Witness Lee and the local churches:
A Personal Testimony Refuted
5. Witness Lee and the local churches have no cult-like
emotional bonds
The manipulation discussed above suggests usurping the mind; the emotional bonding here suggests unreasonable and inappropriate relationships in the emotions. There is an emotional attachment of the members to the charismatic leader them or to the group. Such an improper emotional attachment here would produce a local church cult.
This is not the case. The issue of his ministry and the prevailing situation with Witness Lee and the local churches is not a strong emotional bond to Witness Lee or to the local church group. The issue is the believers strongly loving the Lord. Witness Lee is not the attraction. The attraction is the Lord Himself ministered in the word. Opening the word causes the believers to love the Lord and follow the Lord. The believers remain in the local churches and under Witness Lees ministry because they are fed and growing. Witness Lee has gone to be with the Lord but the rich feeding from the word in his ministry remains.
With Witness Lee and the local churches the strong emotional bond the believers have is not to Witness Lee. There is not a strong inappropriate emotional bond between the members. Through regeneration, the divine life produces in the believers the love (of God) towards the Lord and the brothers. This love is not natural nor is it the result of manipulation or control. It is one of the signs of regeneration.
We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers. He who does not love abides in death (1 John 3:14).
We know i.e., have the inner consciousness of it, because we love the brothers. Love (the love of God) toward the brothers is strong evidence of this. Faith in the Lord is the way for us to pass out of death into life; love toward the brothers is the evidence that we have passed out of death into life Witness Lee
This love is not a local church cult; it is evidence that we have passed out of death into life.
In His epistle to the church in Ephesus the Lord says,
But I have one thing against you, that you have left your first love (Revelation 2:4)
The church as the bride of Christ (John 3:29) is a matter of love. The first Epistle to the Ephesians tells us that for the church life we need to be strengthened into our inner man that Christ may make His home in our hearts, that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to know the knowledge-surpassing love of Christ, that we may be filled unto all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19); and it is for the church life that grace is with all those who love the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 6:24).
the degradation of the church begins with our leaving the first love toward the Lord. Nothing but love can keep us in a proper relationship with the Lord. Witness Lee.
Does Witness Lee encourage an improper strong emotional bond with himself or the group making it a local church cult? No! This is the proper love that is needed between the Lord and His members. This is the uniting bond of peace found with Witness Lee and the local churches. It is not a local church cult. It is the loving, normal relationship in the church of God.
Witness Lee
Local Churches
Positive References
church in Salt Lake City
1. Home 2. No Cult Beliefs 3. No Cult Leader 4. No Cult Manipulation
5. No Cult Emotions 6. No Cult Devotion 7. Praised by Accusers
8. False and Slanderous 9. No Illusion of Superiority 10. Positive Testimonies