List of Responses

This page includes articles written to explain the criticisms of Christianity found in the teachings of Witness Lee and the local churches.

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

An index to responses written by members of the local churches to criticisms of the churches and of the ministry of Witness Lee.

An HTML version of Robert Govett’s classic study on The Twofoldness of Divine Truth, showing that biblical truth often has two sides which are not contradictory but complementary.

A series of articles addressing various deviations from biblical truth and false and hypocritical statements in an article posted on the Internet by Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes. That article attacked the “We Were Wrong” issue of the Christian Research Journal and defended a 2007 open letter.

The articles on this site responding to criticisms of the local churches and the ministry of Witness Lee are centered around three primary issues—the Trinity, God’s complete salvation, and the practical expression of the church. The first round of responses were published in the 1970s in response to the criticisms of inexperienced apologists who had a limited understanding of biblical truth and even less of the ministry of Witness Lee. After an interim in which many additional resources presenting Witness Lee’s teachings were published, beginning from 1999 Harvest House Publishers and others associated with that company raised the same issues again, essentially repeating those earlier accusations without regard to the responses or other writings already published. Those renewed criticisms called forth a second round of responses.

Members of the local churches have written many responses to criticisms of the teaching of Witness Lee and of the local churches. These responses address vital issues of truth concerning God, Christ, His salvation, and the church, among many other subjects.

In 2007 an open letter appeared on the Internet calling on Living Stream Ministry and the local churches to “disavow and cease to publish” certain statements by Witness Lee. The two books in the series A Defense of the Gospel: Responses to an Open Letter from “Christian Scholars and Ministry Leaders” (1) and 2 answer the concerns raised in that 2007 open letter and show the defects in its handling of important biblical truths.

A brief examination of some key verses concerning the Triune God (including Isaiah 9:6; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 15:45; and Matthew 28:19) and an appeal to accept the biblical revelation of the mystery of the Divine Trinity.

A 1978 booklet by Ron Kangas refuting the charge that Witness Lee taught that a person can be saved by calling on the name of the Lord apart from believing in Christ. In this booklet Ron Kangas shows that Witness Lee properly taught that:

• believing in Christ and His redemptive work are crucial for salvation,
• salvation is uniquely by faith,
• calling on the name of the Lord is a scriptural way to receive God’s salvation by faith.

A 1978 booklet by Ron Kangas refuting the charge that the local churches are exclusive. It discusses:

• our attitude toward fellow believers,
• our practice of receiving all genuine Christians,
• our fellowship with other Christians, and
• our testimony concerning our practice of standing apart from division and receiving all believers in fellowship.

A small booklet published in 1977 rebutting various false accusations by the Spiritual Counterfeits Project.

This 2011 book is one of a series of four addressing criticisms by Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes. This book addresses three key issues:

• the error of making creeds, not the Bible, the rule of faith;
• the twofoldness of divine truth; and
• the infinite God becoming a finite man through incarnation.

This 2011 book is one of a series of four addressing criticisms by Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes. This book addresses various points of truth concerning the Divine Trinity, including:

• the use of the word persons to describe the Three of the Godhead;
• the coinherence and co-working of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit;
• whether Isaiah 9:6 prophesies that the “Son given to us” is the “Eternal Father”; and
• whether the Apostle Paul said the Lord Jesus Christ is the Spirit in 2 Corinthians 3:17.

This 2011 book is one of a series of four addressing criticisms by Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes. This book addresses various aspects their mistreatment of Witness Lee’s critique of the deviations of organized Christianity from the biblical revelation, including:

• Misrepresentation of Witness Lee’s critique of the system of Christianity as an attack on Christians;
• Misrepresentation of Witness Lee’s critique of the Roman Catholic Church; and
• Double standard regarding criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church.

This 2011 book is one of a series of four addressing criticisms by Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes. This book addresses three areas in which they have borne false witness related to our appeals to the courts for relief from libel:

• their accusation that the local churches are litigious;
• their claim that the local churches drove Spiritual Counterfeits Project into bankruptcy; and
• their misrepresentation of many aspects of the case over the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions.

Brothers, Hear Our Defense is a series of four books correcting many errors in an article by Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes. The subjects that these books deal with—the authority of the Bible, the incarnation of Christ, the nature of God, the state of Christendom measured against the Bible—are important matters deserving consideration by all serious Christians.

An evaluation of a claim by Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes that the local churches did not follow the principles in Matthew 18 in their dealings with Harvest House Publishers, John Ankerberg, and John Weldon.

Seven points that contradict a defense published by Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes of Harvest House’s history of filing lawsuits against fellow Christians.

