Book review: What Shall This Man Do? by Watchman Nee

Watchman Nee, “What Shall This Man Do?”  (Kingsway, 1961; Tyndale, 1978—I read the 1986 printing), 269 pages.

This book comes out of a number of sermons Nee delivered in China during the period 1938 to 1942, which was a tumultuous time due to World War II, Japan invading China, and Communist rebels acting in such a way that forced the government of Chaing-Kai Shek to Taiwan in 1949.  Additionally, in the previous decades, western missionaries had acted in a way with respect to the locals and the governments of the countries they came from such as to bring less than respect to things considered Christian.  It also serves as background behind the great coming to faith in Jesus that would occur during the time that Mao had most of the culture blocked off from the rest of the world.  Nee did not actually write this book.  It was edited into its form by Angus Kinnear from Nee’s sermons.  In the preface, as a note of caution, Kinnear quotes what Nee said after writing “The Spiritual Man”:  “The headings, the orderliness, the systematic way in which the subject is worked out, the logic of the argument—all are too perfect to be spiritual.”  I might suggest that this is the weakness of our “churches” in the U.S.—the music is practiced until perfect, then a speaker, depending upon tradition, presents something intellectually systematic or emotionally fervent, and everything is so under control no one can say the wrong thing, or even ask a question before others.

            There are 11 chapters to the book, and the order of presentation is the editor’s, not Nee’s.  The personal callings of Peter, Paul, and John represent the framework of the book, and represent the three main historic emphases of God to his people for all time—evangelism (fishers of men), building the church (tent making), and restoration (mending the nets) guiding/repairing us back. 

            Chapter 2 concerns itself with some situations involving Peter in which Jesus or the Spirit intervened to teach Peter and others beyond where Peter would have on his own.

            In Chapter 3, Nee’s message is about what an unsaved person needs to have to be saved, and what the Christian worker needs to be a vessel God can use in a situation.  Nee’s presentation on this idea is different from the other things I have heard and read on this topic.

            Chapter 4 goes back to the introductory analogy of Paul and the tent making ministry of helping build the church.  In the latter part of the chapter, Nee deals with the phrase “Be angry but sin not” and how so many of us will not rebuke and why.  I do not remember if I have ever read or heard someone teach on what this practically means.  If you read this and come to disagree with Nee’s conclusions, one will have to think hard on this matter to know exactly why.

            Chapter 5 is on the idea that we are both individuals who are servants of God’s will and parts of the Body of Christ at the same time.  He also speaks on the initial general vision of God’s will for us—salvation and a specific vision, with the believer moving through times of greater consecration.

            In Chapter 6, Nee deals with the relationship between specific calling and a person’s, a generation’s, and the Church’s character.  Much of the chapter is built around comments on Ephesians 1, 2, and 5.

            It is of note for those of us involved in simple/organic/house church here in North America that we implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) look at the revival of faith in China during the Mao years as an example of simple church working properly (rightly or wrongly).  From that, we see the work and writings of Nee as a precursor to that explosion of faith, especially in his discouragement towards denominations or groups that divide believers from working together.  In this book, it is clear Nee personally, at the time of these speeches, spoke in a mode that saw “preachers and workers” in a different class, or if he did not, it appears that way from the way certain ideas are phrased.

            Possibly because this book was developed out of transcripts of speeches, and possibly because Chinese language and culture is so different from ours, on a number of sentences, one might easily disagree with an idea stated.  This may be because it is an accessory thought to a main point being discussed, and it would not fit to develop the details of the point in a speech setting, as opposed to in a book where one might be able to struggle with the fine points of a written teaching.  On the other hand, this is somewhat easier reading than Nee’s intentional books exactly because a speech, in and of itself (as opposed to a college lecture which is given, in part, to supplement texts) is less in depth than a writing.

