F. As the eternal dwelling of the redeemed, regenerated, transformed, and
B. Regenerated with the divine life to be the sons of God. C. To be the members, the constituents of the Body of Christ. D. To be sanctified with the divine nature of God. E. To be transformed by Christ as the Spirit. F. To be glorified with the divine glory forever. XI. The church:
A. In its universal aspect—the unique universal church, as the universal expression of Christ. B. In its local aspect—the many local churches as the local expressions of Christ. C. As the kingdom of God. D. As the house, the dwelling place, the temple of God. E. As the Body of Christ. F. As the bride of Christ. G. As the increase of Christ. H. As the fullness, expression, reproduction, continuation, spread, growth, and surplus of Christ. I. As the new man:
1. With Christ as his life. 2. With Christ as his constituent. XII. The New Jerusalem:
A. As the tabernacle of God, the eternal dwelling of God. B. As the bride of Christ. C. As the ultimate consummation of the church, the Body of Christ. D. Composed with all the saints of the Old Testament and the New Testament. E. Constituted:
1. With the nature of God as the transparent gold. 2. With the redeeming Christ as the pearls. 3. With the transforming Spirit as the precious stones. F. As the eternal dwelling of the redeemed, regenerated, transformed, and glorified saints. G. As the ultimate and eternal manifestation and expression of the Triune God united with the redeemed, tripartite men.
All the above twelve items are the most mysterious matters in the divine revelation according to the Scriptures.
Brother Nee was not only a seer of these divine visions, but also a pioneer in the experience and enjoyment of the contents of all these divine visions.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
WITNESS LEE'S RELATIONSHIP
WITH WATCHMAN NEE
FROM 1925 TO 1935
INITIAL CONTACT
In the beginning of our history, a great geographical distance existed between me and Watchman Nee. He was in the southern province of Fukien, and I was in the northern province of Shantung.
He was saved in 1920 and I in 1925. My mother's maternal grandfather was a Southern Baptist, who in turn brought my mother into Christianity. She studied in the American Southern Baptist mission school and as a teen-ager was baptized into the Southern Baptist Church about 1885. I was born in 1905. She brought me in contact with her Baptist Church in Chefoo. I studied in the Southern Baptist Chinese elementary school and in the English mission college operated by the American Presbyterians in Chefoo. Though I attended the Southern Baptist Church services and Sunday school in my youth, I was not saved and was never baptized by them. Eventually, for about five years, I ceased attending any Christian services.
After my second sister experienced salvation, she prayed for me and introduced me to a very fine Chinese pastor of the Chinese Independent Church. This pastor paid me a number of visits, encouraging me to attend his Sunday morning services. After a long delay on my part, on the second day of the Chinese New Year in 1925, I decided early in the morning to attend the services of that Chinese Independent Church. After about two and a half months, they baptized me into their membership by sprinkling. But it was not until a short time later that I was actually saved and turned to the Lord through the preaching of Sister Peace Wang in April of the same year. At that time I was exceedingly ambitious as a young man for my education and my future. But after I was saved under Sister Peace Wang's preaching that afternoon, while I was walking home, I stopped and prayed to God, according to Sister Wang's message, somewhat as follows: "God, I don't like being usurped by Satan as Pharaoh, through the world as Egypt; I would like to serve You and preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus through the villages at any cost for my whole life."
From that day I loved the Bible. The word of the Bible became sweeter than honey, as mentioned in Psalm 19:10 and in Psalm 119:103. The Word nourished me, changed my life, and caused me to love the Lord and follow Him. I collected as many books on the Bible as possible.
Soon I was led to attend the Brethren Assembly (the Benjamin Newton branch) in our town. The way they expounded the Bible and taught biblical truths attracted me very
much. From the year I was saved, I continuously attended their meetings for seven years. I learned much from them, especially in the matters of biblical types, prophecies, and parables. Their teachings helped me to give up worldliness in its outward aspect and kept me from drifting away from the Lord's pathway. However, I did not receive much help from them in the matters of life, the Spirit, and the church. I received a great deal of knowledge from their teachings but very little life.
While I was seeking to know the Bible in a thorough way, there appeared in my hometown a Christian periodical entitled The Morning Star. I obtained and read all available issues of that paper. As I read, I frequently noticed articles under the by-line of Watchman Nee. It was obvious that those articles were the most outstanding ones on biblical truths. They were the best in the whole paper. The more I read them, the more I enjoyed reading them. From the way this writer addressed his readers, I imagined he was an aged Christian teacher, perhaps over sixty years of age. Actually, he was a young man only two years older than I. Then an issue of the paper was published with a notice saying that Watchman Nee would publish his own paper, to be entitled The Christian. Immediately, I subscribed to this magazine. From 1925 through 1927 I received all twenty-four copies. When one issue would come, I would devour the whole thing in the same day if possible. Besides reading The Christian, I purchased all the books he published on the spiritual life. From these I received the greatest help in the matter of life. I greatly appreciated and highly treasured this magazine and these books.
At the same time, I was led to read Watchman Nee's article in The Lamp unto My Feet, a periodical published by the Newton Brethren in Chefoo. This article also deeply impressed me.
During these days I began to correspond with Watchman, and this initiated our first contact. I wrote, asking him questions about the Bible, all of which he answered. In one letter I asked him for advice concerning the best book on understanding the Bible. He answered that to his knowledge, the book which could be of most help in knowing the Bible was John Nelson Darby's Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. He added that unless I read it four or five times I would not be able to understand it well. Eight years later, while I was staying as his guest in Shanghai, he gave me this set of books as a gift.
