The material on this page was written in the 1970s to respond to the criticisms of 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 CRI has since withdrawn those criticisms and reversed its earlier conclusions (see “A Brief History of the Relationship between the Local Churches and the Christian Research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”). The text of this article is published here for the historical record, for the important points of truth it addresses, and because CRI’s criticisms, although withdrawn, are still repeated by others.
From: Answers to the Bible Answer Man (Vol. 1)
20. A TESTIMONY CONCERNING WITNESS LEE
For the past eight years, I have been closely associated with the work, ministry, and person of Witness Lee. I can testify from intimate personal experience that I have seen hundreds of people genuinely born again, delivered from sin and the world, and presently following the Lord Jesus Christ with their whole heart as a result of his ministry.
I have visited all the local churches in this country and also in Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. These churches are the fruit of the fundamental, Bible-oriented, Christ-exalting ministry of Witness Lee.
It grieved me to hear the speaker at Melodyland attack, mock, despise, and ridicule Witness Lee and yet claim to be speaking in the spirit of Christian love. To me this is clearly a case of character assassination of the lowest sort. I am grieved because I know that Witness Lee is a blood-washed, born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ who has been greatly used by God for more than forty years.
The speaker strongly accused Witness Lee of not keeping his word concerning a taped conversation between himself and Witness Lee. According to documented evidence in our possession, we declare this to be absolutely unfair and dishonest, and charge the speaker himself with not keeping his word and the agreement he made with Witness Lee.
As to Witness Lee’s keeping his word, I can testify that I have been to his home many times and can say concerning his daily life that it is according to the Scriptures. I know him to be a person who absolutely keeps the Word of God and lives a life that exemplifies the highest Christian character. I have known personally many of the well-known Christian speakers in this country and have never met a man that compares even slightly to Witness Lee in character, daily living, or humanity.
In my opinion, he has been severely mocked and made to look foolish. The speaker used sarcastic and caustic remarks about his education and his knowledge of the Scriptures. The speaker insults Witness Lee by saying, “He is venerated as an authority, yet the man has no theological training to justify it whatsoever. He uses Greek terms in his writings and he can’t read the Greek alphabet.” This kind of comment reminds me of the words of the Jews concerning the Lord Jesus: “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (John 7:15) and “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed” (John 7:48-49).
It is a shame that Christians should blatantly attack one another without thorough research on the man and the content of his ministry.
The speaker also maligns Witness Lee as a self-styled recovery agent, implying that we, the people in the local church are just following Witness Lee and not submitting our lives to the Holy Spirit. This comment is very insulting and false. I can testify that no other man that I have ever known turns so many people to the Lord to love Him and follow Him. How wonderful Christ is to us in the local church! He is renewing and transforming us to be conformed to the image of His Son. Never have I been so helped in knowing the Word of God, loving the Lord Jesus Christ, and being led by the Holy Spirit as since coming to know and be with Witness Lee.
Copyright © 1994 Living Stream, Anaheim, CA, USA. All rights reserved. Reproduced by permission.