contrary to Today’s Christianity
In the first article of this series we saw the imperative of preserving the oneness of the Body of Christ and avoiding divisiveness on our part at all costs. Our attitude toward other believers, including those who do not meet with us in the local churches, should be one of acceptance and inclusion. For the sake of the oneness, we would not make an issue out of a great many differences in, for example, doctrine and practice, such as those mentioned by Paul in Romans 14:1-6. Continue reading this article at, Our Attitude Toward Other Christians and Their Work Part 2: The Vision of the Lord’s Recovery Being Contrary to Today’s Christianity.
Our Attitude Toward Other Christians and Their Work Part 3: Not Entangling the Work of the Lord’s Recovery with Others’ Work
In addition to our attitude toward other Christians and toward the denominations (parts 1 and 2 of this series), we need to consider our attitude toward others’ work, and more specifically, toward the work that is being carried out today by the denominations, free groups, and parachurch organizations of Christianity. Christians all over the earth are carrying out some kind of labor. Each kind of labor is undertaken under a certain view or vision of how that labor should proceed and what it should accomplish. If we see clearly the vision of the Lord’s recovery, we will realize that it is contrary to the system of Christianity, and we will avoid mixing or entangling the work of the recovery with that of others. Furthermore, though we must point out the deviations in Christendom, as we do when deviations arise among the local churches, we should not interfere with other Christian works but instead recognize that all Christian work is under the Lord’s sovereignty and uniquely subject to His evaluation. Continue reading this article at, Our Attitude Toward Other Christians and Their Work Part 3: Not Entangling the Work of the Lord’s Recovery with Others’ Work.
Our Attitude Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help
The ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee focuses on God’s New Testament economy. This matches the focus of the apostles’ teaching in the New Testament (Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 1:3-4). God’s purpose in His economy is to produce the Body of Christ through His full salvation, which includes the judicial redemption accomplished by the incarnate Son of God and the organic salvation carried out by Christ as the Spirit in resurrection (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 3:17-18). God’s organic salvation is the ultimate solution to all the intrinsic problems introduced into man’s being—spirit, soul, and body (1 Thes. 5:23)—through the fall. This organic salvation begins with the regeneration of our spirit by the Spirit (John 3:6); proceeds through the spreading of the Spirit into our soul, thereby accomplishing dispositional sanctification (Rom. 6:19-22), renewing (Titus 3:5; Eph. 4:23), transformation (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18), and conformation (Rom. 8:29); and ultimately consummates in the glorification of our body (v. 30). Continue reading this article at, Our Attitude Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help.
Our Basic Choice
After leading the children of Israel to the threshold of the good land, Moses recounted at length their history, including both negative and positive events, as well as God’s revelation of Himself through His laws and statutes. At the end of his speaking, Moses said, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today: I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life that you and your seed may live” (Deut. 30:19). Speaking of Moses’ words in the verses in this passage, Brother James Lee said:
After he opened up everything, he reviewed the past and pointed out the future to them. He set before them the entire counsel of God, setting before them life and death, blessing and cursing. Then he said, “Choose life” (v. 19). He could not choose for them. At the end of his life he could not make this decision for them. (“Crystallization-study of Deuteronomy,” The Ministry of the Word 24:1 (January 2020), 343). Continue reading this article at, Our Basic Choice.
Preserving Human Life
Man is the pinnacle of God’s work in the old creation and as such is the most precious to God of all His creatures (Zech. 12:1). This is because God created man in a unique way. Of all the creatures, only man was created as a vessel with a spirit to contact, contain, and be one with God (Rom. 9:23; John 4:24; 2 Tim. 4:22; 1 Cor. 6:17). God created man in this way with a twofold purpose. On the one hand, man was created in God’s image, according to His likeness, to express Him. On the other hand, God intended that through man He would recover the earth from Satan’s usurpation, so he gave man dominion over all the earth (Gen. 1:26). Our Brother Witness Lee said, “The human life was created for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. For this reason, nothing is more valuable and precious to God than human life. Therefore, God requires that we preserve human life as much as possible and in every way” (Life-study of Exodus, 824). Continue reading this article via, Preserving Human Life.