After being saved, I still attended the Sunday morning services in the Chinese Independent Church for about two and a half years. But through the reading of Watchman Nee's writings, I began to realize that the denominations were wrong and that there was such a thing as a proper church. Though inwardly I was through with the denominations, yet I still remained there. In that denomination there was a young man who realized that I was different from others in seeking after the Lord. One day he asked, "How can we know that we are saved?" Taking the opportunity to help him with the assurance of salvation, I handed him a book on the subject by Watchman Nee. After reading it, he became clear and was saved. His name was Du Chung-chin. A relationship developed between the two of us, and that relationship was likened by our pastor to the one which existed between Joshua and Caleb. Later this brother was transferred by his business to Shanghai, and I encouraged him to attend a meeting where Watchman Nee
was ministering. Seven years later he became one of the first three elders of the church in Shanghai.
At the end of 1927, the Chinese Independent Church elected me to be a member of their board. This was an unusual distinction for such a young man as me. But I was forced at that time to tell them that I could not accept the position and would remain in their denomination no longer. I rather asked them to remove my name from their "book of life." Henceforth, I began to meet regularly with the Brethren Assembly, attending all their seven weekly meetings. I sat among them, earnestly absorbing all the doctrines they taught. I remained with them until 1932. While I was still with them, I was baptized by immersion in the sea by their leader, Mr. Burnet, in 1930.
One day in August 1931, as I was walking down the street, the thought suddenly occurred to me that all the teachings I had received in the Brethren Assembly were mostly doctrines. I considered how much knowledge I had accumulated and yet how dead I was. True, I never returned to the world, yet, though I attended seven meetings a week, I was utterly cold and fruitless. At this time I experienced a deep and real repentance.
The next morning at an early hour I climbed to the top of a small mountain near my home. I cried to the Lord and wept in desperation. Morning by morning I went there to pray. From that day on I cared little about talking; I only wanted to pray. This experience lasted for several months, from August until February or March of the following year.
During the time I was seeking the Lord, in September 1931, Watchman was about to have his second overcomer conference in Shanghai. At that time I corresponded with him and enrolled as one of the attendants in that conference. But because of the Japanese invasion into Manchuria, close to the province of Shantung, I was prohibited from attending that conference.
In the spring of 1932, Brother Du Chung-chin returned to Chefoo from Shanghai and came to see me. He told me of all the good meetings and all the good things of the church in Shanghai. This made me all the more eager to travel to Shanghai and partake of the blessings there with the saints.
THE FIRST PERSONAL CONTACT
Brother Du and I then went to our former denomination and proposed that they invite Watchman Nee to come speak to them. Although we had left that denomination, we left them with a very good impression of us. They accepted our proposal and invited Watchman to come speak. When Du Chung-chin was returning to Shanghai, I asked him to extend my invitation to Watchman to come visit our town, which he did. At the same time the Southern Baptist Seminary in Hwang-Hsien, a city close to Chefoo, also invited Watchman to speak there. So in the summer of 1932, he came to speak at these two places. I, with others, went to meet the steamship on which he was arriving, and when the two of us saw each other, immediately we knew one another. We had corresponded
with each other for some time, and there was a mutual recognition. He put himself into my hands and spoke with me of the things that were on his heart. He spoke to a large crowd for approximately one week in the auditorium of the Chinese Independent Church. I received much help from his messages, and following that conference I also accompanied him to the Southern Baptist Seminary in Hwang-Hsien.
In those years the Pentecostal movement was very strong in north China, and the seminary where Watchman spoke had come under the influence of this movement. In those meetings I saw for the first time the strange practices of the Pentecostals. Some were jumping, some were laughing, and some were shouting. There were many strange sights. After the presiding pastor, with some effort, calmed down the meeting, Watchman gave his message. He gave an inspiring word on the gospel of God's love from Luke 15.
Following the first meeting, Watchman and I walked home together. On the way I said, "What kind of way is this to have meetings—shouting, jumping, and rolling?" He replied that in the New Testament there are no ordinances telling us how we should meet. His word shocked me and made me wonder whether he was agreeable with those strange practices of the Pentecostal movement. Eventually, I discovered that he did not agree with that kind of practice, but neither would he insist on any outward form.
I was staying in the seminary dormitory. One afternoon while a Pentecostal meeting was being held in which Brother Nee was not speaking, I stayed in my room to have some time with the Lord. I read Isaiah 44:22 and deeply sensed as I read, "Return unto Me, for I have redeemed you," that the Lord was calling me to serve Him. I deeply felt that the Lord gave me verse 21 as a promise: "You are My servant; you will not be forgotten by Me." Also verse 23 seemed to be a clear word to me concerning the goal of His calling: "Jehovah has been glorified in Israel." The Lord's presence was very real to me there, and I was thoroughly anointed, refreshed with His Spirit, and filled with joy and encouragement.
Following the meetings at the seminary, Watchman returned to Chefoo and stayed in my home for two or three days. We had some excellent fellowship concerning the Lord's interest.
While staying in my home, he asked me to introduce him to Mr. Burnet, the founder of the Newton Brethren Assembly in my hometown. Mr. Burnet was an aged man and an excellent Bible teacher who had learned at the feet of the Brethren teacher Benjamin Newton. At the time the three of us came together, I realized that Mr. Burnet did not appreciate Watchman's testimony for the Lord. Mr. Burnet stressed the accuracy of biblical knowledge, while Watchman emphasized the necessity of life.
My time with Watchman during those days deeply impressed me with the sweetness, loveliness, attractiveness, and newness of the Lord. Those days provided a new start for me in following the Lord and caused me to have a basic turn from knowledge to life. Because of those days with Watchman Nee, I began to have fellowship with the Lord in a more intimate way. The Lord became more precious to me. That experience was even
greater than my experience of salvation. Those days with Watchman affected my pathway in the Lord throughout all the following fifty-nine years, since 1932. For eternity I can never forget those days! What a mercy and grace it was to me.
The day before he left, Watchman charged me to do nothing after his departure; otherwise, others would think I was following him. I replied, "How could I do anything? In this town no one is standing with me."
