Dana Roberts' 'No True Church' Witch Hunt

We Shall Know Them By Their Fruit: Dana Roberts was never a Christian and Watchman Nee was a spiritual Christian

Dana Roberts is not a Christian. His motivation is spelled out, so he makes stuff up about Watchman Nee, a spiritual Christian. Have comfort in knowing this is expected against the most spiritual of Christians. We shall know them by their fruit. Incidentally, please do not confuse or associate Watchman Nee with The Local Church cult, for their teachings are diabolically opposite, and Watchman Nee never taught the 6 major sins of Leeism. 

You can prove to yourself in the Bible the false fruit of Dana Roberts. Begin with the directly stated false teachings that Roberts holds himself which are against the Word of God and against what Watchman Nee wrote and said. Dana writes,

"My name is Dana Roberts and I am currently working on my third book on Watchman Nee. The first book, Understanding Watchman Nee, praised him as a fine Christian but did not agree with his interpretations of man and the church. Last year I was asked by the publisher to do a new edition. In looking at Chinese sources I found evidence of what had only been hinted at. Nee had misused church money and he had at least two affairs with people in the church. This second book, The Secrets of Watchman Nee, was neutral and told readers that you must read any writer/preacher with caution.

Within months of publication I received a call from a woman who was the youth leader and Sunday School Superintendent of Nee's church in Shanghai. She also went to Nee's trial in 1956. Nee had affairs with two girls she knew in the church. I have also talked to Nee's lawyer. Nee freely admitted it because the police found the pictures.

Why didn't the girls leave? Because they believed that all other churches were evil, and they made a pact to confess to God and stay in his true church. Does this sound familiar?

I am leaving for Shanghai tomorrow and will gather the last information."

Have a chuckle at the games Dana Roberts plays here. There is no indication Nee misused funds. And whatever intimate relationships Nee has they were in the confines of normal Biblically acceptable relationships, so whether this allegation is true or not, is of no consideration, for why would it be? People are allowed to have relationships aren't they? There has never been any hint in any writings that Nee misused funds. Self-declarations do not count. It is nice to see the de-evolution at least in Dana Robert's own writings from not agreeing with man's tripartite being and not agreeing with the necessity of the Biblical locality to a more "neutral" stance. This is another way of Dana saying he is "Not sure" now.

Girls leaving to go to other churches even though all those other churches were evil? Why would they leave the church-body of Christ-if they thought the non-churches were evil? Lots of Satanists and other non-Christians believe their church is the true church, and they say they will never leave it. That would mean they would in actuality prefer to be in an evil organization, and would indicate they were never born-again to begin with. This type of confusion by Roberts in not giving clear explanation, but remaining vague, is very unprofessional and leaves one with only one response: to consider his witch hunt and unfounded accusations of no account since he has not the courtesy to back up anything he says.

"One must always remember that Jesus prayed for the unity of the church. There is no true church. All churches that are really churches are justified by faith, rely upon the authority of Scripture and follow some basic instructions that were first formulated in the Apostle's Creed. After that, Christians ought to follow the example of the early synagogue and respectfully discuss it among ourselves without being puffed up with theological vanities."

There is no true church? All members of the body of Christ are the true church. This is called the universal church. The only way the Bible ever terms the word, church, is either those of the universal church, the body of Christ, or as a local expression of believers in a Biblical locality. There is nothing in between. How exacting is God's Word! There is both the practical expression of the church locally as well as universally (catholic). This is how Paul, Peter and the rest of the apostles operated regionally to appointing elders of Biblical localities: bishops (elders) of a locality for the church of Ephesus in the churches of Asia Minor, or for the church of Jerusalem in the churches of Judea. This is how God has set it up. There were no denominations in the Bible, and the Bible warns against them by saying, don't say "I of Cephas" or "I of Apollos". Don't even divide congregationally or non-denominationally by puffing up self by saying "I of Christ" in that non-denom; that is, don't exalt your meeting place above the Biblical locality. You can even extend this principle to reject ecumenicalism and multi-denominationalism by rejecting, "I of Cephas and I of Apollos and I of Christ" false divisions. There is only one way the Bible ever divides the body of Christ, according to Biblical locality.

