Exposing the Expositor

David Henke and the Watchman Expositor Exposed!

 

The website entitled, "The Watchman Expositor" wrote this item below about Watchman Nee, which the Lord has led me to expose the sand under their feet that washes away their empty claims. You will soon discover that the error behind the Expositor is that of calvinism as they write, "The Presbyterian polity gained a strong following during the period of the Reformation under the influence of John Calvin". The other kind of error taught by the Expositor is that of exceeding the boundary of a Biblical locality, when they write, "The local church in this polity is accountable outside the church to the denominational leadership. The major denominations using this polity include the Roman Catholic, the Orthodox, and the Anglican/Episcopal churches". These were all man's concoctions, and God warned us about these errors in Rev. 2 & 3.  This is why the only boundary of the church is according to the actual Biblical locality. And the third error of the Expositor, if one does not adhere to Biblical locality, is making the unit of the church smaller than the church locale, when they wrote, "Churches organized on the Congregational line do not recognize any authority above the level of the local congregation". Only Biblical locality solves these three problems. If any of these become a problem, the solution according to the Expositor is resolutions "adopted by the church or denomination". So here, clearly, we see the sin of the Expositor, in relinquishing itself to a denomination, even a calvinistic one, as the authority, when there is no denominations in the Bible.
 

The Expositor accuses Watchman Nee by misreading Watchman Nee, which matters have already been fully addressed in the response to Pat Knapp. The Expositor is against control, yet falls back on the control of the denomination, "adopted by the denomination". According to the Expositor, denominations are the guiding principle of life. This will not do! It is the same old problem. And then they wonder why the problem never gets solved! They need to deeper to God's Word. Which church should we join? The answer is exceedingly simple.

 

Just prior to the quote below of Watchman Nee, Nee writes on page 71, "People will perhaps argue, 'What if the authority is wrong?' The answer is,..." and just after the quote below of Nee, Henke left out a sentence, "Insubordination, however, is rebellion, and for this the one under authority must answer to God". Here we see the emphasis is on not pulling rank on every petty detail. David did not kill Saul even though Saul was a bad man. Furthermore, Nee writes in the following paragraph, "It is therefore clear that no human element is involved in this matter of authority. If our subjection is merely directed to a man the whole meaning of authority is lost. When God institutes His delegated authority He is bound by His honor to maintain that authority. We are each one of us responsible before God in this matter. Let us be careful that we make no mistake". What we may conclude from this statement is that it is more likely the person who is in such presumed authority was never in such authority to begin with if he falters to a degree quite to the contrary of his commission. The one who is truly an apostle commissioned by God would never falter so miserably in his selecting elders for localities (because God directly chose that apostle), and those elders would never falter so horribly because they were chosen by right apostles. This is proper harmony in authority and submission. Any petty errors or other kinds of errors by the apostles, elders or others in the Work, should not always be cause to reject the person outright, otherwise you have what we have today, denominations. Man is so self-serving that he will just go and make another denomination, instead of working for the repentance of the one in the Work for the Church to continue to either try to solve the problem at hand, or be willing to put up with it until another time when it can be addressed. Because people are so focused on the man, rather than their relationship with God, they immediately create another denomination to spite the man who was in error. This kind of behavior is not the answer as proposed by Henke and the Expositor.

 

On page 22 in the hard cover of Spiritual Authority, we see the words preceding the quote by Henke on page 23, "We are under men's authority as well as having men under our authority. This is our position. Even the Lord Jesus on earth was subject not only to God but also to the other's authority. Authority is everywhere. There is authority in the school, authority in the home. The policeman on the street, though perhaps less learned than you, is set up by God as your authority. Whenever a few brothers or sisters in Christ come together, immediately a spiritual order falls into place. A Christian worker ought to know who is above him. Some do not know who are authorities above them, hence they do not obey..." This is the "sectarian" or "party spirit" of a congregationalist that does not care for such things as authority or submission in harmony in the kingdom of God, abiding in Biblical locality. Nee finishes the paragraph on page 23, "Once we learn to whom we must be subject, we naturally find our place in the body. Alas, how many Christians today have not the faintest idea concerning subjection. No wonder there is so much confusion and disorder. For this reason, obedience to authority is the first lesson a worker ought to learn; and it also occupies a large place in the work itself".

 

Watchman Nee did not learn that there is apostles in the Bible from "Confucianism", since apostles are cited in the Bible, not under Confucianism. Moreover, Nee is not saying always to obey always! This would be misreading Nee. Nor is it saying an apostle is always right. Loyalty is an important quality for the church, but it appears not to be the case for the denominationalist, congregationalist, epsicipolianist, calvinistic Expositor Henke. Make note carefully, Watchman Nee never said "blind loyalty", so why bear false witness?

 

To deny any kind of loyalty among believers is a heresy, and should be adamantly refused, yet David Henke errs by saying, "to bring this concept into Christianity antagonizes one of the most fundamental principles of New Testament Christianity, the Priesthood of all believers". To misread Nee and then present an argument against such misreading is illogical. It is also unrighteous to suggest that the priesthood of all believers under the veil rent, demands denominationalism whereby such corporations divide the body of Christ falsely with different people, doctrines, teachings, worship methods, regions or nations. The only means of dividing the church is according to a Biblical locality (e.g. church of Ephesus, church of Corinth, church of Jerusalem, church in Edmonton, church in Dallas, etc.). Henke does not love God's Word on this point.

