imprisonment. The following eight letters were written at the end of his confinement in
organism." Some came and met with the church for a time, expecting to receive some post in the work. Eventually, however, when they discovered that they could not obtain what they were after, they left and became opponents.
F. Rebellion and Attack
Rebellion of the brothers and sisters was another source of suffering to Watchman Nee. A brother co-worker committed immorality. Watchman assisted the church in that coworker's locality to excommunicate him. He in turn rebelliously attacked Brother Nee. During World War II, after the Japanese army occupied Shanghai, that co-worker sent mail to Watchman of such a nature that if the contents had been disclosed or discovered by the censors it would have caused much trouble. What an evil attack that was!
Through the years a number became rebellious and attacked him. The most serious case centered around his involvement in business and involved the saints in Shanghai in 1942. Most of the brothers and sisters, including the co-workers and elders, rebelled against him and attacked him. This was the greatest cause of suffering to him and forced him to discontinue his ministry for six years. That was a severe and long suffering.
Through all these sufferings, however, he learned the lessons. These sufferings not only assisted him in trusting the Lord; they also worked for him in dealing with his flesh, his self, his soul, and his natural life. In my own personal knowledge of him, the final experience he learned through his sufferings, when his ministry was terminated for six years, was that of the breaking of the outer man. He never passed on mere teachings and doctrines; his messages contained the reality he acquired through the experience of suffering. The experience he acquired through suffering served as a great help to all of us and became a rich heritage to all the churches in the Lord's recovery. This rich heritage was acquired by him at a high price.
His sufferings also helped him to receive revelations from the Lord. Often through a certain kind of suffering, he received a certain kind of revelation. His sufferings often became the Lord's revelation. He was purified, dealt with, torn down, and constituted by the Holy Spirit with the divine life through his sufferings. Through such experience of suffering, he was equipped and positioned to receive the Lord's revelation.
V. OTHERS
A. False Condemnation and Imprisonment
Watchman Nee was arrested in March 1952. He was judged, falsely condemned, and sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment in 1956. He died in confinement on May 30, 1972. There is no way to know what he experienced of the Lord during this long imprisonment. The following eight letters were written at the end of his confinement in his own handwriting and are the only means through which we can see a small glimpse of his suffering, feeling, and expectation during his confinement.
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Letter One
April 22, 1972 Eldest Sister Pin-cheng,
I received your letter of April 7, and found that you had not received my letter, in which I notified you that the things you sent me every time have been received. All the things you mentioned in your letter I have received. I am very grateful to you. You know my physical condition is chronic, an illness of the organ itself. When it is activated I suffer much, but even when it is latent, it is still present with me. The difference is whether or not it is activated. Summer is here, and although more exposure to the sun can alter a little the color of my skin, it cannot change the illness. However, I maintain my joy, so please do not worry. I hope you will also take care of yourself and be filled with joy in your heart.
I wish you well.
Shu-tsu
Watchman wrote this letter to his sister-in-law, who was his wife's oldest sister and whom he addressed in the letter as "eldest sister."
This sister lived in Peking and was away from Mrs. Nee for about twenty years. In 1971 Mrs. Nee fell from a stool and broke two ribs. Because of this fall, Mrs. Nee's high blood pressure increased, and this caused her death. Due to this great loss, the eldest sister felt it necessary after Mrs. Nee's death to stay and take care of Watchman and to send him the things he needed. "The things you sent me every time" refers to this.
"When it [the 'chronic ailment'] is activated I suffer much" and "it ['more exposure to the sun'] cannot change the illness" indicate that he was still suffering from his illness.
"However, I maintain my joy" indicates that he was practicing the word of the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:4: "Rejoice in the Lord always." "Be filled with joy in your heart" indicates that he not only rejoiced in the Lord Himself, but also encouraged his sisterin-law to be filled with the joy of the Lord. Both of these words show us that while he was suffering his imprisonment, he trusted in the Lord and had much fellowship with the Lord. He was like the apostle, who, while suffering imprisonment, rejoiced in the Lord and encouraged his readers to also rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 2:17-18). In his letter he did not quote anything from the Scriptures, indicating that he had no freedom to do so. This letter was dated April 22, 1972, thirty-eight days before he passed away. He
signed this letter with his name, Shu-tsu, which was commonly used among his relatives.
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Letter Two
May 6, 1972 Eldest Sister Pin-cheng,
Tomorrow (May 7) it will be half a year since the death of Sister Hwei. Too many changes have transpired during the past half a year. In reminiscing over the former days, and in perusing and caressing the articles left behind by her, I could not help but grieve and ache in my heart. For over twenty years, I have not been able to take care of her once. This will be a lifelong regret to me. It was all because of me; I owe her so much and have given her so many hardships. My sickness is chronic and has frequent setbacks. As far as my living goes, I try as much as possible to make things simple, so that I would not bother others. In my sickness, I really miss my own relatives and long to be with them. However, I submit to the arrangement placed on my environment. For the past ten days or so, I could not help but have unceasing deep feelings for Sister Hwei. How is your health? You are always in my remembrance. As an older person, you should take more care of yourself. Are you still thinking about coming to the south? I do not know what to say. I can only wish you well.
Shu-tsu
In this letter "Sister Hwei" refers to Watchman's wife, Charity, whose Chinese name is Pin-hwei.
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Letter Three
May 16, 1972 Eldest Sister Pin-cheng,
Both your letter dated the 6th from Peking and the one dated the 11th from Shanghai have been received. This time when you come, I hope that you can stay longer and have more rest. In my sickness, I do long to be in contact more with my own relatives. Here the mountains are beautiful and the water clear. One thing special about this place is that the children are especially
handsome, more so than all the ones I saw in Shanghai. I hope that you can find some rest here. Sister Hwei's ashes are indeed a problem. When you come, we will discuss this. I do not have much need. Just bring me an electric flashlight.
I wish you well.
