Everyone looks for the easy way
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
I got saved around my 13th birthday, but there was no one to teach the word of God to me. I tried to read the Bible but couldn't understand it. I prayed and the Lord spoke to me but it made me feel like I might be crazy. Eventually all I wanted to do was to be able to pick up the Bible and understand it as easily as talking to Jesus and asking Him a question. In college I met a Christian group that had been raised up by Watchman Nee and learned the Bible based on his teachings and that of John Nelson Darby. However, this group did one thing very unique and that was that each meeting would end with a 30 minute time of personal testimonies. Not the "sea story" how you got saved 20 years ago, but what you got from the message just shared or some experience you had that week of Jesus. This could be very tough, very revealing, often humiliating to those who did share. So to make it very easy they "strongly encouraged" people to share from the ministry of Witness Lee. It was like a canned testimony. There were footnotes on every verse, so anyone could stand up and simply read a footnote, others would quote something he had written in one of his books. I had nothing against Witness Lee, but all my life I wanted to be able to read the Bible for myself and so I shared my experiences and what I got from the word. This led to some very serious persecution, apparently the reason they wanted people quoting Witness Lee was to sell his books and ministry. The testimonies were like "testimonials" to help sell his ministry. All those who went along with this were like those who savourest the things of men and not of God.
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Think about it, the word of God is a lamp unto my feet, not Witness Lee's ministry. I was helped to study and understand the word of God there, but I was not interested in being given a crutch. I think many, not just from that group, do the same. They use some ministry of the word as their crutch. Instead of the word of God being the truth it is that ministry which is the truth and instead of using the word of God to check, they use that ministry.
What I would say is this, reading the word of God for yourself is not the easy way, but it is the right way. Yes you need the ministry of seasoned brothers, because when you first pick up the word you are so prone to error. But don't become a parrot, that is the easy way, but not the right way. Take up your cross and follow the Lord, that is the right way, not the easy way.
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
I got saved around my 13th birthday, but there was no one to teach the word of God to me. I tried to read the Bible but couldn't understand it. I prayed and the Lord spoke to me but it made me feel like I might be crazy. Eventually all I wanted to do was to be able to pick up the Bible and understand it as easily as talking to Jesus and asking Him a question. In college I met a Christian group that had been raised up by Watchman Nee and learned the Bible based on his teachings and that of John Nelson Darby. However, this group did one thing very unique and that was that each meeting would end with a 30 minute time of personal testimonies. Not the "sea story" how you got saved 20 years ago, but what you got from the message just shared or some experience you had that week of Jesus. This could be very tough, very revealing, often humiliating to those who did share. So to make it very easy they "strongly encouraged" people to share from the ministry of Witness Lee. It was like a canned testimony. There were footnotes on every verse, so anyone could stand up and simply read a footnote, others would quote something he had written in one of his books. I had nothing against Witness Lee, but all my life I wanted to be able to read the Bible for myself and so I shared my experiences and what I got from the word. This led to some very serious persecution, apparently the reason they wanted people quoting Witness Lee was to sell his books and ministry. The testimonies were like "testimonials" to help sell his ministry. All those who went along with this were like those who savourest the things of men and not of God.
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Think about it, the word of God is a lamp unto my feet, not Witness Lee's ministry. I was helped to study and understand the word of God there, but I was not interested in being given a crutch. I think many, not just from that group, do the same. They use some ministry of the word as their crutch. Instead of the word of God being the truth it is that ministry which is the truth and instead of using the word of God to check, they use that ministry.
What I would say is this, reading the word of God for yourself is not the easy way, but it is the right way. Yes you need the ministry of seasoned brothers, because when you first pick up the word you are so prone to error. But don't become a parrot, that is the easy way, but not the right way. Take up your cross and follow the Lord, that is the right way, not the easy way.