Who Are We?

Campus in Kuching, 2004

Monthly Newsletter

ISSUE 02, Date: 21 July 2004

à Who Are We?

Truth Recovered During 16^th Century

Truth Recovered During 18^th Century

Truth Recovered During 19^th Century

Truth Recovered During 20^th Century

à Our Responsibilities

à Home

Welcome Guest,

WHAT ARE WE?

(The following is a message released by Brother Watchman Nee in Shanghai in January 1934, during the third Overcomer Conference. It is translated from notes taken by Brother K.H. Weigh.)

Scripture Reading: John 1:22; 2 Pet. 1:12

Today we will look at one question: what are we? What are we doing here? In the past we have not said much about this matter because it is somewhat awkward to do so. For this reason we have been reluctant to speak about ourselves. However, though we have not mentioned the matter, others have often asked us, “What are you?” Some have even said that we are the Revival Church, or the Little Flock Church, or The Christian [Editor’s note: Watchman Nee published a magazine, The Christian] Church. Hence, we would like to say a few words concerning this question.

First, we must clarify that we are not some thing. We are not a new denomination. Neither are we a new sect, a new movement, or a new organization. We are not here to join a certain sect or form our own sect. Other than having a special calling and commission from God, there would be no need for us to exist independently. The reason we are here is that God has given us a special calling.

ESTABLISHED IN THE PRESENT TRUTH

Second Peter 1:12 mentions the words “established in the present truth.” The “present truth” can also be rendered the “up-to-date truth.” What is the up-to-date truth? Actually, all the truths are in the Bible; there is not one truth that is not in the Bible. Although they are all in the Bible, through man’s foolishness, unfaithfulness, negligence, and disobedience many of the truths were lost and hidden from man. The truths were there, but man did not see them or touch them. Not until the fullness of time did God release certain truths during particular periods of time and cause them to be revealed once more.

These freshly revealed truths are not God’s new inventions. Rather, they are man’s new discoveries. There is no need for invention, but there is the need for discovery. In past generations God revealed different truths. During certain periods of time, He caused men to discover these specific truths. We can see this clearly from the history of the church.

Take, for example, the raising up of Martin Luther in the sixteenth century. God opened his eyes to see the matter of justification by faith. He was a vessel raised up by God to unveil the truth of justification by faith. This does not mean that before Luther there was no such thing as justification by faith. The fact already existed before Luther’s time. Luther was merely the one who realized this truth in a stronger way; he was particularly outstanding in this truth. For this reason, this truth became the “present truth” in that age.

Every worker of the Lord should inquire before God as to what the present truth is. We need to ask: “God, what is the present truth?” Although there are many major and crucial truths in the Bible, what we need to know is God’s present truth. Not only do we need to know the general truths, we must also be clear about God’s present truth.

The Mysteries of Human Life