These are not the only times that Brother Lee spoke on this matter. It is evident, then, that his feeling for such a critique of Christian theology was very strong. Since he went to be with the Lord on June 9, 1997, much has happened to prepare the way for his burden to be carried out. First, the interpretation of the Bible according to the ministry in the Lord’s recovery has been completely published in The Collected Works of Watchman Nee (62 vols; 1994), Life-study of the New Testament (17 vols.; 1985), Life-study of the Old Testament (15 vols; 1996), Conclusion of the New Testament (8 vols; 2010), and The Collected Works of Witness Lee (135 vols.; 2019). Second, others in addition to those with whom Brother Lee first fellowshipped in his home in 1994 have been prepared to enter into this labor. Third, many historical and theological resources necessary for an endeavor of this nature have since been digitized and are thus easily accessible for research purposes. More than twenty-five years have passed since Brother Lee gave that initial commission to serving ones in his home, but we are convinced that the delay was altogether under the Lord’s sovereign arrangement. The provisions He has made in the intervening years indicate to us that now is the best time to engage in such a serious and long-term labor.

As the series title Historical Evaluations of Christian Thought indicates, this series of publications will assess the church’s interpretation of the Bible on key topics. It is not a history of the church in a general sense but an evaluation of what the church has taught through the ages. As with any evaluation, there must be a clear standard for our evaluation, and for this endeavor our standard is the interpretation of the Scriptures that has been delivered to us through the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. We believe that, coming at the end of nearly two millennia of biblical interpretation, this ministry stands upon the shoulders of those who have gone before us and progressed in the understanding of the divine revelation, both by contributing to it and by defending it from attack. It is reasonable to assume that as beneficiaries of this progress under the Spirit’s guidance we stand in a position that allows us to look back and consider the merits and the detriments in what precedes us. Our taking the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee as the standard for our evaluation has nothing to do with who we are in ourselves today, nor, in a real sense, with who Watchman Nee and Witness Lee are (let everyone account them simply “as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God”—1 Cor. 4:1); rather, taking this ministry as our standard has much to do with where we are today in the progress of the history of the Christian church. As has been the case at every point in the past, our place today at the end of those preceding ages provides us with a vantage point that cannot be equaled. And thus, it is fitting for us, who have received so much from the past, to look back on the past from our own perspective in order to affirm what has benefited and critique what has hampered the progress of the saints who came before us.

We are grateful that the saints’ response to this series and the need for it has been very positive. Some have asked if the series is intended to replace Affirmation & Critique, but it is not. Affirmation & Critique, now in its twenty-sixth year of publication, will continue unabated. Moreover, the series is not intended to replace the ministry bequeathed to us by our brothers; rather, it intends to further equip the saints by helping them to weigh the past profitably to understand what is wanting and what is worthy in all that has gone before.

At present we intend to release a new book in the series every 1 ½ to 2 years. If you would like to order the first volume in the series, read selected excerpts from it, receive updates about new releases, learn more about this endeavor, or read more of Brother Lee’s fellowship on the need for such an endeavor, we invite you to visit preciousfromworthless.com.

This is a long-term writing endeavor, and in response to Brother Lee’s commission, LSM intends to commit the necessary resources, as the Lord provides through the Body, to support it. Brother Lee was very burdened that some among us would labor to correct the defects of traditional Christian theology. This is a serious work that requires deliberate labor. However, this endeavor also needs the service and supply of all the Body, and therefore, we earnestly beseech every saint to enter into this burden personally by praying for it.