One Church - One City - Biblical?

[aron]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

This is a quote from Lee's
"THE LIFE AND WAY FOR THE PRACTICE OF THE CHURCH LIFE"

Furthermore, do not try to unify the work. Do not say, "We are in America, so we should be unified. Let us have a conference to unify the situation." This is wrong. We strongly insist on having the unity, but we are altogether against unification and uniformity. I have the full assurance that in the early days the churches in Judea were quite different from the churches in the Gentile world. The apostles did not try to unify the churches or make them uniform.

Lee flatly contradicted himself elsewhere, in his RecV footnotes. All churches were to be exactly identical, quote-unquote. No differences whatsoever.

That was his idea of why the seven Asian churches in Revs 2 & 3 weren't blessed by God. See e.g. his footnote in Rev 1:20 - he prescribed "not having any individual distinctiveness". Oh, but you may say, That's organizational, not related to persons. But we all know how it works in the LC of Lee. Everybody, at some point, is expected to get it. Those who don't get it, and remain distinct, are allowed to remain, as long as they are positive. But the clear understanding is conformity and uniformity. Again and again this theme is pushed. Every local church was a "Witness Lee duplication center". We were to be "Witness Lee tape recorders". Etc ad nauseum. So don't dismiss it as so benign. It isn't.

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by aron

Lee flatly contradicted himself elsewhere, in his RecV footnotes. All churches were to be exactly identical, quote-unquote. No differences whatsoever.

That was his idea of why the seven Asian churches in Revs 2 & 3 weren't blessed by God. See e.g. his footnote in Rev 1:20 - he prescribed "not having any individual distinctiveness". Oh, but you may say, That's organizational, not related to persons. But we all know how it works in the LC of Lee. Everybody, at some point, is expected to get it. Those who don't get it, and remain distinct, are allowed to remain, as long as they are positive. But the clear understanding is conformity and uniformity. Again and again this theme is pushed. Every local church was a "Witness Lee duplication center". We were to be "Witness Lee tape recorders". Etc ad nauseum. So don't dismiss it as so benign. It isn't.

The meaning is spiritual not physical. I think he means their nature, not their practical appearance. This is from the Rev 1:20 commentary:
"They should be of the heavenly nature and should be in a heavenly position like stars."

He's saying that all of those churches had problems because they didn't hold onto Christ, they didn't have His heavenly nature and position.

The key thing is that they all shine the same light which is Christ.

Nowhere anywhere in any footnote of the Bible or his books does he say everyone has to dress the same.

[aron]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

The meaning is spiritual not physical. I think he means their nature, not their practical appearance. This is from the Rev 1:20 commentary:
"They should be of the heavenly nature and should be in a heavenly position like stars."

He's saying that all of those churches had problems because they didn't hold onto Christ, they didn't have His heavenly nature and position.

The key thing is that they all shine the same light which is Christ.

Nowhere anywhere in any footnote of the Bible or his books does he say everyone has to dress the same.

Conformity and uniformity was stressed every which way. Almost always with some spiritual gloss, but the message was clear. You'd have to be culturally tone-deaf not to get it.

Now, granted, some are tone-deaf, and don't get it, and go along fine in the LC. But the vast majority get it clearly. Don't stand out in any way. Be a small potato. Disappear into the faceless proletariat.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by aron

Conformity and uniformity was stressed every which way. Almost always with some spiritual gloss, but the message was clear. You'd have to be culturally tone-deaf not to get it.

Now, granted, some are tone-deaf, and don't get it, and go along fine in the LC. But the vast majority get it clearly. Don't stand out in any way. Be a small potato. Disappear into the faceless proletariat.

Well said -- "always with some spiritual gloss."

I have a long time friend and elder in the LC's, who went out to Anaheim for some fellowship with Witness Lee. His dear wife happened to pack his clothes, and for one day he was "assigned" to wear a nice, but colorful, plaid shirt. (Kind of like Norm Abram from TOH and NYW)

Witness Lee took one look at him and had a fit. Apparently he got "disrespected." Though he knew him personally, WL went to Titus Chu (mid-level-management) instead and chewed him out so that my friend would "get it" worse, and the entire GLA would learn their lessons well.