Miles Stanford's Bad Reasoning

We must come to realize after reading this that (1) Miles Stanford was not a Christian, and he (2) tried to marry Nee to Lee

The Truth of Miles' Mistaken Assumptions

Miles - leader of the assembly-type movement

Troy - shouldn't a Christian believe in assembly? To start it should be noted that Nee was osas arminian, knew man was tripartite (spirit, soul, and body), held to the blessing of Rev. 1.3 (partial rapture), and Scriptural locality. As you read through this, remember a very specific comment by Watchman Nee on page 11 (vol. 2) of The Spiritual Man, "'We live by the Spirit' (Gal. 5.25). If whatever men know comes through their brain without the Holy Spirit regenerating their spirit, then their knowledge will help them not one whit. If their belief rests in man's wisdom [even in reading God's Word] and not in God's power [through correctly and deeply reading His Word and by His Spirit] they are merely excited in their soul. They will not last long, for they are not yet newly born. Regeneration comes to just those who believe in their heart (Rom. 10.10 - for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.)" And I would add that men think they are thinking clearly, but when examined, they are not as we shall see below of Miles Stanford.

Miles - combination of his extreme views, Darby's closed views, Muller's open views, and T. Austin-Sparks' moderate views. The stress was on locality--each group an independent unit representing the Church in its particular area. In the larger cities, each assembly was to be in a different postal zone. Believers were required to attend the gathering in their particular home area or zone, none other. Like the Brethren, a number of the assemblies would congregate centrally from time to time for a weekend teaching conference.

Troy - as far as I can tell none of these above mentioned names held to Biblical locality, ie, church of Ephesus in the churches of Asian Minor, or church of Jerusalem in the churches of Judea, or the church of Fresno in the churches of California. In each instance all Christians are in that locality, and there is no requirement to particular meeting places. This is what Watchman Nee taught in Church and the Work. What Scriptural locality simply means is that the elders are selected for the locality by informal apostles, and in so doing, the elders administer the many meeting places so as to lead people to fellowship on the Lord's Day just as it was in the Bible and the first century. If you live in a locality, why would you not want to meet in that area? If you are spending time elsewhere, this does not preclude you from fellowshipping elsewhere for a time. Gatherings of believers in other kinds of ways should not be denounced, either for the Work or the Church. For example, if apostles from several regions want to get together to discuss a matter, should this be disallowed? Is it extreme to abide in man-made organizations that exceed locality, or the church of Fresno, if you live in Fresno, to seeking unity there? Within each locality may be many meeting places, just as there may be many remote areas too. In the simplest terms, Elders facilitate meeting places. That is the objective.

Miles - growth based on the identification truths.

Troy - should we not identify with Christ on the cross. Identification is co-death with Christ in addition to substitution. "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12.24). Jesus wants us to put our soul life to nought. No death, no fruit. There is no other way to bear fruit than through death. Everyone of his disciples must follow in his footsteps. Soul power as talent, knowledge, gift, magnetism, eloquence or cleverness will be most active in service if it is inhibited from operating. "He who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life". On page 191, vol. 1 of The Spiritual Man, Nee additionally clarifies:

Do not misunderstand this verse [John 12.24-25] as signifying the inactivity of our mind and talent. The Lord clearly asserts that in losing our soul life we will keep it unto eternal life. Just as “the sinful body might be destroyed” (Rom. 6.6) does not mean the destruction of the hands, feet, ears and eyes of the human body, so too the committal of the soul life to death must not be construed as connoting the negation or destruction of any of its functions. Even though the body of sin has been destroyed, we still yield our “members to God as instruments of righteousness” (Rom. 6.13); just so, when natural life is sacrificed to death, we shall find renewal, revival and restraint of the Holy Spirit in all the faculties of our soul. It cannot therefore imply that henceforth we become wood and stone without feeling, thought or will because we must not or cannot use any of the parts of the soul. Every part of the body as well as every organ of the soul still exists and is meant to be fully engaged; only now they are being renewed, revived and restrained by the Holy Spirit. The point at issue is whether the soul’s faculties are to be regulated by our natural life or by the supernatural life which indwells our spirit. These faculties remain as usual. What is unusual now is that the power which formerly activated them has been put to death; the Holy Spirit has made God’s supernatural power their life.