Shu-tsu
Letter Four
May 22, 1972 Eldest Sister Pin-cheng,
I have talked with the supervisor concerning the question of my leaving the farm here. He said, "You cannot go to Peking or Shanghai. You can only go to a small place, a village. As long as the verification papers come, the government will deal with the matter according to the set policy. There is no need to discuss this with me." Therefore, please find for me someone among my relatives whose name I can come under. You can explain to them that I can take care of my living. I hope that they can receive me and that they can ask the commune administration there to issue a certificate saying that I can stay there and that they will accept me. I hope that someone can be found among my relatives. Ma Hsing-tao is one who may be willing to do it. Please discuss it with him, or with some others. On Saturday night, I had another relapse. For a few hours, my heart was quivering. Later I took some Diacin and was able to be sustained. On Sunday, I slept the whole day. In my sickness, I deeply long to return to my own relatives and be with them, as a falling leaf returning to its roots. I have lost contact with all of them for over twenty years. Therefore, I can only ask you to help me. When you come, bring with you one catty of Tai-Chang shredded beef and one catty of dried beef. Because of my angina pectoris, the doctor has told me not to eat egg yolk, fat, or any internal organs, for fear that the illness will worsen. So I can only eat some lean meat. If I do not eat anything, I will not have the supply of amino acid in the protein. This is a problem to me.
I wish you well.
Shu-tsu
In this letter, Watchman Nee referred to his sickness more than once. Diacin is a tradename of Niacin, a nicotinic acid. Angina pectoris, the chronic illness which he had, is a disease which causes chest pain due to a lack of blood supply to the heart muscles.
"Ma Hsing-tao" is Watchman's nephew-in-law, the husband of his niece who was the daughter of his cousin. During his imprisonment, this nephew-in-law and his wife took care of Mrs. Nee, who had poor health. Both he and his wife were brother and sister in the Lord. Eventually, his wife died, leaving this nephew-in-law to take care of Mrs. Nee alone.
On the same day that the above letter was written, Watchman wrote another letter to this relative (see Letter Five).
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Letter Five
May 22, 1972 Nephew-in-law Hsing-tao,
I believe your aunt, while she was alive, must have talked to you about my situation. You know that my eldest sister is supplying my needs; therefore, my living is no problem. I am old and with much illness, longing very much to be with my relatives. As a falling leaf returning to its root, so I seek a final resting place. I earnestly hope that you could take the responsibility to accomplish this matter for me. In every respect I am depending on you. Because of the death of your aunt six and a half months ago, all my five internal organs hurt, and it is difficult for me to pass through the days. I hope that you would make every effort to mail the certificate here. When your aunt was alive, she many times mentioned Hwei-yi and her children. I wonder how the children are now? I miss them. I heard that going to Chekiang may cause a problem with the food coupons. I believe since I eat very little, there will be a solution; so it does not matter. For more than twenty years we have not corresponded with each other. You are often in my remembrance.
I wish you well.
Shu-tsu
This letter was written by Watchman to his nephew-in-law.
"Your aunt" refers to Mrs. Nee. "Must have talked to you about my situation," according to the context of the whole letter, apparently refers to Watchman's health and matters involving his release from prison. "My eldest sister" refers to his eldest sister, Mrs. Chen, who lived in Hong Kong. During his imprisonment it was she who sent financial supply to Shanghai for Watchman Nee and his wife. It was because of this that his "living is no problem."
"Longing very much to be with my relatives" indicates that he was expecting to be released from prison and to stay with his nephew-in-law. At that time he considered himself "as a fallen leaf returning to its root," seeking "a final resting place" for the remaining years of his life. "To accomplish this matter for me" indicates that he had requested his nephew-in-law to prepare a resting place for him. "In every respect" concerning this matter he was depending upon that relative.
"Because of the death of your aunt six and a half months ago, all my five internal organs hurt, and it is difficult for me to pass through the days." This shows the deep sorrow he experienced regarding his wife's death and the hardship he suffered from it.
"Make every effort to mail the certificate" may indicate that Watchman desired this relative to send him a certificate certifying their relationship so he could be released from prison.
"Going to Chekiang" indicates that this relative's home was in Chekiang where Watchman intended to go and rest during his remaining years.
"May cause a problem with the food coupons" indicates the possibility of a problem for him to buy food stuff in Chekiang since he would be a stranger there.
This letter was dated May 22, 1972, only eight days before his departure.
Letter Six
May 25, 1972 Eldest Sister Pin-cheng,
Tomorrow, I will be reassigned from Feng-Shu-Ling to Shan-Shia-Pu Farm. When you come, do not buy your ticket for Feng-Shu-Ling. Instead buy your ticket for Shan-Shia-Pu. It is a little further away from Feng-Shu-Ling, at the next station. I have sent you one letter before this one. I do not know if you have received it. I hope to see you soon.
I wish you well.
Shu-tsu
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This letter to his sister-in-law shows that on May 26, he was to be transferred from the farm in Feng-Shu-Ling to another more remote farm in Shan-Shia-Pu, one station away.
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Letter Seven
May 26, 1972 Hsing-tao,
While in Feng-Shu-Ling I wrote you a letter, hoping you could obtain a certificate for me from the commune administration, which would clearly indicate your desire to receive me and guarantee my living. (You know my eldest sister is supplying my daily needs.) Your attitude should be firm and clear. [Series of long dashes supplied by Watchman Nee here.] Today I was transferred from Feng-Shu-Ling to the Convalescent Group at Pai-Yun-Shan. I hope you will try your best to do this and give me a reply. The certificate should be sent directly to Group No. 14, Pai-Yun-Shan Farm. In the salutation it should be the commune administration writing to PaiMao-Ling Farm, Kwang-Te County, Anhwei province. But when you mail it, you should address it to Group No. 14, Pai-Yun-Shan Farm, Kwang-Te County, Anhwei province. I hope very much to go back to my relatives. Please make an effort.
I wish you well,
Shu-tsu
This is the second letter written by Watchman to the same nephew-in-law. It was dated May 26, 1972, only four days before his death.
"While in Feng-Shu-Ling I wrote you a letter" indicates that the earlier letter was written in Feng-Shu-Ling.
"Address it to Group No. 14, Pai-Yun-Shan Farm, Kwang-Te County, Anhwei province" indicates that Watchman died in the Pai-Yun-Shan Farm, Kwang-Te County, Anhwei province. Pai-Yun-Shan Farm is probably the same as Shan-Shia-Pu mentioned in letter six.
"I hope very much to go back to my relatives" indicates how he desired to be released and go to his relatives. But he died four days later.
In all of the above letters, there is no mention of the name of the Lord or of God. This indicates that he did not have the freedom to do so.
