What Do These Men Have in Common?
Miles Stanford Passed Away an Unregenerated Calvinist in 1999, Steve Amato the BCBSR Antinomian & Justyn Martyr a Made Up Name, Owner and Moderator of BARM
What do these three men have in common? They are all unregenerated. Each of their flesh is on its own tangent hostile to God. Let me show you how. While Steve is antinomian not believing in the consequence of sinning pridefully assumes all relevant verses pertain to unsalvation rather than God speaking of the carnal Christian to overcome. Miles Stanford and Justyn Martyr on the other hand are very similar, both ardent calvinists. In other words, they say they were premade for salvation while others were premade for hell. This is not God of the Bible who teaches them this. Steve is convinced in his pride he can live as he wishes now that he thinks he is saved with no consequence at judgment seat. He is not saved for he does not know the flesh that tries to come up (his conscience has not been quickened) that does not fully get extinguished as long as we have this body for the flesh and blood, for the flesh is unchangeable and cannot be refined. Justyn on the other hand, is tritheistic which simply means that he will misapply the Trinity so inordinately causing him to over-analyze God's triune nature to change the Word to do so. And Stanford is fallen bipartite (hostile to the innerman living only in his outerman of the soulical). This simply means that he makes no distinction between his soul (outer-man of self-consciousness) and spirit (innerman of God-consciousness). As far as he is concerned the soul is the same as the spirit. These men have the pride of calvinism in believing they were premade for salvation. Do not make their same choice for each of these men are not Christians since God does not pre-make men for hell and His desire is not for Christians to remain carnal. The proof of these facts have been produced in these works:
1. The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee shows us man is tripartite.
2. God shows a view in Scripture before salvation and after salvation and that man is not totally deprave and the man made in the image of God is not lost for man will always be in the image of God, except that saved go to heaven and the unsaved do not.
3. Antinomianism is disproven which is altering Scriptures making many of them about unsalvation rather than about the carnal Christian called to overcome.
4. Each does not deal with the time of recompense (they do not believe in consequence of sinning now) of rewards in the millennium and discipline in outer darkness that runs concurrently for Christians for loss of rewards, nor the partial rapture to escape the Hour of trial blessing (Rev. 3.10).
JM Abugain - Now let's take a look at what Justyn from Bereans So-Called Apologetics Research Ministry summarizes for us in his view with my responses to show the truth of his mistaken assumptions.
In another web published paper the late Christian growth author Miles J. Stanford, wrote in WATCHMAN NEE & WITNESS LEE, the following:
Watchman Nee has nothing to do with Witness Lee. Witness Lee was a self-proclaimed calvinist and Watchman Nee was OSAS Arminian. Nee was jailed for life while Lee when he planed and devised his cult. It is all documented on the Misreading Nee site. The calvinists desperately needs to marry Nee with Lee because this is their attack really on man made in God's image (Gen. 1.26) being eternal. Never let a calvinist tell you that man is no longer made in God's image.
1. RELATIVISM: When Nee gives this "intuition" first place, the mind and thought are thereby relegated to a secondary position. In doing so he gives his "inner light, " "inner voice" and "revelation" first place and consequently consigns the Word of God to an inferior role.
Watchman Nee does not believe in relativism. Since God's Spirit is spirit, He dwells in man's regenerated spirit, not in his soul, nor his body. God always works from inner to outer while Satan works from outer to inner. The Spirit testifies to the spirit in man and the Spirit always agrees with the Word of God. Though man may be in error God is not. Relativism? Satan accuses mindlessly. He is surprisingly not that bright.
2. RELATIVISM: This is a far cry [referring to the statement of Lee saying, The believer must follow the revelation of his intuition.] from Paul's Bereans! "These were more noble that those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily" (Acts 17:11). Paul also said, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Rom. 12:2; 14:5). [Emphasis his]
Justyn has a darkened mind and can not see how these verses work with the fact that God's spirit is in man's spirit whereby we receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation. What man likes to do is inordinately use his mind of his soul to smother his spirit holding onto untruth. This is why God quickens the spirit of the man first. Otherwise it is just mental gymnastics using Acts 17.11 and Rom. 12.2 in vain. Many men say their reasoning is sound, but they are far from it such as calvinists. Only after it is proven in the spirit will it then be communicated to the mind efficaciously, otherwise it is just vanity. Do not follow the dictates of your mind forsaking your spirit. If you do not know the different functions and sensing between your spirit and your soul you inevitably make this mistake confusing what is soulical as being spiritual. Witness Lee's problem is not only the false dividing of spirit, soul and body, but of several other matters, like calvinism and other false teachings from simply not waiting on the Lord.
3. MYSTICISM: "THE BAPTISM," "WARFARE," & "DEMONISM" -- Watchman Nee's faulty foundation due to lack of sound doctrine led him into "the baptism in the Spirit for power and spiritual warfare," and inevitably on into "demonism" as taught by Jessie Penn-Lewis and Evan Roberts. He followed to the letter and quoted without question their dangerous textbook, War on the Saints. [Emphasis belong to the author.]
