Watch Out for G. Richard Fisher
G. Richard Fisher tries to be cunning in his flesh, but is nonetheless a dullard, sinning bearing false witness. Do not be surprised by his flesh on a rampage. This is the nature of the fleshly to not accept God's Word that the flesh has been crucified: "having begun with the Spirit...now ending with the flesh" (Gal. 3.3). Because he is lost in his old self, he is sure to lose out on the reward of the millennial kingdom and in fact, may never have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
Also read G. Richard Fisher Exposed, Again!
Introduction
An article written by G. Richard Fisher tried to paint Watchman Nee in a negative light. Note that the owner and editor, Anton Hein, of apologeticsindex.org, where Richard Fisher's article is found, is a convicted child molester and pedophile court documents reveal, "For the crime of 'LEWD ACT UPON A CHILD' Anton William Hein pleaded no contest in Jul 1994 in San Bernardino County Municipal Court and spent about 6 months in jail filed in July 1994. After his release from Prison, Mr. Hein moved to Holland." Normally, this is fleeing probation; where he began his so-called apologetics work. My immediate question is if according to Anton, his "conscience is clear," then why does he aid and abet in the sin of bearing false witness (see below) with Richard Fisher against Watchman Nee? Anton's and Richard's sins has just popped up elsewhere in a new venue, not really accepted nor actually forgiven at all by God, and this comes out.
Richard Fisher portrayed Watchman Nee as reading only a few books, trying to pin him down. However, Nee had read over 3000 Christian books. Nee's spiritual life was immense and was constantly filled with activity, and he had a genius intelligence as well as an authentic photographic memory with such a beautiful conscience. I don’t like seeing people misrepresented. Here is what I found out . . .
Partial Rapture
Richard describes partial rapture as "assigning carnal believers to a kind of Protestant purgatory". Purgatory is a negative term taken from the Roman Catholic Church that teaches one could still be saved after death or through paying penitence of others, that could reduce their stay in some purgatory. This is an inaccurate representation of what outer darkness is, which has no fire about it in loss of rewards and partial rapture. Outer darkness describes what happens to Christians if they are still not yet delivered from sin, self and supernatural at judgment seat. The common belief is that when you die, you're resurrected and then you go into the millennial kingdom for a 1000 years and then proceed into the New City thereafter. There is no dealing with the aspect of the wheat and the wheat, only the wheat and the tares if that is all people believe, which is called antinomianism. Those who are not included in the 1st resurrection (Rev. 20.4), enter into what is called "outer darkness." It is termed "outer" because it is out of the reward of reigning during the kingdom, and "darkness" because it is out of the light of Christ reigning during the kingdom. Darkness is also the condition of the world at Christ's return, and "outer" is in relation to the air for we shall meet Christ in the air at the last trumpet. Richard tried to suggest that Nee's thoughts on partial rapture were "new insights," but it is common knowledge the foremost work done on the subject was done by Robert Govett (the "Prince of Prophecy" as called by Spurgeon) in the 19th century. Today, however, Watchman Nee has written the most comprehensive and accurate representation of partial rapture in Come, Lord Jesus, King and the Kingdom of Heaven, and Aids to Revelation. I can testify that it is a very rewarding experience understanding partial rapture deeply which is the blessing of Revelation 1.3. Find out more here.
Gnosticism and Mysticism
Richard said that the book, The Spiritual Man, the only book Watchman Nee ever published of size, was a Gnostic writing. In reality, this book is the most spiritual and accurate book to date on the redemptive design, “Biblical Psychology”, and dividing of the spirit, soul and body. The basic tenets of gnosticism are that “the world and our bodies were created by an incompetent lesser God, but we contain a spark of divinity, and Jesus provided us with the knowledge to free it”. Watchman Nee does not believe this, and nothing of the kind is reflected in any of his writings. Because Watchman Nee had genius intelligence, he we wrote very deeply, though without a shred of Gnosticism. Richard falsely misrepresented Watchman Nee for whatever reason. Richard Fisher seems to be taking the proclamations of another, Dana Roberts, as the gospel, who wrote Understanding Watchman Nee. I believe Richard makes this claim because the word, “gnosticism” is thrown around a lot in Christianity the minute someone has intelligence behind their words. So Watchman Nee writes:
[In the second preface of The Spiritual Man] I deeply sense that only one class of people will actually understand this book. My original purpose was to supply the need of many believers; obviously only those who have need will be able to appreciate this book. Such ones will find here a guidebook. Others will look upon these truths as ideals or criticize them as inappropriate. According to the measure of his need shall be the believer’s understanding of what is written here. Unless the reader has personal need he will not find any problem solved through the reading of these pages. This is what the reader must guard against.