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Letter Eight
May 30, 1972 Eldest Sister Pin-cheng,
I have been reassigned to Shan-Shia-Pu Group No. 14. It is ten [Chinese] miles away from the station and is separated from it by a mountain. It is very inconvenient for you to come. You do not need to come anymore. In my sickness, I still remain joyful at heart. Please do not worry. I am still doing my best to not allow myself to be grieved by my own illness. Pin-hwei's ashes will be left to your care. I am trusting in you for everything. I give my consent to everything. This letter is short, yet my feelings run deep. I can only wish you well.
Shu-tsu
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This was the last letter of Watchman Nee. It shows that the farm in which he died was quite remote, being ten Chinese miles from the station and separated from the station by a mountain. The fact that he had changed his mind and no longer wanted his sisterin-law to visit him and the fact that he had left the care of his wife's ashes to his sisterin-law, seem to indicate that he had sensed his imminent death. He died the same day.
B. Death and Humiliation
There is no way to trace the cause of Watchman's death. However, at his departure not one relative, brother, or sister was with him. Humanly speaking, what a miserable and humiliating way to die. There was no proper notification of his death and no funeral. He was cremated on June 1, 1972. Only the eldest sister of Mrs. Nee was informed of his death and cremation on June 1, 1972. It was she who picked up the ashes and gave them to Watchman's nephew-in-law. He in turn buried the ashes with those of Mrs. Nee in his home town of Kwanchao in the county of Haining, Chekiang province.
The following is an account by Brother Nee's grandniece, who accompanied Mrs. Nee's eldest sister at the time when Brother Nee's ashes were picked up:
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In June 1972, we got a notice from the labor farm that my granduncle had passed away. My eldest grandaunt and I rushed to the labor farm. But when we got there, we learned that he had already been cremated. We could only see his ashes....Before his departure, he left a piece of paper under his pillow, which had several lines of big words written in a shaking hand. He wanted to testify to the truth which he had even until his death, with his lifelong experience. That truth is—"Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners and resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ. Watchman Nee." When the officer of the labor farm showed us this paper, I prayed that the Lord would let me quickly remember it by heart.... My granduncle had passed away. He was faithful until death. With a crown stained with blood, he went to be with the Lord. Although God did not fulfill his last wish, to come out alive to join his wife, the Lord prepared something even better—they were reunited before the Lord.
Such is the way that Watchman Nee ended his time on this earth. In May 1989, after a period of seventeen years, his ashes and the ashes of Mrs. Nee were both transferred by his two nephews from Chekiang to a public cemetery in Shiangshan in the city of Soochow of Kiangsu province. They were both buried in "The Christian Cemetery" beside Watchman's brother Nee Hwai-tsu and the latter's wife.
Watchman Nee was a man of suffering. Along his pathway of following the Lamb, he suffered. Today as a result of his suffering, we have such a rich heritage in the Lord's recovery. The following two stanzas are the conclusion to Hymn #635 in our hymnal, which is on the suffering of the grapevine. These words, which he helped me arrange into singable verse in Hong Kong in 1950, summarized his entire life.
Not by gain our life is measured, But by what we've lost 'tis scored; 'Tis not how much wine is drunken, But how much has been outpoured. For the strength of love e'er standeth In the sacrifice we bear; He who has the greatest suff'ring Ever has the most to share. He who treats himself severely Is the best for God to gain; He who hurts himself most dearly Most can comfort those in pain.
He who suffering never beareth Is but empty "sounding brass"; He who self-life never spareth Has the joys which all surpass.
Watchman Nee realized that life is measured not by gain but by loss and that the one who has suffered the most has the most to share with others. For this reason, he never spared himself, but bore the cross and the fellowship of Christ's suffering, being conformed to His death, in order to live Christ out that others might be nourished and enriched with Him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THE MINISTRY OF WATCHMAN
NEE
We have seen the revelations Watchman Nee received from the Lord and the sufferings he underwent. After seeing something of his revelations and sufferings, we come to his ministry.
MINISTRY ISSUING FROM REVELATION PLUS SUFFERING
Ministry is the issue of revelation plus suffering. Without revelation one cannot have ministry because he has nothing to minister. But though one may have revelation, if he lacks suffering, he still has no ministry. He may have some sort of teaching or gift, but this is not ministry. There is a difference between teaching and ministry. Ministry is something higher and deeper. Gift is superficial and costs little, while ministry is weighty and costly. If you have received revelation from God, He will put you into suffering in order that you may have ministry.
From the writings of the apostle Paul, we can see that before he endured suffering, he received revelation. When he received the revelation, he did not immediately go out to pass it on as teaching or knowledge. To do so would not have been ministry; it would have been a sort of teaching or an exercise of gift. But after receiving the revelation, the Lord put him into some suffering. Hence, in all his Epistles we have this sequence: first, the revelation; second, the sufferings; and third, the ministry which came out of the first two. To receive revelation is one thing; to have that revelation wrought into our being is something else.
In the process of producing a porcelain vase, a pattern for a picture is painted onto the vase. The vase is then put into an oven, and the painting is burned onto it. By passing through the oven, the painting and the vase become one. Receiving a revelation is similar to having a picture painted upon us; but this painting must be burned into us to
make the painting one with us. When the painting is burned into the vase, no one can erase it; neither can the vase be separated from the painting. If the vase is broken, the painting is broken, for they are one. It is the same with us. The only way for us to be burned is by suffering. No real minister of God can avoid suffering.
The measure of life, the amount of reality, and the riches of Christ we are able to minister to others depend entirely upon two elements: how much revelation we have received and how much suffering we have undergone regarding that which has been revealed to us. When suffering is added to revelation, we have ministry.
Paul said, "Therefore having this ministry..." (2 Cor. 4:1). He did not say that he had a certain teaching or a gift, but a ministry. Again he said, "I Paul became a minister" (Col. 1:23). He did not say that he was made a speaker or a teacher, but a minister. We are not referring to today's "minister." The word "minister" has been spoiled and misused in today's Christianity. A minister is a person who has a real ministry, a ministry which issues from these two things—revelation plus suffering.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GIFT AND MINISTRY
We may illustrate the difference between gift and ministry by the example of Balaam's donkey. One day the donkey of the Gentile prophet suddenly spoke with human language (Num. 22:28-30). Could that be called ministry? Certainly not! That was a gift. A ministry is the expression of what we are, while a gift is merely a performance. When you behold a man speaking, walking, and gesturing, you do not imagine that he is a horse or some other kind of animal. Since he is a man, whatever he does is just the expression of that man; that is his ministry.