            Chapter 7 examines 1 Corinthians 12:15-25, on Paul’s body analogy to the variety of giftedness in the church and, therefore, in we who are members of the Body.  One thing he speaks on is how we need to function as God has chosen to gift us, and not how we might prefer to be gifted, as that is a part of submitting to God’s direction for each of us in ministry.  Personally, I found that, beginning in this chapter, the reading gets slower as the teaching begins to present practical conclusions that I needed to stop and consider before moving on.

            Chapter 8 is titled, “Ministering Life” and moves on to 1 Corinthians 13.  God’s strength through a believer remains God’s, but love is for the long term building up of the church.  From this, he discusses the difference between ministering through gifts, as opposed to ministering through one’s life of serving God through what he calls “the formation of Christ” within.  At this point, the book begins to move from being a series of teachings to the presentation of practical points for the believer to apply in being God’s called person in the situations we walk through.

            Chapter 9 begins with the difference in the use of the word “church” versus the word “churches” in scripture, and continues with the role of all believers in restoring another to right relationship with the church, i.e. other believers, and brings insight from verses not normally seen in our part of the world as concerning this matter.

            Then comes what seems to be a jump to the subject of prayer, God’s self limitations, and the role of the believers as a group in minimizing those self limitations.  What is said here is different in attitude, but excellent.  He finishes the chapter with an exhortation for one to see the Church as more than those caught in the evangelistic net, but that all believers together, as the Church, have a fuller purpose that we are to grow into.  One can see in it a precursor to what more current writers have written on eternal purpose.

            Chapter 10 is about the connection of John’s writings:  the last gospel, the last letters, and Revelation—the last book, and the common theme of restoration and God’s view of time, eternity, and divine reality.

            The last chapter begins by discussing what the scriptures mean by “overcomer” and its connection to spiritual warfare.  The book concludes with a section that addresses the question of the book’s title, “What Shall This Man Do?”  Upon reading the last 15 pages, it is clear that the whole preceding part of the book was edited to prepare the reader for the conclusions there.  I believe that any normal person can look back on one’s life and feel that, at times, one did not do the optimal thing.  The final conclusion is both motivating and comforting that even our self-perceived failures are a part of what is in us, for the purpose of walking in God’s call upon one’s life, provided that one is willing.

            I wish I had read this forty years ago, but possibly I would have been too immersed in the traditionalism I had grown up with to have caught on to what Nee was saying.

1106--calling, the one-minute transcript

1106—calling

            On July 1, I wrote a word study on the word “calling”.  As this blog, originally, was a place to post transcripts of the Simple Church Minute commentaries, of which, over time, I have one-, two-, and five-minute versions.  This is a one minute version. For reference, all one minute transcripts have a 1000 number, five minute versions have a 2000 number, and the original two minute versions are in the 1 to 999 range.  I have learned that the one- and five-minute lengths will be favored when I finally get to use these on air.

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            My name is Tom; this is Simple Church Minute.  Over time, plenty of confusion has entered the believers in Jesus over the concept of calling.  Oftentimes, it is because it is mentioned, but never taught about.  Further, in the King James Version, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1 implies that calling is connected to a career job, which is incorrect, as more recent translations make clear.  I see three parts to calling: Romans chapter 1 verse 7 tells us we are called to be saints.  We are called to salvation.  First Corinthians 1 verse 22 to 31 and Second Thessalonians 2 verse 13 tell us we are called to grow in faith.  Mark 3 verse 13 and all the verses about spiritual gifts tell us that, as we grow in faith, the Spirit shows us an individual calling based on his gifts, talents, and interests.  Galatians 5 verse 13 tells us we are called to liberty, to serve one another.

            I have more about this on my blog, tevyebird.blogspot.com, on the entry of July 1, 2012.  I can be contacted at 757-735-3639. You can find out more about groups of believers not built around corporation structures, at www.hrscn.org.