What God is showing us in these locales where elders of the locality are appointed by apostles-directly commissioned by God-are miniatures of the new city and the new earth. Until we can accomplish this mission set before us, Christ will not return. We need apostles in harmony working together regionally, agreeing on a certain number of questions, so the church can be confident they are the apostles, and undergoing proper authority and submission by the church respecting their respective of elders of their localities. Until this begins to happen in earnest, I can assure you Christ will not return, because we have not fulfilled the condition for His return and what He needs to return because in the millennial kingdom are these locales set up with elders are taking caring of the many meeting places within them. These believers rewarded with reigning are the overcomer believers that return with Christ (Jude 14,15). Understand the boundary of a Biblical locality.

Dana Roberts and M. Irons, freely admit their own false teaching: "...a good description of both Watchman Nee and George Geftakys. They both taught the carnal vs. spiritual Christian dichotomy, split rapture, and local gathering, learned from the Plymouth Brethren, and T. Austin-Sparks. But it was their doctrines of sinless perfection and the role of intuition, learned from Jesse Penn-Lewis and Madame Guyon, that opened a door for the possibility of immorality by elevating intuition above reason and the plain teaching of scripture.

Nee states these teachings very clearly in his book, The Spiritual Man:
Intuition is the sensing organ of the human spirit. The knowledge which comes to us without any help from the mind, emotion or volition comes intuitively. The revelations of God and all the movements of the Holy Spirit are known to the believer through his intuition. 1 The Spiritual Man, Vol. I, p. 32

Spiritual life is maintained simply by heeding the direction of the spirit's intuition. The believer will wait quietly for the voice of the Holy Spirit to be heard in his spirit, intuitively. Upon hearing the inner voice he rises up to work, obeying the direction of intuition. 2 Ibid. Vol. I, p. 149

When a believer has experienced the practical treatment of the Cross, he finally arrives at a pure life. His soulish life has been terminated and the Lord has granted him a pure, restful, true and believing spiritual life. That which is soulish has been destroyed, but that which is spiritual has been established. 3 Ibid. Vol. II, p. 195"

I can't comment on George Geftakys as I know nothing about him at the time of this writing, so he is not considered in this response. However, if he is wrong, and since Nee is right, then Dana Roberts is trying to create some false association. But, if there is some truth he did teach, it should certainly not be rejected. Now let us focus on whether Dana is right or Nee is right in correctly reading the Word of God.

Overcomers and non-overcomers in Christ
1) Do you believe there is such a thing as a fleshly or carnal Christian (Rom. 7.14,19; 1 Cor. 3.1) and a matured or spiritual Christian; and that the larger portion of all believers, though all saved, do not "overcometh" (Rev. 2.7,11,17,26; 3.5,12,26) in Christ before leaving their bodies of flesh and blood? These verses shows there is indeed such a thing as non-overcomer believers and overcomer believers. One of the negative consequences of not accepting this truth, is there becomes no accountability for the antinomian. Therefore, on the matter of carnal or spiritual, Watchman Nee is right and Dana Roberts the accuser is wrong.