Watchman Nee believed baptism is burial and resurrection with Christ. In other words, co-death. Out of death comes authentic life. Nee was against mysticism and did not believe in tongues of Pentecostalism (see God's Work). This is a mere declaration by Stanford and Martyr, so we will need not address the accuser further. Why they refuse the baptism with or without water by the Holy Spirit in co-death with Christ is a sign of their unfaith. When Christ died we died with Him. He took us with Him. And when he rose we rose with Him, in spirit. There is manipulation throughout Stanford's article. For example, he quoted Watchman Nee quoting Galatians 3.14 on page 39 of The Spiritual Man, Vol. 2, altering the text by making it seem as if it was Nee's own words rather than Galatians 3.14, when Nee cited the verse reference. Why would someone do that unless they have an agenda to make someone look bad. Not only this, Stanford re-quoted it differently shortening it, and he is literally accusing Gal. 3.14 also. This is just one item I pulled out. There scores. Every thought, every argument he makes is wrong. Only a many with an unrenewed mind could be this heady.
This is Stanford's shoddy quote "We then should 'receive that promise of the Spirit' by faith". And this is what Watchman Nee actually wrote, We then should "receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Gal. 3.14).
What is wrong with Stanford and Justyn? Unregeneration. I am not afraid to tell you the truth about this. The Word confirms their unregeneration for believing they were premade for salvation since nowhere in the Scriptures will you find God ever making such a claim. What an evil god would say that he pre-makes men for hell.
4. ANTI-DOCTRINE: In direct contrast to such erroneous teaching [referring to Lee's stance against sound doctrines] the Scripture makes it plain that growth and edification are dependent upon sound doctrine--the truth of the Word. (This is not to be equated with the doctrinal emphasis of Colonel Thieme). Thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, unto which thou hast attained. Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. In all things showing theyself a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing uncorruptness. (I Tim. 4:6; Titus 2:1,7). [Emphasis his.]
Calvinism is not sound doctrine. Witness Lee, Justyn Martyr, and Miles Stanford harbor this false teaching assuming they are saved when they are not. Steve on the other hand can only see salvation and unsalvation and does not see a loving God warning of black-sliding and the consequence of loss of rewards in the millennium for believers. In denying man has an innerman Stanford says having an inner man is "erroneous teaching". Christians know we have a spirit. Who is Colonel Thieme - name dropping? I don't know who this is.
5. DANGEROUS MATERIALS: There are thirty or more books composed of Nee's spoken messsages, and it is true that they contain much that is good. However, his material includes too much abject error for him to be considered "safe and sound."
Watchman Nee has not made any error to speak of. Though men's flesh I have found accuse him incessantly.
The Boston Christian Bible Study Resources, made an their analysis of the said group in a written white paper entitled Witness Lee's Local Church (The Recovery Movement). Here is the summary of what they wrote (in no particular order):
1. POSITIVE NOTE: "I have to reinterate that the beliefs of Witness Lee and Watchman Nee do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of all the members of the local church. But this is what they are being taught there."
Trying to marry Watchman Nee to Witness Lee. Steven Amato's very poor examination of Watchman Nee is exposed through 3 articles that I wrote:
1. Unregenerated Amato Thoughts
3. Absurd Conversations with Steve Amato
2. NEE, LEE FANATICISM: " ...if you go to such a church you will find literature displayed with was written exclusively by Lee and Watchman Nee and no others. Why is that? And their Bible - the 'Recovery Version' - includes a commentary on every page written by Witness Lee. Their weekly Bible readings include also reading a teaching by Lee or Nee."
We have to draw a distinction here. Witness Lee created a cult called LSM. Watchman Nee has no association to this cult. Watchman Nee is not responsible for the false teachings of Witness Lee. Nor is Watchman Nee responsible for the alterations of his writings by Witness Lee. Remember, Nee is imprisoned now for life at the time Lee started implementing his tangents. Do not buy anything from LSM. The authoritative source of Nee's writingsg are found at CFP. Witness Lee boar false witness of Watchman Nee. A simple comparison of CFP vs. LSM reveal this fact. Additionally when doing the comparison you will also notice than Witness Lee's version of Watchman Nee's writings are about 30% longer in the same given source material. The meek Stephen Kaung translations are the only trustworthy source available at CFP (I have no affiliation, I just love preserving the Word of God emulating nobody).
3. EXCLUSIVISM: "They tend to express a rather contemptuous attitude towards other churches and denominations revealed for example in their commentary on Matthew 16:18 which says 'The Lord is not building His church in Christendom, which is composed of the apostate Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations. This prophey is being fulfilled through the Lord's recovery (meaning their movement), in which the building of the genuine church is being accomplished.' (Implying that it isn't occurring elsewhere). In fact it is call the 'Recovery' because they claim to be trying to recover the subjective experience of Christ which they seem to think was lost from the rest of the Christian community. And I find that the preaching during the assembly very commonly criticizes other churches, but not their own.'"
