Living Stream Ministry Altered Hell to Hades in Their

Version of Watchman Nee's, The Spiritual Man (CFP)

LSM (preface 1) - During those two months, I can say that I was living between Satan's jaws. What a conflict that was! How much there was to withstand! All the strength of the spirit, the soul, and the body were hurled against Hades. Such warfare has temporarily ceased now.

CFP (preface 1) - I may say that for two months I lived daily in the jaws of Satan. What battling! What withstanding! All my powers of spirit, soul and body were summoned to contend with hell. Such battles are now temporarily suspended, but more parts must be written.

Is Satan taking Watchman Nee and hurling him against Hades? No. Is Watchman Nee really hurling his spirit, soul and body against death (Hades)? Why would he do such a thing? How strange to throw oneself against death? No! Nee was in warfare in which he summoned all his faculties, strength and power of spirit, soul and body to contend with hell itself. Spiritual warfare is not to hurl one's being at or against death. Spiritual warfare is against principalities and powers in 2nd heaven and the place to which they are going - hell.

An LSM member thinks in the above quote of the CFP version that the word "power" is inappropriate for this reason: "Nee says 'my powers' and on the surface it seems not appropriate that he would say that maybe it's a mis-translation from original meaning in Chinese?" Why would the LSM member let his petty self get excited over the word "power" or "strength" which have the same meaning? Is it not because he has seen how LSM is outright Bearing False Witness of The Spiritual Man?

LSM (preface 1) - If I had written the book under such a condition, its value and power would have been diminished.

CFP (preface 1) - This lack I knew would lessen the value as well as the power of the book.

Based on the same reasoning used by the LSM member, would he not have to accuse the LSM also of a mistranslation because it uses the word "power" here? Of course not. Let the LSM member not have a double standard. In fact, when Nee was contending, "power" would seem to be a better word to use, because he must not use the "strength" of self, but rely wholly on God to use all his faculties and God-given powers being made in His image, according to His will, to help him for "what battling" being in the "jaws of Satan".

LSM (preface 1) - During the past few years, the truths in this book—particularly those in Volume Three—have released many from the authority of darkness. This proves that we have seen the spiritual reality.

CFP (preface 1) - Within these few years the truths contained in this book, especially those in the last volume, have liberated many from the power of darkness, demonstrating that we had touched spiritual reality.

The LSM version should have used the word "power" if the LSM member was correct about the "power" usage and he was not in his petty self.

Does Satan really have authority over anything? Let's not even give him credit in the darkness. God has authority over everything, even the darkness. Three times the Bible speaks of Satan having the "power of darkness" (Luke 22.53, Col. 1.13; and see Acts 26.18). I couldn't find the usage "authority of darkness" in God's Word.

What I see is better language used by the CFP version and doctrinally more appropriate teaching on warfare, consistent with Watchman Nee's writings.

Troy