Muitos nos têm perguntado por uma nova tradução da Bíblia, lançada em 2010, com
título “Novo Testamento Versão Restauração”, que está sendo oferecida gratuitamente
pela Intenet, e é tão cheia de comentários que algumas páginas só têm 2 a 4
versículos, o resto delas sendo constituído por muito numerosos e longos
comentários.
Ora, o site é da “LIVING STREAM MINISTRY”, que na homepage se associa com a “Editora
Árvore da Vida”.
Bem, nem precisamos entrar no mérito da tradução (em que texto grego e hebraico
se baseia, etc.):
1) Para começo de análise, fomos nos sites e verificamos que ambos têm uma
declaração de fé muito, muito resumida, menos de 1/10 do comprimento mínimo
necessário, a qual não esclarece a posição deles em 90% dos assuntos que dão problemas
entre as seitas pseudo-cristãs. Isto é péssimo sinal. Quem só deixa visível sua
posição em 10% dos assuntos da Teologia Sistemática, geralmente está escondendo
posições que afastariam prospectos.
2) Continuando, lembramos de artigos que expõem a todos os erros e heresias dos
vários nomes adotados por aqueles grupos:
Dentro do site http://solascriptura-tt.org/Seitas/
encontramos:
*** a Igreja Local, A Igreja,
Editora Árvore da Vida, Witness Lee:
Igreja
Local -- A. M. Casci
Igreja
Local, editora Árvore da Vida, Witness Lee - por Victor Ramallo
Igreja
Local - Heresias De Perdicao -- N. Rinaldi
Igreja
Local - Paulo Romeiro
Em outros sites, encontramos:
antseitas - Tirando a Máscara
de "A Igreja Local"
http://www.ipet.hpg.ig.com.br/local/loc_001.html
http://www.cacp.org.br/igreja_local.htm
http://www.biblianet.com/estudos/mostraestudobiblico.asp?Id=34
http://www.presbiterianismo.com.br/Seitas/Igreja-local.htm
3) Finalizando a análise, em http://withchrist.org/MJS/neelee.htm
encontramos o artigo abaixo, que expõe os erros de Lee que se refletem nos
grupos, e outros erros e heresias que eles introduziram.
Rogamos que alguém traduza (à mão, não usando software de tradução) pelo menos
a parte principal do artigo abaixo (não é grande) e nos envie.
Hélio.
****************************
Miles J. Stanford
The late Watchman Nee was the Chinese founder and leader of the assembly-type movement named after the Brethren The Little Flock hymnal--although it had no connection with the Plymouth Brethren movement. Having emerged in the early 1920's, by 1950 there were some 200 assemblies established in China, with numbers of them spreading later into Taiwan and other parts of Asia.
Nee sought to pattern the assemblies after the New Testament, and they turned out to be a combination of his extreme views, Darby's closed views, Muller's open views, and T. Austin-Sparks' moderate views. The stress was on locality--each group an independent unit representing the Church in its particular area. In the larger cities, each assembly was to be in a different postal zone. Believers were required to attend the gathering in their particular home area or zone, none other. Like the Brethren, a number of the assemblies would congregate centrally from time to time for a weekend teaching conference.
China being largely unevangelized, Nee formulated an extensive year-long program for training believers in evangelism and soulwinning. His further emphasis was that of growth based on the identification truths. His classic, The Normal Christian Life, depicts the latter.
In his tendency toward extremism, Nee went into the "warfare" teaching of Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis and Evan Roberts via their dangerous book, War on the Saints. Hence much of the good of Nee's ministry and writings (some thirty volumes of his messages are in print at present) has been overshadowed by errors such as the Arminian "baptism in the Holy Ghost" for power in service and spiritual warfare, exercise of the sign gifts (tongues not stressed), healing in the atonement, inner light and intuitive revelation, demon possession of believers, and exorcism.
Nee also taught a split, or, partial Rapture, i.e., the "overcomers" will be caught up prior to the Tribulation, the "unprepared" believers will experience the holocaust. All of the, teachings mentioned here are in his books, The Release of the Spirit, and The Spiritual Man (the latter in three volumes).