Calling: a word study

            About a week ago, thanks to the wonder of the internet, I was in a discussion with a brother in another part of the world, with regard to the posting I have on 13 definitions of the word “church” (my latest revision being on June 20, 2012).  He stated the idea that church means “called out ones.”  I have heard that numerous times in sermons, and is generally a true interpretation, but is not a literal definition of the word in the original language, and does not at all fit the use in Acts 19.  A further problem is that we believers in our culture have a fuzzy definition of what “called” means.  I struggled with this, as I grew up going to an institutional church in a Calvinistic denomination.  I do not remember the idea of what “called” meant ever being taught, but I do remember that, before graduating from high school, I already knew that, if the pastor got up and spoke about Acts 16, about Paul receiving a dream guiding him to go to Macedonia, the sermon would end with the announcement that the pastor was leaving his current position.  There was this vague feeling that “calling” had something to do with holding a position of leadership.  This makes some sense in that, in the King James Version, which was used far more extensively among believers then, than now, Ephesians 4:1 reads, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” which appears to say that calling is connected to doing a paid job.  As other versions show, this, at most innocently, is a function of the translators reading their own experience into the text, and, at worst, their writing a justification for their jobs into the text. Newer translations show that that was not a nuance in the original language.

            Be that as it may, I dove into studying what “call/called/calling” actually means with regard to New Testament believers.  Two meanings are common uses of the word, one of which is to ask/command another to move from a place further away from one to another place closer, and the other is an introduction to a synonym, such as “that animal is called a cat.”  Many of the uses fall into those categories.

            I wish to deal with the spiritual meaning of calling, God’s direction to persons.  In Matthew chapter 4, we see Jesus called the disciples.  2 Peter 1:3 tells us Jesus called us because He is virtuous, not us.  That should be obvious in that some of us, by the world’s standards, were evil people before we were saved, and others, who seem to be nice people, do not come follow Jesus.  Of course, the world’s standards are inconsistent even to themselves. 

            I will take one paragraph to mention a problem that has vexed students of theology.  Is every person on earth called, or only some?  Mt. 20:16 and Mt. 22:14 appear to indicate that every person is called, but only some accept the call to follow Jesus.  Romans 8:30 and Hebrews 9:15 appear to indicate that only those who follow Jesus are called.  This brings up, to us humans, of God’s perfection and whether those not called have no opportunity to avoid hell, which seems to us quite imperfect.  Theologians have debated that in their halls of study for centuries, to no good resolution, but we are incapable to understand God in full, anyway, so I have nothing further to add to this.

            It appears to me that there are three general levels to God’s call on a believer’s life.  Romans 1:7 tells us that we are called to be saints.  All believers are saints.  The Roman Catholic use of the word is incorrect.  Acts 20:1 indicates that “saints” and “disciples” are synonyms.  A disciple is one who is following the master, Jesus, to learn what He has to teach.  If someone says he/she is a Christian, but shows no signs of desiring to follow Jesus, something is wrong.  In most societies where there is freedom of belief, and no governmentally or socially sanctioned persecution, there are plenty of persons who fall into this category.  Much could be said about this.

            John 15:15 tells us Jesus said that we are no longer His servants, but His friends. 1 Corinthians 1:9 tells us we are called into fellowship.  A local fellowship of believers is one correct definition of church.  1 Corinthians 7:15 tells us we are called to peace. Again in 1 Corinthians 7, verses 20 and 24 tell us that our calling is part of our life circumstances, which imply, along with the rest of the New Testament, that there are no special positions for the called, no “holy men” as in the surrounding religions.  We, the church, got (or maybe were forced) off-track during the early Middle Ages.  Colossians  3:15 tells us that we are called into one body, the Bride of Christ.  2 Timothy 1:9 tells us that this is a holy calling, not according to our works.  Holiness is not for the special few.  While the calling is not according to our works, the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life changes our heart, and therefore, our works, and that doesn’t happen in the person trying to fake being a believer.  Hebrews 5:1-4 and 1 Peter 2:9 defines Revelation 1:6, which helps us understand that saints are priests.  Now, if all believers are priests, and priests intercede between God and man, who are we interceding for but other persons and the situations surrounding them.  This is the basic level of God’s call on a person’s life.