The deeper the truth the easier it is to become theoretical. Apart from the working of the Holy Spirit, none can arrive at a deeper truth. Thus some will treat these principles as a sort of ideal. Let us therefore be careful lest we accept the teachings in the book with our mind and deceive ourselves into thinking we have possessed them already. This is most dangerous, for deception which comes from the flesh and the evil spirit shall increase day by day.
I recognize that a work which seeks to uncover the wiles of the enemy shall certainly incur the hostility of the power of darkness and the opposition of many. I have not written with thought of courting the approval of men. This position I consider therefore of no account. I also realize that if God’s children derive help from reading this book they may think more of me than is proper. Let me speak honestly that I am just a man, the weakest of all men. The teachings of these pages reveal the experiences of my weaknesses.
Another term Richard Fisher uses to describe Watchman Nee’s work is “perfectionist theology”. This is Richard’s perception and that of Dana Roberts, perceiving a work of perfection in Watchman Nee’s work, I suppose. The Bible mentions the term, unto “perfection”. It simply means “maturing” in Christ. We should not be offended by this.
Richard Fisher then calls Jessie-Penn Lewis a “mystic”, whom Watchman Nee found the writings of very spiritual. Mysticism is a derogatory term, but if you read War on the Saints, by Jessie-Penn Lewis, you may find that it is the best work to date on spiritual warfare. If a writing is accurate to the Word of God it most certainly will come under attack. Richard makes other strange claims like "Miss M.E. Barber...allowed Nee to read the works of Jessie-Penn Lewis". "Allowed" seems like a strange word to use here since Nee would have read a work with or without the permission of another person. Nee said of Guyon: "Madam Guyon long ago said that everything which befalls us environmentally is permitted by God (although Jessie Penn-Lewis later commented that the French saint has the tendency of falling into the danger of passivity." This obviously indicates that Nee was not in agreement with Madam Guyon's mysticism. Again, Nee has the utmost regard for Jessie-Penn Lewis. Jessie-Penn Lewis was not a mystic in the slightest.
Tongues
Richard said Watchman Nee did not speak today’s tongues but that neither did he disprove of it either. That is an inaccurate portrayal. When you read his book, God’s Work, the impression you get is that he is using conciliatory irony just as Paul did with the carnal Corinthians who had carried over some practices from the ecstasy of mystery religions (of which there were several) around the region of Corinth. Watchman Nee would use terms like “baby talk” and “kindergarden stage” to describe tongues of Pentecostalism. He said “a church which tries to build itself up by the gifts [which according to man's interpretation includes false tongues of Pentecostalism] will end up being a carnal church always, since it is not God's way for the building up of the church except in the nursery stage”. Watchman Nee believed that tongues meant different languages.
This is ironic because Richard said the charismatic movement, fundamentalists and everyone in between have enjoyed his writings, and his spiritual writings and dogmatisms. Dogmatism is a derogatory term. Watchman Nee’s writings reach out to all denominations, but as Nee said he deeply felt he would incur hostility. My take on Watchman Nee is that what is spiritual can be so easily misinterpreted if one is not careful. For example, Richard uses all the popular euphemisms, like dogmatism, mysticism, gnosticism, but has he made the case for these terms and accurately represented Watchman Nee? Nope! People read Nee with automatic hostility and do not read carefully because the flesh wars against the Spirit.
I love being able to see underneath what is really going on.
Employment
Richard writes “He consigned all the property to the church and sought to have the church members as the factory workers." Is it wrong to work in a factory? As I understand it, Watchman Nee inherited the factory, while in transition for a time, hired church members, after which he sold the factory, and used the proceeds for the church. This sounds like an honorable thing, to hire Christians, then dispose of the business and use the proceeds for the church.
