Nee and others, Hyper-Spiritual?

I have heard from a respectable Christian friend that Watchman Nee was labeled "hyper-spiritual" by many at his seminary. He said there were others who were labeled the same (Duncan Campbell, etc).Someone please post the errors of Nee, Campbell, or hyper-spiritualists, and be prepared to defend your position. This is a new term for me, though I have heard some differed with Nee on his doctrine of tarrying meetings as unnecessary. I want to find truth regardless of where it leads.

I'm pretty sure my friend looks to Nee and Campbell with great respect, I am sure of Campbell in that respect. He just was mentioning the label given them by people at his seminary.I am very surprised both of these men being labeled so, as Campbell has been one of my favorites the last few months. I haven't heard anything, or met anyone who knew of, any major doctrinal error of either man.I am sure my friend likes Duncan Campbell as he asked for a CD of him when I could get around to it.

Its too bad that it isn't possible anymore to ask Watchman Nee some questions...Would love to ask about his written piece about the foolish and wise virgins. :-) Something conflicts in my eyes. (Matthew Henry's commentary and Watchman Nee both write something different.) Both are great men of God and I'm just ehm... :-)

I have noticed doctrinal differences between some of my favorites, as well as different interpretations of Scripture. I believe there are many interpretations to Scripture, but I also believe these great men could have easily been wrong in some areas. So what are the different views?

What encourages me is Tozer was well read in Nee.And many other giants of the past.

Letsgetbusy,Its interesting to learn some of the doctrinal stances these men of God had, and we could talk for hours about it, But one thing I have noticed that these men ALL had in common is they had one goal,one desire, one hope that they burned hot for Jesus. None of them swayed on this stance. They All new how to get to God. They new how far they had to travel...These men prayed "not some of me and some Thee but all of Thee and none of me." -M.Guyon

Has anyone heard of Ravenhills top 20 books to read??How did I get "not to shy to talk" :-D

I have heard from a respectable Christian friend that Watchman Nee was labeled "hyper-spiritual" by many at his seminary. He said there were others who were labeled the same (Duncan Campbell, etc).I think "hyper spiritual" is a phrase coined by those who are soulish and not spiritual.Watchman Nee on the contrary came up with the concept of "The Normal Christian Life". That is according to the New Testament, the Life of Romans' 8 is the Normal Christian Life. That is a life lived in and governed by the All Victorious Life Giving Spirit of the Crucified and resurrected Christ.What I would do is inqure of those "siminary students or professors what they know concerning the subjective aspects of the Cross and living by resurrection Life. I have heard a lot of sermons by a lot of well known preachers in Christianity but have rarely heard any one touch on the Cross and God's dealing with our soul life and imparting Christ into us as Life outside of Watchnam Nee and a few other writers."The soulish man does not recieve the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them because they are dicerned spiritually."Graftedbranch

I have heard from a respectable Christian friend that Watchman Nee was labeled "hyper-spiritual" by many at his seminary. He said there were others who were labeled the same (Duncan Campbell, etc).Watchman Nee came into conflict with the seminaries and theological professors of the West not because of bad doctrine, but because he emphasised life and building.Nee Saw from the scriptures that God's eternal purpose in both creation and redemption is to build Christ into His redeemed as their Life and to build up the body of Christ as God's household and dwelling place.Nee saw that the church was not just a gathering of believers but the body of Christ with Christ as its constituent. He saw the goal of evangelism, edifying the saints, and all the work was for one purpose, to build up the body of Christ in local churches to be God's dwelling place and His expression on the Earth.Just as in the Old Testament, God's goal for the Isrealites was first the construction of the tabernacle and then the Temple for God's dwelling place, so when Christ came He was God's tabernacle among men. And now, Christ haveing died and ressurected, the church as His body is now the enlarged tabernacle, and we are, as Paul says in Ephesians 2, "being built up into a holy temple, the dwelling place of God in spirit.Then in Revealtion 21 and 22 we see the consumation of God's salvation in the New Jerusalem, the Wife of the Lamb which is the Tabernacle of God for all eternity.It is this that caused them to say, "Nee is hyper spiritual", because he saw that only what is of Christ is the reality of the Church and God, having imparted into his redeemed regenerated believers His Life and Nature, His primary work with us is not to train us to use our natural gifts to serve God but rather to reduce us that we might live by Christ as our Life and manifest Him and be His expression.The Seminaries on the other hand cultivate mens aspirations and natural gifts to serve God. They do not empasise Life and Building but rather knowlege, methods, ways, and intellectual attainment. Graftedbranch

Gb,I think that's what I was looking for. Thanx.

