Watchman Nee, Confucianism and Unconditional Submission

1Jo 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

I was first introduced to Watchman Nee and his book "Spiritual Authority" in the 1970's and have watched churches and leaders for over35 years . 

And very sad to see the damage and destruction left behind by many who have followed this unbalanced submission and authoritarian teaching.

My heart was broken when I read about a good Pastor who had fallen prey to this false teaching and his ministry was destroyed.

I am not against anyone, not attacking any one personally, but sharing my personal concerns over unbalanced teachings that damage disciples, churches and worst of all leaders!!!

Now I don't think that all of Watchman Nee's books are necessarily bad, but many of his books present some theological problems. There are a lot of well meaning people who read Nee like he was Jesus or some kind of ultimate authority. Nee was human and fallible, just like me and everyone else.  I hope no one is reading this or ever reads anything I write thinking I am infallible.

But at issue today is the very serious problem of spiritual abuse and the unbalanced and extreme teachings taken exclusively from the Watchman Nee book on "Spiritual Authority"

I hold in my hands a rather worn out (reconditioned at Staples) copy of "Spiritual Authority" by Watchman Nee published by Christian Fellowship Publishers 1972

Not only does this teaching damage young believers, but the most destruction accomplished by this extreme philosophy is in the life of the leader who embraces this authoritarian teaching.

We all know that the devil targets spiritual leaders and what better way than with an unbalanced teaching. This teaching can discredit their ministry, hinder evangelism and do much harm to their family life.

Let me quote Frank Viola from "Who is Your Covering"

"Spiritual Authority" is one of the most abused pieces of literature ever to be written in this century. Virtually every recent authoritarian movement has gotten mileage out of this book to support the heavy handed leadership. While the book does contain some precious insights, its weaknesses render it dangerous in the wrong hands.

Regrettably, Nee's book blurs the distinction between the Old and New Testament concept of authority and fails to distinguish between the way it works among dignitaries versus the church. In Nee's defense, this book was never intended for a general audience. It is merely a transcription of messages that he gave to his apostolic co-workers in China.

— Frank Viola


Again, not all Watchman Nee teachings or writings or bad. I am confident Watchman Nee is with Christ in heaven today. I don't doubt that his ministry had great fruit of eternal value. But he was only human!!!  During his ministry his nation came under very oppressive communist rule and the church went underground.

When I eat chicken I pick out the bones - John Wimber

One of my heroes and mentors, JOHN WIMBER used to say that when you read a book or listen to a sermon, look for the good in it but use your discernment and spit out the bones . . .

I think that is sound counsel for us today. The bible teaches to "try the spirits (of prophecy) to see if they are truly of God or not"

Hebrews 5:14 BUT SOLID FOOD is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses TRAINED to DISCERN good and evil.

The scriptures plainly teach the "Priesthood of every believer" and that each of us have a personal responsibility to use our God given discernment, to discern good from evil.

During my tenure as a Senior Pastor I constantly reminded the people that I was only human (fairly young human at that) and they needed to be like the Bereans and search the scriptures for themselves to determine for themselves if what I was teaching or preaching was the Biblical Truth.

Leaders who have a control spirit

Quite frankly I have never understood why anyone would want to control other people. I find that whole motive to control other people to be sick to begin with.

When people proclaim this teaching and call for people to submit, I always wonder: "what do they want people to do."

Tell me, what is it that you want from people when you call them to SUBMIT?

[HELPFUL HINT: Don't drink the kool aid]

There is something terribly wrong with someone who wants to control others.

I always wonder, what is it that they want them to do? 

We are called to "Preach the word" not be dictators!!!

There are many insecure people in spiritual leadership who compensate for their own insecurities by trying to control others.

Just like the Wizard of Oz who manipulated others by using loud sounds and bright lights to frighten people into submission. But thank God for little Toto the dog. You know as Toto was pulling the curtain the great Wizard of Oz said:

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

We could all learn from Toto today!!! And quit payng attention to the man behind the curtain.

I think Charles Swindoll put it best:

"I'm grieved by strong leaders who consistently walk over people. We wonder how people like that make it into significant places of influence. Here is some free advice. If you don't enjoy people, please do us all a favor, don't go into leadership. Choose another career stream. Everyone will be better off. Say no when you are offered an opportunity to lead."

"Neither the world nor the ministry needs more bosses. Both need more leaders - servant hearted souls to lead as Paul led, with sensitivity and affection toward others. Love and affection, when appropriately given, fills the gap when words alone fail to comfort. If people know you love and value them, they'll go to the wire for you.Paul told the Christians at Thessalonica that he loved them. They never got over it."


— "PAUL, A Man of Grace and Grit" by Charles R. Swindoll (page 226)

False Doctrine

Another way control finds its way into a Christian churches is through false teaching.

There have been numerous Christian groups that use terms like"accountability" "shepherding" or "covering" and hold that leaders should be consulted for all life decisions such as college, education, marriage, finances, everything...  So instead of teaching people to follow Christ and to be "led by the Holy Spirit" they simply tell them what they expect of them. Chapter and verse please?  (Sadly, most of these leaders are not that familiar with the scriptures and have no grasp of sound Biblical Theology)

These have also been called "delegated authority." These terms have been associated with abusive, controlling authority in the "Discipleship-Shepherding" groups.