An examination of whether the historic Christian creeds or the Bible should be the ultimate yardstick of truth in light of criticism from Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes.

While it is common (and not wrong) to refer to the Three of the Divine Trinity as three “persons,” the term persons is problematic because it can lead to misunderstanding. This article examines whether Norman Geisler was justified in criticizing a statement of faith in the journal Affirmation & Critique because it did not explicitly use the word persons in its definition of the Trinity.

In a single paragraph in which Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes errantly accused Witness Lee and the local churches of teaching the heresy of patripassianism, they misattributed and misrepresented three quotes.

This article refutes the false accusation of Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes that the local churches teach patripassianism. It shows their error in asserting that affirming the involvement of the Father in the Son’s work is equivalent to of patripassianism and presents both the biblical record and a number of respected scholars that support the principle of the co-working of the Father and the Son (see also Scholars Who Affirm the Working Together of the Three of the Divine Trinity).

Excerpts from respected scholars who affirm that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all work together and that the work of any of the Three involves the other Two.

Second Corinthians 3:17 says plainly, “And the Lord is the Spirit.” Many respected scholars recognize that “the Lord” in this verse refers to our Lord Jesus Christ. However, Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes argue otherwise. This article shows their error. (See also Scholars and Bible Teachers Who Affirm That the Lord is the Spirit).

Isaiah 9:6 is a prophecy concerning the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, who through incarnation is the Child born to us, yet the mighty God, and the Son given to us who is called “Eternal Father.” Witness Lee affirmed the perspicuous meaning of this verse based on the principle of coinherence, that is, the mutual indwelling of the Divine Trinity. For this, Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes wrongly accused Witness Lee of heresy. This article shows their error.

A list of excerpts from respected scholars who affirm that 2 Corinthians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 15:45, and other verses identify the Lord Jesus Christ with the Spirit.

Norman Geisler criticized an article by Ron Kangas in which the latter said, “God is infinite, and man is finite, yet in Christ the two became one.” In his criticism Geisler both misrepresents what Ron Kangas said and deviates from the biblical revelation of both the Person of Christ and of the Divine Trinity.

A list of excerpts from respected scholars who affirm the biblical revelation that God became incarnated in Christ, joining the infinite God with finite man.

The Twofoldness of Divine Truth is a classic study by the British Bible teacher Robert Govett. Norman Geisler misattributed the principle Govett articulated, calling in “[Witness] Lee’s mysterious doctrine” and wrongly claimed that it contradicts a philosophical principle called “the law of noncontradiction.” This article sketches the scope of his error and links to both Govett’s original booklet and a more detailed examination of the application of Govett’s teaching in an Affirmation & Critique article by Ron Kangas.

In an article in the journal Affirmation & Critique Ron Kangas applies the principle set forth in Robert Govett’s The Twofoldness of Divine Truth to central truths in the Bible. These truths include salvation, Christ indwelling the believers and being at the right hand of God, Christ being both the only begotten and the firstborn Son, Christ having a body of flesh and bones yet also being the life-giving Spirit to indwell His believers, God being immutable yet processed and consummated in His economy, etc.

In an attempt to scandalize fellow believers, Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes strung together a series of quote fragments in a way that completely misrepresented Witness Lee’s biblical critique of the deviations from the biblical patternof the system of organized Christianity that has developed over the centuries. This article examines the true nature and content of that critique as well as the attitude of Witness Lee and the local churches toward fellow believers in Christ.

This article exposes the way Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes used a dishonest and hypocritical apologetic method to attack Witness Lee’s biblically-based criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church.

Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes castigated Witness Lee for criticizing the Roman Catholic Church when they and apologists with whom they associate have made similar and even more severe statements concerning it.

A list of biblical critiques of scholars and Bible teachers whose teachings parallel Witness Lee’s expositions concerning the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32; the parable of the woman, the leaven, and the fine flour in Matthew 13:33-35; the identity of Thyatira and Jezebel in Revelation 2:18-29; and the prophetic identity of Babylon the Great in chapters 16 through 18 of Revelation. At the end of the list are biographical sketches of the authors cited.

An evaluation of the accusation that the local churches are “litigious.” That accusation was based on false claims of legal threats with respect to Christian Research Institute, James Bjornstad and Regal Books, Salem Kirban, Jerram Barrs and InterVarsity Press, and Moody Press. The local churches’ application of an appropriate standard for considering legal action is evident also in dealings with Jesus People USA and Geisler and Rhodes themselves. While Geisler and Rhodes condemn the local churches for their appeals to the courts, they do not criticize those who have borne false witness against us and have, in fact, joined with them in propagating falsehoods.

Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes repeated a falsehood that is accepted as axiomatic among some countercult apologists, namely, that the local churches drove SCP into bankruptcy. From source documents this article looks at the actual causes and motivating factors behind SCP’s bankruptcy declaration.

An examination of how Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes misrepresented the subject and scope of the libel lawsuit over the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, the content of that book, and of the court’s decision in the case.

In various venues Harvest House President Robert Hawkins and authors John Ankerberg and John Weldon have misled the public regarding the local churches and facts surrounding the litigation over the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions.

Harvest House and its authors John Ankerberg and John Weldon sought to make the local churches repulsive in the eyes of the Christian public using out-of-context quotation and misrepresenting our Scripture-based rejection of unbiblical teachings, practices and institutions as a rejection of fellow believers and of the faith. In doing so, they pervert Witness Lee’s plea for recovery to the biblical standards of life, service, and testimony among Christians.

The local churches seek to return to the biblical standard concerning the subjective experience of Christ, the function of every member of the Body of Christ, and the practical testimony of the oneness of the Body of Christ. Harvest House, John Ankerberg, and John Weldon misrepresent Witness Lee’s biblically-based critique of organized Christianity on these three lines, even though they and their associates acknowledge the same deficiencies in Christendom today.

Harvest House feigns indignation over our criticism of organized Christianity, yet their own books contain very harsh statements criticizing evangelical Christianity, Christianity and the church generally, and the Roman Catholic Church specifically. They even attack prominent evangelicals such as Billy Graham.

The Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions by John Ankerberg and John Weldon (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1999) accuses the local churches of rejecting Christianity, implying that we reject fellow believers and the Christian faith.The authors and their publisher have never corrected this deceit despite extensive documentation provided to Harvest House proving the contrary.

Harvest House has attempted to turn Christians against the local churches with a series of out-of-context quotations posted on its corporate website. This article contextualizes those quotes and exposes Harvest House’s unfaithfulness to the Bible and to the Lord’s church in misrepresenting the teaching of Witness Lee.

Harvest House publicly accused the local churches of being litigious. This article contrasts the history of the local churches’ appeals for relief from character defamation with Harvest House’s lawsuits against fellow Christians over financial disputes.

An introduction to a series of articles on how Harvest House misrepresented the local churches’ appeal for relief from libel and our objections to the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions.

Harvest House attempted to recast the litigation over the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions as a theological dispute, but a reading of the libel complaint filed in The Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al shows this claim to be false.

John Ankerberg and his attorney Shelby Sharpe both claimed that the local churches registered no objections to “The Local Church” chapter. This article shows that their claims are false and misleading.

On a syndicated radio broadcast Harvest House President Bob Hawkins, Jr., gave a distorted account of the history of the local churches’ protests over the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions. This article contrasts the statements he made on the air with the actual facts.

To mislead both the court and the public, Harvest House portrayed the nature of the definition of cult in the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions as purely theological in nature. This article shows the falsehood and duplicity of that claim.

A public statement concerning the decision to appeal the Court of Appeals decision which granted Harvest House, John Ankerberg, and John Weldon summary judgment in the libel action over the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions.

An examination of what the Bible says about how Christians should deal with disputes and under what circumstances an appeal to a secular court system may be justified.

A press release concerning public postings on Harvest House’s corporate website libeling the local churches.

Ten irrefutable facts about the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions that show reckless disregard for the truth and malice on the part of both the authors and the publisher in including the local churches in the book.

Harvest House claimed to use “professional editorial standards” in the development and publishing of the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions. This article shows the emptiness of those claims.

Harvest House claimed that its use of The Chicago Manual of Style discharged its responsibility to use “acceptable editorial standards” in publishing the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions. The Chicago Manual, however, focuses on stylistic and not substantive issues and cannot be used to justify shirking editorial norms in publishing a book that makes false and defamatory accusations.

A press release responding to a Harvest House statement on its corporate website following the District Court’s rejection of its summary judgment motion.

An historical overview of the controversy surrounding Walter Martin’s criticisms of the teaching of Witness Lee and the local churches.

The oneness of the Triune God can be seen in three categories of Scriptures, which this article calls interpenetration, identification, and interchangeable Scriptures.

This article points out key faults in arguments concerning the Triune God presented in the pamphlet The Teachings of Witness Lee and The Local Church. It contrasts:

• The booklet’s traditional, doctrinal statements concerning the Divine Trinity with biblical terminology and the language of experience;
• The booklet’s false accusation of modalism with the historical revelation of the Triune God in His economy; and
• The booklet’s false charge of “static modalism” with the oneness of the Triune God manifested through interpenetration and identification.