In 1952, as leader of the Little Flock movement, Nee was imprisoned in Shanghai by the Communists. Twenty years later, in early 1972, he was released. A few months thereafter, at three-score and ten years, the venerable Watchman Nee went to be with his Lord.
In 1956 the Little Flock movement was crushed by the people (government-backed) as "counter revolutionary." Several months later the movement was completely reorganized and formally joined the Three Self movement. "Three Self" stands for self-governing, self-supporting, and self-propagating. What it really means to the Reds [Chinese Communists] is freedom from imperialist control, imperialist finance, and imperialist "poison."
A disciple of Watchman Nee, Witness Lee founded his assembly movement in Los Angeles some forty-five years ago. Since that time he and his followers have been setting up numerous gatherings throughout the country. Formerly, he was active in China and Taiwan.
A typical feature of all assembly-type movements is their subjection to the domination of their founders. An exception is the open Brethren; their individual assemblies are usually held in line by one or more local leaders. But within the history of assembly leadership, Witness Lee takes precedence in being the autocrat of them all, including Darby. And as for extreme teachings, he has outstripped his mentor.
The large and noisy ruling assembly from which Lee governs all is titled "The Church in Los Angeles." He maintains that God is present only in the local assemblies--theirs, that is. All others are outside the will and blessing of God. He stresses that Christian "victory" is not gained by teaching, doctrine, or prayer, but by just four words of praise. The assemblies often repeat in unison, either spoken, sung, or shouted: "O Lord, Amen, Hallelujah!"
Lee's method of teaching and control is a
definite form of brainwashing. All who join his assemblies are admonished
to forget all the doctrine they ever knew, and submit to the ways and teachings
of the Leeites. Some disgruntled open [Plymouth] Brethren have gone over
to Lee, and because of a resemblance to the Children of God movement, many
Jesus People have also joined the ranks.
O QUE SE SEGUE, ABAIXO, NÃO PRECISA SER TRADUZIDO, PODE CONTINUAR EM INGLÊS.
[Provided below
are excerpts from the written teachings of both Nee and Lee which will provide
support for our evaluation and conclusions.]
New To The Word -- In no area of your Christian life is it more essential to be centered in the truth of the Word than in your fellowship with the Father. This is especially so as you behold from your position the glory of the Son "who is the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15).
You can best study Him from your position in the heavenlies, in His very presence; but you must behold Him in His proclamation, in His Word of truth. It is within the realm of the written truth alone that the Spirit of Truth will conform you to the image of the One who is the Truth. "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth" (Eph. 5:9).
True To The Truth -- Your knowledge of the Lord Jesus, your beholding His glory, can never be based upon imagination, nor upon the imagination of others in their writings and artistry. No, not even Sallman's "Head of Christ!" If you are going to know the reality of personal fellowship with the Lord Jesus, if His blessed life is going to be manifested in your mortal body, you will have to remain a doctrinally sound and biblically centered believer.
What John said of his converts, he says to you: "For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son" (III John 3,4; II John 9).
Doctrinal Discernment -- Every aspect of your Christian life is totally dependent upon the written Word of God and the doctrine that is true to it. Sound doctrine is that teaching which is based upon scriptural principles. It is in the realm of doctrine that you can most readily discern whether or not a speaker or writer is safe and sound. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them" (Rom. 16:17).
WATCHMAN NEE BOOKS -- Since the principal mode of ministering the growth truths today is literature, it may be helpful for us to examine some of the contents of several books produced by one of the better known "deeper life" leaders. We refer to Watchman Nee, concerning whom we have shared above.
THE SPIRITUAL MAN
This three-volume work of Nee's is the only thing he ever wrote for publication. This was written but eight years after he became a Christian, and in it we find the inception of his "inner light," "inner voice," and "revelation" teachings.
Volume I, page 32 -- "INTUITION" -- Nee says:
Intuition is the sensing organ of the human spirit. That knowledge which comes to us without any help from the mind, emotion or volition come intuitively. The revelations of God and all the movements of the Holy Spirit are known to the believer through his intuition."
Volume I, page 149 -- Again he states:
Spiritual life is maintained simply by heeding the direction of the spirit's intuition. The believer will wait quietly for the voice of the Holy Spirit to be heard in his spirit, intuitively. Upon hearing the inner voice he rises up to work, obeying the direction of intuition."
