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*Last updated on Tue, Jun 15, 2010 22:36:15 EDT*

My Change Of Views Toward The Faith Of The Local Church
2008-11-23

MY CHANGE OF VIEWS TOWARD THE FAITH OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

'The truth becomes clearer after debating'! Indeed, since 2004, because of the commentaries concerning the theology of Witness Lee in the book Knowing the Lord Christ, I have had much contact, debate, and clarification with some brothers from the Local Church in Hong Kong. Their frank sharing with me along with the first-hand information and expositions that were provided had caused me to change my understanding and perception toward them.

Thirty years ago while I was abroad, I got acquainted with some brothers who had been co-workers of Witness Lee but who subsequently left and started their own work. From them I learned that the reason of their departing from Witness Lee was that they could not accept his faith, including the use of modalism to explain the Trinity. Afterwards, I heard that in expounding Colossians 1:15, Lee promoted the teaching of Christ as a creature. Moreover, with the contention I had with the brothers from some Local Churches over the view of 'one city, one church' (as promoted by both Watchman Nee and Witness Lee) and the teaching of multiple raptures (multi-raptureism) while I was a pastor in the United States, I was led to consider at that time that Witness Lee was not only radical but also heretical.

However, after returning to Hong Kong and since 2004, I have had numerous discussions with the responsible brothers from the Church in Hong Kong and had received a great deal of information from them that enabled us to understand their position and views.

I. They disagree with adopting modalism to explain the Trinity. They acknowledge that God is the unique and true God, but there are three Persons: the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit; the 'Spirit' of the three Persons are actually the same, being the Spirit of God.

II. They firmly believe that the divinity of the Lord Christ is the Creator and definitely not a creature; but His humanity is creature. Owing to their belief that 'His dear Son' in Colossians 1:15 is a part of creation, regarding 'the Firstborn of all creation' as partitive genitive (= part of the creation), an idea being similar to that of the Jehovah Witness, I had considered them being of the same category. However, I have seen their exposition; their view of Christ being a creature is merely directed at Christ's humanity and definitely not at His divinity.

My Position Concerning Christology

1. Christ is the complete God and the complete man.

2. The divinity of the Lord Christ is self-existing and ever-existing, being the Creator of all things in the universe. The Spirit of God the Father equals to the Spirit of Christ and also equals to the Spirit of the Holy Spirit; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are independent Persons; the three Persons being the same in nature, in glory, in authority, in power, and deserving the same worship.

3. 'The Firstborn of all creation' in Colossians 1:15 should be considered as 'comparative genitive' (i.e. 'the Firstborn above all creation') because Colossians 1:16 says, 'For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.'

4. The humanity of the Lord Christ only began at incarnation, being born miraculously of the Spirit of God the Father and being conceived of the Holy Spirit. However, since the Spirit of the Father equals to the Spirit of Christ and equals to the Spirit of the Holy Spirit, the incarnation could be considered as the Lord Christ 'Himself ...taking upon...the form of a servant' and 'becoming in the likeness of men' (Phil. 2:7), (For details, refer to p. 178-179 of Behold, the Complete Lord Christ by the author); or it may be said that the Lord Christ 'Himself...took part of blood and flesh' (Heb. 2:14). Actually, the verbs in three passages of Scriptures have brought out the message above:

1. (Himself...becoming)

2. (Himself...taking upon...the form of a servant)

3. (Himself...taking part of...blood and flesh)?

The explanation above is consistent with the Lord Christ being the 'only Begotten Son' of God and that Christ was born of the Father, not made nor created but was born of. Nevertheless, the author does not exclude another view: 'The Spirit of God made the flesh for the Lord Christ', (just as with the Lord's resurrection, on one hand, 'God raised Him from the dead' but on the other hand, according to John 10:18, 'The Lord Himself rose from the dead'. However, the author rejects 'not believing that the flesh of Christ was ?created' and not ?born' is equivalent to Docetism, or Gnoticism, or the belief of Schwenkfeld, which is equivalent to heresy'. The author will, based upon facts, reject any absolute claim upon a relative truth. Because the local church believes that the divinity of the Lord Christ is eternal, self-existing and ever-existing, is the Creator and not the creature, and that the Lord Christ is the complete God as well as the complete man and moreover, their teaching of the flesh of Christ being a creature refers to God creating a flesh for Christ and that the Holy Spirit creating a flesh for the Lord, I can accept that.

III. Concerning the theory of 'one city, one church', what they address is the spiritual 'ekklesia', although in my understanding there is only one spiritual church globally from ancient time to the present day, which is all the saints who are washed by the blood of Christ and called by God, a general term including those on earth and in the heavens (Heb. 12:23), and that there may not necessarily be one local church for one city because:

1. At the most that was only a pattern (just as all the seven churches in Revelation are places and that the 'church' is singular in number) and not a command or a doctrine.

2. In Acts 9:31, there is more than one city but 'ekklesia' is still singular in number, being a general term spiritually and not one city, one church.

3. The 'church' as described in First Corinthians 10:31-32 is also 'ekklesia' and is singular but it includes Jewish and Greek believers.

4. Despite having only one local church in one city at the beginning of the early church, it does not mean that the number of churches would not increase. However, the Ecclesiology above is not the sphere of our essential belief; hence, I recognize them as our brothers and sisters also.

IV. Concerning the issue on multiple-raptures: even though I deeply believe that the rapture is a one-time occurrence (1 Thes. 4:17 records 'caught up together'), this is not our core belief. Whether people believe in pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, post-tribulation, or multiple raptures, their salvation will not be affected.

V. The view concerning pastors: In my past contact with the brothers from the local church, I was left with an impression that they opposed the pastoral system and even its title. There is only one definite article preceding both 'shepherds and teachers' (Eph. 4:11), which is both a gift and an office, and which are servants of the Lord being responsible for teaching and shepherding. In the Bible, the words such as 'shepherd', 'pastor', and 'shepherding' appear more than one hundred and ten times. Pastors are also brothers; whatever the Bible accepts, we also have to accept. Nevertheless, this is also not our essential belief and thus we should not reject them based on this issue.

To summarize, based on their views on the biblical inerrancy and the authority of the Bible, their views on the most crucial truths such as those toward the true Triune God, toward the complete divinity and humanity of the Lord Christ, toward the second coming of the Lord Christ, toward man, toward sin, and toward salvation, there is little difference from what we believe. Although we hold different views on the explanation of some details, this does not affect our acceptance of them. They are neither a heretical nor a radical sect but are our brothers and sisters.

I personally hope that they will be blended into the harmonious fellowship with other churches and that other churches will receive them, to testify the Lord Christ, establish the disciples, and glorify the true Triune God together.

Issue No. 1108; November 23, 2008.

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