This article gives brief rebuttals to accusations in the pamphlet The Teachings of Witness Lee and The Local Church concerning:

• division,
• the Triune God,
• the Spirit in John 7:37-39,
• the Body of Christ,
• the practical oneness of the church,
• the Bible,
• the flesh of man, and
• the church as the manifestation of God.

God is moving today to recover what was lost by the historic Christian church. This article presents:

• the definition of recovery,
• the principle of recovery,
• how recovery relates to God’s purpose,
• the role of the church in God’s recovery,
• a picture of God’s recovery in the Old Testament,
• a brief history of God’s recovery since the Reformation,
• an overview of what God is seeking to recover today.

Those who desire to return to the “historic Christian church” should consider the epistles to the seven churches in [Revelation chapters 2 and 3]. The prophecies there trace the historic development of the church and its degradation from the New Testament standard.

Calls to return to “historic Christianity” as represented by the great ecumenical councils are misguided. This article gives many examples of deviations from the Bible brought in through some of those councils.

Those who call for a return to “historic Christianity” should consider the Lord’s speaking in Matthew 13, in which He prophesied concerning the deviation of the church from His original desire and intention.

A rebuttal of Walter Martin’s claim that the Roman Catholic Church does not teach or practice idolatry.

A critique showing that Walter Martin’s explanation that the Three of the Divine Trinity are separate persons sharing an ill-defined common nature is tantamount to having three separate Gods.

A booklet published by Living Stream Ministry in 1978 outlining:

• the faith, standing, mission, and hope of the local churches;
• the meaning of the expression “the Lord’s recovery”;and
• some basic truths regarding salvation, the Christian life, and the church life.

This booklet also answers some questions raised at that time about the beliefs and practices of the local churches.

A critique of Walter Martin’s insistence that Christ is not actually present but is only represented in the believers by the Holy Spirit.

An affirmation of the biblical truth that the believers partake of the divine nature in contrast with Walter Martin’s preference that “nature” in 2 Peter 1:4 be translated as “attribute” instead.

An examination of Walter Martin’s claimed educational credentials.

The writer of this article called on Walter Martin to correct errors spoken in public concerning Witness Lee, the local churches, and vital biblical truths.

Some Christians believe that man has two only parts—body and soul. However, the biblical view that man has three parts—body, soul, and spirit—is vital to our experience of Christ.

Witness Lee used the expression “four-in-one” to express the marvelous reality that the Triune God and the believers in Christ mutually indwell one another (John 14:20; 17:21, 23). However, some have misrepresented this “four-in-one” mutual indwelling to falsely claim that Witness Lee makes the church part of the Godhead.

Walter Martin brandished a single sentence from a footnote in the Recovery Version of the New Testament as “proof” that Witness Lee was anti-Christian. His out-of-context quotation of this sentence obscured Witness Lee’s biblical critique of the deviation of “isms” from the revelation in God’s Word.

In response to Walter Martin’s counseling of a radio listener to remain as a believer in Roman Catholicism, this article presents a biblical evaluation of the Roman Catholic Church who degradations caused the Lord Himself to cry, “Come out of her, my people” (Rev. 18:2).

A consideration of mingling as the most accurate term to describe the union of God and man based on 2 Corinthians 3:17, 2 Timothy 4:22, and 1 Corinthians 6:17.

A brief exposition of the proper place of the subjective experience of Christ in the believers’ life as witnessed by the Holy Scriptures.

To those who hold that Christ is only at the right hand of God and does not actually dwell in the believers, this article offers a strong biblical corrective.

A clear biblical corrective to those who attempt to negate 2 Peter 1:4, which says the believers have the divine nature.

A testimony that as believers in Christ we can enjoy Him as the one who dwells as the Spirit in our human spirit and who supplies Himself to us as the bread and water of life through His Word and our calling upon His name.

A 1977 response to a speaker at Melodyland Christian Center who belittled members of the local churches as theologically untrained.

A 1977 answer to Walter Martin’s claim that a footnote in the Recovery Version of the New Testament altered the meaning of a word in the Bible.

A brief examination of some key verses in the New Testament on which Walter Martin erred and of his condoning of idolatry in the Roman Catholic Church.

An overview of the scriptural meaning of the Triune God, including the basic facts, the value of being limited to biblical terminology, the principle of the twofoldness of divine truth applied to the oneness and threeness of God, an understanding of how the Bible reveals the Triune God, the relationship among the Three in the Godhead, and the meaning of the Triune God in the believers’ experience.