This is important to point out early on because Miles' main effort is try to claim that Nee does not believe this, which obviously he does. This is quite a contradiction for Miles, because Miles fully approves of Watchman Nee's The Normal Christian Life. Instead of Miles misreading, he should try to understand what Nee was saying (but, of course, that is too late now) to see agreement from The Normal Christian Life to The Spiritual Man to The Release of the Spirit to consider the possibility that Miles was lacking a spirit of discernment.

Miles - In his tendency toward extremism, Nee went into the "warfare" teaching of Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis and Evan Roberts via their dangerous book, War on the Saints.

Troy - What extremism? Should we not avail the full armor of God in spiritual warfare? Should we just trust Miles self-declarations that something is dangerous?

Miles - Hence much of the good of Nee's ministry and writings (some thirty volumes of his messages are in print at present) has been overshadowed by errors such as the Arminian "baptism in the Holy Ghost" for power in service and spiritual warfare, exercise of the sign gifts (tongues not stressed), healing in the atonement, inner light and intuitive revelation, demon possession of believers, and exorcism.

Troy - At CFP, there are 55 books to be exact. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the experience burial and resurrection with Christ. How odd for Miles to be against this if he is a Christian. Nee writes in Latent Power of the Soul, "Let us talk about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When I was in Shantung this time, I too told people to seek for it. Nevertheless, I do not approve of the shutting in of many people into a small room for several days’ fasting, praying, and chorus singing. Should people do such a thing, it will not take too long for them to have their brain dazed, the will to be turned passive, and their lips to be made to utter strange and incoherent sounds or tongues. And in this way shall their latent power be released. In a meeting for seeking Spirit-baptism, people will keep shouting hallelujah for thousands of times. Eventually, their brain will grow dull, their mind becomes paralyzed, and they begin to see visions. How can you consider this as Spirit-baptism? It is but soul-baptism. What they receive is not the power of the Holy Spirit; it is instead soul force, the manifestation of the latent power of the soul. It comes from human exercise, not from the enduement of God. This is not the proper way for seeking the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Yet people are still coaching others in this way, a way they learn not at God’s instruction but by their own past experiences." If we have gifts, should we not exercise them to the glory of God? I did a search for "sign gifts", and Nee never used these two words together like this in all his writings so this is just Mile's imagination. Watchman Nee believed that tongues was different languages. For those that were Pentecostals, he called what they were involved in "baby talk" and the church would always be carnal built up that way - even kindergarden church. Assuming healing in the atonement means the atonement of Christ, is it not God's desire to heal? Even so, this phrase "healing in the atonement" was never used by Nee so I am not sure what Mile's imagination is involved in. Regarding inner light and intuitive revelation, do we not receive revelation in our spirit? Certainly not our body and soul for spirit speaking unto spirit. Would we not be deceived if we thought believers could not be deceived by demons? Even possession whereby Satan gains foothold in the mind. Watchman Nee never used the word exorcism in his writings, so it is unclear where Miles gets his theories from.

Miles - Nee also taught a split, or, partial Rapture, i.e., the "overcomers" will be caught up prior to the Tribulation, the "unprepared" believers will experience the holocaust. All of the, teachings mentioned here are in his books, The Release of the Spirit, and The Spiritual Man (the latter in three volumes).

Troy - Partial rapture is found in "Come, Lord Jesus", Aids to Revelation, and King and the Kingdom of Heaven. Split rapture is not the term used, but separate rapture. Do all Christians keep the Word of His patience to escape the hour of trial? Obviously not (Rev. 3.10, Luke 21.36). There will be overcomers in the Tribulation as well. The 7th trumpet resurrection will occur at the start of the 7th trumpet just before the bowls are poured at the end of the Tribulation. The 7th trumpet opens up the 7 bowls, just as the 7th seal opens up the 7 trumpets. You may refer to this as God's lock tumblers.

Miles - the Three Self movement.

Troy - today there is the little flock that operates independently in China, not part of any self movement, nor the subsequent Local Church cult that began after Nee was imprisoned for life.