Richard Fisher List of Reasons Why Watchman Nee is “Dangerous”
Watch Out for Richard Fisher
1. Methods of Bible Study
Richard babbles, “Nee outlines no method of Bible study and interpretation and appears to deny evangelical hermeneutics." Watchman Nee did outline methods of Bible study that goes into great detail in the book, Ye Search the Scriptures, Part 2 “The Methods of Bible Study." This whole book is a study of how to study the Scriptures. Evangelical hermeneutics are revealed throughout.
2. Spiritual Authority
Richard babbles, “In his book Spiritual Authority, he sets himself and his elders up as the unquestionable authorities. By all appearances, Nee saw himself not as a servant but as a guru." I have read this book and have responded to another misreading of this same book floating around the internet by Pat Knapp. I was careful before reading this book looking for any possible mistakes of cited by Richard Fisher or Pat Knapp, which unsurprisingly, I could not find any of the claims they were making. Their statements are flatly disproved. Watchman Nee never made himself to be a guru or unquestioned authority. That is not the meaning of authority and submission. If anything is wrong in this book, Spiritual Authority let that man cast the first stone, because I can’t find anything wrong with it. It is basically just common sense.
3. Bible Importance
Richard babbles, “One gets the impression from Nee that the Bible was not nearly as important as Christians generally consider it. In his book The Ministry of God's Word, Nee says, 'Words alone cannot be considered God's Word.' In this book, Nee becomes very philosophical, mystical and incoherent. He says that only as we deliver the Word in terms of the reality behind it,' using what he calls 'Holy Spirit memory' and 'presenting the pictures as well as speaking the words' will the words be correct; otherwise they are not real”.
Understand what Nee is saying about our outward memory and the Holy Spirit memory. "Words alone cannot be considered as God’s word. There must be the reality behind them" (p. 209 pdf, CFP). "Let us understand that the coming forth of words alone is not enough; the spirit must also come out, and when it does it will do so together with feeling" (p. 221 pdf). In other words, people speak forth, but their hearts need to be touched also.
The Bible was the most important thing to Nee for it was the Word of God, and he dissected it better than anyone I know. Nee is correct that words alone by themselves are not the end all to be all of things. A fair statement! Nee was not incoherent, nor mystical nor philosophical. He was so incredibly precise that his words are such a joy. He had an incredibly deep working of the Holy Spirit in his life. When Watchman Nee used the term Holy Spirit memory, he cited verses to identify the meaning of what he was trying to get across. What he has said about the Holy Spirit memory makes sense both objectively and subjectively in experience. The reality behind words is more important than words for words sakes, certainly. There is a memory activity that we can forget of the Holy Spirit in our inner man that is important to maintain otherwise we are susceptible to falling back towards the flesh. Experientially I can not deny this in my life either. It seems like plain old common sense to me. I have a poor memory so I should know.
4. Emotion
Richard babbles “Nee overemphasizes emotions. In The Ministry of God's Word, he claims that the effectiveness of a preacher's delivery is a product of his emotions. If a preacher does not feel emotionally charged in delivery, "the Spirit is stuck" and the "Spirit is inevitably arrested," Nee says. He continues, "The Spirit flows through the channel of emotion." Then he arrives at a strange conclusion: "Nose in the Scripture stands for feeling. Smelling is a most delicate act, man's feeling is most delicate." Therefore, Nee says, a preacher in speaking needs to "mix feelings with the words spoken, else his words are dead. If our feeling lags behind, our words are stripped of the spirit." To say as Nee does, on page 210 that the Holy Spirit only rides on feeling is dangerous”.
Nee does not overemphasis emotions. If you understand Nee’s writings you know that He believes the Holy Spirit always starts from the spirit’s inner man, not the outer man like the emotion of the soul. Emotion is an outlet, expression of feelings. Who wants to listen to a minister without emotion? Nose in scripture does stand for feelings and its delicacy (see below). Nee does not say at all on page 210 that the Holy Spirit rides only on emotion as Richard says. On page 210 (CFP) he says “we use emotion to move people as our spirit is released” and “going forth of the word is powerful only when it is coupled with a corresponding emotion” and “out from the feelings” and “trying to move men with only our emotion is mere performance, resulting in a dead ministry”. This is the complete opposite of what Richard Fisher accused Nee of. Incredible. I find that this critique of Nee is really flawed since nowhere does Nee state the Holy Spirit rides only on emotion. My assessment is that if someone can be this horrible and reading another’s words, then it is either purposefully done with intent or just plain ignorance and misreading.
