ONE-MONTH PERFECTING TRAINING
GENERAL SUBJECT
THE LORD NEEDING THE OVERCOMERS

SERIES THREE
CLOSELY FOLLOWING THE MINISTRY OF THE AGE

III. Knowing What We Are

Lesson Six
The Authenticity of Local Church Faith Affirmed and Appreciated
by Many Prominent Christian Scholars Worldwide

 

The conclusion of Fuller Theological Seminary that the teachings and practices of the local churches and its members represent the genuine, historical, biblical Christian faith in every essential aspect. In regard to their teaching and testimony concerning God, the Trinity, the person and work of Christ, the Bible, salvation, and the oneness and unity of the Church, the Body of Christ, we found them to be unequivocally orthodox. (Fuller Theological Seminary – One of the largest multidenominational seminaries in the world.)
The local churches are an authentic expression of New Testament Christianity. Moreover, as a group forged in the cauldron of persecution, it has much to offer Western Christianity. In sum, along with Christians from a broad range of persuasions, the local churches are dedicated to both proper doctrine (orthodoxy) and proper practice (orthopraxy). (Hank Hanegraaff- the President of Christian Research Institute , the largest apologetics ministry in the world.)
I find it to be thoroughly consistent with historic, orthodox Christian theology in all of its affirmations. Indeed, it is far more explicit and astute in its orthodoxy than what one normally encounters in statements of faith. (Elliot Miller, the Chief Editor of Christian Research Journal.)
From my observation, I conclude that the Local Church stands in the tradition of evangelical Christianity, of the Protestant emphasis on biblical authority, of the great Christian mystics’ and pietists’ concern for the inner life, of the millennia-old expectation of a new age, and of born-again, experiential religion. (Edwin S. Gaustad was Professor of History and Religious Studies at the University of California, Riverside, and former President of the American Society of Church History.)
I continue to pray that the larger evangelical community in this country and elsewhere will come to realize that the deep biblical commitments and Christian orthodoxy of our influential Chinese brothers/teachers [Watchman Nee and Witness Lee] should be appreciated rather than maligned. (Peter Kuzmic is the Eva B. and Paul E. Toms Distinguished Professor of World Missions and European Studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary)

Link:

  1. A Brief Affirmation of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee:

  1. Christian Students – is it a cult? Hank Hanegraaff answers:

  1. Voices of Confirmation Concerning Watchman Nee, Witness Lee & the Local Churches: http://www.contendingforthefaith.org/eBooks/Voices%20of%20Confirmation.pdf
  1. We were wrong PDF:
    http://www.equip.org/christian-research-journal/we-were-wrong-2/
  1. An open letter:
    http://an-open-letter.org/