Properly Representing the Lord in the Exercise of Discipline
From time to time those who bear responsibility in the administration of a church must exercise a measure of discipline toward unruly members. The exercise of discipline takes as its goals restoring the erring members and protecting both the Lord’s testimony and the members of His Body. As with anything done in the Lord’s service, the elders must first deal with the Lord so that their person is right and then exercise to be one with Him in the way that they handle matters (2 Cor. 2:10). When Paul wrote to Timothy regarding the qualifications of elders, he wrote concerning their person (1 Tim. 3:1-7). Similarly, in The Elders’ Management of the Church, after discussing what an elder has to know concerning God’s plan, His government, and His authority both in Himself and in the church, the first thing Brother Lee touched was the person of an elder. He said, “Whoever tries to consider the management of the church from the standpoint of methods is wrong. The matter must begin from the person of the elders. It is useless to change the method; the only way is to change the person” (26). Continue reading the article via, Properly Representing the Lord in the Exercise of Discipline.
Psalms, James, and the Divine Inspiration of the Bible
Some have accused Witness Lee of teaching that parts of the book of Psalms and the Epistle of James were not divinely inspired. This is a grievous accusation that, if true, constitutes a denial of one of the basic affirmations of Christian orthodoxy: that the Bible is the Word of God, complete and inerrant. Such ones hastily seize upon Brother Lee’s statements which indicate that not everything conveyed in Psalms or James’ Epistle expresses the divine concept. Only when plucked out of context and twisted from their original meaning could these statements be in any way alarming. With a fair evaluation of Brother Lee’s ministry on these books as well as his numerous clear affirmations of the divine inspiration of every book of the Bible, the point of these statements and the basis for making them become quite clear. Continue reading this article via, Psalms, James, and the Divine Inspiration of the Bible.
Quenching the Flaming Darts of the Enemy
If we want to be those who are practically part of God’s corporate warrior in Ephesians 6, we must learn how to quench the flaming darts of the enemy. Verse 16 speaks of “having taken up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.” These flaming darts take the form of thoughts injected into our mind that are not according to Christ (Col. 2:8; 2 Cor. 10:5). One passage in Witness Lee’s ministry identifies many categories of flaming darts:
The flaming darts are the attacks from Satan as well as his intimidation, condemnation, and accusations—his lies, delusions, temptations, tests, provocations, divisions, doubts, questionings, suggestions, instigations, stimulations, snares, attacks, criticisms, judgments, despising, mockery, jealousy, and slandering. Satan’s attacks include not only accusation and condemnation toward our conscience and intimidation toward our mind but also innumerable flaming darts coming into our being, some through our ears and some through our eyes. (The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1953, Volume 2, 534) Continue reading this article via, Quenching the Flaming Darts of the Enemy.
Questions and Answers about Apostles and Co-workers
Who has the authority to appoint and remove elders? According to the New Testament, apostles, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, have the authority to appoint elders in the churches (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5; Acts 20:28) and to remove elders when the need arises. If an elder becomes a problem, an accusation against him can be presented to an apostle, if possible to the one who appointed him (1 Tim. 5:19-20). A local church cannot expel an elder; rather, the apostles bear the responsibility of removing an elder if necessary.
Are all co-workers apostles with the authority to appoint or remove elders? No. Brother Lee addressed this exact point in his last year of public ministry. He said, “It is neither fitting nor proper for one to attempt to appoint elders simply because he has become a co-worker. To appoint elders requires maturity in life and adequate equipping with the truth” (How to Be a Co-worker and an Elder and How to Fulfill Their Obligations, 63-64). Continue reading this article via, Questions and Answers about Apostles and Co-workers.
Questions versus Questionings
Some have claimed that questions are not allowed in the local churches. On the one hand, this should not be true in any local church. On the other hand, all the saints must discern between proper and improper questions and between questions and questionings. A proper question takes as its goal receiving an answer that enables one to grasp the truth, advance in the Christian life, or resolve a problem or concern. The latter may include seeking help for how to deal with issues that arise in human life that impede the progress of either the asker or a person the asker is shepherding. Continue reading this article at, Questions versus Questionings.
