Hello and welcome to Giants of the Faith, the podcast where we look at the lives of some of the most influential Christians in history. This is episode 61 and I'm your host, Robert Daniels. Today we're going to talk about Watchman Nee, a Chinese church leader and Christian teacher who worked in China during the 20th century and whose impact is still being felt there today in the rapidly expanding Christian church. Nee was a Chinese Christian who wrote about the normal Christian life, which he believed involved four steps: knowledge of the cross of Christ, reckoning, presenting to God, and walking after the Spirit.
Watchman Nee was born on November 4, 1903, in Shantou, China. His original name was Nee Shu-tsu, which means "snowy morning". His parents were second-generation Christians who belonged to the Methodist church. His grandfather was the first Chinese pastor among the Congregationalists in northern Fujian province. Like Samuel of old, Watchman Nee was consecrated to the Lord before his birth by his mother, who prayed that he would be a faithful servant of God.
Watchman became a Christian in 1920 at the age of seventeen, while he was studying at a British-style school in Fuzhou. He'd attended a revival service and afterward struggled with whether or not he believed in God. As he examined his life of sin he had a dramatic conversion experience that challenged him to confess his sins and trust in Christ. He later wrote, "From the evening I was saved, I began to live a new life, for the life of the eternal God had entered into me." Watchman had been family friends with a young girl named Charity Chang and as a teen he fell in love with her. But when Watchman became a Christian he was convinced that he should end his relationship with the unbelieving Charity. But ten years later Charity gave her life to Christ and then she and Watchman were married. The couple would not have children.
Watchman Nee was deeply influenced by the Plymouth Brethren, a group of Christians who emphasized the authority of the Bible, the priesthood of all believers, and the simplicity of church life. John Nelson Darby was a member of the Plymouth Brethren so Nee would have gotten a hefty does of pre-trib pre-mil dispensationalism - but we won't hold that against him just now. He also learned from other writers such as the dubious Madame Guyon, Andrew Murray, and T. Austin-Sparks. During this time he developed a rich understanding of the scriptures and a passion for sharing the gospel.
In 1922, he began church meetings in Fuzhou that marked the beginning of the local churches, a network of independent congregations that practiced according to the New Testament pattern. He taught that every believer should function as a member of Christ's body and that every locality should have only one church. He also stressed the importance of knowing Christ as life and living by the divine life within.
Watchman Nee traveled extensively throughout China and other countries to preach the gospel, teach the Bible, and establish churches. He held many conferences and trainings to equip believers and workers for God's purpose. He also wrote many books and articles that expounded the truth and applied it to various aspects of Christian living. Some of his most famous works include The Normal Christian Life, The Spiritual Man, Sit Walk Stand, and The Release of the Spirit.
Some examples of Watchman Nee's theology are:
- He believed that the Bible is the inspired and authoritative word of God, but he also emphasized the need for personal and ongoing revelation of the Holy Spirit. This is probably the most problematic of Nee's teachings but a charitable understanding of it sees this as part of a personal discussion between the believer and God and not new scriptural revelation.
- He taught that man is a tripartite being composed of spirit, soul, and body, and that the spirit is the organ for contacting God, the soul is the organ for expressing the personality, and the body is the organ for contacting the physical world.
- He distinguished between the terms "life" and "nature" in relation to God and man. He said that life is the content of God's being, while nature is the essence of God's being. He said that man can receive God's life through regeneration, but he cannot partake of God's nature, which is unique and unchangeable.
- He advocated a view of sanctification that involved the believers' cooperation with God's work in them. He said that believers need to deny their self, take up their cross, and follow Christ. He also said that believers need to reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God, and to present their bodies as living sacrifices to God.
- He had a high view of the church as the Body of Christ and the expression of Christ. He rejected denominationalism and sectarianism. He also emphasized the organic unity and mutual functioning of all the members of Christ's Body.
Nee founded house churches all over China and it's this movement that continues today. There are an estimated 100 million Christians in China today - many of them meeting in homes and underground because of the intense persecution and discouragement that comes from the Chinese communist government.
Watchman Nee faced many trials and persecutions for his faith and ministry. He was opposed by religious leaders who accused him of being sectarian and heretical. He was also misunderstood by some of his co-workers and followers who deviated from his teachings or rebelled against his leadership. He suffered from various illnesses and hardships that affected his health and finances.
After the Communist Revolution in 1949, Watchman Nee was arrested in 1952 for being a counter-revolutionary. He was falsely charged with various crimes and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. He endured harsh conditions and cruel treatment in prison, but he never lost his joy or faithfulness to the Lord. He continued to minister to his fellow prisoners and guards, and even wrote some hymns and letters during his confinement.
Watchman Nee died in prison on May 30, 1972, at the age of 68. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Guangde county, Anhui province. His wife, Charity Chang, who had been separated from him since his arrest, learned of his death only years later. His legacy lives on through his writings and through the local churches that spread around the world. He was a faithful witness who testified of Christ's death and resurrection and God's kingdom. He was a humble servant who gave himself wholly to God and his people. While some might take issue with some of Nee's teaching there is no doubt that he was a giant of the faith who continues to inspire generations of Christians to pursue Christ and follow him.
RESOURCES
Thirdmill: https://thirdmill.org/magazine/article.asp/link/hue_mountfort%5ECH.Mountfort.watchman.nee.bio.html/at/Watchman%20Nee%20%281903-1972%29:%20A%20Biographical%20Study
Christianity Today: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1975/may-9/footnotes-sharper-focus-on-watchman-nee.html
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297301999_The_Theological_Anthropology_of_Watchman_Nee_In_the_Context_of_Taoist_Tradition
Reformed Perspectives: http://reformedperspectives.org/articles/hue_mountfort/CH.Mountfort.watchman.nee.bio.html.
Dwell Community Church: https://dwellcc.org/learning/essays/watchman-nee-and-house-church-movement-china