Article Summary:

An index to the articles written in response to Walter Martin’s public criticisms of the teaching of Witness Lee and the local churches.

Index to Articles Written in Response to Walter Martin

The articles listed on this page were written in the 1970s to respond to public criticisms made by Walter Martin, founder of the Christian Research Institute (CRI) and the original “Bible Answer Man.” CRI has since withdrawn those criticisms and reversed its earlier conclusions (see “A Brief History of the Relationship between the Local Churches and the Christian Research Institute“). These articles are published on this site for the historical record, for the important points of truth they address, and because CRI’s criticisms, although withdrawn, are still repeated by others.


Answers to the Bible Answer Man

On October 2, 1977, Walter Martin, who called himself “The Bible Answer Man,” attacked Witness Lee and the local churches in a lecture at Melodyland Christian Center in Anaheim, California. Because of the public nature of that attack, members of the local churches wrote responses that were published as advertisements in The Register (now The Orange County Register). Some of the responses were later published in book form as Answers to the Bible Answer Man. The contents of that book are reproduced on the pages reached by the following links:

Subject Article Title
  Introduction to the 1994 Edition
Summary Comments from 1977 Introduction
Conclusion
Witness Lee Responds A Statement by Witness Lee
God in Trinity The Truth concerning the Trinity
A Protest concerning Historical Misrepresentation

   A.  Ignorance concerning Biblical Theology
   B.  Misrepresentation concerning the History of Modalism
The Use of the Word Mingle The Truth concerning the Mingling
The Church The Truth concerning the Church
The Truth concerning God Manifest in the Flesh
The Deviations of Christianity The Truth concerning the Historic Christian Church
The Truth concerning Babylon
The Truth concerning Denominations
The Nature of Man The Truth concerning the Nature of Man
Salvation The Truth concerning God Coming into Man
The Bible The Truth concerning the Study of the Bible
A Protest concerning Bible Research
A Protest concerning Bible Interpretation
Christian Practices The Truth concerning the Release of the Spirit
The Truth concerning Pray-reading
The Cult Accusation The Truth concerning the Local Church Not Being a Cult
A Personal Attack A Testimony concerning Witness Lee

Appendix to Answers to the Bible Answer Man

The following is the list of articles printed in The Orange County Register from October 8, 1977 through March 4, 1978, in response to Walter Martin, the so-called Bible Answer Man.
[Note: Articles printed beginning October 22, 1977 are not printed in the book, Answers to the Bible Answer Man, but have been reprinted here for your convenience.]

October 8, 1977 The Response of Witness Lee & Local Churches to a Recent Meeting Held at Melodyland
Controversial Broadcast Exposed concerning Witness Lee
October 15 A Further Response by Witness Lee & Local Churches to a Recent Meeting Held at Melodyland
October 22 Witness Lee & Local Churches Reply to the “Bible Answer Man”

  1. Concerning Theological Training
  2. Concerning Translation of the Bible
  3. Concerning Bible Interpretation and Idolatry
  4. Concerning the Scriptural Meaning of the Triune God
  5. Concerning “Divisions,”” “Proselytizing,”” and “Sheep Stealing”
October 29 A Response to False Teachings

  1. Christ Is Not in the Believer—What a False Teaching!
  2. The Believer Does Not Have the Divine Nature—What a False Teaching!
Our Testimony—A Glorious Enjoyment of Christ
November 5 Testimonies from the Churches

  1. Misquoting and Misrepresentation
  2. Concerning Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism
  3. Should a Believer Remain in Roman Catholicism?
  4. The Truth concerning the Mingling
  5. The Truth concerning the Experience of Christ
December 3 Are Soul and Spirit the Same?
December 10 A Challenge to the Bible Answer Man

  1. A Review of the Controversy
  2. A Theologian’s Judgment
  3. A Third Party’s Voice
December 24 The Bible Answer Man Says: The Believer Does Not Have the Divine Nature
The Educational Myth of the Bible Answer Man
December 31 The Bible Answer Man Says: Christ is Represented in the Believer
January 7, 1978 The Bible Answer Man Has Three Gods
January 14 The Bible Answer Man Says: Catholicism Does Not Teach Idolatry
January 21 The Bible Answer Man Says: “Back Again to Historic Christianity”
[Article 1] [Article 2]
January 22 What Does Christ Think of the Historic Church?
February 4 What is God’s Recovery?
February 11 False Teachings Exposed

  1. On Division
  2. On God
  3. On the Spirit
February 18 More False Teachings Exposed

  1. On the Body
  2. On Practical Oneness
  3. On the Bible
  4. On the Flesh
  5. On the Church as the Manifestation of God
February 25 A Cheerful Defense concerning the Triune God

  1. Biblical Terminology and the Language of Experience
  2. The Historical Revelation of the Triune God
  3. The Relationship within the Triune God
March 4 The Oneness of the Triune God

  1. The Interpenetration Scriptures
  2. The Identification Scriptures
  3. The Interchangeable Scriptures
Posted in 1970s Responses, Responses, Walter Martin and tagged , .