Consider monkeys for example. Sometimes their trainers can entice them to perform like men, but that is entirely a gift or performance. In today's Christianity there is much acting. Much of it is performance. If the apostle Paul were to visit us for one month, we would exclaim, "He is really what he ministers!" What he has seen has been wrought into his being; hence, what he ministers is what he is. The person is the message. Today we have those who are eloquent and learned, those who have degrees after their names, those who dress in a certain way, stand upon a platform, and with a certain tone deliver a sermon. That is merely a performance; it is not the ministry. The apostle Paul was different, and Watchman Nee was also different.
I was with Watchman Nee for years. He talked about the cross, and in him I saw the cross. He was a person of the cross. The sufferings he received from all directions were just the working of the cross, and the revelation he received concerning the cross was wrought into him. What he did in years past was not merely to teach or exercise a gift. I can testify from the depths of my being that what he did was a ministry; what he did was what he was.
For the building up of the churches, gifts are not as necessary as ministry. What Watchman Nee had was not merely a gift, but a ministry. He had seen something of God and these things were burned into him. Even his presence ministered life to people. His
presence always meant a great deal in a meeting. If he was there, the meeting was rich; if he was absent, the meeting was not so rich. His presence, even his silent presence, made a difference. He had a real ministry. It was not his knowledge, his doctrine, nor his gift, but something of God wrought into his being so that his very presence in the meeting made a difference. Sometimes when the troubled saints brought their problems into his presence, there was no need for him to say a word; their problems were solved. In his presence they received the light they needed. His presence became their enlightenment, for God's light had been wrought into his being. They saw light in his light. How much we need such a ministry in the church today!
Throughout the years that I was with Watchman Nee, I noticed how he continually belittled gifts. What he stressed over and over again was the need for ministry.
There are two Epistles in the Bible written by the apostle Paul to the Corinthians. The main topic in the first Epistle is "gifts," and it is mentioned negatively. In the second Epistle the main word is "ministry," and it is mentioned in a positive way. In the first Epistle Paul depreciated the gifts, and in the second Epistle he uplifted the ministry. In the second Epistle it is difficult to find the word "gift," but in the first Epistle it appears many times.
WATCHMAN NEE'S MINISTRY— CHRIST AND THE CHURCH
Out of Watchman Nee's revelations inwrought by his sufferings, a ministry came forth. His ministry was clearly of two aspects: first, of Christ and, second, of the church. His ministry was full, proper, and adequately balanced. I have never known anyone so thoroughly and adequately balanced in the aspects of Christ and the church as Watchman Nee. He saw a clear vision of Christ, and he also received a full revelation of the church. In his spoken ministry and in his publications as well, he was always properly balanced in these two aspects. Many in the United States are aware that he put out book after book concerning Christ as life and Christ as everything. But many may not realize that he also published book after book on the matter of the church.
Concerning the church he covered two main points in his ministry: the content of the church and the practice of the church, or in other words, the reality of the church and the practicality of the church. The content and the reality of the church are Christ Himself. Watchman saw the vision that Christ is not merely for the believers individually but even more for the church corporately. His vision was unlike those who are today considered to be spiritual people; they hold that Christ is mostly for Christians as individuals while caring little for the church. They even fear to speak about the church, for they realize that whenever the matter of the church is raised, a problem is created, and they would rather steer clear of all problems. Watchman Nee's vision of Christ was that Christ is for individual believers to enjoy in order to be built up in the church. Eventually, the Christ whom we experience becomes the reality and the content of the church. Watchman also saw that this reality of the church is also practical and that we need the practicality of the church. Hence, he ministered both the reality and the
practicality of the church. The reality of the church is the content, and the practicality of the church is its expression.
Christ is not just for individual Christians but for the corporate Body. And the Christ we enjoy as Christians individually is entirely for the building up of the corporate Body. For this reason Christ is both the content of the church and the reality of the church. The church's reality is simply Christ realized by many individual Christians in a corporate way. To match this reality, we need the church practice. If we stay at home and hold Christ as the reality, there will be no church. Even though we might hold the reality individually, we would be short of the practicality. Christians need to come together and to be built together; each one needs to come out of his little cell and into one big cell, under one roof, to practice the church life. Then we not only have the reality, but also the practicality of the church. These were the two main points of Watchman Nee's ministry.
Watchman's ministry regarding Christ as our life was fully accepted; but his ministry regarding the church was frequently rejected. Today it is the same. Many have received help from his ministry regarding Christ as life, but those same people would not take his ministry regarding the church. Many bookstores carry his books on Christ as life, but purposely will not carry his books on the church. Some publishers publish his books on Christ as life with great appreciation for his ministry in this aspect, yet they condemn his ministry on the church. Publishers and booksellers have even done their best to hide his ministry on the church. We fully agree that his books concerning Christ should be published, for they are marvelous. But it is altogether unfair and dishonest to hide his books on the church.
A rumor was even spread after World War II that Watchman Nee changed his concept concerning the practicality of the church life and the ground of the church. This is absolutely not true. His book Further Talks on the Church Life documents and shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that after 1948, rather than changing his concept concerning the church, he ministered even more strongly than before concerning his original vision. In one of these messages, given shortly before his imprisonment, he said that what he saw in 1937 concerning the church was absolutely right. He rather confirmed what he had seen before; he did not change at all. He was faithful to the Lord's vision and commission concerning Christ and the church. During his whole life, his ministry was for Christ and the church—not for Christ only, but for Christ and the church.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE GENERAL MEANS OF WATCHMAN NEE'S MINISTRY
Watchman Nee used eight different means to carry out the ministry wrought into him by the Lord. Five were general and three were specific. The five general means were
preaching the gospel, teaching the Bible, traveling, contacting people, and corresponding with people. The three specific means were holding conferences, conducting trainings, and issuing publications.