As a young man our Presbyterian Church came into the Charismatic Movement of the 1970's. My pastor was a brilliant bible scholar who exercised extraordinary wisdom and discernment in his life and ministry. One night a week a small group of us would gather and listen to video presentations of Bob Mumford, Derek Prince and others.

These men were theologically sound and spiritually gifted teachers who provided much encouragement and inspiration at the time. I still read and study their materials. However, these men soon came together and formed what later became known as the Ft. Lauderdale 5 and under the influence of Nee's book on "Spiritual Authority" developed an authoritarian structure which is now known as the "Shepherding Discipleship Movement"

Derek Prince soon withdrew from the group and Bob Mumford has since apologized to the church but Nee's book continues to be promoted and contemporary authors continue to spread the ideals of unconditional submission and abusive spiritual authority as advocated by Watchman Nee.

And just so you know, my pastor never got involved in any of that stuff. He remained and still is a sound biblical theologian and caring minister.

In fact, I have worked for several great pastors and leaders down through the years and none of them went down this authoritarian or submission road at all.

The fact is, men like Keith Allison, Jolly E. Terry, John A. Stapleton and others; focused their energies on reaching the unreached and telling the untold about the great vicarious atoning substitutionary work of Christ in our redemption!!!  I was blessed by the influence of Christ centered men like Dr. Bill Bright and Dr. D. James Kennedy.

I have been very fortunate to have worked for great men of God who were never abusive and focused on the gospel. Fact is I can't remember any of them even reading Watchman Nee. They were too busy winning the unreached to Christ and ministering to the needs of the people.

Their focus was on the Word of God and the work of Christ.

Fact is, they preached the Word of God, not Watchmen Nee.

The Chinese writer said "seek the oldest Christian and submit to him."

This is Chinese Confucianism plain and simple. Now there may be some good in Confucianism, but it is not the bible and it is not sound biblical theology. If you want to teach Confucianism, fine; but don't call it the bible, it is not biblical.

The same writer said "Submission is not a matter of principles of right or wrong. It is a matter of obedience to your superiors."

Oh really?

Tell that one to the police officer the next time you get pulled over for speeding, lol

Oh, officer, I was late for a meeting with my superiors down at the church.

It is not our place to discern right from wrong. Someone is notreading the bible. Somebody has been reading anything but the bible!!!

Bob Buess put it best in his book "The Pendulum Swings"

To give anyone full authority over your life is anti-Christ in nature.

This false teaching came into American churches through Watchman Nee and his book Spiritual Authority. Nee says on page 71,

"If God dares to entrust His authority to man, then we can dare to obey. Whether the one in authority is right or wrong does not concern us. The obedient one needs only to obey. The Lord will not hold us responsible for any mistaken obedience, rather He will hold the delegated authority responsible for his erroneous act."

Where does he find that in the Bible. It is contrary to everything Jesus taught about personal responsibility.

This is false teaching that if promoted could lead to cult type abuses. The logic, the unscriptural and unbalanced reasoning behind this is extremely dangerous indeed!!!

In addition, he states, "We should not be occupied with right or wrong, good or evil; rather should we know who is the authority above us" page 23

Confucius taught this. Jesus Christ did not teach this.This is clearly coming from the teachings of Confucius which greatly influenced Nee.  THIS IS NOT BIBLICAL TEACHING.

Let me says this: You better be occupied with right or wrong!!! God will hold you accountable in this life and in many ways for knowing and discerning right and wrong!!!

In fact, God will hold you accountable for adhering to this FALSE teaching.

The group of believers who first mentored me in the ministry had a wise saying: "Chapter and verse?"

"Do you have chapter and verse for that?"

In other words, is there sound biblical theology behind that teaching,not just an isolated passage or a man made idea or tradition.

Confucianism or Confusionism

Watchman Nee learned this concept of delegated authority from theethics of Confucianism. Confucius taught that parents should always beobeyed, that they were never wrong, but if they were they should stillbe obeyed.

In Confucianism (Charismatic Confusionism) loyalty is one of the greatest virtues and can lead to the blind loyalty described in Nee's teachings.

I can easily document the fact that Pastors wives from across America are calling into the offices of a global ministry in Tulsa,Oklahoma every day asking for help because their Authoritarian Pastor husbands are verbally and physically abusing them.

Where I live and work you go to jail for that!!!

Frustrated "Authoritarian Pastors" are literally beating their wivesinto submission. A recent case in Atlanta where the "Bishop" threw hiswife (Juanita Bynum) to the pavement and was standing on top of herkicking her until he almost killed her...

And that "Bishop" the last I heard was still leading that "church" today!!!

To bring this concept into Christianity antagonizes one of the most fundamental principles of New Testament Christianity, the Priesthood ofall believers. When the veil of the Temple was torn in half God wassignifying that we all now have equal access to Him. There is no personwho has spiritual authority (power) over us. We are all siblings inChrist and there is no chain of command among siblings.

Luk 22:24-26 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship overthem; and they that exercise authority upon them are calledbenefactors.