But on the day of his departure, something happened. In the evening a brother who was a member of the board of the denomination I had left came to ask Watchman if he would help another believer in distress. When I told him that Watchman was gone, we agreed to have a time of fellowship together. It was summer, so we went down to the beach. After a lengthy time of fellowship, about ten o'clock that night, this brother turned to me and said, "You must baptize me tonight in the sea." After much hesitation, I did it. Through this event a meeting started in my home. I wrote to Watchman explaining what had taken place. He came in April of the following year to confirm and strengthen us in the Lord's recovery and was a guest in my home for about ten days. He ministered to us in our meeting hall in the evenings and spoke to the denominational Christians in the Chinese Independent Church auditorium in the mornings. His messages greatly edified all the attendants and helped the building up of the church there in the Lord's recovery.
At this time I related how the Lord had called me to serve Him when I was with him in Hwang-Hsien the year before. To this he made no comment.
RELATIONSHIP IN THE LORD'S CALLING
Just as I desired to spend my life preaching the gospel on the day I was saved, so after I graduated from college, the Lord reminded me of this same thing. But I took the excuse that I had to help my younger brother finish his college education. After he graduated from college, I was again reminded by the Lord that I should give up my occupation and spend my full time preaching the gospel. At that time I knew that my destiny was to give my life to serve the Lord. However, I did not have a faith bold enough to perform it.
After the church in my hometown was raised up, I still kept my occupation and at the same time cared for the meetings. By 1933, just one year after the church began, the work was booming. There was a great demand upon my time. During the three weeks between August 1 and August 21, I struggled much with the Lord. I deeply sensed that He was calling me to give up my occupation and serve Him by faith, but I dared not take definite action because of the lack of faith.
Among all the brothers in the church at that time, only my younger brother and I made what would be considered good money in our occupations. For this reason most of the needs of the church were taken care of secretly by the two of us. Therefore, when the call of the Lord came to give up my occupation, I considered all the needs. Not only would the amount being offered to the church be lessened if I gave up my employment, but others would have to care for me. So I was struggling with this matter.
After three weeks of struggling with the Lord, I simply could not go on; so in the evening of August 21, following the prayer meeting, I explained my situation to the two leading ones and asked them to pray for me. After eleven o'clock that night, I went to the Lord and knelt before Him in my reading room. The Lord immediately rebuked me: "You have an evil heart of unbelief in falling away from the living God!" (Heb. 3:12). I said in my heart, "I have a wife and three children to take care of." The Lord responded, "Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things...and all these things will be added to you" (Matt. 6:32-33). At that time I became clear that I had to spend my full time serving the Lord. The only factor which caused me to hesitate was lack of faith. I deeply sensed that the Lord was there. His presence was so real that I could not deny it. But up to this point I could not pray. Then He warned me, "If you will take My word, take it; otherwise, I am through with you." Immediately following that word, I felt that the Lord departed. I could pray no more; I could not even say Amen. Tears filled my eyes. Finally I said, "All right, this is it." There was no other way. The next morning both of the two leading ones came to me and told me that after praying they felt it was of the Lord that I should leave my occupation and give my full time to serving the Lord.
The next day I went to resign my job. After resigning, I went to the post office and found a letter awaiting me from Ch'ang-ch'un, the capital of Manchuria under Japanese occupation. Opening it, I found to my surprise the first invitation I ever received in my entire life calling me to go to another place to speak for the Lord. It was immediately after my resignation that I received this letter. It seemed to be a definite confirmation of the Lord regarding my resignation, and I was much strengthened and encouraged. I accepted the invitation and went. Through my visit an assembly was raised up there. The preacher, the elders, the deacons, and others of the Presbyterian denomination, close to twenty, all turned to the Lord's recovery and were baptized by me in the river in one day.
I spent seventeen days in that place. While I was there, a letter arrived from the general manager of the company in which I had been employed, telling me that they would not let me go but would promote me and increase my salary. The time was late September. I began to consider; it was the policy of our company to give the employees a bonus at the end of the year. I was tempted by the thought that if I would work for only a little more than three months I could still get that bonus and then quit.
Upon returning to my hometown, a letter was awaiting me from Watchman Nee. I looked at the envelope, noticing it was mailed from Shanghai. I opened it and read it. It was dated August 17, exactly in the midst of the time I had been struggling with the Lord. The letter said, "Brother Witness, as for your future, I feel that you should serve the Lord with your full time. How do you feel? May the Lord lead you." It is impossible to tell what strong confirmation I received by receiving that short note from him. That little note simply annulled the letter from my general manager. I was leaping in my heart. I said to myself, "This matter is settled. Even if someone would offer me the whole world, I would not take it. Tomorrow I will go to the office and tell the general manager that I reject his good offer." The next day I did exactly that. Then I felt that I must go to Shanghai to see Watchman Nee and discover why he wrote me that note at that particular time, August 17.
In Shanghai Watchman related to me the following story. He told me that while he was returning to China from Europe his ship was sailing on the Mediterranean Sea. One day while in his cabin, burdened and praying for the Lord's work in China, he felt he should write me a note telling me that I should spend my full time serving the Lord. When he told me that, I was fully convinced that he was a person wholly with the Lord. Otherwise, how could I be thousands of miles away struggling with the Lord and he be on the Mediterranean Sea receiving a burden to write me concerning this matter at the very instant God was dealing with me? I was persuaded that he was a man of God. He did not need to ask me to work with him; I had already made the decision. I had to follow him and work with him. This incident I have just related became the basic factor in our working together for the Lord.
RELATIONSHIP IN ENTERING THE WORK
While in Shanghai in October 1933, Watchman received me as his guest. I stayed with him for about four months, and during that time he did a number of things to perfect me. Concerning some of these things, I was clear what he was doing, and concerning others I was not clear at the time. I spent much time with him. We were together for many hours, and I always gave him the opportunity to speak. I would not speak, for I realized that the more I spoke, the more foolish I was. I gave all the time to him. He never talked with me about vain things but always took the opportunity to speak with me mainly about four matters.