I. PREACHING THE GOSPEL
The first means Watchman Nee adopted to carry out his ministry was preaching the gospel. This means was primary in the early years of his ministry. He preached to both crowds and individuals; he preached in homes and on the streets; he preached in cities and in villages. He also preached at home and abroad. In addition to speaking, he used tracts and pamphlets to preach the gospel. Although he was not considered an evangelist primarily, he did much evangelistic work and brought hundreds of solid fruit to the Lord for the building of His churches.
II. TEACHING THE BIBLE
Watchman Nee also used Bible teaching to carry out his ministry. Before 1928 he conducted a thorough study of the book of Revelation in Shanghai with a small number of believers. At the end of 1931 he conducted a one-month Bible study on church truth with the saints in Shanghai. After 1931 he conducted an intermittent study of the Gospel of Matthew with the church in Shanghai over a period of years. In or around 1932 he held a Bible study on tribulation and rapture truth with the saints in Shanghai. This study was published in a booklet entitled Tribulation and Rapture. In February 1934 following his third overcomer conference, he conducted a study with the church in Shanghai and a number of co-workers from different localities on the boundary of the local churches. These messages were published in a book entitled The Assembly Life. In May 1935 at the request of a few co-workers (fewer than ten), he conducted a thorough study on the Song of Songs at West Lake, Hangchow. These messages were also published in a book entitled The Song of Songs. In May 1937 he held a study with the church in Shanghai on gospel questions and how to enter into the kingdom. In October of the same year, he held another study with the church in Shanghai on the difference between the local churches and the work. In February 1938 he studied the truth of the Holy Spirit with the church in Shanghai. This study included the Comforter's work within the believers, the work of the Holy Spirit as poured out upon the believers, and the need for the believers' life to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In February 1938 he conducted several Bible study meetings with the church in Hong Kong. In 1945 he conducted a study on the orthodoxy of the church with the church in Chungking. This study was published in a book entitled The Orthodoxy of the Church. By means of such Bible studies, many saints were enlightened and the churches established.
III. TRAVELING
Traveling was the third means Watchman used to carry out his ministry. Although he had no desire to be popular, under the leading of the Lord, he traveled through a number of provinces in China. Wherever he went, sinners were saved, believers were
edified in life, and either the church was strengthened or the way was paved for a church to be established.
A. Domestic
In 1922 he visited Shanghai, testifying in the Christian and Missionary Alliance Auditorium at North Szechuan Road.
In 1924 he preached in Hangchow. From there he went to Nanking to assist in the work of the Spiritual Light.
In 1925 he held revival meetings with the denominations in Changchow, south Fukien.
In March 1926 he visited Amoy, Kulangsu, Changchow, and Tung-An, in south Fukien for approximately two months.
In the summer of the same year, he held revival meetings in the province of Anhwei.
In the second half of 1926, he visited south Fukien again and established gatherings for the Lord's recovery in Amoy, Tung-An, and nearby places.
In the late fall of 1926, he was invited by Cheng Chi-kwei and Ruth Lee to visit Nanking for the second time. He stayed in the home of Brother Cheng and helped him translate Scofield's Bible Correspondence Course and preached at Nanking University.
In the beginning of 1927, he took up residence in the town of Tsao-Chiao, Wusih, Kiangsu, where he wrote the first volume of The Spiritual Man.
In March 1927 he visited Shanghai, attending the gatherings there with the saints in the Lord's recovery. He later settled in Shanghai.
In the summer of 1928 and in July of 1930, he went to Kuling, Kiangsi, for rest.
In January 1931 he visited Swatow and Chieh-Yang, Kwangtung, returning to Shanghai at the end of the same month.
In the same year he visited Peking.
At the end of March 1932, he visited Tsinan, the capital of Shantung province. While in Tsinan he spoke to over eighty students at Chi-Loo University who were on a mountain retreat in Taishan. Following this he worked at the university for eleven days. This visit paved the way for the church in Tsinan to later come into existence.
In June of 1932, he was invited by the Chinese Independent Church in Chefoo, where he spoke to denominational believers for one week. That visit facilitated the raising up of the church in Chefoo.
In July of the same year, he was invited to speak to the students and the church members at the Southern Baptist Seminary in Hwang-Hsien, a city close to Chefoo.
In April of 1933, Watchman visited the saints in the Lord's recovery at Tsinan, the capital of Shantung. From there he continued on to Chefoo to visit the church and spoke both to the saints in the Lord's recovery and to those in the denominations.
In the winter of the same year, he again visited Tsinan to visit the church and strengthen the saints there.
In October 1934 he held his fourth overcomer conference in Hangchow.
In the spring of 1935, he traveled with Samuel Chang, his brother George, and a third brother through the provinces of Chekiang, Kiangsi, and Hunan to visit the provinces of Kwangsi, Kweichow, and Yunnan to look over the situation as it related to the furtherance of the Lord's recovery.
In August of the same year, he visited Chefoo from Shanghai and held a special conference with the church there.
In October, again of the same year, he visited Kulangsu in south Fukien, holding a conference with the co-workers.
In January 1936 he traveled from Shanghai to Peking to visit the church there. From Peking he went on to Tientsin to strengthen the new work there by holding special gospel preaching meetings.
In May of the same year, he was invited to speak to the provincial officials in Kaifeng, Honan. From there he returned to Shanghai.
In November of 1937, he visited Hankow and conducted a retreat for the co-workers from the coastal provinces. At this conference he released his messages on the Rethinking the Work, which has been republished as The Normal Christian Church Life.
In December of 1937, he went to Hong Kong, polished messages for the Rethinking the Work, and returned to Shanghai in January of 1938.
In February he left Shanghai for Hong Kong again and held Bible study meetings there.
In 1941 he visited Hong Kong.
In March of 1945, he went to Chungking to live for a period of time during World War II. While he was there, a number of seeking saints contacted him. Meetings were held with them on the seven epistles in Revelation 2 and 3, which was the study that formed The Orthodoxy of the Church. In February or March of 1949, he visited Taipei, had fellowship with the leading brothers for ten days, and imparted much help to them in the matters of spiritual knowledge and experience of life.
In January of 1950, he visited Hong Kong from Shanghai for a period of two and a half months. He conducted church meetings in the evenings and met with the co-workers and leading ones in the church in Hong Kong in the mornings for a considerable period of time. In the first part of his visit, his ministry brought a revival to the church there. Due to this revival, many of the saints in Hong Kong handed over their possessions.
B. Abroad
In addition to his domestic traveling, he also visited a number of foreign countries.