Miles - A disciple of Watchman Nee, Witness Lee

Troy - what we know is that Witness Lee changed. Something happened to him in which he became a calvinist, screamer, and altered locality into a central hub for filthy lucre. Obviously this does not agree with Watchman Nee's writing in Church and the Work (3 volume set) or any of his writings.

Miles - And as for extreme teachings, he has outstripped his mentor.

Troy - We have addressed the claims of Nee being extreme above, which show he was not extreme. I do not believe Witness Lee was saved for too many clues point to the contrary in his modalism, screaming, calvinism, locality by central hub of filthy lucre, and suing Christians for faith. We do need to keep in mind that the Brethren movement of 1828 (like that of Darby) in the Bible is considered the Philadephia church period. Today we are in Laodicean "differing opinions".

Miles - Provided below are excerpts from the written teachings of both Nee and Lee

Troy - We need to realize Miles is attempting to marry Nee to Lee. Notice he did not give the writer of the quotes so we do not know if it is of Nee or Lee. I can't comment on those Miles quotes and doesn't comment on; I can only address the points he makes to show Miles mistakes.

Miles - 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.

Troy - After much quoting, finally, this is the first comment Miles makes derogatorily on actual writings by Watchman Nee. Before the fall the rightful operation position of man's tripartite nature was spirit, soul, body. Only after the fall did man exalt his soul or body above and smothering the spirit, rendering it dead in communion with God. This in no way implies that the Word of God is inferior. The Word of God works in agreement with the Holy Spirit in the believers spirit. Watchman Nee writes, "Well do we begin if we follow intuition instead of thought. To perform God's will a Christian need simply heed the direction of his intuition. There is no necessity to ask others, or even to ask yourself. The believer must follow the revelation of his intuition, not the though in his head. He who heeds the mind is walking after the flesh and is accordingly led astray. Nevertheless, we have not said that the mind is entirely useless. True, we make a great mistake if we elevate the mind as the organ for direct fellowship with God for receiving revelation from Him; yet it does have a role assigned to it. That role is to assist intuition."

Miles - This is a far cry 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).

Troy - This is the meaning of "assist intuition". Therefore, this is not a far cry at all. Rather, what Miles is doing is missing Nee's point about the importance of walking after the spirit receiving God's revelation there instead of living in the mental stirrings of the soul. Our spirit was first regenerated, not our soul, so it is our holy of holies that is most where comes indwells, and what is received there is then transmitted to the soul's mind, will and emotions for renewal.

Miles - Someone has well said, "Believing is a mode of thinking. It is that particular manner of thinking that is guided to its object by the testimony of another, or by some kind of intermediation, such as the Bible. It is not intuitive." "Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine" (1 Tim. 5:17).

Troy - thinking has its place, but if one engages in mental gymnastics against God's will inordinately, such as will-worship, you can begin to see the problem for there is no change occurring man as Miles' was unchanged therein. Through study of  God's Word, God is affecting change in the inner man. That is the aim of the Scriptures and the spirit is strengthened with the intuition alive to God.

Miles - "PERFECTIONISM" -- One basic error leads to another.

Troy - It is no sin to be seeking overcoming, which is perfecting in Christ. This is the term the Bible uses. Watchman Nee writes, "Whoever genuinely desires to be perfect must let the Cross cut deep into his emotion". Should the cross not cut deeply an incision the dividing of spirit, soul and body (Heb. 4.12)?

Miles - "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.

Troy - This really does show Miles is not a Christian, for it is the aim of a Christian to experience the baptism burial and resurrection with Christ? This is resurrection life. How are we to overcome the supernatural if we do not avail ourselves of the weapons of God's spiritual arsenal? Notice Watchman Nee never used the term, demonism. Are we to deny there are demons? Watchman Nee read War on the Saints, obviously quite deeply since he devoted several chapters in The Spiritual Man addressing various aspects of this book. Since there is no error to speak of by Jessie-Penn Lewis or Watchman Nee, deeply discerning this material, to assume Nee quoted without question or that such a helpful book is dangerous is obviously unfounded.

Miles - "THE BAPTISM" -- In The Spiritual Man we can see the beginnings of the familiar Pentecostal-type pattern.