Reading Only the ‘Pure Word’ – A Dangerous and Unbiblical Notion
From time to time a brother will trumpet the misguided notion that saints should read only the Bible, the “pure Word”, “untainted” by anyone’s interpretation. Some have used this notion as a ploy to entice the saints to reject the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee as “man’s interpretation.” On the surface, the teaching that we should read the Bible exclusively and without any interpretation may sound laudable. Actually, this notion is both unbiblical and impractical. It casts aside a crucial means by which God perfects men in this age, and, conversely, inflates the self and makes a person subject to being misled into serious errors. Continue reading this article via, Reading Only the ‘Pure Word’ – A Dangerous and Unbiblical Notion.
Receiving All Believers but Not Different Teachings
Concerning the practice of the church, certain basic principles need to be understood and kept in balance. Fundamentally, the church, as the unique Body of Christ, is one universally and includes every believer irrespective of time and space. Practically, this one universal Body of Christ is manifested in time and space in various cities as local churches. These local churches include every believer in that city at that time and also maintain a fellowship with all the other local churches, thus practically expressing the one Body of Christ. Continue reading with, Receiving All Believers but Not Different Teachings.
Selected Ministry on the Apostles’ Ongoing Role in Established Churches
The Collected Works of Watchman Nee [CWWN], vol. 22: The Assembly Life & The Prayer Ministry of the Church p. 30: The books of Timothy tell us, “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses” (1 Tim. 5:19, KJV). In this matter, we should pay attention to two points. First, there must be a written accusation; words from the mouth do not count because many times words alone are groundless and can easily be denied or changed. Second, there must be two or three witnesses; the testimony of one is not reliable. In the Bible, two or three witnesses constitute the word of testimony. The apostles and those whom they have specifically assigned should be responsible for handling such accusations. Continue reading this portion via, Selected Ministry on the Apostles’ Ongoing Role in Established Churches.
Serious Errors Concerning the Fellowship of the Co-workers
Recently, a former co-worker accused the North American co-workers of drifting toward organization and hierarchy by allegedly giving serious consideration to centralizing ownership of the local churches’ meeting halls. This is a gross misrepresentation of what actually happened in a North American co-workers’ fellowship. Moreover, in spreading his false account, this brother violated three important biblical principles:
- The contents of fellowship among the leading ones, whether among the elders or among the co-workers, should not be disclosed beyond that fellowship;
- At the conclusion of such a fellowship, whatever the outcome, all the participants should speak the same thing in order to maintain the one accord among the churches; and
- The leading ones should take care not to cause others to overstep what God has measured to them.
Continue reading this article via, Serious Errors Concerning the Fellowship of the Co-workers.
Should We Not Warn One Another?
The apostle Paul told Timothy, “For the time will come when they will not tolerate the healthy teaching; but according to their own lusts they will heap up to themselves teachers, having itching ears, and they will turn away their ear from the truth and will be turned aside to myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). In today’s age of uncertainty, we see Paul’s words fulfilled. Many Christian teachers avoid the warnings that occur throughout the New Testament, and many believers have ears only for words of comfort and affirmation. Those who seek such affirmation find it uncomfortable to hear the sober words of warning in the Bible. Discomfort aside, the many warnings in the New Testament embody healthy words that should alert all believers to consider their life and work before the Lord in the light of His coming judgment of His people (2 Cor. 5:10). If we are to be faithful to the Lord, we should heed these warnings for ourselves and warn others out of a proper heart and motive. Continue reading this via, Should We Not Warn One Another?
Some Questions and Answers Regarding Deputy Authority
Because the matter of deputy authority has been misrepresented and maligned, the following questions and answers seek to clarify what it is, what it is not, and the principles that govern it.
Is deputy authority biblical? Deputy authority is not only biblical; it is a vital part of the divine revelation concerning God’s government among men. God’s intention to delegate authority to human beings is evident from Genesis 1:26. There God created man in His image and with His likeness and gave him dominion over the earth and all the things in it. This demonstrates a basic principle that God intends to exercise authority through men who express Him. After man’s fall, God raised up men, such as Noah (9:1-6), Joseph (Gen. 41:40-44), Moses (Exo. 3:10-18a; 4:16; 7:1), and David (1 Sam. 16:12-13), to represent His authority among His people. In the New Testament the enthroning of the God-man Jesus as Lord and Christ is a central part of the gospel (Acts 2:36). The Lord told His disciples that God had given all authority to Him (Matt. 28:18). In ascension He sent out apostles as His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20; Eph. 6:20; 2 Cor. 10:8; 13:10) and through them established elders as overseers in the churches to represent Him (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5; Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Pet. 5:5). In eternity future the redeemed will on the one hand be slaves of God and Christ and on the other hand will reign with Him (Rev. 22:3, 5). Continue reading this article via, Some Questions and Answers Regarding Deputy Authority.