Having read some of Nee I wish to encourage all to also delve into the deep study of God's word that Nee proposed to share in his talks. Nee only actually published one book, "Spiritual Man". In the introduction he states how he was attacked spiritually and also how the book all came together under the direction of the Holy Spirit. "The Normal Christian Life" is a series of talks Nee shared on the book of Romans, in which he teaches the absolute necessity of understanding our deaths with and upon the cross of Christ. If it is considered 'hyper-spritual' and. this is a bad thing then I too am guilty of the same charge because I teach the same thing in my bible studies. My students have begun to grasp the true nature of Christianity, as taught by Nee, as death to self and life to God through Christ, Gal 2:20. When I stand before the judgement seat I will answer for what I have taught and whether or not I was responsible to the call God has placed on my life. Watchman Nee is a deep thinker and writer who drew so close to the Lord that the truths he taught were ones that require considerable work to digest. I consider the time invested reading and studying Nee to be a worthwhile redeeming of my time and the sharing of that knowledge to be suitable for the equipping of the saints which will stand in the day of fervent heat which all of mens work will be tested by.

Nee only actually published one book, "Spiritual Man".Actually Nee established and owned "The Gospel Book Room" in China through which he published numerous books, pamphlets, and magizines such as "Present Testimony" and "The Overcommer". The Spiritual Man was the Only book he sat down and wrote as a book. The others were edited from his spoken addresses, conferences, trainings, and notes or taken from articals he wrote for the magazines. But he was responsible for their publication until 1950 when because of the political situation he established the Gospel Book Room in Tiawan and Hong Kong. He maintained the Book Room in Shanghi for two more years until he was imprisoned and gave the responsibility for the Gospel Book Room over to Witness Lee in Tiawan and K. A. Weigh in Hong Kong.Today, the Gospel Book Room in Tiawan still publishes the books of both Nee and Witness Lee in Chinese and the US arm as "the Living Stream Ministry" publishes the books in English, spanish, and other languages. Graftedbranch

thank you for your input and I stand corrected. Where did you aquire all this info because I would like to share in your knowledge. Also, what does your reply have to do with the question that started the thread?

my point was to apologize for using the wrong word, when in essence I was correct. My pride being hurt, I should have left well enough alone and instead I spouted off. Not very spiritual at all. It's funny because I have always considered this site a resource for revival and not a place like so many other 'Christian post-forums', which is why I rarely post at all. I think I'll more carefully word my replies and continue to soak up all the precious jewels while minding my own business "1Th 4:11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands,just as we told you"

thank you for your input and I stand corrected. Where did you aquire all this info because I would like to share in your knowledge. Also, what does your reply have to do with the question that started the thread?It's not really on topic but I get the feeling that sometimes people might be under the impression that only the "Spiritual Man" is authentic Watchman Nee and that everything else is not really him. But in fact he was the publisher of His own ministry from 1922 till 1952. Today many of his works and messages are still being translated and published by Living Stream Ministry www.lsm.org .The collected works of Watchman Nee can be found and read on line at http://www.ministrybooks.org/The information I related concerning the gospel book room can be found in: "The High Peak of the Vision and the Reality of the body of Christ", http://www.ministrybooks.org/books.cfm?id=%23%2F%40%3FH%0AGraftedbranch

I think I'll more carefully word my replies and continue to soak up all the precious jewels while minding my own business "1Th 4:11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands,just as we told you"Brother, your portion is needed and welcome (at least by me). If we never put ourselves out there we will never be "exposed". And we will never be perfected by the rich supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ through the other members of His body.Graftedbranch

Amen. We want to hear from you. Who knows. You could be the next Jonathan Edwards.