First, he helped me know the Lord as life. Before I stayed with him, I loved the Lord and had already obtained a great deal of doctrinal knowledge of the Bible. But I was not clear concerning life. It was not until I spent time with him that my eyes were opened to see the matter of life.
One afternoon as we sat together, neither of us said a word. I was seated on a sofa and he in a rocking chair. While he was rocking, he began to ask me, "Brother Witness, what is patience?" I was puzzled. The question was too simple. Surely we all know what patience is. But since this question came from his mouth, it had to be of considerable import. I dared not answer. While he was rocking, he continued, "What is patience?" I did not understand what his intention with me was at that time. He had a burden, but I did not comprehend it. Eventually I said, "Well, patience to me is a sort of endurance. When people ill-treat you and persecute you, yet you endure the suffering, that is patience." He shook his head and said, "No!" Then I said, "Please tell me, what is patience?" He answered, "Patience is Christ." I could not understand it. It sounded like a foreign language to me. I asked, "Brother, what do you mean by saying that patience is Christ? Would you explain it to me?" He only continued rocking. He offered not a word of explanation. "Patience is Christ," he repeated. I was not only puzzled but deeply bothered. We remained in that state for a long time. I would not raise any other question, and he would say nothing else. I was very eager to know what he meant, but after a long period with no explanation forthcoming, I was fully disappointed. It was late in the afternoon, and eventually I said, "Brother Nee, the time is gone; I must return to have my dinner." He replied, "All right."
When I returned to the guest house, I was really troubled. I went to my room and prayed, "Lord, what does it mean that patience is Christ?" The Lord spoke to me in those days, and my eyes were opened. I saw that Christ Himself is my patience. Real patience is not a kind of behavior, but just Christ lived out from me. I saw it! It was in this way that Watchman helped me so greatly in the matter of life.
Second, during these times of fellowship Watchman also related to me the history of the Lord's move with him from the year he was saved up to that day. I was not fully in the church, nor was I in the work in those first ten years of the Lord's recovery; so he used hour after hour to convey the things to me concerning the Lord's move in those years, not in a brief way but in full detail. At the time I did not understand his reason for relating those things to me, but later I knew. He purposed to perfect me and build me up. He was laying a good foundation.
Third, he instructed me in matters concerning church history from the first century to the present. He recounted all the main things which occurred concerning the church, and the way he did it was deeply significant. He did it from the aspect of the Lord's recovery and with the goal of the Lord's recovery in view.
Fourth, he also helped me grasp the living way to know the Bible. I had been helped by the Brethren to know the Bible in the way of letters, but he helped me know the Bible in the way of life. In all our conversations together, I received much help from him in these four matters. A good foundation was laid for my work, even up until the present time, in the matters of life, the church, and the work.
One afternoon while I was studying, he came to my room and threw two sets of used books on my bed. He said, "Here are some books for you," and immediately left. One group of books was John Nelson Darby's five-volume Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, and the other group was a four-volume set of Henry Alford's New Testament for English Readers. I realized that his purpose in giving me these two sets of books was to perfect me in knowing the Word of God.
In addition, he also put me into a position where I could participate in the work and minister in the local church in Shanghai. This afforded me an excellent opportunity to learn how to serve the Lord. Before putting me into such a situation, however, he tested me. His way of testing was secret. In the beginning I did not know what he was doing; I did not realize that I was being tested. In the previous years while we were corresponding, he did not really know me. But when we stayed together for a longer period of time, he was observing and secretly putting me to the test. First, immediately after arriving in Shanghai, I was asked to speak in the general Sunday morning meeting. This caught me by surprise, but I gave a rather long message on the pathway to glory from Matthew 13:53—17:8.
At that time the church in Shanghai met in two halls. The main hall was hall one while hall two was somewhat secondary. Not long after I arrived in Shanghai, the brothers arranged for me to hold a conference in hall two. I believe that this was according to Watchman's instructions in order to test me a little. I spoke every night and was exposed
to all. I was on the test for about a week. Watchman was not there, but whatever I said found its way to him. I must have passed the test for I was later charged to speak regularly in the first hall.
One day Watchman brought me a bundle of letters from various places. Various persons had written him asking questions about the church, church practice, life, and about the interpretation of the Bible. He said, "Witness, I am too busy. I do not have time to devote to all these things. Would you reply to these letters and answer all their questions for me?" I never imagined that this could be a test, but it was. I said to him, "There are probably some questions to which I will not know the answer." He replied, "That does not matter; if you have questions, just ask me." By the Lord's mercy I answered all of the letters. The longest answer I wrote was on sects and the structure of the church. Watchman appreciated it very much and published it in the fourth and fifth issues of Collection of Newsletters. Watchman's third overcomer conference was held in Shanghai in January 1934. Many co-workers and saints attended the conference from different places throughout the country. It started on a Monday. Nearly all the outsiders arrived on the Lord's Day before the conference began. On the morning of the Lord's Day, while we were all waiting for Watchman to come and speak, a short note was delivered to me from him asking me to speak in that meeting. Both I and the attendants were all surprised that he did not show up in that meeting. But I spoke in the meeting according to his request and acquired some new experience.
During that ten-day conference, I received much help from his messages. They were indeed marvelous, marking a real turn in both my Christian life and in my church life. My eyes were opened to see Christ in His preeminence in all things according to God's eternal plan. I took brief notes on all his messages, which he eventually published in the March and April issues of The Present Testimony in 1934.
One day before the conference, we were having fellowship together. At that time he asked me how I daily studied the Bible. I replied that I was in Acts and Colossians. Immediately he said that these two books were a very good match. At first I did not understand what he meant, but eventually I was helped to see that Acts reveals to us how Christ ascended to the heavens and was made both Lord and Christ (2:36), whereas Colossians reveals that Christ should have the preeminence in all things and should be all and in all in God's economy (1:18; 3:11). There was never another person in my entire Christian life who helped me know the Scriptures in such a profound and living way, especially regarding the revelation of Christ with the church.