Spiritual Authority and Its Misuse
Spiritual Authority, a book translated and published by Stephen Kaung, became popular among Western believers in the early 1970s. Since then it has been misused by some to assert themselves as authorities and criticized by others who blame it for such abuse. Both the misuse and the criticism miss the mark. The book consists of messages given by Watchman Nee. Its original title in Chinese is more accurately rendered Authority and Submission, the title under which it was translated and published in English by Living Stream Ministry. That title reflects the book’s dual emphasis. Authority is first in the title because the book begins from a consideration of God’s absolute sovereignty. Submission is second because through her submission to Christ’s headship, the church testifies His authority among men and is able to represent His authority on the earth. Continue reading this article online via, Spiritual Authority and its Misuse.
The Elders Avoiding Entanglement in Right and Wrong
The elders in a local church must deal with all kinds of issues, including complicated situations involving the saints. A great temptation the elders face is getting entangled in determinations of right and wrong in disputes between saints. The proper function of the elders is to shepherd all the saints and minister Christ as life to them (1 Pet. 5:2; 1 Tim. 4:6). When a problem occurs between saints, the elders run a great risk of losing their ground to perform this function if they get entangled in assessing who is right and who is wrong.1 Brother Lee counseled the elders to minister life to the saints to deliver them from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil:
Immediately after the creation of man, God placed man in front of two trees (Gen. 2:8-9). The first tree was the tree of life, and the second tree was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If we are to serve the Lord in a deeper way, we must know that both good and evil are versus life. In our contact with people, we should not help them merely to distinguish between good and evil. Rather, we should minister life to them to save them out of the realm of the knowledge of good and evil. (Elders’ Training, Book 11: The Eldership and the God-ordained Way (3), 29) Continue reading this article at, The Elders Avoiding Entanglement in Right and Wrong.
The Minister of the Age, Not Infallibility
The term the minister of the age in reference to Brothers Watchman Nee and Witness Lee does not imply that we hold them to be infallible. Rather, it means that we acknowledge them as particular vessels used by the Lord to advance the recovery of the truths in the Bible. We should not be misled by some who, by wrongly associating our use of minister of the age with the doctrine of papal infallibility, accuse those in the local churches of being under authoritarian leadership. Continue reading this article via, The Minister of the Age, Not Infallibility.
The One Unique New Testament Ministry
Based on the New Testament, Witness Lee taught that there is only one unique ministry. Some have twisted his teaching to slanderously claim that Witness Lee was referring to his own ministry. This is a gross mischaracterization.
The One Ministry of the New Testament
The word ministry means “service.” Properly speaking, the Bible contains only two ministries, each of which is based on God’s covenants with His people—the old covenant ministry and the new covenant ministry. In each case the ministry is man’s cooperation with God to carry out His covenant. In 2 Corinthians 3:8-9 the ministry of the new covenant, as well as the ministry of the old covenant, are mentioned as being singular—uniquely one (vv. 8-9). As there is one new covenant, so also there is only one new covenant ministry, and all those who serve the Lord should participate in this one ministry. From God’s side, this ministry is to carry out what God has covenanted with His people; from man’s side, the ministry is the service that we render to God to carry out God’s covenant. Thus, based upon the new covenant, which became the new testament, there is the ministry of the new covenant, which is uniquely one (Jer. 31:31-34; Matt. 26:28; 2 Cor. 3:6; 4:1; Acts 1:17). Continue reading the article on, The One Unique New Testament Ministry.
The Ongoing Relationship Between the Apostles and the Local Churches
To say that once a church is established the apostles, that is, the leading co-workers, should never “interfere” in that church’s affairs is inconsistent with the Bible and with the whole body of the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. This crucial matter relates to God’s administration and therefore to the headship of Christ, so it is important to read both the Bible and the ministry carefully and thoroughly without bias, self-interest, or any other impure motive.