            We are not to sit around, just feeling good about being saved, avoiding hell, nor, by the Spirit speaking into one’s spirit, would one wish to.  1 Corinthinans 1:22-31 tells us that we are to grow in faith.  Galatians 5:22, 23 tell us the results of growing in faith, which Paul describes as the fruit of the Spirit. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 and Jude 1:1 tell us another word that describes this part of a believer’s calling—sanctification.  Ephesians 5:11 describe four or five general gifts God bestows on persons, and in verse 12 tells us that they are for equipping the saints (the believers) for the work of ministry.  Therefore, every believer ministers, not just the gifted.  That, in turn, is for the edifying of the body (other believers).  1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us that the church is a group of believers that comfort and edify each other.  If one person dominates the group and is attempting to be above others, that is wrong; that is normal in the world’s businesses, politics, and military, and in the religions around the world, and in the Old Covenant, but now Jesus is Head of the Church, as stated in Ephesians 5:23 and Colossians 1:18.  God gifts persons, but did not put any gifted person between God and the average believer.      

            All believers receive the first calling.  To some degree, believer’s grow spiritually, although it is clear that some grow faster than others, and do not grow evenly.  Any of us can see that in our own life.  The third area of calling is one some believers do not ever enter.  Some believers, and even non-believers, are tempted to fake being in.  This is the special calling on a person’s life.  This ties in, in some way, to the general gifts God gave to us via our DNA, and life experiences, and added to once we accept Jesus’ salvation for us and have grown in faith to a degree.  Unlike deciding what occupation to study, we don’t choose this call, although to others, it sometimes might appear that way.  Mark 3:13 indicates this.  Luke 6:13 tells us that the 12 were apostles still while Jesus was on earth.  Yes, some will have a theological problem with that, given that Judas Iscariot was in their midst, and the Holy Spirit was yet to come upon them.  Some might argue that an indication of our imperfection, even while saved and desiring to follow the Holy Spirit was Acts 1:23, as an example of how special calling does not happen.   Acts 9:11 and 16:10 are examples of special guidance.  Acts 13:2, 1 Corinthians 1:1, and Romans 1:1 are examples of special gifting.  These are not examples of titles.  Paul said that he was an apostle, but he didn’t call himself Apostle Paul.  None of these words that are descriptions of gifts were titles, with the exception, as mentioned above, of Jesus, Head of the Church. In Mark 9:35, Jesus taught the twelve that to be great, one must be the servant of all.  This speaks a word of warning about those persons whose “ministry” is such that such person is impossible to access, and whom appears, as one person, to be the equivalent to a whole church.  Then, again, this is a form that has been taught to both leaders and non-leaders for centuries, and wrongdoing is only deliberate sin when the Holy Spirit brings a thing to a person’s attention.  Just to clarify that these gifts were not just natural abilities, Ephesians 4:9 tells us that God gave gifts of ministry to men (humans).  I say that in that Romans 16:7 tells us that a woman named Junia was an apostle.  Further, Galatians 5:13 tells us that we are called to liberty, to serve one another.  Further, when we look at Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Corinthians 12, we see in two spots where Paul is inspired to say “gifts”, which is plural, about healing and administration, but we have no indication of why.  Also, there is nothing that tells us that the various list of gifts is complete.  The point of God’s gifts is not that we can attach a name to it, but that one uses one’s gift for the benefit of the body to God’s honor.

            Above, I rattled off many scriptures in a proof-texting style.  One of the problems of that style, which goes back to the rabbis of the Old Testament, and, while I do not know this, probably extends even to the false religions of men, is that a sentence can be taken out of its context to say something that, in its correct literary and/or cultural context, it doesn’t mean.  To the best of my knowledge, I do not believe that I have quoted any of these scriptures out of such context. Part of the reason for this writing is that this is an idea which has been misunderstood because others, intentionally or not, have taken this idea out of its proper context, oftentimes not by actually teaching incorrectly, but implying ideas “between the lines” of other teachings which give believers an incorrect understanding.  Therefore, not just now, but always, I would urge others, along with myself, to examine this and any teaching, to search the scriptures, and I would add history, to see that I have quoted these passages correctly.  This is one of the problems of the modern sermon, versus the participatory Bible study, that it is way too easy in a speech to miss a dubious point, and impossible for any leader wishing to teach correctly to explain a point.   

