The Pride of T. Austin Sparks and Herald Hsu

These words by Watchman Nee on page 128 of The Spiritual Man (CFP) may be most applicable to T. Austin Sparks because Sparks focused too much on resurrection life without commensurate cross work:

"We should be clear that the death of the cross is continuous in its operation. We can never enter upon a resurrection stage which leaves death entirely out, for the experience of resurrection is measured by the experience of death. A peril among those who pursue the ascension life is that they forget the categorical necessity of continuously putting to nought the flesh. They forsake the position of death and proceed to resurrection. This results in either treating lightly as of no serious hazard to their spiritual growth the works of the flesh, or in spiritualizing them, that is, assuming the things of the flesh to be of the spirit. How essential to see that death is the foundation for everything. You may proceed to build but you should never destroy the foundation. The so-called risen and ascended realm will be unreal if the death of the flesh is not maintained continuously. Let us not be deceived into thinking we are so spiritually advanced that the flesh has no more power to entice us. This is merely the enemy’s attempt to remove us from the basis of the cross in order to render us outwardly spiritual but inwardly carnal. Many such prayers as: 'I thank you Lord, for I am no longer such and such but am now so and so' are simply echoes of the unacceptable prayer recorded in Luke 18.11-12. We are most susceptible to deception by the flesh when we are on the verge of being delivered from it. We must abide constantly in the Lord’s death." 

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." (Luke 18.11,12)

My testimony has been that when reading Sparks is that there is much talk about ascension life but I am felt wanting for work of the cross by the Holy Spirit when reading his words.

Herald Hsu's description of Witness Lee substantiates what I already knew about T. Austin Sparks and Witness Lee. I knew this hostility between Sparks and Lee was going on, but now I am able to show it with quotes of Sparks and writings of others. This has been a great blessing to me in being able to discern this, and I hope it will be of similar help to others who are caught in this battle between Sparks and Witness Lee about true Scriptural locality. Herald, Sparks and Lee were wrong. Only Watchman Nee got it right with respect to locality.

If you want to know the essence of what is going on in a deeper way, read these posts (everything you need is right here):

Sin of Silence in Sparks and Hsu

Herald Hsu's testimony against Witness Lee

Other Misreadings of Watchman Nee

Sparks Mistreated Jessie-Penn Lewis

After having read T. Austin Sparks view of things, I have lost interest in T. Austin Sparks again. And because he is not specific in his writings, he speaks too vaguely which is prone to error, full of pride speaking in a round about way. This is the constant reoccurring theme I notice about T. Austin Sparks, and it is not strengthening to my spirit to read writings that are so unspecific. Herald Hsu has the same problem as T. Austin Sparks for he communicates the same way.

Though we can not help Sparks on this matter since he is passed away, we can still help Herald, so give this to Herald to let him see his error on the matter of God's use of locality for fellowship.

It is quite shocking to some that Watchman Nee did not evangelize as is commonly thought of today, traveling the word preaching the gospel, but it was because he knew the principle of true proper locality.  God will draw us to take care of our locality, not proclaim ourselves or build up denominations that go beyond what true locality would allow. One must receive a commission of an apostle to extend beyond a locality of a local city just as is seen in the Bible as we see prophets, evangelists and teachers, if they travel abroad will require the follow-up of apostles, like a Paul or Nee. Such is the case with Philip who was an evangelist, who left his own locality and preached in Samaria, and while he did good work there, the Spirit did not fall upon any of his converts. It was not until the apostles came from Jerusalem and laid hands on them that the Spirit was poured out. (see RTW, p. 30, CFP, Watchman Nee).

From this perspective, we can see T. Austin Sparks, who was an apostle erred. He traveled across the world to help Witness Lee and Witness Lee did not receive him for good reason for T. Austin Sparks did not teach the truth on the matter of locality. But neither did Witness Lee, so you have a kind of stalemate of no spiritual progress on the matter of proper locality in these two men who bashed heads with each other. Read "Rethinking the Work " (RTW) from Christian Fellowship Publishers. Sparks and Lee both went to far in their opposite ends of the scale: one was a vague talker and the other an legalized locality.

Can apostles make mistakes? Of course. They are human. Not all apostles are gifted with the same gifts or strength in their spirit. T. Austin Sparks had a flare for generalizing, but Watchman Nee had more authority in that his greater intelligence combined with his love for the Lord, allowed him to be exceedingly accurate with the Word of God. His willingness to suffer, maintain a keenly sensitive spirit and deeper interpretation of Scripture, revealed by the Holy Spirit, is ultimately more beneficial which allowed him to go much further and deeper than T. Austin Sparks. Watchman Nee was far less unassuming than T. Austin Sparks.

Witness Lee was a calvinist and modalist whom I believe was not saved for I don't know many calvinist modalists that would be saved. This all begins to make much more sense because T. Austin Sparks was trying to minister to a dead spirit in Witness Lee, and he could not reach Lee. But not only this, T. Austin Sparks was in error too deflecting away from locality. Ultimately, his error was due to his own failure to bear the cross daily in experience and take up his cross to forsake the world in resurrected life.

It is one thing for Witness Lee not to get it, but for T. Austin Sparks not to comprehend the simple matter of locality is very disconcerting. When you look for an explanation why they don't get it, the only possible reason is the unspiritual is trying to understand the spiritual. There is also an attempt at self-exaltation and feeding one's sense of superiority, even because of jealousy. Such men would not need to do this if they were already in the truth. Man's flesh needs an excuse to remain fleshly and not walk in the spirit, so why not put down Biblocality?

If you take the side of the generalist who accuses the legalist, then you become no better than the legalist. But if instead, you take the side of the spiritual and help the generalist and the legalist with the truth of their mistaken assumptions as we are attempting to do here, then that is God's way. We see the same in Watchman Nee's "Rethinking the Work" reflecting the Scriptures so well. Anyone who has any interest in the ecclesiology of the Church would be greatly benefited by reading this book, not with your fleshly eyes, but with your spiritual eyes, in this context, then may you be blessed with revelation in your spirit to know the truth.

Even if there is no outward show of contention against Scriptural locality, the sin of silence definitely exists by the vast majority in the body of Christ to not follow God's way of organizing the Church. Those who know better will be judged for their looking the other way.

Praise the Lord for this discernment!

Troy Brooks