Inventing the Term "Enjoying Christ"

Witness Lee said he saw the face of Jesus, or did he? Is the Godhead processed? Was Witness Lee the sole oracle of God on earth?

In November of 1988, at the height of the turmoil that took place in the Local Church during that time, there was an elders' conference in Pasadena California. The following is an excerpt from John Ingalls book, Speaking the Truth in Love, describing what went on during that conference:

In the first meeting of the conference, November 25th, Brother Lee was in a fighting spirit, fighting against "autonomy" and "federation." He referred to some books authored by George Henry Lang, a servant of the Lord in England during the latter part of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th. In one of his books, entitled The Churches of God, Lang emphasized the need for local administration in the churches. This was the book that troubled Brother Lee. (I had read this book, and being deeply impressed with its strong scriptural basis and timely application to our present need, I had recommended it to others.) Brother Lee called Lang’s book heretical and told the saints if they had them to burn them. I consider this kind of talk reckless and lawless. Brother Lee in years past had commended Lang for his insight and writing on the truth of the kingdom. His books have been recently reprinted and are available today.

In the conference meetings he strongly vindicated himself and his work. He gave a message in which he recounted a number of revelations brought forth by him which he said no one else besides the Bible authors had ever seen. Regarding the enjoying of Christ he said, "I invented this term, enjoying Christ." He continued, "I invented this term, experiencing Christ, exhibiting Christ." I believe a number of saints could testify that they heard of enjoying Christ or enjoying the Lord long before Brother Lee ever came to the United States. I for one did. My step-mother, seeking to help me, spoke to me of this in 1949. No doubt she heard this from other Christian teachers. The term, experiencing Christ, has also been spoken by other Christian teachers for years. Brother Lee did not invent that term. He mentioned many other items, claiming that they had all been revealed to him in the past twenty or so years; no one else had ever seen or spoken of them.

He referred to the title he has used for the Holy Spirit – "the all-inclusive Spirit of Christ as the consummation of the processed Triune God" – and asked who made such a title. Webster? he asked. Then he answered his own question, "That Lee! Lee has to be famous! Lee! Lee! Lee must have the credit! And if you listen to me, you do not listen to Lee, you listen to the very God in His oracle spoken by me." A little later in his message he said, "Going with God’s oracle, surely there is the deputy authority of God in this oracle. Whoever speaks for God, he surely has certain divine authority. I’m claiming this for Lee!"

Brother Lee went on to say, "You cannot deny the fact that the Lord’s oracle has been with me. I claim this at the face of Jesus Christ. The deputy authority of God is in His oracle; so whoever speaks for God has His deputy authority. But I never used it." END QUOTE

Now I ask you, is this the talk of a humble servant of the Lord, accustomed to the cross of Christ? Lee’s followers today wear Lee’s past as-association with Nee as a badge of honor. We say shame on Lee for not having learned the most crucial lessons while with brother Nee, and shame on Lee’s followers for stubbornly and proudly holding this man above reproach.

One elder declared that the Full Time Training (FTT) would become a Witness Lee duplication center. I believe it! This is why we must warn all who would be lured in by the Local Church’s presentation of Nee and Lee being inseparable.

Remember this – Nee was a very gifted servant of the Lord, surely a stand out among all in this century. But he was fallible, and praise the Lord, he knew it. Lee on the other hand was delusional and viewed his own importance far beyond what it really was. The Witness Lees who have been duplicated by the FTT bear the same likeness.

Roger