"Word arrived from the separatist London Group of Brethren that Watchman was being charged with "compromising the fellowship." This came after they discovered that, during his visit to their country, Watchman had taken communion with lesser British Christians who held that 'anyone claiming to be a believer was allowed to break bread without regard to the religious and other associations in which he was involved.' The London Group's purpose for writing now was to 'enlighten the Shanghai Brethren as to the true principles of Christian fellowship and to help them to judge Nee's actions.'
...The church elders gathered with Watchman to discuss the problem... 'Let us not forget our official association with the Brethren and that they were the first to recognize the validity of our church,' [said Y. A. Wu.]
...The church elders gathered with Watchman to discuss the problem... 'Let us not forget our official association with the Brethren and that they were the first to recognize the validity of our church,' [said Y. A. Wu.]
Regarding Nationality:
'My dear brother Wu,' answered Watchman, 'better that we are recognized by the Holy Spirit, in whom we were 'all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.' If He was right when He said through the apostle Paul that we 'all are one in Christ Jesus,' then, as New Testament believers, we have a decision to make.'
'What decision is that?' asked Witness Lee.'
'Whether we care more what the world thinks of us than we do of God's opinion of our faithfulness. The world pays great attention to personal status—to what race I belong, what background I have, and so forth. 'I must maintain my honor,' it says. 'I must protect my status.' But once we become Christians, we should exclude all such discriminations. No one should bring his personal status or position into Christ and the church—the one new man; to do so would be to bring in the old man. Nothing that belongs to the old man should ever be carried over into the church.'
'Whether we choose to recognize it or not, Brother Nee,' said John Sung, 'there will always be differences between nations.... Perhaps it is time for us to learn to discern our enemies from our friends.'
'Aside from Satan, the Lord has no enemies,' replied Watchman, ' only potential friends. And these differences you speak of are cultural, not spiritual. No matter what language our neighbors speak, the Holy Spirit speaks but one: the language of love....'
Watchman Nee looked around the circle of church elders and said gently, ' No, my friends. There are no longer any national distinctions. Every time we come to the Lord, we come not as English or Chinese but as Christians. We can never approach the Lord on the basis of our nationality. These outside things must be shut out, for we are united by the life of Christ. Whether some are American, English, Indian, Japanese, or Chinese believers, we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. No one can divide us as God's children.... If we put our nationalism before our faith, we cannot have Christ.'
'A story that I heard illustrates this well. After the war, some brothers from England went to Germany to attend a Christian conference. One of the brothers in Germany arose to introduce the visitors by saying, 'Now that the war is over, we have some English brothers visiting us to whom we extend our warmest welcome.' Among those thus introduced, one stood up and replied, 'We are not English brothers, but brothers from England.' How well spoken were these words! In Christ, we are all brothers and sisters.'
Regarding Gender:
'Ah, but you yourself have taught us that there are distinctions between brother and sisters,' broke in Y. A. Wu. 'Does not the Holy Scripture say that a woman should not be permitted to teach or have authority over a man?'
'Again you are speaking culturally and not spiritually,' responded Watchman. 'When the church meets, the man functions differently from the woman, just as in the family, husband and wife hold different responsibilities. And who is to say whether the husband's or the wife's responsibilities are the more important? A strong case could be made for both. But in Christ, there can be no male and female. Neither the man nor the woman has any peculiar position. Why? Because Christ is all and in all. In the spiritual life there is no way to differentiate between male and female.'
'Brother Lee,' said Watchman, turning to Witness Lee. 'Do you remember what our carpenter friend said when I asked him, 'Daniel, what is the spiritual condition of the brother sin your place?' '
'I will never forget,' answered Witness. ' He said, 'Are you asking about the male brothers or the female brothers?' '
At that, all of the men had a good laugh, and Watchman continued, 'Exactly! I considered that an excellent expression. He did not know whether I mean the brothers or the sisters. In Christ there is no disparity....'
'We are all brothers and sisters. We are each a new creation in Christ. All natural distinctions have been annulled in Christ. We therefore must shut out of our hearts any divisive spirit. There is only one answer that the Spirit of Christ will allow us to give to the Brethren in London. Are we all in agreement on this?'