In November 1924 he visited Sitiawan in Malaysia. He visited the same place the following year and established the first church in Southeast Asia. He returned to China from Malaysia in May 1925.
In March 1931 he worked in Japan for one week.
Late in June 1933, he traveled through France and stayed in London, England, for a period of time. He visited the Brethren assemblies and also met with T. Austin-Sparks and those who met with him at Honor Oak, London. In London he also visited D.M. Panton and George Cutting who told Watchman, "Without Him I cannot live, and without me He cannot live." The Brethren brought him to America to visit the assemblies in Vancouver, Canada, and New York City. In New York he spoke in English to over two thousand Brethren believers. He returned to China in August of the same year. Through that visit the real condition of the Brethren assemblies became clear to him.
In July 1937 he visited Manila in the Philippines and conducted meetings there morning and evening. While in the Philippines, he held a mountain retreat in Baguio. There he spoke to over one hundred believers on the overcoming life of Christ, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the truths concerning the church and fellowship.
In September of the same year, he traveled from Manila to visit Singapore, Sitiawan, and Penang in Malaysia.
In February 1938 he traveled from Shanghai to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Penang, holding meetings with the churches in these places respectively.
In April Watchman traveled through India, arriving in London in May to meet with T. Austin-Sparks.
On July 22 he attended the Keswick Convention with Brother Sparks. In the morning a missionary meeting was held. The chairman of the meeting, Mr. W.H. Aldis, knowing Watchman was present at the meeting, asked him to offer prayer. He hesitated at first, but after checking with Sparks and being encouraged by him, he offered the following prayer: "The Lord reigneth. He is reigning, and He is Lord of all. Nothing can touch His authority. It is the spiritual forces that are out to destroy the interests of the Lord in China and Japan. We do not pray for Japan. We do not pray for China. But we pray for
the interests of Thy Son in China and Japan. We do not blame any man. They are only tools in the hand of the enemy of the Lord. Lord, we stand in Thy will. Lord, shatter the kingdom of darkness. Lord, the persecution of Thy church is persecuting Thee."1 This prayer was offered in the presence of a Japanese Christian at the time the great havoc of the invading Japanese army was increasing. The whole congregation was both captivated and deeply impressed by this prayer.
In October of the same year, he was invited to visit Denmark. He also visited Norway, Germany, and Switzerland. He returned to London by way of Paris. While staying in London, his book Rethinking the Work was translated into English. The work of translation was done with the help of some sisters, and the book was published by Austin-Sparks' bookroom under the title Concerning Our Missions. This book was published with the hope of being able to minister to the Lord's people in the Western world on the practicality of the church life. At that time his ministry on Christ as life was fully accepted in northern Europe. However, the atmosphere at that time was not conducive to the release of his ministry on the practicality of the church life. It was for this reason that he was burdened to leave with them his main publications on this matter.
He left England in May of 1939, returning to Shanghai in July by way of India and Singapore.
His visits to the foreign countries left those who met him with a deep impression that he was commissioned by the Lord. These contacts paved the way for the future furtherance of the Lord's recovery outside of China.
IV. CONTACTING PEOPLE
Watchman Nee also fulfilled his ministry by personally contacting people. He used this means mostly in dealing with special cases. He was rich in life and keen in discernment, always affording timely help to those who came to him. Through his personal fellowship, many wanderers were brought back to the Lord, many distracted believers were brought back on track, many defeated saints were recovered to the Lord's victory, many needy persons received the supply of life, and many seeking ones were enlightened to turn to the Lord's recovery. His spirit was always strong and able to discern the real situation of those who came to him. Thus, he was able to give them proper instruction either in the spiritual life or in practical matters.
V. CORRESPONDING WITH PEOPLE
The last of the several general means Watchman Nee used to fulfill his ministry was correspondence with others. Contacting and fellowshipping with people by letter is the same, in principle, as contacting them personally. Letters containing questions and personal needs frequently came to him from believers in many places. If time had allowed, he could have given his full time to this matter alone. He possessed the
adequate knowledge and bountiful life supply to answer the questions of his correspondents and supply their need.
What follows is an excerpt from his open letter in the fourth issue of The Present Testimony, published in July 1928. This letter reveals how much he engaged in letter writing to carry out his ministry:
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In the last four months I have devoted my entire being to the writing of The Spiritual Man. Because of this, I have been unable to reply to many incoming letters which have piled up. I wish the brothers and sisters who have written me will realize that my delay does not mean I do not have a heart for you. Every letter has been carefully read. I am most sympathetic toward your problems. However, because of the time limitation, I have been unable to reply immediately. I wish all those who correspond with me will bear this in mind.
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The following is another excerpt from his open letter in the thirteenth issue of The Present Testimony, published in March 1930:
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Regarding many who have written asking questions on the Bible, frankly speaking, I cannot reply. If I were to answer each question, I would need to open a Bible correspondence course. However, if there are problems concerning spiritual life, I might be able to allot a little time for them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE SPECIFIC MEANS OF WATCHMAN NEE'S MINISTRY
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The five general means of Watchman Nee's ministry mentioned in the previous chapter are common to all Christian workers. But since Watchman was burdened and commissioned with a specific ministry for the Lord's present testimony in this age, he adopted three further specific means for the carrying out of his particular ministry.
I. HOLDING CONFERENCES
The first specific means Watchman employed in his ministry was the holding of conferences. The regular meetings of the church were not sufficient for the release of the special messages he received from the Lord for the present day. A larger audience composed of those genuinely seeking the Lord and His interest and consecutive meetings held within a designated time span were needed for the release of his specific burdens. For these reasons he held many special conferences. The main conferences were called overcomer conferences, while the rest were simply called special conferences.