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An exact transcript of the one minute version of Simple Church Minute appears as the entry for July 8, 2012.

           

Simple Church Minute 71--God's will for your life as a plural

71—God’s will for your life

My name is Tom; this is Simple Church Minute.

            One of the moments that affected me most early in my days as a believer was when I first heard the idea that God has a will for my life.  Jesus, in the Lord’s Prayer, as it is called, has a line, “Your, (that is, God’s) will be done.”  It only makes sense that in anything, if there are two or more choices, God has a preferred one in his great eternal plan.  I have been like many others seeking what God’s will is for my life.  Sometimes, I believe He has shown me a course of action in a certain circumstance, sometimes I feel that, after my having to make a decision, I can see that it was right, sometimes I have felt confused on the issue, as much as I have desired to do as He would have me do.

Recently, I heard church planter Milt Rodriguez of www.therebuilders.org speak on this subject.  He points out that in Romans 8, all except one of the uses of the word “your”, which in English can be singular of plural, are in the original language plural.  We, together, are the Bride of Christ, we are the Body of Christ, we are the church, all of which speak of us Christians together.  God’s eternal plan for his people is a group thing. We in North America are very individualistic, and we read the individualism our overall society encourages into the Bible.  If you sell something at your job, at most jobs they clearly keep track of how much everyone sold each day or week.  In Jesus, you can’t really keep a record of how many people you have helped come to faith, grow in faith, or anything else.  At best, you can sense yourself growing closer to Jesus or not.  God’s will is a group thing. 

Many people choose a church to fulfill their needs; God has a desire (not quite a need) for us to make Him our life.  Besides, we are dead to our sinful Before Christ life.

You can email me at simplechurchminute@gmail.com.  You can find out more about simple forms of church at http://www.simplechurch.com/ or (local website).

Simple Church Minute 70--calling and social justice

70—calling and social justice

My name is Tom; this is Simple Church Minute

            The U. S. has a history of many of the earliest settlers coming to this continent for the specific purpose of being free to believe the Christian faith according to their conscience.  Some parts of that history have been p.r. spun in a number of quite variant directions over the past 40 years.  The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines “calling” as 1) an inner urge or strong impulse, especially one believed to be divinely inspired to accept the Gospels as truth and Jesus as one’s personal savior, and 2: an occupation, profession, or career.  Where I grew up, a calling was a vague thing someone who would become an institutional church pastor sensed to become a pastor, or to move from one position to another.  Over time, I have come to learn that a calling is like the definition above—first, every person on earth is called to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord; relatively few will accept this offer, and in a culture with a Christian heritage, some will say they accept this call, but will only show whether they really have when something difficult happens.  Also, some who have accepted this call will only come to take it seriously after they publicly fail at some point.  We humans don’t have the capacity to tell the difference from any distance away.  From accepting the call of salvation, the Holy Spirit calls us to grow in spiritual maturity.  If, at some point, we refuse to go God’s way in a situation, much like the Israelites in the wilderness, we will mark time for a bit, and another situation will come up where we can choose to deal with that same point.  Most of what God’s direction for us is in the Bible.  At a certain point in spiritual maturity, the Holy Spirit in some way can show a believer a thing that he or she is uniquely geared to be passionate about.  This may have to do with showing others the way to Jesus as Savior, may have to do with directing believers in growing in God, and may have to do with showing God’s love by caring for a social injustice.  Some believers have shied away from the latter, as those who are into a theology of unbelief only care for the last of the three. 

            You can email me at simplechurchminute@gmail.com.  You can learn more about simple worship at http://www.simplechurch.com/ or locally at (local website).

On the recording, at this time, it says, “house churches.”  While that phrasing is OK, to say “organic church” is better.  I comment on that in blip 94.