Nee is also correct that the Holy Spirit flows through the channel of emotion. I already know what he means by this and what he is thinking because I read The Spiritual Man several times which you could say is the foundational book for the redemptive design of all his writings. What he is saying is that the Spirit will use emotion by communicating what is of the spirit to the emotion of the soul. No emotion at all is ineffective, and excessive emotion is also undesirable. For all occasions there are boundaries of what is healthy emotionally.
Nee writes on page 208 of Ministry of God’s Word about the nose from Song of Songs in the Bible. He says “We humans beings have a will, but the will of man is rather rugged. So have we a mind, which, though more refined than the will, is nevertheless quite rugged too. But the emotion which we possess is most delicate part of us. We may ruthlessly make a decision with our will, we may carefully think over a matter, but we touch the tenderest spot when something touches our feeling. Accordingly, in the Old Testament, especially in the Song of Songs, the Spirit of God employs fragrance or savor to express the tender feeling of a man, for it can only be smelled with the nose. Smelling is a most delicate act. It represents man’s tender feeling. “Nose” in the Scriptures stands for feeling. Man’s feeling is most delicate, though it may or may not be useful.”
See, Sgs. 7.8, Gen. 8.21. These are truly sweet things that touch our emotion. Smell is so delicate just like our delicate emotion. Let us keep that which is delicate in a delicate state, and perhaps this is God’s message after all. It is should be spiritually preserved. Nose has several meanings, and this is one of them. Referring to Nee’s book, Song of Songs, you will see another aspect of the which is that of discernment.
5. Using Terms Precisely
Richard babbles, “Nee uses terms imprecisely. One example is his writing about a minister's receiving 'revelations' in his 'Holy Spirit memory' and those revelations being remembered in us by the Holy Spirit. This sort of metaphysical mumbo jumbo is impossible to understand, since there is no direct scriptural reference to a 'Holy Spirit memory.'"”
Nee uses terms extremely precisely. I don’t know anyone who is more precise in their words than Watchman Nee. Really. This is not metaphysical stuff but exactly how the Holy Spirit works in our spirit. And I understand all of it so well with a little effort maybe Richard could too. Richard says Nee is “impossible to understand”. I understood it. But I know my flesh can't understand it, nor will Richard's.
Nee writes, regarding Holy Spirit memory (citing a verse to prove it) on pages 196-197 (CFP) of The Ministry of God's Word,
"You have to support the spoken word with the inner word. Due to the inadequacy of memory, however, you often fail to have the supply ready. The longer you speak, the farther you drift away from the inward word. After you finish delivering the sermon you find your inner word remains untouched. You came with a burden, yet you return with the same burden. You have not been able to discharge it. This is a great suffering to you. Perhaps you say, 'I will write it down in my notebook; then I will remember.' This may or may not help, for an unusual thing happens: as you read your notes you recognize every word of them, but you cannot recall the thing behind the words. How totally inadequate is your memory. If what you have is mere doctrine or teaching you are well able to deliver it. The more doctrinal it is, the easier you remember. But it is not easy to recall revelation. In attempting to communicate your inward revelation you must come to realize that you cannot remember what you have just seen. The words you may remember, yet the thing itself is forgotten. Our problem on the platform is that we forget the thing we have seen. We may say many words, yet none communicates the thing we see. The ministry suffers loss. How necessary it is to have memory."
"The memory we need is of two kinds: the outward memory and the Holy Spirit memory. A minister of the word needs both. The outward memory points to the memory of the outward man, that which is produced in a man’s brain. It occupies a very important place in testifying the word of God. The Holy Spirit memory is what the Lord Jesus mentions in John 14.26: 'But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.' This is the Holy Spirit memory, for it is the Holy Spirit who brings things to your remembrance, not you yourself."