... They wrote:
'My dear brother Wu,' answered Watchman, 'better that we are recognized by the Holy Spirit, in whom we were 'all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.' If He was right when He said through the apostle Paul that we 'all are one in Christ Jesus,' then, as New Testament believers, we have a decision to make.'
'What decision is that?' asked Witness Lee.'
'Whether we care more what the world thinks of us than we do of God's opinion of our faithfulness. The world pays great attention to personal status—to what race I belong, what background I have, and so forth. 'I must maintain my honor,' it says. 'I must protect my status.' But once we become Christians, we should exclude all such discriminations. No one should bring his personal status or position into Christ and the church—the one new man; to do so would be to bring in the old man. Nothing that belongs to the old man should ever be carried over into the church.'
'Whether we choose to recognize it or not, Brother Nee,' said John Sung, 'there will always be differences between nations.... Perhaps it is time for us to learn to discern our enemies from our friends.'
'Aside from Satan, the Lord has no enemies,' replied Watchman, ' only potential friends. And these differences you speak of are cultural, not spiritual. No matter what language our neighbors speak, the Holy Spirit speaks but one: the language of love....'
Watchman Nee looked around the circle of church elders and said gently, ' No, my friends. There are no longer any national distinctions. Every time we come to the Lord, we come not as English or Chinese but as Christians. We can never approach the Lord on the basis of our nationality. These outside things must be shut out, for we are united by the life of Christ. Whether some are American, English, Indian, Japanese, or Chinese believers, we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. No one can divide us as God's children.... If we put our nationalism before our faith, we cannot have Christ.'
'A story that I heard illustrates this well. After the war, some brothers from England went to Germany to attend a Christian conference. One of the brothers in Germany arose to introduce the visitors by saying, 'Now that the war is over, we have some English brothers visiting us to whom we extend our warmest welcome.' Among those thus introduced, one stood up and replied, 'We are not English brothers, but brothers from England.' How well spoken were these words! In Christ, we are all brothers and sisters.'
Regarding Gender:
'Ah, but you yourself have taught us that there are distinctions between brother and sisters,' broke in Y. A. Wu. 'Does not the Holy Scripture say that a woman should not be permitted to teach or have authority over a man?'
'Again you are speaking culturally and not spiritually,' responded Watchman. 'When the church meets, the man functions differently from the woman, just as in the family, husband and wife hold different responsibilities. And who is to say whether the husband's or the wife's responsibilities are the more important? A strong case could be made for both. But in Christ, there can be no male and female. Neither the man nor the woman has any peculiar position. Why? Because Christ is all and in all. In the spiritual life there is no way to differentiate between male and female.'
'Brother Lee,' said Watchman, turning to Witness Lee. 'Do you remember what our carpenter friend said when I asked him, 'Daniel, what is the spiritual condition of the brother sin your place?' '
'I will never forget,' answered Witness. ' He said, 'Are you asking about the male brothers or the female brothers?' '
At that, all of the men had a good laugh, and Watchman continued, 'Exactly! I considered that an excellent expression. He did not know whether I mean the brothers or the sisters. In Christ there is no disparity....'
'We are all brothers and sisters. We are each a new creation in Christ. All natural distinctions have been annulled in Christ. We therefore must shut out of our hearts any divisive spirit. There is only one answer that the Spirit of Christ will allow us to give to the Brethren in London. Are we all in agreement on this?'
... They wrote:
We must distinguish between "sins" (either morally or doctrinally) that hinder fellowship with God and "sins" which do not. We know definitely that sins like adultery and disbelief in Christ coming in the flesh would certainly put one out of fellowship, but as to the other "sins," say that of "bad association," fellowship with God is not hindered.
The face remains that many a child of God in the different systems whom we have thought unfit for fellowship, is having a closer walk with God and a richer communion with the Lord than we.
It is the Spirit, and the Spirit alone, who can decide the question of one's fitness for fellowship.
The reason we receive a man is that God has received him (Romans 14:3). So the divine command is, "Now him that is weak in faith, receive" (Romans 14:1). We must receive those whom God had received. This command is clear, decisive and embracing.
–Bob Laurent, Watchman Nee: Man of Suffering; pp. 114-120