On one occasion the first hall in Shanghai arranged to hold a gospel meeting, but no one knew who the speaker would be. Many thought that Watchman would speak. I was feeling quite relaxed and prepared to hear a message from him. I hoped also to learn more concerning how to preach the gospel. About an hour before the meeting, there was a knock at my door, and a note was passed on to me. It said, "Brother Witness, you give the message on the gospel tonight." It shocked me! What should I do? At any rate, I had to speak.
That night I spoke from John 16 concerning the Spirit convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. I pressed the people with the matter of sin because we were born of Adam, of righteousness because we can believe in Christ, and of judgment because we follow Satan. I told the people that here are three persons—Adam, Christ, and Satan. We were all born sinners in Adam, but now God has offered us the opportunity to get into Christ to be justified by taking Him as our righteousness. By believing in Christ we are transferred out of Adam into Christ. However, if we do not believe in Christ, we will remain sinful in Adam, and one day we will be together with Satan sharing God's judgment upon him. As I delivered this message, I could not see Watchman in the meeting. I did not know where he was, and no one told me where he was. But after a period of time had elapsed, one day as we were walking down the street, he suddenly turned to me and said, "Brother Witness, not many in this country can give a message from John 16 on the three points of sin, righteousness, and judgment and on Adam, Christ, and Satan as you did. I encourage you to go on." When I heard this, I said to myself, "How did he know this?" Eventually, I discovered that while I was speaking he was standing behind the door listening to my word. He heard everything. By that time I was aware that he was continually testing me.
In 1934, after I had been in Shanghai for about four months, Watchman came to see me one day. He said, "Brother Witness, we the co-workers here all feel that you should move your family to Shanghai and work together with us. Bring this matter to the Lord, and see how He will lead you." I brought the matter to the Lord, and at this time my eyes were opened to see a very significant matter. I saw from the book of Acts that there was only one flow, one current on the earth; it began from the throne of grace and came down to Jerusalem. From Jerusalem it took its course through Samaria, traveling to the north to Antioch; then from Antioch it turned westward to Asia Minor and to Europe. I saw that in the entire book of Acts there was only one current of the Lord's work on this earth and that there was no record of the work of anyone who was not in the current. When Barnabas separated from Paul and began another current, the account of his work in Acts terminated (Acts 15:36-41). The later co-workers, such as Timothy and Apollos, after being raised up by the Lord for His work, all were merged into one flow of the Lord's move, though they did not need to go to Jerusalem for this purpose (Acts 16:1-3; 18:24-28). The Lord revealed to me that the flow of His work in China must be one. Since it had begun from Shanghai, I should not go to the north and keep another flow. If the Lord was going to do something in the north, I must first enter into the flow in Shanghai; then eventually the flow in Shanghai would travel to the north. Although a work was already started in the north, I became crystal clear concerning the one flow. With this vision in view, I returned to the north following Watchman's conference, stayed for awhile, and then returned to Shanghai to stay and work with him. Hence, there was one flow and one current of the Lord's work in China.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
WITNESS LEE'S RELATIONSHIP
WITH WATCHMAN NEE
FROM 1934 TO 1936
RELATIONSHIP IN THE ASSIGNMENT OF WORK
While I was away in the north, Watchman conducted a series of meetings with the church in Shanghai in February 1934 following his conference. The meetings also included the conference attendants who stayed on after the conference, and the purpose of the meetings was to study the Bible concerning the assembly life. I came back to Shanghai from Chefoo in May. The day after my arrival, Watchman came to my place, threw a bundle of articles to me, and said, "Please write a preface for these articles." When I opened the bundle, I was so happy to see that the articles were composed of the messages given by him in the Bible study meetings while I was away. I could not stop until I had finished reading all four chapters. The most striking point in all the chapters concerned the boundary of the local church. After reading the chapters, I wrote a preface to them. They were published as a book under the title The Assembly Life.
During the period after I returned to Shanghai, Brother Nee's health was not good. During most of the meetings, he either rested or was away elsewhere. He spoke mostly during the conference times. The burden for the ministry in the regular meetings was left to me.
Brother Nee bore the main responsibility for two publications: The Present Testimony and The Christian. The publication of The Christian was suspended for a period of seven years, during which he published only The Present Testimony. In 1934 the decision was made with many co-workers to resume the publication of The Christian, and I was asked to edit it. I bore this responsibility until 1940.
From the end of 1933, Watchman Nee also issued a paper with news of the work and the churches entitled Collection of Newsletters. The eldest sister co-worker among us, Ruth Lee, was appointed to be acting editor of that paper. When she was away from Shanghai, I had the responsibility of editing that paper also.
Through all these responsibilities, a tremendous opportunity was opened to me to learn how to work for the Lord in His recovery, how to help others grow in life, how to build the church with life, and how to care for the publication ministry. Having been sovereignly placed under Brother Nee's leadership, by the Lord's mercy and grace, I learned many lessons in the matter of life, in the practice of the church, and in caring for the work in a living way. What I learned during this time laid a solid foundation for my future. How I thank the Lord for this! How grateful I am to Brother Nee for his perfecting work and for his gracious and wise dealings with me.
With all of us staying in Shanghai together, we were enabled to have much helpful contact. On one occasion the two of us were driving to a dairy ranch in a suburb of Shanghai to visit some brothers. During our ride we fellowshipped about the situation between us and the denominations. As we were considering the fact that the denominations were rejecting our testimony, he said, "From now on we must turn to the Gentiles like the apostles did in Acts 13:46." This opened my eyes to see something more of the Lord's way.