The following excerpt from his open letter in the twenty-second issue of The Present Testimony, published in September—December 1931, explains the purpose of his conferences:
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In our conferences our intention is only to speak forth the message of the victory of Christ, not to speak of other matters. The preaching of this message is our particular responsibility....In reality, unless a person knows God in the aspects of trusting and obeying Him, it is of little use to speak to him concerning other matters. We can mention many other matters to those who are faithful, but if we share them with those who are yet unwilling to serve God faithfully, it will only give rise to disputes....Our Bible study meetings, on the other hand, are of a different nature: They are conducted for those who are willing to serve God faithfully and are seeking to have a clearer understanding of Bible truths. For this reason, we are free in these meetings to bring up those things which we would be reluctant to bring up in conferences. We hope that in our future conferences, neither the speaker nor the listeners will bring up, either publicly or privately, any matters outside the victory of Christ, in order that we might have God's full blessing....This does not mean that other matters are not important; but it does mean that when men sincerely desire to receive the victory of Christ and to believe and obey the Lord, He will spontaneously direct their attention to these other external matters, and they will automatically obey...At this stage, if certain things are not clear to some, we would be most willing to help them in the Bible study meetings. We deeply sense that what the church of God urgently needs and what she absolutely must experience today is the victory of Christ—the facts and principles which He declared through His death and resurrection. In this matter we need to be faithful and steadfast, and we need to preach it wholeheartedly.
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The following is his second personal testimony, given in Kulangsu, October 20, 1936 concerning the overcomer conferences:
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God has shown me that in every local church a group of overcomers should be raised up (as those mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3) to be the Lord's witnesses. For this reason, every year an overcomer conference has been held to faithfully deliver the messages that God has given me.
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Watchman's first overcomer conference was held in Shanghai in February 1928. His messages were on the eternal purpose of God and the victory of Christ. He unveiled the mystery that a spiritual warfare has taken place: God had a plan to accomplish, but His enemy Satan, the power of darkness, opposed it. However, Christ defeated Satan in His death on the cross and won a full victory. Now God's need is for believers in Christ to share His victory and fight against the power of darkness by executing what Christ has accomplished. The number attending the first conference was fifty, at the most. Twenty or thirty were from outside Shanghai, mostly from the northern province of Kiangsu and the county of Ping-Yang in Chekiang province. The audience was small, but the impact and the result were great.
The second overcomer conference was held in Shanghai from October 8-18, 1931. The announcement of the conference in the The Present Testimony, published in May 1931 reads:
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The purpose of this conference is to unite all the believers in every place who are of the same mind that they might wait before God and receive the message which comes from Him. Our past experience tells us that we must all receive deeper edification. For this reason we must lay much emphasis on the testimony of "the victory of Christ," which the Lord has committed to us. May those who intercede before the Lord pray in one accord for this conference that we may genuinely have the power which is purely of the Holy Spirit with no mixture of soulish power whatsoever.
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Watchman's burden in this conference was the covenant of God and the wisdom of God. He unveiled the real meaning and content of the new covenant God enacted for us through the redemption of Christ. God first dealt with His people by His Word. First, He
promised His people in His Word that He would do certain things for them according to His plan; then, His Word became His promise. When His promise was accomplished in Christ, it became the fact. When He bequeathed the fact to His chosen ones, a covenant was established. This covenant is the new covenant, which is better than the old one. It was established through the blood of Christ and supported by the ministry of His indestructible life. These messages were first delivered in this second overcomer conference, then published in The Present Testimony from 1932 to 1934, and later printed as the first half of a book entitled What Is the New Covenant?
In November of 1932 he held a special conference with the church in Shanghai. At that time eight brothers and sisters came to have fellowship with us from the Brethren assemblies in England, the United States, and Australia.
In January 1934 he held his third overcomer conference in Shanghai. The following excerpt is taken from his announcement of this conference. The announcement appeared as part of his open letter in the thirty-second issue of The Present Testimony of October—December 1933 and tells us the nature of that conference:
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We have previously held two conferences of the same nature, one in February of 1928 and one in October of 1931. The conference held in November of last year was of a different nature, and for that reason we consider the upcoming conference to be the third overcomer conference. I want all the brothers to understand the nature of this type of conference; no attention will be paid to the less significant matters of the Bible. What we want to see in the Holy Spirit is Christ and Him crucified. Matters such as prophecy, church organization, Scripture exposition, types, baptism, laying on of hands, speaking in tongues, miracles, and a hundred other questions have their proper place. As Christians we should not deny them their proper place. However, these are neither the center of the Scriptures nor the center of the life of the Holy Spirit. God has only one center, which is Christ—Christ and Him crucified. Our annual conferences of this nature are to bring us back to this center. Therefore, we are reluctant to mention any minor matters in these conferences. Rather, we would emphasize only the central point which God Himself stressed.... In our conference this time, as before, we wish to stress the central message. After much prayer I feel the theme which the Lord has given me for this conference is "God's overcomers." Everything in the conference will focus on this center.... Finally, in this conference, our hope is to meet Christ, to receive light and revelation from heaven, and to be filled with the life that is unknown to
ordinary people. We do not intend to pay attention to the many minor, outward matters. "To know Him" (Phil. 3:10)—this is what we seek.
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The number of attendants at the third overcomer conference was about three hundred, with over one hundred from different provinces throughout the country. There were two lines of messages. One line was the centrality and universality of Christ. This line disclosed how Christ is the center and the circumference in the universe and in the Christian life. He must have the pre-eminence in everything. The second line was God's overcomers. This line revealed how God called His overcomers in every age to replace His defeated people for the fulfillment of His purpose. The extract of these messages was published in the thirty-fourth issue of The Present Testimony of March—April 1934.
In October of the same year, his fourth overcomer conference was held in Hangchow. The attendants were generally the same ones who came to his third conference in Shanghai. His messages again were along two lines. The first line was the life of Abraham, showing how Abraham was an overcomer to fulfill God's purpose. The second line was the spiritual warfare, showing how to fight the enemy for the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose.
In his third visit to Chefoo in August of 1935, he held a special conference with the church there on the overcoming life of Christ. At that time the saints were greatly helped to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Through this conference a revival was brought in, which spread to Shanghai and other cities. After the revival broke out in Chefoo, Watchman returned in September to Shanghai and held a conference with the church on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
In October, following the conference in Shanghai, he also held a conference with the coworkers in Kulangsu in south Fukien on the same subject.
In January of 1937 he called an urgent conference in Shanghai for all the co-workers throughout the country. His burden was to share with his co-workers the new vision he had received from the Lord concerning the work and the local churches.
In the following November he held a conference in Hankow with his co-workers to release the same messages more adequately on his new revelation regarding the work and the local churches. Although the messages were the same as those given in Shanghai, the content was deeper and the revelation clearer. These messages were printed in a book entitled Rethinking the Work (The Normal Christian Church Life).
