As Iron Sharpens Iron

One of my hobbies is reading biographies of missionaries. I thrill to the tales of travel, commitment, and faith in the face of extreme uncertainty. Recently, I read the biography of and some books by Watchman Nee. Watchman Nee, or Ni Tuosheng (Watchman was a name he gave himself because he felt he was called to raise the warning call in a dark world). I felt a strong connection to Nee, perhaps because for a time we were both connected to the Plymouth Brethren movement and probably as a result of that, we both chafed at a clergy-lay distinction, believing that a plurality of elders brought great wisdom. We both believe that it is through studying the Scriptures and teaching others to do so will build the Kingdom of God. And also, as anyone who knows me can tell you, I’ve had a strong interest in China and Chinese Christians my entire life.

I learned that Watchman Nee focused on building deeply spiritual Christians as a way to build churches. He is credited with starting the church movement in China though he spent the last twenty years of his life in prison for his faith. Watchman Nee wasn’t what we think of as a missionary really, his ministry was to his own people and in his own country. Though his grandfather was the first Chinese pastor among the Congregationalists in northern Fukien province, Watchman was led to the Lord Jesus by a woman, Dora Yu, a prominant Chinese evangelist at the time. While in college, he sought a mentor to teach him about how to be a deep and spiritually alive Christian.

The thing that thrilled me most about Watchman’s story was that the teacher he chose for himself was a British woman, old enough to be his mother. This woman, Margaret Barber, had a Bible school near the college Tuoshung attended. She inspired Watchman with her radical devotion to the cross and her unflagging passion for God’s Word. (Laurent, Bob. Watchman Nee: Sufferer for China. Barbour Publishing, Kindle Edition, 29.) When Watchman first approached Margaret she asked herself, could Tuosheng be an answer to my prayer?…If so, I will sharpen him as iron sharpens iron. (Laurent, Bob. Watchman Nee: Sufferer for China, 30.)

Watchman Nee never attended a theological school, but like A.W. Tozer and Charles Spurgeon he taught himself by studying the Word of God, submitting himself to mentor’s like Margaret Barber, and by reading the works of thousands of other Christian writers.

His personal testimony recorded on October 20, 1936 describes his personal commission: “When the Lord called me to serve Him, the prime object was not for me to hold revival meetings so that people might hear more scriptural doctrines, nor for me to become a great evangelist. The Lord revealed to me that He wanted to build up local churches in other localities to manifest Himself, to bear testimony of unity on the ground of locality so that each saint might perform his duty in the church and live the church life. God wants not merely individual pursuit of victory or spirituality, but a corporate, glorious church presented to Himself.” (for quote see http://www.watchmannee.org/life-ministry and various other sources).

The story of Watchman Nee and Margaret Barber continues to inspire me as a teacher called not only to teach the Word but to teach other how to teach the Word in their local churches and Bible studies. Watchman Nee became a great man of God and church planter by choosing to submit himself to the teaching of a godly woman, by discipling others, and by building up the church of Jesus Christ around the world. This is how the kingdom of God grows; by women and men teaching and sharpening one another, studying the Word of God together, and building the Kingdom of God together.

If you want to know more about women who ministered in China read the heroic stories of Lottie Moon and Gladys Aylward.

Elizabeth Anderson @ThoughtfulProclaimer.com