To zeek
“Your statement reinforces what I already proposed below, i.e. that we judge Nee's propositions not Nee.”
Isn't that the purpose of this (your) thread?
“Now if Jesus or the authors of the Bible thought it was wrong for Christians to hold political office, why didn't they just say so directly? Why beat around the bush?”
You could turn your question around and ask, Now if Jesus or the authors of the Bible thought it was right for Christians to hold political office, why didn't they just say so directly? Why beat around the bush? Of course the answer is a bit more complicated.
“Or second, He might command the angels to proclaim His word. The Bible does record some instances of angels delivering the word of God, but these are very rare and only used as an exceptional or emergency measure. This is not the normal and regular way of God’s speaking. Nevertheless, should it please God to propagate His word by the angels, He could simply compile many articles similar to the Ten Commandments and command the angels to deliver them to men to learn. No personal experience would be involved, and no human error would be possible. We might think this would eliminate many theological problems, arguments, and heresies. How simple it would be if God’s word were reduced to the form of a law of five or six hundred articles. By hearing or reading these items men would know God’s word in total. Perhaps many believe that the Bible would be easier to comprehend if it were one thousand one hundred and eighty-six articles instead of that many chapters. It would not be unlike a handbook of Christianity. A quick glance would give a general summary of the Christian faith. But God has not so done.” The Ministry of God's Word, chapter 2, page 21, Watchman Nee, Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc. New York Copyright ©1971[emphasis added]
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A New Testament believer prays, gives thanks, praises, or seeks after the Lord without the need of a prophet to act on his behalf. The greatest blessing for a New Testament believer is the ability to receive the leading of the Holy Spirit, as Hebrews 8:11 says, "And they shall by no means each teach his fellow citizen and each his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all will know Me from the little one to the great one among them." We have many fellow citizens and brothers, but there is no need for them to teach us, saying, "Know the Lord." We have the Holy Spirit within us. The Spirit is our prophet today. In the Old Testament there was Nathan, Gad, and many other prophets, in addition to many "fellow citizens." But in the New Testament, we do not need all these "fellow citizens" to teach and guide us......A prophet cannot give anyone personal guidance; this is the essence of the New Testament. In the New Testament there are no personal prophets. Everyone can know God directly and be led of God and know God's will directly. Do you have a prophet? I am ashamed that many people have considered me a prophet, that is, the kind of personal prophet mentioned above. The danger of a worker is to burden himself with the work of a prophet. When there are too many personal prophets, the proper place of the new testament prophet is annulled. The New Testament church does not need any spiritual giants to act as personal prophets to teach others what they should do. That is the work of the Holy Spirit, not the work of the prophets. The main work of the new testament prophets is for building up, encouraging, and consoling men. This is the work that God's workers should do today.”
(Collected Works of Watchman Nee, The (Set 2) Vol. 42: Conferences, Messages, and Fellowship (2), Chapter 3, Section 1)[emphasis added]
“Nee states "A government officer is one who executes the law. The laws in the world are based on justice, and all transgressors have to be punished. However, the principle of conduct of Christians today is mercy (Matt. 5:38-48). Can world politics act according to the teaching on the Mount? The words "do not judge, that you be not judged" (Matt. 7:1) have forever disqualified believers from interfering with politics or being executors of law."
“If mercy is the principle that Jesus taught us to practice, then why not practice it in every sphere of life including government? Didn't Jesus expect his followers to bring the practice of the Kingdom of God to the world? Wouldn't practicing mercy in government be doing exactly that?”
This is what in a 2006 speech, then-Sen. Barack Obama, in a mocking way, said, “Jesus' Sermon on the Mount was so radical the Defense Department wouldn't survive its application.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWpAQDx1iVQ
What shall a Christian do if, being the president of a country, he faces war? Shall he follow the Lord Jesus teaching, “But *I* say unto you, not to resist evil; but whoever shall strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other”, and so condemn to death millions of his own people, who probably do not share his belief, or shall he use the sword and in so doing going against the Lord's commandments and his own conscience?
“According to Nee's teaching, since Jesus' principle is mercy we should avoid situations where think mercy is inappropriate. According to Nee then, should we just avoid people and situations where we don't wish to show mercy? So, if I don't like you, I should just stay away from you because if I'm around you, I might have to show mercy toward you. Avoidance including avoidance of political office seems to be a poor standard of practice for Christian life that would lead to social isolation rather then bringing the Kingdom of God into the world like Jesus did.”
I am not sure what you are saying. Could you clarify, just for me, please.
Many Christians had a strong aversion about politics, (Tertullian, Origen, Clement of Alexandria, the Brethren, Nee, etc..)
“I owe no duty to forum, campaign, or senate. I stay awake for no public function. I make no effort to occupy a platform. I am no office seeker. I have no desire to smell out political corruption. I shun the voter’s booth, the juryman’s bench. I break no laws and push no lawsuits; I will not serve as a magistrate or judge. I refuse to do military service. I desire to rule over no one – I have withdrawn from worldly politics! Now my only politics is spiritual – how that I might be anxious for nothing except to root out all worldly anxieties and care.”- Tertullian
In us, all ardor in the pursuit of glory and honor is dead. So we have no pressing inducement to take part in your public meetings. Nor is there anything more entirely foreign to us than affairs of state. – Tertullian
Celsus also urges us to “take office in the government of the country, if that is required for the maintenance of the laws and the support of religion.” But we recognise in each state the existence of another national organization founded by the Word of God, and we exhort those who are mighty in word and of blameless life to rule over Churches. Those who are ambitious of ruling we reject; but we constrain those who, through excess of modesty, are not easily induced to take a public charge in the Church of God. And those who rule over us well are under the constraining influence of the great King, whom we believe to be the Son of God, God the Word. And if those who govern in the Church, and are called rulers of the divine nation–that is, the Church–rule well, they rule in accordance with the divine commands, and never suffer themselves to be led astray by worldly policy. And it is not for the purpose of escaping public duties that Christians decline public offices, but that they may reserve themselves for a diviner and more necessary service in the Church of God–for the salvation of men. And this service is at once necessary and right. They take charge of all–of those that are within, that they may day by day lead better lives, and of those that are without, that they may come to abound in holy words and in deeds of piety; and that, while thus worshipping God truly, and training up as many as they can in the same way, they may be filled with the word of God and the law of God, and thus be united with the Supreme God through His Son the Word, Wisdom, Truth, and Righteousness, who unites to God all who are resolved to conform their lives in all things to the law of God. – Origen
http://unsettledchristianity.com/the...ublic-service/
Still, every Christian should decide by/for himself, according to the Word and the leading of the Spirit (and his own conscience).
Col 3:1 If therefore ye have been raised with the Christ, seek the things which are above, where the Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God: Col 3:2 have your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.