Aside from the marrying Watchman Nee to Witness Lee here as when Abugain/Justyn said "their commentary", there is truth to the RCC as the "great harlot" of Rev. 17 and the disease of denominationalism. Yet Witness Lee is recovered nothing but Satan's deceptions starting with false locality in believing in modern day city locality. Watchman Nee was opposed to this of course, in his article, Which Church Should I Join?
4. EASY BELIEVISM: "While to many Christians today, this sounds pretty good, it is not a sufficient presentation of the gospel, but rather taken alone advocates easy-believism. That's about as extensive as they get in presentation of the gospel. In actual practice it's even more condensed. Notice in particular the absence of any mention of sin and Christ's atoning work on the cross. The person is portrayed simply as a victim of circumstances rather than guilty of sin and worthy of condemnation as such. And there is no mention of the forgiveness of sins."
To get into the detail of this to locate my response to this declaration search the above 3 articles for the phrase "easy believism" where I have already responded. No doubt Leeism is easy believism with its prayer-screaming and other such antics, but Steve's antinomianism is also easy believism for all he sees is salvation and unsalvation, not seeing the overcoming aspect of a life in Christ and consequence.
5. FEEL-GOOD JESUS: "In Biblical Christianity there is a balance between truth and experience. We should believe the right things and conform our definition of Christ to how He has revealed himself in the Bible. But Christ also wants us to have a living relationship with him. The problem is that I sense that the Lee overemphasizes the living relationship to the point of defining Christ as 'Jesus is how you feel. As I said, they call themselves 'the Recovery' because they are trying to recover the subjective experience of Christ (as if it was ever lost to begin with!) While most I consider brethren in Christ, I have met some in the Local church seem to have this New Age mystical definition of Christ, whereby Christ is simply a function of their experience. When I've show such people the Christ of the Bible, there is hostility and rejection. Such people reckon me to be a nominal Christian, a legalist, someone of the letter, but not of the spirit." [Emphasis his]
Same problem. While Witness Lee has this "how you feel" emphasis, losing spirit life, there is a true dividing of spirit, soul and body in walking after the spirit, that will not lead you to calvinism nor antinomianism. I bring people back to The Spiritual Man to emphasize these truths about the dividing of your spirit, soul and body (not just as a principle, but life applicable), the only work of substantial size published by Nee. Do a search in the above 3 articles for "feel-good" where I have addressed the errors of both Witness Lee and Steve Amato on the emotion of the soul.
6. BELIEF IN PURGATORY: "Both Witness Lee and Watchman Nee advocate a purgatory idea. In his book 'The Gospel of God, Volume III', Watchman Nee says: 'If a person has become a Christian but his hands or feet sin all the time, he will suffer the punishment of the eternal fire in the kingdom of the heavens. He will not suffer this punishment eternally, but will suffer it only in the age of the kingdom' (Meaning the 1000 year Millenial Kingdom)."
There is no actual "The Gospel of God, Vol. 3" at CFP by Watchman Nee. So this is a false reference. Taking from Lee's cult does not count. Actually neither of them believe in purgatory, mind you I consider Witness Lee of no account. This is explained in the 3 links on Steven Amato also having already done a full study of Amato. This so-called quote of Nee is nowhere to be found by Watchman Nee from CFP. It is a twisted rendering or fabrication by Witness Lee to agree with Witness Lee's own cultic teachings. Joey Faust is another person independent of the Leeists that also believes this. Robert Wilkin is a Christian writer who more agrees with Watchman Nee. What we believe is that fire is judgment and that the application of such judgment is not associated to the outer darkness loss of rewards of the millennium and that at judgment seat those things we hold onto as Christians while still in the body that we were not willing to let go of, will be burnt off by the lake of fire itself in the time of the judgment seat which is in the Tribulation time frame only for Christians. Immediately thereafter those Christians who lose rewards will be in outer darkness for the 1000 years which is outside the light of reigning in the millennial kingdom. If you do a search in the above articles for "purgatory" you will be shown these explanations backed by Scripture.
7. ANOTHER POSITIVE NOTE: "As much as some would find the Recovery's doctrine to be significantly heretical, I find much of their deviations to be not atypical of many evangelical churches today. The best thing about the local church is its ecclesiastical structure, which allows someone like myself to minister more freely despite me being an outsider, while in other evangelical churches, which go by a lecture format and limit the congregation's interaction, I would be more suppressed in carrying out ministry."
This free-lecture system produces lots of bad teachings, and pressure to scream out. It is all about getting out there and one-up-man-shipping another. Not a loving environment. Moreover denominationalism based on modern day cities is also wrong. Today's major denominations are wrong for dividing the body of Christ on an organization, person, doctrine or state (false locality), and this will feed into negatively to their structure. If you are beginning to see that it is all flawed (Stanford, Amato, Martyr, Lee) then that is the Holy Spirit revealing to you the truth in your spirit which you can then prove by the Word of God through the outlet of your the mind of your soul. Praise God!
In Christ,
Troy Brooks