Tripartite Woman and Man
2) Do you believe men and women are tripartite? That we have a spirit of God-consciousness (with the main functions of intuition, communion and conscience), a soul of self-consciousness (comprising the mind, will and emotion in which the soul life is in the blood), and a body of world-consciousness (with physical sensings we make contact the world with)? Hence, do you seek after the dividing of your spirit, soul and body (Heb. 4.12, 1 Thess. 5.23) to distinguish what is of the spirit and what is of the soul as well as following the former, walking after the spirit and like Jesus pouring His soul life to death (Is. 53.12) but committed His spirit to God (Luke 23.46)? Watchman Nee provides scores of verses in The Spiritual Man, CFP, white cover only, to the necessity of dividing our spirit, soul and body, a principle teaching in the Word of God, and testifies with Christians to this experience in life: "I am not the first to advocate the teaching of the dividing of spirit and soul. Andrew Murray once said that what the church and individuals have to dread is the inordinate activity of the soul with its power of mind and will. F. B. Meyer declared that had he not known about the dividing of spirit and soul, he could not have imagined what his spiritual life would have been. Many others, such as Otto Stockmayer, Jessie Penn-Lewis, Evan Roberts, Madame Guyon, Andrew Murray, F.B. Meyer have given the same testimony. I have used their writings freely since we all have received the same commission from the Lord; therefore I have decided to forego notating their many references" (1st Preface to The Spiritual Man, CFP, white cover). Since the foremost work in the history of the human race is this book on the subject taken from the Word of God, the extensive proof given therein remains a solid. In all sincerity, since I have this experience on a daily basis by the Holy Spirit which is a proven in the Scriptures for those who consecrate themselves, one comes to the reasonable conclusion Dana Roberts the accuser is wrong and Watchman Nee is right about women and men being tripartite (spirit, soul and body) and not bipartite (soul is the spirit, and body). What God divides the flesh is not so keen on doing because it wants not to relinquish control, so it exerts itself to incite the man to walks by the outerman of soul and body and not after the spirit's innerman wherein dwells the Holy Spirit in one who is saved. Please study carefully the proof of our tripartite being. 

First Rapture is According to Readiness
3) Do you believe the first rapture is included in the first resurrection as many Christians do, and in order to be accounted worthy to be received to throne (Rev. 7.9) in third heaven and escape the Hour of trial that is to come upon the whole world during the Tribulation, we need to be watchful, prayerful, ready, keep the word of His patience (Rev. 3.10, Luke 21.36, Matt. 24.42), and maintain the conduct of Matt. 5-7 to abide in those works God has set for us? Since there is a definite condition set forth to escape all these things that shall come upon the whole earth at the consummation of this age, we ought to reasonably conclude there is a first rapture according to readiness, as well as a harvest completion rapture at the last trumpet of the Tribulation. Nee goes into why in The Partial Rapture Proof proves both historicalists are wrong (suffice it to say the book of Revelation is a book of future prophecy mostly, not a historical document, and there are various mistaken assumptions the historical view) and how pretribber onlyists overassume too much. You may even learn why they do this. Another good source for Nee's reasoning why historicalists are wrong is found in Aids to Revelation.

Apostles appoint Elders for a Biblical locality
4) Do you believe Apostles are still commissioned by God to appoint Elders to take care of a Biblical locality-a city, town, remote area or locale-which constitutes the boundary of a local church, and Elders of a locality approve the Elders of meeting places within the Scriptural city? Did not Paul go to the church of Ephesus and appoint Elders? Was not Paul directly commissioned by God to be an apostle? Did not Peter work in the sphere of the churches of Judea as an Apostle, and he was also an Elder of the church of Jerusalem? Biblical locality is fully proven in the Bible, and there were no denominations (i.e., those who say "I of Cephas" or "I of Apollos"). Therefore, the reasonable thing to do is conclude Dana Roberts the accuser is wrong and Watchman Nee was right. Study this primer to introduce you to understanding Biblical locality.

T. Austin Sparks has said, "It is a principle in every realm of creation and Divine method. There are harbingers in every sphere." I should make a quick point about T. Austin Sparks that he did not understand Biblical locality, so this would be a cause of a mentor to Nee being wrong. Incidentally, T. Austin Sparks mistreated Jessie-Penn Lewis and divided the body of Christ falsely, because of not abiding in Biblical locality.

Being Perfected by the Holy Spirit
5) Do you know any Christians who believe that we believers are not being perfected for the new city and new earth? The Bible says there is no sin in the new city and the new earth. Amen. Nee has said many times as long as we still have these bodies of flesh and blood, sin can rear its ugly head; even spiritual Christians can falter. Sounds reasonable. Since Dana Roberts, if true, is against this our being perfected according to M. Irons, we may conclude that Dana is not only wrong, but not a Christian, and Watchman Nee was right. Praise the Lord!