But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of meekness, gentleness, peace andlove. The extreme teachings of Nee and others are completely contraryto the teachings of Christ and the fullest form of error.

WISDOM that comes from above is peaceable and easy to be entreated.

This authoritarian spirit leads to child abuse, domestic abuse and spiritual abuse.

Jesus was not impressed with the authoritarian religious leaders of his day:

Mat 23:5-7 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they makebroad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shutup the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves,neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.


Authority in the New Testament is of a completely different order. Insome settings in our life we experience the kind of leadership that hasthe power of command. Our jobs are many times an example.

But in the church a very different kind of leadership is needed.

The Church is a voluntary association of free people who accept theauthority of God but recognize the equality of every believer.

The Priesthood of All Believers

John Calvin and the Reformers are right on in their emphasis of the Priesthood of ALL BELIEVERS and yet authoritarian submission crushes all that!!!

The Church is a voluntary association of free people who accept the authority of God but recognize the equality of every believer. BecauseGod is no respecter of persons, and because we are brothers and sistersin Christ, and because we can come equally before the Throne of Grace,the only valid authority and leadership we can follow is one of servant leadership.

Jesus, the Almighty Creator of the Universe had the valid authority to command and coerce. He instead chose the opposite of power and becamethe least. He took a washbasin and cloth and washed His disciples feet.The contrast between Who He is and what He did is so great that itshould be impossible for anyone to misunderstand.

Nee's "delegated authority" violates Jesus Christ and what He taught in Matthew 23:8-12.

"Neither be ye called masters, for one is your Master, even Christ."

Spiritual leaders have moral authority but they do not have coercive authority. Theirs is a servant leadership. Only the whole congregation acting together has the power to coerce according to Matthew 18.

Pastors are called to preach the Word of God and pray for their people.They are not called to manipulate and control people.

Should men listen to their wives?

All I can tell you is that God spoke to Abraham and told him to listen to his wife:

Gen 21:12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thysight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid. In all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice. For in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

The Hebrew word translated as "hearken" here is the word SHAMAW which literally means to hear intelligently and obediently.

There are many good men today, who are also on the fast track to destruction.

God does not drive men. Pride, ego and ambition are at the top of the list of things that drive men. But God never drives men. God guides men and God leads men.

What to do with a driven leader

If a leader is leading contrary to truth then we should first consider that "a word to the wise is sufficient." If that is not heeded then we must consider whether the issue is of little or great weight. If it is serious enough then we must confront (1 Timothy 5:19) with witnesses,and if the charge is denied then Matthew 18 says we must take it to the whole church.

I visited a shepherding discipleship group in the Dallas area back in1977 and thought it to be very weird from the start. Again, they followed certain teachers like Watchman Nee instead of the bible. Today that man is on television and it is obvious for all to see that the poor guy has lost his mind. Unbalanced BAD THEOLOGY along the lines of"spiritual authority" will in fact do that to you.

This kind of deception and lead to serious mental illness.

This so called "leader" has found wife #3 who is currently the wife of another man. And you can go to his "ministry" website to read the daily updates about his long time adulterous affairs. He proclaims himself to be an "Apostle" and has long used the unbalanced teaching of Watchman Nee to establish himself as a "spiritual authority" and it is no secret folks, he is crazy!!!

Why does God allow false leaders like this to continue?

1Co 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

Simply put, God gave us brains for a reason.

We are to use them. We need to think critically and objectively,otherwise we fall prey to all manner of abusive and erroneous teachings.

When I was in Las Animas, Colorado I continually reminded the folks to check me out carefully and study their own bibles to see if I was teaching truth.

The fact of the matter is that no human leader has the full revelation or teaches 100% pure truth. Notice I said human leaders. The truth about human leaders is that they are human!!!

The Oriental writer said "Submission is not a matter of principles of right or wrong. It is a matter of obedience to your superiors."

Listen, if you attend a church that requires you to check your brains in at the door and accept everything they teach without using your own good common sense, reasoning and discernment. Then in all sincerity and humility may I recommend that you find yourself another church.

Find the EXIT sign of the door and leave, period. And ignore all their stupidity that you have to have "their blessing" to leave or God will curse you. THAT IS MIND CONTROL AT IT'S WORST!!!

The word teaches that you are to study to show yourself approved unto God and that you are responsible for rightly dividing the Word of  Truth.

The bible says in 1 John that we are NOT TO BELIEVE every spirit, but try and test the spirits (of teaching or prophecy or ministry) to see if they are of God or not!!!

Hundreds of scripture passages hold us all accountable for using our God given discernment!!!

1Co 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

I decided a long time ago that instead of becoming an expert in Watchman Nee or trying to follow every popular teacher that came down the road; I would focus on studying Christ in the gospels, Paul and the letters to the churches. Why move on to some weird oriental guys Confusionism when you don't even understand the Pauline Epistles?

Learn about justification by faith and the finished work of Christ on the cross, then get back with me on Watchman Nee!!!




"Bad theology is a cruel taskmaster" - Dr. Charles Farah, Jr.
 

This is a work in progress, there is MORE TO COME . . .
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