 

David Henke further produces a false teaching, "there is no chain of command among siblings". If there is no chain of command you have anarchy, refusing authority and submission in all things; then, there should be no denominations with their pastoral system and chain of corporation-style structures that exceed Biblical locality since these beasts have their commanders and controllers. They in fact then become that very anarchy of scores and scores of denominations. This double speak is really considered of no account. Observe further David Henke's sin when he writes, "the Church is a voluntary association of free people who accept the authority of God but recognize the equality of every believer". Yes, but this does not change the problem of Henke denying the work of apostles and elders or his doublespeak. His problem is he does not know the Ministry of the Work to set up the churches according to Biblical locality of the first century. Part of a "servant leadership" entails not being independent and starting a new denomination every time there is the smallest of disputes. You see the problem that exists as disclosed in Rev. 2 & 3 is that the church has lost its first love since the first century, and man's flesh has been creating various kinds of denominations since. These demonations or making the congregation the center of all things are unBiblical divisions. The Bible divides the church according to each locality as separate unites.

 

It is wrong to suggest humility and then David Henke not being humble at all. We see his false teaching called "congregationalism" in which he falsely teaches "Only the whole congregation acting together has the power to coerce according to Matthew 18". A congregation unto itself without the locality in view is selfish and self-involved. The congregation nor delegated authorities have a right to coerce, so we need to refuse David Henke's false teaching and misreading Matthew 18 to rationalize his congregationalism. The apostles in the Ministry of the Work for the church are not called Masters, yet this is the accusation Henke puts forth when he accuses with Matthew 23:8-12, abusing these verses to refuse God's commissioned apostles for today. Henke is literally accusing those in the Work for the Church for his congregationalism idolatry. Shame on him! He is refusing Christ's own council not to behave this way; to refuse congregationalism idolatry and those who head up such a congregation as independent units separate from the locality, or who are heads of denominations.

 

Conclusion: David Henke has sinned against God in sinning against Watchman Nee and tried to alter God's Word by refusing Biblical locality for congregationalism. Watchman Nee does not deny the congregation, which is simply one of many meeting places in a locality. Rather, Nee refuses as all Christians should, making the congregation an idol or a denomination corporation-style structure the center, since there are too many centers, and there should be only one center Christ in the universal church with its many localities. God never divides any other way. God divides the universal church according to its many localities. One who does not know the authority of the submission of Christ does not himself know how to submit to God's authorities, rendering a vain work as independent movements.

 

The Holy Spirit has revealed to me the racism of David Henke's heart in his party spirit of congregationalism idolatry, when he accused the truth that it "came into the American churches". His love for the Lord is just not there. American churches - please stop the vanity! A glimpse of truth was brought upon American churches for a brief time, only then to be rejected!

 

Love, in Christ,

Troy Brooks

 

By David Henke

This false teaching came into American churches through Watchman Nee and his book Spiritual Authority. Nee says on page 71, “If God dares to entrust His authority to man, then we can dare to obey. Whether the one in authority is right or wrong does not concern us. The obedient one needs only to obey. The Lord will not hold us responsible for any mistaken obedience, rather He will hold the delegated authority responsible for his erroneous act.” In addition, he states, "We should not be occupied with right or wrong, good or evil; rather should we know who is the authority above us" (page 23).

So, What’s Wrong With That?

Watchman Nee learned this concept of delegated authority from the ethics of Confucianism. Confucius taught that parents should always be obeyed, that they were never wrong, but if they were they should still be obeyed. Among Confucianists loyalty is one of the greatest virtues and can lead to the blind loyalty described in Nee’s statement.

To bring this concept into Christianity antagonizes one of the most fundamental principles of New Testament Christianity, the Priesthood of all believers. When the veil of the Temple was torn in half God was signifying that we all now have equal access to Him. There is no person who has spiritual authority (power) over us. We are all siblings in Christ and there is no chain of command among siblings.

Authority in the New Testament is of a completely different order. In some settings in our life we experience the kind of leadership that has the power of command. Our jobs are many times an example. But in the church a very different kind of leadership is needed.

The Church is a voluntary association of free people who accept the authority of God but recognize the equality of every believer.

The Church is a voluntary association of free people who accept the authority of God but recognize the equality of every believer. Because God is no respecter of persons, and because we are brothers and sisters in Christ, and because we can come equally before the Throne of Grace, the only valid authority and leadership we can follow is one of servant leadership.

Jesus, the Almighty Creator of the Universe had the valid authority to command and coerce. He instead chose the opposite of power and became the least. He took a washbasin and cloth and washed His disciples feet. The contrast between Who He is and what He did is so great that it should be impossible for anyone to misunderstand.

Nee’s “delegated authority” also blatantly violates Jesus’ own counsel at Matthew 23:8-12. “Neither be ye called masters, for one is your Master, even Christ.” Spiritual leaders have moral authority but they do not have coercive authority. Theirs is a servant leadership. Only the whole congregation acting together has the power to coerce according to Matthew 18.

For example, we are to submit of our own volition to godly leadership (Hebrews 13:17). But, we are to discern the godliness and scriptural validity of that leadership (1 Corinthians 11:1). Also, we must not submit if our conscience or biblical truth are violated. If a leader is leading contrary to truth then we should first consider that “a word to the wise is sufficient.” If that is not heeded then we must consider whether the issue is of little or great weight. If it is serious enough then we must confront (1 Timothy 5:19) with witnesses, and if the charge is denied then Matthew 18 says we must take it to the whole church.

It is the congregation as a body that decides such issues. And therein lies the problem in abusive churches. They have short-circuited the Matthew 18 mechanism so the “whole congregation” is prevented from exercising its power. So, the one who brought the accusation is left with the question where does he go from here? How will he get the issue before the whole congregation?