The Intuition, Communion and Conscience of our Spirit
6) The intuition is a function of the spirit which is utilized by God's Spirit entering in through the window of man's conscience at the seat of intuition. God does not dwell in the outerman, but resides in the believer's spirit. Spirit maketh contact with spirit, so this is the primary organ of man which soul is to aid in development and which the soul receives communication from. God always works from inner to outer, whereas Satan works from outer to inner. Dana bypasses this operation so that reasoning becomes a reasoning unto self, does not become renewed, and thus lowers conscience. One walks according to one's ideas against the call to "abide in me" (John 15.7) and does not follow the new life within. The Holy Spirit has told me Satan accuses of elevating the spirit's intuition (even conscience and communion) above the reasoning of the soul. The soul is closely connected to the soulical body, for it sits between the spirit and the body, and we all know the flesh is the sin of the body and self of the soul. In the Old Testament, the temple shows which part of man is most important. The holy of holies is like man's spirit, the soul is like the holy place, and the body is like the outer court. Knowing this, would you really want to walk primarily by your outerman and not by the innerman? I am confident the reader considering these facts will realize, if they don't already, Christians are left with no choice but to conclude Dana Roberts was wrong and Watchman Nee was right. So far on all accounts, Dana Roberts has been wrong.

The Brethren
7) The 1828 Brethren (non-exclusive) are the ones spoken of for the Philadelphia church period.

Dana and M. Irons continue, "Self-deception was further enabled by Nee's teaching on the possibility of reaching a state of sinless perfection.

Kristin's story shows these teachings at work in G. Geftakys. Once intuition is elevated above scripture, restraints are lifted. The doctrine of sinless perfection allows a narcissist with an inflated ego to be convinced he is beyond sin, and that an adulterous relationship is 'spiritual'.

Nee wrote his book at the age of 25, when he was an idealistic young convert. His later moral lapses should have moved him to withdraw the book in humility and publicly acknowledge that his theology had been wrong. The fact that he didn't and that his clergy sexual abuse was covered up indicate that Nee, like G. Geftakys, departed from the path of the normal Christian life.

- Dana Roberts, M.A., M.T.S., Haikou City, Hainan Island, China"

So all people 25 and under can deeply read the Word of God? Why is then is that The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee is still considered the leading work today on its accuracy and depth with the Word on the dividing of spirit, soul and body?

Since I have now just established that there is no deception in Heb. 4.12, 1 Thess. 5.23 that we are spirit, soul and body and we ought to walk after the spirit first, since it is first mentioned, followed by soul then body, let us consider the intuitive conscience of our spirit in communion with God the primary organ of our being. Though the soul is important to, for it is the place of our volition, mind and emotion.

Since the intuition is not itself said by Nee to be elevated about the Word of God, that is Scripture, why then accuse falsely? Since Nee was never quoted as having said that the Word of God falls below the spirit of man, then why accuse? Is not Satan that great false accuser? How can a person accuser another person of something they never said?

Moreover, where did Watchman Nee ever say he was sinlessly perfected? Certainly, he and all Christians are being sinlessly perfected on the road to perfection, but none of us Christians say we are already perfected and no possibility of self or sin can crop up. The reasonable question to ask is if Dana Roberts is in the truth, why self-declare such false accusations which he or Irons provides no evidence for? It has been my experience that people who do this do so from their selfish center, pointing to themselves as the center of the universe. They misread or flat out bear false witness because they do not know how to be non-overassuming and humble. Let's face it, people try to self-exalt themselves any way they can. I am just glad I don't live like that, for I would not have the joy of the Holy Spirit if I did.

There was no moral lapse shown of Nee, so why accuse him of such? Nee did feel people would misread this uttermost spiritual work (TSM) of dividing spirit, soul and body and so was hesitant to make it so readily available, because he knew the flesh all too well as we exhibit in Dana Roberts. When a spiritual work is given, on the heels all too quickly do men come in to corrupt it, because they know what they would have to give up being in the world in order to walk by the spirit.

Allegations of sexual impropriety over half a century later for the first time hold no weight. According to Biblical locality, there is no clergy, so this too is another false accusation. Dana Roberts has been exposed, again! Satan calls spiritual Christians narcissists with inflated egos. God calls them overcomer believers. Praise the Lord for this testimony and for Watchman Nee's top notch work in the normal Christian life, which can not be crushed.

Praise the Lord!