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