In the summer of 1934, he traveled with four of us brothers, driving the car himself, to visit four provinces, Kiangsu, Chekiang, Kiangsi, and Anhwei, to look into the situation in these places regarding the Lord's move. While traveling with him on this trip, I realized that he was a person who loved the Lord with his whole heart, and that he was also a person who had deep insight and foresight concerning many things. We five brothers from five different provinces, ranging from the far north to the far south, traveled and lodged together for a number of days. We enjoyed Brother Nee's helpful building-up fellowship and the Lord's presence with the oneness and harmony in the spirit. I could never forget the precious and sweet experiences of those golden days in the heavenlies!
In the summer of 1934, Sister Ruth Lee visited the churches in Kwangtung province and Hong Kong. Therefore, during this time I was charged to care for the editing of Collection of Newsletters. During the same time Brother Nee went to Foochow, his hometown, for rest. While resting there in Foochow, he wrote me the following letter concerning that publication, which was published in Collection of Newsletters, issue nine:
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July 6, 1934
Dear Brother Witness:
...Concerning the articles for Collection of Newsletters, I personally hope that in the future there will be more news about how the brothers and sisters have consecrated to the Lord, about how they have obeyed the Lord and have taken the Lord as Head over all things, about how they have overcome their dryness and entered into the more abundant life, and about how they were delivered from a sinful life and have overcome sin. These spiritual aspects are much more important than outwardly leaving the denominations. What is our center? Is our work to preach Christ as Lord or to preach leaving the denominations? I am really fearful that in every locality there are brothers who, being limited in understanding and spiritual experiences before God, only have a little knowledge about outward matters such as baptism, head covering, and denominations, and exhaust their effort to publicize these matters. By doing so, they cause outsiders to misunderstand
us, thinking that we only emphasize these outward things and that we do not exalt Jesus Christ as Lord. We know that if anyone follows the Lord, he will certainly take care of these outward matters. But it does not mean that anyone who practices these outward things is necessarily following the Lord completely. We must emphasize again and again for the sake of the ignorant brothers among us, that although we believe in these outward matters, yet our testimony, that which makes us different from others, is not in these outward things. Another matter which is continually on my heart is the matter of the coworkers. We thank God that many who had rank and position in the denominations have seen the truth of the church. But this is also a problem! Many have seen only the error of sectarianism among the denominations, but have not perceived the wrongness of the system in the denominations. Therefore, while they may have left the denominations, they have not rejected the system. Consequently, they think that since they were workers in the denominations, they can continue in the same way after they have come out of the denominations. They simply do not care whether or not they are gifted or whether or not they have been called by God. Although they have left their particular denominations, they have never left the work which these denominations afforded them. This will cause us to be filled with many unsuitable workers. I believe God's will is this: Unless one is clear that he has been called and is definitely gifted, after he leaves the denominations, he should seek a proper occupation and witness for the Lord there. He should never have the thought that since he has been a worker before, he can therefore go ahead and begin a work in any locality. This is the most dangerous thing in our midst. We would prefer a locality be without any worker or work than to be doing something in a loose way. Oh, the flesh must be dealt with! I am grateful to God that many have obeyed in these outward matters, yet their obedience is not merely restricted to these matters. These matters are but a part of their obedience to God's will. Unless it emanates from within, anything outward is worthless....
Peace be unto you.
Your brother,
Watchman Nee
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During this same period of time while traveling in the south, Sister Ruth Lee wrote Watchman and me a letter concerning the church. Watchman asked me to publish it in issue ten of Collection of Newsletters with his comment as follows:
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July 13, 1934
The following letter was written to Brother Witness and me by Sister Lee while she was traveling and working in southern China. She specifically requested that we not publish her letter in Collection of Newsletters because it is contrary to the position of head covering for a sister to talk about church matters. But feeling that this letter is profitable to the believers in each locality, we publish it. Brother Lee and I assume full responsibility for its content and anything pertaining to it.
Watchman Nee
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Ruth Lee's letter reads:
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Dear Brothers Watchman and Witness:
...All work must pass through fire to prove its value. What can one do apart from the Lord? At this time, in the various places, through personal fellowship with the brothers and sisters and from what I have seen and heard, I have much for which to be grateful to the Lord. Yet I also have some fear and sighings. Most of the brothers and sisters in Swatow are like a sheet of white paper—all that is needed is some good writing. They are also like a piece of good ground—all they need is proper sowing. Within a year's time, about twenty brothers and forty to fifty sisters have actually begun meeting together, not including those who only come for the messages. The sisters in Taishan labor incessantly and offer themselves to the best of their ability. These are good signs. I wish that from now on the brothers would pay attention to the following matters: 1)If the brothers in a certain locality desire to have the Lord's table, they should at least know what the church is and the reason for the table. If some
presume that simply because they have no name they are not a sect, and yet in many activities they are a sect in another form, and if they consider that only they are the church and are better than anyone else, then inevitably they will become the worst sect. 2)The brothers and sisters in a locality who are lacking in gift should procure proper jobs and serve God with their jobs. Otherwise, they simply become dead preachers sitting in their parishes, where neither sinners are being saved nor brothers and sisters are growing in life. Consequently, the place is full of spiritual death. We may ignore any derision from the denominations, but what about our testimony? If a place is without a worker, it is best for the brothers and sisters there to pray livingly, remember the Lord, and give personal testimonies. It is not necessary to adhere to a set form. If a brother or sister professes to be called by the Lord yet is not gifted, then in the eyes of others, this calling is questionable. The problem with this kind of worker is that he is either presumptuous or lazy. Sometimes problems also arise in regard to material supply—those who are pure may suffer hardship, while others may make godliness a means of gain. 3) If a brother or sister is gifted, it is best for him or her to serve God according to what he or she has. For anyone to go beyond their gift when they minister will unavoidably be unreal or in error. 4) Even though we are standing on the "right" side, nevertheless, it would be best that our messages would emphasize what is in the Bible, without saying explicitly that this denomination or that denomination is right or wrong. We should let any seeking one, after hearing the truth and realizing the error in which he is, be willing to pay the price to follow the Word. Avoid arguing over minor points. To be divided because of different interpretations of the Bible, is not this the way of the Brethren? More and more I feel that every time as we break the bread, although our eyes can only see a certain number of brothers and sisters, yet, through the bread, what we actually see are all the saved ones. Otherwise, the testimony of Ephesians 1:23 is lost. 5) When the authority of a local church is in the hands of the sisters, and the sisters are not clear, then the brothers should be frank to admonish them concerning this. But if the sisters intentionally refuse to stand on the proper position, then the brothers will not have a standing there. However, there are some places where the sisters are very good, while the brothers are old, formal, and dead. In such cases there is need for some enlightened brother to deal with these brothers. If the brothers will not listen, then one cannot blame the sisters for backsliding or being disjointed. In cases like this, the brothers are still a sect, only with the word "free" added to it. It is excusable to be in this situation if one is unclear, but if he is disobedient after knowing, then it becomes a matter of motive.