Volume II, page 31 & 74 -- Here Nee says:
Well do we begin if we follow intuition instead of thought. To perform God's will a Christian need simply heed the direction of his intuition. There is no necessity to ask others, or even to ask yourself.
When Nee gives this "intuition" first place, the mind and thought are thereby relegated to a secondary position. In doing so he gives his "inner light, " "inner voice" and "revelation" first place and consequently consigns the Word of God to an inferior role.
Volume III, page 23 & 24 -- Here he leaves no question:
The believer must follow the revelation of his intuition, not the though in his head. He who heeds the mind is walking after the flesh and is accordingly led astray. Nevertheless, we have not said that the mind is entirely useless. True, we make a great mistake if we elevate the mind as the organ for direct fellowship with God for receiving revelation from Him; yet it does have a role assigned to it. That role is to assist intuition.
This is a far cry from Paul's Bereans! "These were more noble that those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily"(Acts 17:11). Paul also said, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Rom. 12:2; 14:5).
Someone has well said, "Believing is a mode of thinking. It is that particular manner of thinking that is guided to its object by the testimony of another, or by some kind of intermediation, such as the Bible. It is not intuitive." "Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine" (1 Tim. 5:17).
Volume II, page 195 -- "PERFECTIONISM" -- One basic error leads to another.
Whoever genuinely desires to be perfect must let the Cross cut deep into his emotion.
On page 256 Nee goes on to say that
when a believer has experienced the practical treatment of the Cross he finally arrives at a pure life. His soulish life has been terminated and the Lord has granted him a pure, restful, true and believing spiritual life. That which is soulish has been destroyed but that which is spiritual has been established.
Volume III, page 149 -- Finally Nee writes:
They forget that unless all nerve responses, sensations, actions, conduct, words, food and speech which belong to the body are utterly for the Lord, they can never arrive at perfection.
"THE BAPTISM," "WARFARE," & "DEMONISM" -- Watchman Nee's faulty foundation due to lack of sound doctrine led him into "the baptism in the Spirit for power and spiritual warfare," and inevitably on into "demonism" as taught by Jessie Penn-Lewis and Evan Roberts. He followed to the letter and quoted without question their dangerous textbook, War on the Saints.
Volume II, page 39 -- "THE BAPTISM" -- In The Spiritual Man we can see the beginnings of the familiar Pentecostal-type pattern.
In seeking the might of the Holy Spirit we must keep our mind clear and our will alive, thereby guarding ourselves from the enemy's counterfeit. We must also let God purge from our life anything sinful, unrighteous or doubtful. We then should 'receive that promise of the Spirit' by faith.
Should there be delay, use the opportunity for closer scrutiny of your life beneath His light. Gladly accept any feeling which does come with power; for if God deems it suitable not to accompany power with feeling, simply believe He has indeed fulfilled His Word. How does one judge whether he has received the promise or not? By looking into his experience. He who has received power has his spiritual senses sharpened and also possesses an utterance--not of this world--to witness for the Lord.
Volume II, page 55-57 -- "WARFARE" -- Penn-Lewis and Roberts found to their sorrow that what they considered to be the best, turned out to be the worst. The "baptism" inexorably leads to "warfare." In this Nee was no exception.
Upon experiencing the baptism that believer's intuition becomes acutely sensitive and he discovers in his spirit a spiritual world opening before him.
Now it is just here that spiritual warfare begins. This is the period when the power of darkness disguises himself as an angel of light and even attempts to counterfeit the person and work of the Holy Spirit. It is also the moment when the intuition is made aware of the existence of a spiritual domain and of a reality of Satan and his evil spirits. Spirit-baptism marks the starting point of spiritual warfare.
Volume II, page 60-64 -- TO THE "BATTLE"
Even now a battle is raging in the world of the spirit. Though unobserved by the eyes of the flesh, it is sensed and proven by those who are seeking heavenly progress. Many who are deceived and bound by the enemy need to be released. When the evil spirits succeed in their deceptions they gain a foothold in the believer.