After his return from his trip to Europe, he called a special eleven-day conference in August of 1939. In this conference he released his messages on the principles of the Body.
In the years from 1940 to 1942, he held many special meetings. During this period he was both carrying out a training of the co-workers and at the same time helping the church in Shanghai to be built up practically. The crucial point he stressed in all these meetings was the need to see the Body. He also delivered a number of messages on the deeper things of the spiritual life. The messages contained in his book The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were delivered at that time.
In April and May of 1948, a special conference was held in Shanghai not only for the local saints but also for about eighty seeking saints from other cities throughout the country. In this special conference he spoke mostly concerning the work. His burden was to learn from the lessons of the past how best to go on in the future. It was in this special conference that he resumed his ministry. This conference resulted in all the brothers and sisters handing over all their possessions to the work. Brother Nee took the lead in this matter. This resulted in a revival, which in turn resulted in about eighty seeking brothers and sisters attending Watchman's first prolonged period of training in Kuling Mountain, Foochow.
In 1950 during the months of January and February, he held a long special conference with the church in Hong Kong. He spoke on overcoming wealth and how to hand over all our possessions for the furtherance of the Lord's work. At the same time he stressed that the believers who have been baptized in the Spirit into one Body should be built up in the church that the church might be a corporate means for the Lord to spread His gospel. A number of brothers and sisters were led to hand over all their possessions to the work, which in turn revived the whole church. Through this visit, the foundation was laid for the church in Hong Kong to receive much blessing in the years to come, both in life and in numbers.
II. CONDUCTING TRAININGS
Watchman conducted trainings as the second specific means of fulfilling his ministry. Let us read his own word concerning this matter, given in his second testimony in Kulangsu, October 20, 1936:
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If the return of the Lord should be delayed, it will be necessary to raise up a number of young people to continue the testimony and the work for the following generations. Many co-workers have already prayed concerning this matter with the hope of providing a suitable place for the purpose of training young people. My thought is not to establish a seminary or a Bible institute, but to have young people staying together to live the Body life and practice the spiritual life. In such a place they would receive training for the purpose of edification, by learning to read the Scripture, to pray, and to build up a good character. On the negative side, there would be training for the purpose of learning how to deal with sin, the world, the flesh, and the natural life. At a suitable time, the young people would return to their respective churches
in various places to be tempered together with other saints to serve the Lord in the church. I have purchased over ten acres1 of land at Chenru, in the suburbs of Shanghai. Planning for building on that site is in progress, and before long, young people will be able to go there for training.
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A. The Initial Stage
Watchman's trainings were initiated in 1933. In the initial stages he began with a few young brothers, who stayed upstairs in the meeting hall in Shanghai. At that stage the training was informal. The trainees lived together, studied the Bible, and spent some time with him individually for spiritual help. On occasion he would spend time with us in the evening when there was no church meeting. Such informal training lasted for a period of two years.
B. The Training in Shanghai
In 1936 Watchman began to build a training facility in Chenru, in the suburbs of Shanghai. Just before the building work was completed, the war between Japan and China broke out, and the building was destroyed. After that he had no opportunity to carry out his burden until 1940.
After returning to Shanghai from his trip to Europe, he determined to stay in Shanghai all the time to release his messages on the Body of Christ and to help in the practical building up of the church. At that time he rented a place in Yu-hwa village in Shanghai in which to conduct his first training. Since his burden at that time was mostly on the Body of Christ, his training was focused on that theme. In the training he would frequently ask us to give our testimony on how we had seen the Body. Following each testimony, he would frequently declare, "No, you have not seen the Body." Then he would proceed to prove by the very words the trainee had used that the trainee had not seen the Body. To some who testified, he pointed out that the Body to them was just a doctrine or theory, not a vision.
He also trained us in the matter of consecration. Every morning he asked one of the trainees to give a testimony regarding his or her consecration. After each testimony he would diagnose it like a medical doctor, judge it with the thorough discernment of a judge, and frequently operate mercilessly on us as a surgeon. Only a few passed his keen and stern examination regarding their consecration. All, however, received practical help in life. The training lasted about two years, and quite a few from other cities remained in Shanghai for a longer period to be trained. The number of trainees was approximately seventy or eighty.
C. Trainings in Kuling Mountain
During Watchman's silent years, he took the opportunity to purchase many houses on a mountain which was called Kuling, close to Foochow, where many missionaries had their summer retreat. During World War II most of the missionaries left the country and gladly sold their houses at very low prices. Watchman bought more than fifteen of their houses with the intention of preparing them for his trainings.
Then, following the revival which came to Shanghai in 1948 when his ministry was recovered, about eighty brothers and sisters went with him to Kuling Mountain and occupied those houses for a four-month training period, from June to October 1948. The following is a testimony of Chang Wu-cheng, one of his trainees:
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At the opening of the training Brother Nee first gave some explanations. "First, this training is not a seminary. Our purpose is not to pass on some scriptural knowledge or methods of work to the trainees, but to help those who are already following the Lord and walking on this way to go further. My ministry is somewhat different from that of Brother Witness Lee. He can cause those who have no heart for the Lord to have a heart for the Lord, those who are incapable to become capable, and those who are not going on to go on. I admit that I do not have what he has. For twenty years I have only been able to help those who had something already to have something more, and to help those who are seeking, to receive help. Whether this training is a success or failure all depends upon what kind of people you are. If you are preoccupied and self-satisfied, you will not receive help. But if you really want to go on, I can help you go on further, and if you have some light, I can help you receive more light. My ministry is not to revive you or to change you, but to lead you if you are already on the way. My ministry is not to pull out those who are sitting at home and force them to walk. "Second, this training will cover four parts: 1) how to be a minister of God's Word, 2) how to help new believers, 3) things to pay attention to and the solution to problems, 4) how to administer the church affairs." The content of the training was very rich. Brother Nee gave messages for six hours a day, five days a week. Some of the details are as follows:
I. How to be a minister of God's Word. A minister of the Word is one who serves men with God's Word.
A. You must know how to use your spirit. To be a minister of the Word, the basic requirement is that you learn how to use your spirit; otherwise, what you do will be from the soul, the emotion, and the mind. B. You must touch authority. A worker must touch authority. He must not only submit to direct authority but also to deputy authority. Only one who