The reason why I have said so much is not that the brothers in Shanghai have any strong points or special authority; I am only hoping that in your speaking or writing you would pay attention to these aspects. I am a sister, and in this letter I am simply conversing with you as a member of the family giving you a report of these matters. The brothers in Swatow are very burning for the gospel, preaching twice weekly with two brothers responsible each time. In this matter I will be honest to say that the brothers in Shanghai are behind. I really ask the Lord to supply the work and the need of the workers in each of these localities. Recently quite a few brothers and sisters in each locality were out of jobs, while the others mostly had only average jobs. Although many brothers and sisters have given their utmost, there is still a lack for the work and the workers. On the one hand, the workers should never tell the brothers and sisters directly or indirectly of their need by giving hints or speaking through others. Yet on the other hand, often some brothers and sisters either regard the responsible worker as a rich man, or sometimes care only for the work and not the worker. I say this not because I have a need, but because of my observation. Pardon me for writing about so many things.
Peace in the Lord!
Sincerely yours,
Ruth Lee
Greetings to all the brothers and sisters in Shanghai.
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In the same summer, Watchman wrote Some Words from the Responsible Brothers and asked me to sign it with him and publish it in the tenth issue of Collection of Newsletters. It read as follows:
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Collection of Newsletters is a publication for the circulating of news within the family. It is absolutely not for the public and is available only to those brothers who walk with us. We mail it to you because we trust that you are having fellowship with us and are sharing the responsibility of intercession with respect to the news contained in it. We mail it to you because we trust
that you will not publicize it to the ordinary people "outside the circle" but will call upon God for its sake "within the veil"! We also believe you understand that our work is spiritual and that our emphasis is life. We are clear that God wants us to manifest the life of Christ in the local churches. Hence, the reality of our work is the life of Christ, and the outward expression of our work is the local church. In this present time, when the outward church is desolate, we do not have the slightest intention to start a new "movement," "group," "organization," or "denomination." We dare not even call ourselves the churches in the various places. We stand only on the position of the local church. This publication, therefore, carries the news of the assemblies which are standing on the position of the local church in each locality. As to its content, there is nothing but Christ. We have no headquarters. Concerning the localities, we have neither the power to control any of them nor the right to interfere with any of their activities. All that they have, they each have received from their Head, the Lord Jesus. The fellowship of prayer and the direction in various matters are all mutual. This prayer and direction come about because of the need and through the Lord granting us the strength. The answers to all questions are spiritual, not official, and their source is gift, not position. We do not wish to be the "Diotrephes" among God's children, nor do we wish to become the class of Nicolaitans. All brothers who go out to work are sent by the Lord. We are co-working with them. We hope that you can bear some spiritual responsibility with us.
Watchman Nee
Witness Lee
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When he returned to Shanghai from Foochow, I was invited to visit the churches in Ping-Yang County of Chekiang province. Watchman encouraged me to go, so I went. In October of that year, he went to Hangchow for the fourth overcomer conference and I traveled there from Ping-Yang to attend the conference. Again, this was another glorious time!
RELATIONSHIP IN SUFFERINGS
During the conference at Hangchow, Watchman's mother and the eldest sister coworker, Ruth Lee, both urged Watchman to get married during that conference time. They considered it to be a good time since all the co-workers from the entire country were present. Watchman agreed with the condition that I would be his best man and that Philip Luan would be master of ceremonies at the wedding. Sister Lee
fellowshipped with both of us concerning this matter. We told her immediately that we would be more than happy to do what Watchman desired and felt honored to be asked by him.
At the wedding Mrs. Samuel Chang was the maid of honor. All the co-workers and local saints attended the wedding. It was a happy time for all of us.
Following the wedding I traveled to Chefoo for a rest. While I was there, the big turmoil against Watchman's marriage transpired. Since I had been best man and Philip Luan had been master of ceremonies, we two were considered to be the ones best qualified to bear responsibility for handling the situation. Hence, Brother Luan cabled me and charged me to return to Shanghai to care for the situation. Immediately I cabled Watchman with the word of Deuteronomy 23:5: "Jehovah your God turned the curse into a blessing for you." I arrived in Shanghai on New Year's Day 1935. Philip Luan and I, with the help of Peace Wang, did our best to calm down the turmoil. All of our efforts seemed in vain because of the strong attack from the opponents. Eventually, because of his sickness and tiredness, Philip Luan returned to his home in Hangchow to rest. This left me alone in that difficult situation.
During that trying period, one morning Watchman came to me with the newspaper of the day and said, "In my entire life I never saw a marriage publicly attacked by printing an open advertisement in large characters in the country's leading paper." He said this with much sorrow. After that, he left Shanghai and traveled to the southwestern provinces of China.