What Nee is speaking about is revelation and memory in that revelation, both on our side and the side of the Holy Spirit.
Is it so hard to accept that in our spirit resides the Holy Spirit whereby God enters the window of our conscience and communicates His mind to us. When this happens is this not where revelation takes place through the function of intuition in our inner man? And when that message works in us, it does so in a form of our “still small voice” (scriptural term - project for everyone - find the verse in Exodus "still small voice" using the NKJV). But, we can easily lose that communication within or become forgetful in our spirit (as matters of the world weigh on us), so what does the Holy Spirit do for us then? For one thing, the Holy Spirit has a memory for us of revelation we have received. As we go about our daily lives we can access what we have received in the Spirit of the Lord by this memory in our inner man. It is really quite elementary.
Conclusion
Richard’s final babble, “When a Christian begins to see Nee as a guide in determining the value of other Christian writers, or sees Nee's writings as a key to spirituality, that person is headed for trouble. Nee's presuppositions are suspect in light of the Word of God. His books provide grist for cult groups such as The Way, The Alamo Foundation, the Children of God and other groups. The astute believer should watch out for Watchman Nee." There is no evidence of the connection claimed by Richard Fisher, nor does he even try to give any, through self-declaration. Watchman Nee is not responsible either, for the mistakes of men, their misreading, and their bearing false witness; therefore, such blaming ought to be passed back to where it came from.
I think Richard is making many claims without connection in his own ego and imagination, lacking a spirit of discernment. Watchman Nee was a powerful writer, one of the best. I put his writings in the top 1% of all Christian writers, easily. I have read over 100 different writers and this is the conclusion I have come in comparing. You must make your own decision. As noted above about Pat Knapp's experience in cults, they love to use the book, Spiritual Authority and misuse the truths therein. The reason for this is based on the unspiritual using attempting to use the spiritual (see the 5th bullet point). The same is true of the leaders of the above mentioned cults. But if anyone spends the time to really read Spiritual Authority, one begins to realize it is a powerful, even authoritative work on the subject of authority and submission.
Richard was not able to make a connection to his claims, because all Richard did was read from someone else (Dana Roberts) who also did a shoddy work of reading Watchman Nee (even marry him to others). Richard admitted having troubles understanding Watchman Nee. I believe that in essence is the problem, that Richard Fisher is without the Holy Spirit. Since man can not understand and can’t see the light, often his recourse is to blame. This has been a work of blaming and bearing false witness of another, and I hope I have done some justice here so that we keep a watch out for Richard Fisher's wiles. Last time I spoke with him, he said he would prepare a follow-up. It has been two years since then (2002), and nothing has been forthcoming. He is dishonest.
In conclusion it can be stated that since Watchman Nee has not been identified as stating something to be untrue, then we can conclude what is going on here is that of the false accuser on the attack for one or more reasons: spiritual jealousy, inability to understand, misreading, mistaken assumption, one-upmanship or trying to defend something in one's own flesh, an untruth. Let us not assume what Richard Fisher is holding onto in his heart, but whatever it is, we know it is of the flesh; either sin, natural (self) or a supernatural hold on him. Experimentally, what runs contrary to what one believes, one often attacks. Therefore, Richard attacks partial rapture, Biblical locality, OSAS Arminianism, triparite man, and authority and submission in all things.
If Watchman Nee had said something wrong, I would agree with Richard Fisher in a heart beat, but I have found Richard Fisher full of sin in bearing false witness. I pray this sets the record straight. I will do this for any person who has be been born false witness of. You can accuse me of thinking, "Nee's writings as the key to spirituality". I recognize the depth in Watchman Nee's writings which answer some of the deepest questions we can ask in just about the best way possible that I know of according to the Scriptures. I consider my defense of no account, since my guiding principle in life is the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. To date, I have found no writer as deep as Watchman Nee apart from the Word of God. I believe what is happening is people are not respecters of truth, but prefer their own truth, which I have outlined from beginning to end where such mistakes occur in reading Watchman Nee, which you can examine for yourself.
Praise the Lord for this discernment!
Amen.
Troy Brooks