Now obviously he who himself is bound cannot possibly set other free. Only when wholly freed experientially from the powers of darkness can the believer himself overcome the foe and rescue others. The incidence of the danger of deception increases in proportion to the numbers of those who experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
If the believer forgets that the enemy may influence his spirit as much as the Holy Spirit can, he unwittingly may accept every moving in his spirit to be from the Holy Spirit and thereby cede ground to Satan for pursuing his aim of destroying the moral, mental, and physical well-being of the saint. This is exactly what has happened to many who have experienced 'the baptism in the Holy Spirit.'"
Volume III, page 120, 126, 131 -- "DEMON POSSESSION" -- Shades of the instigators of this error, Mrs. Penn-Lewis and Mr. Roberts. And the end is not yet. Now it has come to demon possession of believers!
Deception unlatches the gate for evil spirits to rush in; passivity provides a place for them to stay; and the result of these two is entrenchment.
The powers of darkness pay no attention to one's resolve, but should he choose with his will to oppose them through the power of God then they will most certainly flee. Just as in the beginning the believer permitted the evil spirits to enter, so now he chooses the very opposite, the undercutting of any footing of the enemy. Everything hinges on the volition. The evil spirits will withdraw if the believer's volition withstands them and forbids them to occupy his organs any further.
Volume III, page 224, 225 -- "VICTORY OVER DEATH" -- Having gone this far in his doctrinal deviation, it was but a step for Nee to follow Evan Roberts in his teaching on "overcoming death." Nee finally writes,
The Lord will enable you to overcome death. So lay hold of the promise of God has given you, ask for life, and trust that nothing can harm you. Do not concede to the power of death, or else it will touch you.
For instance, you may be staying in a disease-infected area; yet you can withstand all diseases and not permit anything to come upon you. Do not let death attach you through sickness.
No longer can we wait passively for the Lord's return, comforting ourselves with the thought that we will be raptured anyway. We must be prepared. Death must be singularly resisted and rapture must be claimed wholeheartedly.
THE RELEASE OF THE SPIRIT
Publication Data -- Watchman Nee was saved in 1920, at the age of seventeen. In 1928 he wrote The Spiritual Man in three volumes. The edition we have referred to in the previous section was published in 1968 by Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc. This organization is composed of devotees of Watchman Nee and his disciple, Witness Lee. It is now [1974] located in Washington, D.C.
At the beginning of Vol. I, in the publisher's "Explanatory Notes, " is this startling statement:
Long after this book's initial publication in Chinese our brother Nee was once heard to express the thought that it should not be reprinted because, it being such a 'perfect' treatment of its subject, he was fearful lest the book become to its readers merely a manual for principles and not a guide to experience as well.
There was no need for brother Nee to fear that which he considered to be perfect, but rather should he have realized and feared the book's imperfections--errors of a very serious nature, as we have seen.
The Normal Christian Life -- In the late 1930's Nee visited England and came in contact with some of the Exclusive Plymouth Brethren leaders, as well as Mr. T. Austin-Sparks of the Honor Oak movement. The brief but effective influence of these associations, especially that of Sparks, is reflected in a series of messages Nee gave to a group of his co-workers upon returning to China in 1938. We have this material today in the form of Nee's classic, The Normal Christian Life. The overall message of this book is practically without peer. It has good doctrinal content, and the identification truths are presented clearly with the Cross central and the Christ-life predominant.
The Release of the Spirit -- ANTI-DOCTRINAL -- However, nearly ten years later--in 1947--Nee gave a series of messages at a co-workers conference, and these were subsequently published under the title of The Release of the Spirit. Here we have the errors of The Spiritual Man confirmed and compounded.
Our reference is to the 1965 edition published by the Fromke holiness group, Sure Foundation Publishers. Here we will deal with Nee's anti-doctrinal attitude, without going into the book's strange and dangerous teaching of projecting one's spirit to touch the spirit of the Bible, the spirit of others, etc.
PAGES 17, 88, 90 -- On page 17 Nee says:
Doctrine does not have much use, nor does theology. What is the use of mere mental knowledge of the Bible if the outward man [the soul] remains unbroken?