At the same time Ruth Lee departed from Shanghai to visit the central part of China. The only help I had came from Sister Peace Wang. The situation was becoming difficult. By the Lord's mercy, Sister Wang and I decided to know nothing, do nothing, and say nothing concerning this problem. We simply continued on positively with the meetings. Praise the Lord, eventually He gained the victory and brought us through.
Before Watchman left Shanghai, he did not say a word to me concerning the work there. But following his departure, I discovered from one of the elders that his instruction to them was that the responsibility of the work there had been committed to me.
After three or four months, Watchman returned, and by May of 1935, although the storm was still present, it had calmed somewhat. Then Ruth Lee suggested to me that since Watchman would not minister, we must find a way to urge him to minister. But regardless of how much we urged him, he would not minister. Then one day Ruth said to me, "Let us beg him to hold a study with us on the Song of Songs." We therefore went to tell him that we were really eager to know the Song of Songs, and we asked him to accompany us to West Lake in Hangchow for a couple of weeks' rest and at the same time to have a study with us on the Song of Songs. He was happy about it and did it. Only four brothers and three sisters, who were all co-workers, went and stayed with him. The studies given by him at that time are now published in the book entitled The Song of Songs. Again, I received great help through these studies in the stages and turns of life. After that, Watchman began to minister regularly again.
From 1933, when Watchman returned from his trip to visit the Brethren in England, the Brethren had written us several letters concerning our fellowship with them. Up to the time of Watchman's wedding, we had not had time to respond to those letters. But since the wedding was over and the turmoil had subsided, Watchman began to consider how best to answer the letters of the Brethren concerning our fellowship with them. He asked me to care for this matter, but I did not take his word. Eventually, he did it himself and asked me, another co-worker, and the three elders in Shanghai to sign the letter with him.
RELATIONSHIP IN THE SPREADING OF THE WORK
At the end of May 1935, I returned to Chefoo. Watchman had decided to visit England, but before departing to England, he and his wife planned to come to Chefoo and stay in my home for some rest. Sister Nee came first in July, and Brother Nee came a little later. They were my guests for over one month. For a number of days Watchman went to stay in Tsinan with Brother Stearns, who was an American Presbyterian doctor. This doctor received much spiritual help from him and frequently came with his family from Tsinan to Chefoo for summer vacation.
At that time Watchman and the churches were somewhat depressed. One day after reading an article on revival in a Christian magazine, he said, "We need such a revival." Not long after this, one evening while seeking the Lord in the tennis court of the house where Dr. Stearns stayed, he experienced once more the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Following this, he held a conference with us on the overcoming life of Christ. That conference brought a revival to the church in Chefoo, and I myself obtained the greatest help in experiencing Christ as the overcoming life.
Because of the revival, Watchman canceled his trip to England and returned to Shanghai. Since the Lord had caused a revival, the decision was made that the coworkers were to go out to the major cities to spread the Lord's recovery. I was assigned to work in the north and went to Tientsin, the largest port of northern China near the old capital, Peking. This was done under the direct instruction of Brother Nee. At that time I traveled to Shanghai to see him concerning this matter.
In January of 1936, I, together with Peace Wang, a young sister under instruction, and two young brother co-workers, were sent there. After a short time, Watchman came to Peking and Tientsin to strengthen the start of the work there. We arranged a week of special meetings for him to preach the gospel to the upper class. After those special meetings, Watchman returned to Shanghai and continued to work there for the Lord's recovery.
In May of the same year, a high official of the provincial government of Honan, a Christian brother, being zealous for gospel preaching among his colleagues, invited Peace Wang to preach the gospel to them and then invited Watchman and me to do the same. We both went according to his request and stayed in his home for about a week. We preached the gospel to the governor and all his high officials with their wives and friends in that brother's courtyard in the evenings. The meetings were quite prevailing.
During the daytime Watchman and I spent our time in fellowship. He was again somewhat depressed, and one day he said to me, "If Sister M. E. Barber were still alive, our spiritual condition would be uplifted." This made me realize that he was seeking some spiritual help.
In the fall of that year, I took the initiative to contact the Pentecostal movement in Peking and began to speak in tongues, at the same time helping others to do the same. When the news of this arrived in Shanghai, Watchman sent me a cable with the word from 1 Corinthians 12:30: "Do all speak in tongues?" That simple cable helped me a great deal in that situation.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
WITNESS LEE'S RELATIONSHIP
WITH WATCHMAN NEE
FROM 1937 TO 1950
RELATIONSHIP IN NEW REVELATIONS
At the end of December 1936, I received a cable from Watchman Nee asking me to come to Shanghai immediately for an urgent conference of all the co-workers. Peace Wang, Chang Yu-tzu, a third co-worker, and myself arrived at Shanghai early on the morning of January 1, 1937. Watchman met us at the station, and the conference started the same day. In that conference, messages were released which now form the substance of the book entitled The Normal Christian Church Life. During the conference he became ill with a cold. He called me to his bedside and charged me to deliver the message which he intended to release on Acts 13. After receiving all the points from him, I did as he desired and delivered the message, but I must confess that it was very inadequate. Eventually, after he recovered, he gave that message again himself.
One day during this conference time, he took me to see the construction work of the training center he had planned to build at Chenru, a suburb of Shanghai. He related to me how he was burdened to pass on to the Lord's young seeking ones some practical training on life, on the church, and on the work. The construction work of the training center was damaged by the invading Japanese in August 1937 before it was completed.
At that time the decision was made that I should travel throughout all the provinces of northern China to preach and teach in the denominations. We felt at that time that we should pass on all the light the Lord had given us to the denominations. In the summer and in the fall of that year, I did much traveling in the northwestern provinces of Suiyuan, Shansi, and Shensi with Sister Peace Wang and others.
In that summer Japan invaded China, and many of the co-workers fled from the coast to the interior. At Sian, the last station of our journey in the northwest, we received a cable