Troy - as previously noted - see God's Works - Watchman Nee did not believe in Pentecostalism and their false tongues antics. Nee writes, "In seeking the might of the Holy Spirit we must keep our mind clear and our will alive, thereby guarding ourselves from the enemy's counterfeit. We must also let God purge from our life anything sinful, unrighteous or doubtful. We then should 'receive that promise of the Spirit' by faith. Should there be delay, use the opportunity for closer scrutiny of your life beneath His light. Gladly accept any feeling which does come with power; for if God deems it suitable not to accompany power with feeling, simply believe He has indeed fulfilled His Word. How does one judge whether he has received the promise or not? By looking into his experience. He who has received power has his spiritual senses sharpened and also possesses an utterance--not of this world--to witness for the Lord". Our experience is the testing ground to in following God's Word. This is no mere objective study. There is also real life and real experience living a life in Christ.

Miles - Volume II, page 55-57 -- "WARFARE" -- Penn-Lewis and Roberts found to their sorrow that what they considered to be the best, turned out to be the worst. The "baptism" inexorably leads to "warfare." In this Nee was no exception.

Troy - When you enter the deeper spiritual experience you make contact with the supernatural, and there spiritual warfare will ensue. Spiritual Christians testify to this reality. Carnal Christians do not know anything of this experience. "Upon experiencing the baptism that believer's intuition becomes acutely sensitive and he discovers in his spirit a spiritual world opening before him. Now it is just here that spiritual warfare begins. This is the period when the power of darkness disguises himself as an angel of light and even attempts to counterfeit the person and work of the Holy Spirit. It is also the moment when the intuition is made aware of the existence of a spiritual domain and of a reality of Satan and his evil spirits. Spirit-baptism marks the starting point of spiritual warfare". This is what I have experienced as well. Much is expected of us when we enter the spiritual realm.

Miles - Volume II, page 60-64 -- TO THE "BATTLE"

Troy - Yes! To the battle we go on the offensive against evil supernatural. Otherwise we enter into passivity.

Miles - Volume III, page 120, 126, 131 -- "DEMON POSSESSION" -- Shades of the instigators of this error, Mrs. Penn-Lewis and Mr. Roberts.  And the end is not yet.  Now it has come to demon possession of believers!

Troy - For a Christian that does not think demons intend to attack the mind of a Christian, that one is already possessed and deceived.

Miles - Volume III, page 224, 225 -- "VICTORY OVER DEATH" -- Having gone this far in his doctrinal deviation, it was but a step for Nee to follow Evan Roberts in his teaching on "overcoming death." Nee finally writes,

Troy - Is this not the overcoming of a Christian, that even death can not hold us? Watchman Nee writes, "The Lord will enable you to overcome death. So lay hold of the promise of God has given you, ask for life, and trust that nothing can harm you. Do not concede to the power of death, or else it will touch you. For instance, you may be staying in a disease-infected area; yet you can withstand all diseases and not permit anything to come upon you. Do not let death attach you through sickness. No longer can we wait passively for the Lord's return, comforting ourselves with the thought that we will be raptured anyway. We must be prepared. Death must be singularly resisted and rapture must be claimed wholeheartedly".

Miles - Publication Data -- Watchman Nee was saved in 1920, at the age of seventeen. In 1928 he wrote The Spiritual Man in three volumes. The edition we have referred to in the previous section was published in 1968 by Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc. This organization is composed of devotees of Watchman Nee and his disciple, Witness Lee. It is now [1974] located in Washington, D.C.

Troy - This is a misrepresentation since Witness Lee had no part of Christian Fellowship Publishers. Witness Lee started a cult calling Living Stream Ministry and the Local Church. At Christian Fellowship Publishers, through Stephen Kaung, they have preserved Watchman Nee's writings. Witness Lee's version of Nee's writings are engaging in the sins of bearing false witness, for example pertaining to The Spiritual Man, which is why one is advised only to read the white covers from CFP.

Miles - There was no need for brother Nee to fear that which he considered to be perfect, but rather should he have realized and feared the book's imperfections--errors of a very serious nature, as we have seen.