Some brothers have pointed to Brother Nee’s book The Normal Christian Church Life, which was based on messages he gave in Hangkow in 1937. In that book he said that once a church has been established in a place and elders have been appointed, the administration of that church resides in the hands of the elders before God. If an experienced worker later comes to that locality, he may function according to his gifts for the building up of the church, but the responsibility for the administration of the church is unchanged—it remains in the hands of the local elders. Continue reading this article on, The Ongoing Relationship Between the Apostles and the Local Churches.
The Proper Way to Deal with Problems in the Church
Because the church is composed of redeemed sinners who are in the process of transformation, it is inevitable that there will be problems among the saints. No one can say that they no longer have sin or that they have been transformed to the extent that their flesh, self, or natural life is no longer an issue. Beginning from Acts 5, the New Testament makes clear that in a genuine local church, many serious problems can occur. Indeed, Paul’s Epistles addressed problems in various local churches, the most striking example being his Epistle to the church in Corinth. Furthermore, it is no coincidence that the Lord Jesus, in unveiling the church in its local aspect in Matthew 18, did so in the context of how to deal with a problem in the church (vv. 15-20). Continue reading this article via, The Proper Way to Deal with Problems in the Church.
The Relationship between Living Stream Ministry and the Local Churches
In the New Testament the word for ministry means “service.” The unique New Testament ministry is a service in the form of a stewardship of grace that ministers Christ to people for the accomplishment of His purpose (2 Cor. 4:1, 12; 1 Tim. 1:12; Eph. 3:2; Col. 1:25; 2 Cor. 3:8, 3; Rom. 15:16; 1 Tim. 4:6). The New Testament tells us that to carry out this service the Lord gave gifts in the form of gifted members to His Body, the church (Eph. 4:11). These gifts, as those who richly supply life to the members of the Body, perfect the saints in their organic function to serve the Lord in carrying out the same work that they do (vv. 16, 12). The ones who take the lead in the New Testament ministry are those who have the greatest measure of revelation and growth in life and who are able to open up the truth of God’s economy in the Bible (Matt. 16:16-18; Gal. 1:11-12; Eph. 3:3-5; 1 Tim. 2:7; 1:4). Continue reading this article via, The Relationship between Living Stream Ministry and the Local Churches.
Three Foundational Truths and Why They Matter
For decades some have opposed the teaching of the ministry in the Lord’s recovery over three vital categories of truth—the Triune God, God’s salvation in life, and the ground of the church. Much has been written to correct misrepresentations and to present the truth from the Bible concerning these three matters. For the accomplishment of God’s eternal economy to have the Body of Christ as His enlargement and expression, His people need to know and enter into these truths. Moreover, we all need to be equipped to defend them (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 3:15). Continue reading this article at, Three Foundational Truths and Why They Matter.
Twisting Ron Kangas’s Words
Context and balance are critical to evaluating words fairly. Recently, a short excerpt from a message given by Brother Ron Kangas was mischaracterized as his demeaning his wife in front of thousands of people. This misrepresents Brother Ron’s attitude toward his own wife and toward marriage in general; moreover, it neglects the context of his speaking and the point he was making.
The speaking in question was from a semiannual training on the book of Numbers in a message concerning the principles of God’s governmental administration, examples of rebellion against that government, God’s vindication of His authority, and how to properly represent God. Continue reading this article at, Twisting Ron Kangas’s Words.
Words That Spread Death and How to Stop Them
In the Bible the words of three parties—God, Satan, and man—are very significant. As the Word of God, the Bible speaks forth God’s person, intent, and work. By His word He framed the universe (Heb. 11:3). When God came in the person of the Lord Jesus, His words were spirit and life (John 6:63). The gospel of God’s salvation is “the word of the truth” (Eph. 1:13). Conversely, all of Satan’s words are lies (Gen. 3:1-6; John 8:44). He is deceit personified (Eph. 4:22). On the one hand, he deceives men and blinds their thoughts (1 Tim. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 12:9); on the other hand, he is the accuser of the brothers (v. 10). As men, we can choose what kind of words we speak. Proverbs 18:21a tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” The Lord Jesus told a crowd of followers, “It is not that which enters into the mouth that defiles the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man” (Matt. 15:11). As believers, we can speak words of death, that is, words that belong to him who has the might of death, the devil (Heb. 2:14), or we can hold forth the word of life (Phil. 2:15), which life is God Himself. Continue reading this article at, Words That Spread Death and How to Stop Them.