An answer to Walter Martin’s accusations that Witness Lee and the local churches practice “dividing the Body of Christ,” “proselytizing among other Christian groups,” and “sheep stealing.”

In this statement Witness Lee responds to criticism of his teachings by explaining three reasons for different understandings of the Scriptures:

• The profundity of the divine revelation in the Bible;
• The two aspects of the truths in the Bible—objective and subjective; and
• The Lord’s progressive move to recover the truths in the Bible.

Witness Lee closes with an appeal for conduct becoming of Christians in disagreements of understandings of Scriptures.

An Introduction and Conclusion that frame the controversy surrounding a speaking at Melodyland Christian Center in Anaheim in 1977.

Two articles that point out flaws in criticisms of Witness Lee’s teaching concerning the Divine Trinity.

A short article showing the basis for the teaching of the mingling of God and man in both the Old and New Testaments and how mingling is the most appropriate word to describe the relationship of the divine and human natures in Christ.

A brief survey of the truth concerning the oneness of the church, both spiritually and practically, and of the truth that the church is God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:15-16).

A return to “historic Christianity” and a creed-based faith would bind the church to the church councils that brought in many deviations from New Testament Christianity. The second and third parts of this post address the truth concerning Babylon and denominations.

A short article on man in creation and in the fall with particular attention to the nature of indwelling sin and the needing to forgo the lust of the flesh.

A brief survey of the biblical revelation of God’s desire to enter into man.

A brief look at the release of the spirit and its relationship to the practice of calling on the name of the Lord and at taking the Word of God through means of prayer, or pray-reading.

This article decries the association of the local churches with cultic groups by a speaker at Melodyland Christian Center in Anaheim and his endorsement of The Mindbenders.

A defense of Witness Lee by one of his co-workers against a personal attack launched by a speaker at Melodyland Christian Center in 1977.

A 1977 response to a speaker at Melodyland Christian Center concerning the study of the Bible in the local churches, the Recovery Version of the Bible, and biblical interpretations related to the Divine Trinity.

A 1977 booklet by Ron Kangas that examines the false accusation of mind bending in The Mindbenders by Jack Sparks in contrast with the biblical revelation regarding :

• the normal function of the mind,
• the condition of man’s fallen natural mind,
• the need of repentance and renewing of the mind,
• the process by which that renewing occurs,
• the characteristics of a renewed mind, and
• the relationship between the human spirit and the mind.

In this 1977 booklet, Witness Lee directly rebuts the accusation that his teaching is modalistic. He examines key verses such as Isaiah 9:6, 1 Corinthians 15:45, and 2 Corinthians 3:17, showing that some who twist these verses to avoid their obvious meaning end up in the heresy of tritheism. Witness Lee concludes by showing that the biblical revelation of the Triune God is not for doctrinal formulations but for His people to experience of the reality of God.

A booklet by Ron Kangas published in 1976 by Living Stream Ministry that:

• defines the heresies of modalism and tritheism and outlines their historical development,
• describes historical attempts to balance these heretical extremes;
• examines the principle of the twofoldness of divine truth as it applies to the Divine Trinity,
• presents the need to use the Bible as the standard for understanding the Trinity,
• gives a clear presentation of the basic truths concerning the Triune God from the Scriptures, and
• explains what the biblical revelation of the Triune God means to the believers’ Christian experience.

A 1976 booklet by Ron Kangas refuting criticisms that those in the local churches are modalists. The booklet:

• shows that Christians’ understanding of the Triune God should begin from the Bible and not from man’s theological and philosophical constructs,
• gives a balanced biblical understanding of the Triune God being both one and three,
• demonstrates that the local churches’ stress on the believers’ subjective experience of the Triune God matches the revelation in the New Testament, and
• invites all believers to hold to the full truth of the Word of God and to care for the experience of God Himself.

A booklet by Witness Lee published in 1976 presenting the basics of his biblical teaching concerning the Triune God:

• God is uniquely one;
• God is triune—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, all Three:
  • being God,
  • being eternal,
  • co-existing simultaneously,
  • being one, and
  • being in the believers.

The booklet concludes with a section on the Triune God being a mystery beyond explanation and an appeal to accept the full biblical revelation of the Divine Trinity.

A booklet compiled from messages given by Witness Lee in 1970 in which he explains six errant schools of thought concerning the Person of Christ throughout history and reviews the biblical revelation of Christ as one Person with two natures, being both God and man, both Creator according to His Deity and a creature, man, through His incarnation.