Troy - As we have seen there are no errors, but such an excellent work, that many treat it as a book of principles, and not for affecting spiritual life as set out in the Word of God. For example, we see Miles misreading it, and it is for that very reason, because of its depth, that Miles is so confused.

Miles - The Normal Christian Life -- In the late 1930's Nee visited England and came in contact with some of the Exclusive Plymouth Brethren leaders, as well as Mr. T. Austin-Sparks of the Honor Oak movement. The brief but effective influence of these associations, especially that of Sparks, is reflected in a series of messages Nee gave to a group of his co-workers upon returning to China in 1938. We have this material today in the form of Nee's classic, The Normal Christian Life. The overall message of this book is practically without peer. It has good doctrinal content, and the identification truths are presented clearly with the Cross central and the Christ-life predominant.

Troy - this is true! Note though, that Sparks had errors, not understanding Biblical locality, and that Nee eventually separated himself from any kind of demands of exclusivism. When we speak of the Philadephia church period, that is referring to 182 Brethren movement, not the exclusive plymouth brethren, the distinction being obvious one with exclusivity and the other not.

Miles - The Release of the Spirit -- ANTI-DOCTRINAL -- However, nearly ten years later--in 1947--Nee gave a series of messages at a co-workers conference, and these were subsequently published under the title of The Release of the Spirit. Here we have the errors of The Spiritual Man confirmed and compounded.
Our reference is to the 1965 edition published by the Fromke holiness group, Sure Foundation Publishers. Here we will deal with Nee's anti-doctrinal attitude, without going into the book's strange and dangerous teaching of projecting one's spirit to touch the spirit of the Bible, the spirit of others, etc.

Troy - To date, since the Word of God was given, the greatest work in the Church is The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee, flawless without error. It is a fact of spiritual life that we make contact with the spirit of believers with our spirit, and as the Spirit with our spirit in agreement with God's Word. Many do not want to accept this fact. Miles is mistaken that we project our spirit, but rather that we perceive through the spirit intuitively and communicate to others not just to affect some change in their mind, but to reach their inner man for real change to come about.

Miles - But God says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (II Tim. 3:16). On page 88 Nee states:

Troy - Nee adequately then points out, "Doctrine does not have much use, nor does theology. What is the use of mere mental knowledge of the Bible if the outward man [the soul] remains unbroken?" Indeed!

Miles - In direct contrast to such erroneous teaching 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).]

Troy - This is not in direct contrast. Nee writes, "Do you not realize that edification is not a question of doctrine, but of spirit? If your brother speaks through his spirit, you will be washed and cleansed each time his spirit comes out and touches you. Any teaching of doctrine which does not result in reviving the spirit can only be considered as dead letter." If a person reads the Bible only with his mind, without his inner spirit being touched, then it is vanity. In other words, if the person is not changed, then what good is it if you do not abide in God's Word, such as in the case of Miles sinning the sin of bearing false witness.

Miles - despicable error

Troy - Nee writes, "When there is the flowing of the spirit we will forget the theology we have learned. All we know is that the Spirit has come. Instead of mere knowledge we have an 'inner light.'" Miles doesn't say what the error is, so we need not comment. Note that the Christian Fellowship Publishers copy is quite a bit different, referring to "book knowledge" not theology.

Miles - MAN OVERBOARD! -- In this book Nee substitutes his "inner light of revelation" for the Scriptural work of the Cross. He makes the following radical statement on page 78:

Troy - Not at all. The Scriptural work of the Cross includes a spirit of wisdom and revelation by the light of the Holy Spirit indwelling lighting man's spirit up like a lightbulb. What is accomplished by the cross is Executed by the Spirit in the spirit of the believer. Hence, Nee writes, "Whatever is revealed 'in the light' is slain by it. Right then and there your pride, your self, your flesh wither away and die with no hope of survival." Again CFP is quite a bit different, referring to "blazing light" and "preconceived notions of self" "dawn upon you".

Miles - 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."

Troy- From what we have seen of Miles comments, and his critique of Nee's 55 books at CFP, he was unable to find any error in Nee's writings to speak of to consider Miles ability of discernment in his conscience to be worth examining further.

Love,

Troy