But God says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (II Tim. 3:16). On page 88 Nee states:
We must clearly understand what is meant by being edified. It cannot mean expanded thoughts, nor improved understanding, nor greater doctrinal accumulation.
While on page 90 we see:
Do you not realize that edification is not a question of doctrine, but of spirit? If your brother speaks through his spirit, you will be washed and cleansed each time his spirit comes out and touches you. Any teaching of doctrine which does not result in reviving the spirit can only be considered as dead letter.
In direct contrast to such erroneous teaching the Scripture makes it plain that growth and edification are dependent upon sound doctrine--the truth of the Word. (This is not to be equated with the doctrinal emphasis of Colonel Thieme). Thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, unto which thou hast attained. Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. In all things showing theyself a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing uncorruptness. (I Tim. 4:6; Titus 2:1,7).
There is only one result of depised doctrine and that is despicable error. Again on page 88 Nee says:
When there is the flowing of the spirit we will forget the theology we have learned. All we know is that the Spirit has come. Instead of mere knowledge we have an 'inner light.'
But Paul says to "preach the word; be diligent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine (II Tim. 4:2).
MAN OVERBOARD! -- In this book Nee substitutes his "inner light of revelation" for the Scriptural work of the Cross. He makes the following radical statement on page 78:
Whatever is revealed 'in the light' is slain by it. Right then and there your pride, your self, your flesh wither away and die with no hope of survival.
There is more of the same on page 74:
As soon as the light strikes, the flesh is dead.
Dear friend, beware of any teaching, no matter what the source might be, that denigrates doctrine and practically deletes the Cross. Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine; continue in them (I Tim. 4:16).
There are thirty or more books composed of Nee's spoken messsages, and it is true that they contain much that is good. However, his material includes too much abject error for him to be considered "safe and sound."
The following are excerpts from Witness Lee's magazine, The Stream. Lee, chief disciple of Watchman Nee, reveals herein what it means to follow Nee. Like leader, like disciple. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine (II tim. 4:3).
Then the fourth thing that we must see in order to participate is life! We all must know life. Revelation is a book of life. Do not pay attention to the forms, the regulations, the teachings, the doctrines, Christianity and religion. No, we must pay our full attention to life.
Today, if you were to ask me how to be victorious, I would tell you that there is no need for you to try to be victorious. Just say from deep within, "O Lord, Amen, Hallelujah! O Lord, Amen, Hallelujah! O Lord, Amen, Hallelujah!" and you will be so victorious.
If you would go to the Lord and praise Him in this way (above) for five or ten minutes, you will be over all, and strengthened in your spirit. Why? It is because you contact the living Lord! It is not a religion, a Christianity, a lot of doctrines, or a set of teachings, forms or regulations. No!
We do not need the Bible study classes; we need the weeping classes to weep for the spiritual poverty and deadness. We must listen to the Spirit--not just read what is written. We must listen to the present, instant speaking of the living Spirit.
Why
have Christians been divided? It is simply because of the different
teachings and doctrines. The more teachings there are, the more divisions
there will be. All the various teachings and opinions have done much
damage to the recovery of the church. I fear that some of us are still
under the influence of the Babylonian doctrines. May the Lord have mercy
upon us that we may forsake all of those teachings, regardless of whether they
are right or wrong. Let us go back to Jerusalem with the Spirit. We
all must have our "heads cut off."
Só use as duas Bíblias traduzidas rigorosamente por equivalência formal a partir do Textus Receptus (que é a exata impressão das palavras perfeitamente inspiradas e preservadas por Deus), dignas herdeiras das KJB-1611, Almeida-1681, etc.: a ACF-2011 (Almeida Corrigida Fiel) e a LTT (Literal do Texto Tradicional), que v. pode ler e obter em BibliaLTT.org, com ou sem notas).
(Copie e distribua ampla mas gratuitamente, mantendo o nome do autor e pondo link para esta página de http://solascriptura-tt.org)
Somente use Bíblias traduzidas do Texto Tradicional (aquele perfeitamente preservado por Deus em ininterrupto uso por fieis): BKJ-1611 ou LTT (Bíblia Literal do Texto Tradicional, com notas para estudo) na bvloja.com.br. Ou ACF, da SBTB.