The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit

Rating:
Summary: this is a new translation - look for an earlier edition
Review: After reading Watchman Nee's excellent book "Release of the Spirit" published by Christian Fellowship Publishers, I began searching for a copy to give to a friend. I found "The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit" which I thought was only repackaged and retitled edition, but upon examination I discovered that it is in fact a quite substantial retranslation of the original work by a different publishing house.

To me, this new edition has not captured the clarity, directness and frankness I found in "Release of the Spirit", and while it may be intended to soften the blow or make the text more reader friendly I find the basic message to be obscured in this new edition. Also, this new edition omits the diagram found in the introduction to "Release of the Spirit" which is so helpful and a key to the entire book.

Rating:
Summary: this is a new translation - look for an earlier edition
Review: After reading Watchman Nee's excellent book "Release of the Spirit" published by Christian Fellowship Publishers, I began searching for a copy to give to a friend. I found "The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit" which I thought was only repackaged and retitled edition, but upon examination I discovered that it is in fact a quite substantial retranslation of the original work by a different publishing house.

To me, this new edition has not captured the clarity, directness and frankness I found in "Release of the Spirit", and while it may be intended to soften the blow or make the text more reader friendly I find the basic message to be obscured in this new edition. Also, this new edition omits the diagram found in the introduction to "Release of the Spirit" which is so helpful and a key to the entire book.

Rating:
Summary: A " How to " book.
Review: I first read this book almost 20 years ago as a young christian and found it very helpful and very good. I have read it and taught from it and it is one of those great books to reveal the true reality of our life and walk in God. Watchman brings forth the key, the struggle that all of us face needing to be broken before God so that we can walk by the spirit.

Rating:
Summary: Repetitious, Redundant, and Tending to Repeat Itself
Review: My first objection to this book is the EXTREME number of times Watchman Nee repeats his central theme as if asserting it over and over makes it become a fact. He offers very little scriptural support for his beliefs and a great deal of assertion. He repeats many of his minor points, too, replaying the same statement five to ten times in a chapter. It's a tiny book that could have been half as large, just by removing the redundancy. (Have I said it enough to give you a sampling of Nee's repetitious style?)

The second objection is more significant. Nee expresses only two ways that the Holy Spirit transforms lives: one way is by breaking what Nee calls the outer man--the side of us that others encounter, the side that faces to the world. The other is by revelation, where God shows us how HE sees us. Both methods are entirely negative in Nee's analysis: The Spirit breaks the outer man by bringing suffering into life until we can bear up no more. Nee is also a fatalist who believes EVERY event in your life is predetermined by God for your good. All of the "bad" events are placed there by God to do the necessary breaking of your outer person so that the Holy Spirit can spill through--like cracking an alabaster perfume jar, so the spirit of the perfume can seep out. God's second method of transformation of the human soul, according to Nee, is through revelation. This, too, turns out to be entirely negative. When God reveals your outer person as HE sees you, you will be utterly mortified at the pitiful truth and will find it very difficult to live as you once did.

I don't doubt that God uses the negative things in our lives to transform us for the better and even allows them for that purpose. The tree that grows by the windswept cliffs is the most beautiful. Romans teaches that "All things work together for the good of those who serve the Lord and are called according to his purpose." That's different, however, than saying God ordains all the bad events in your life. Romans says that God's Spirit will transform the bad events into creative forces that will sculpt and weather you into a better person if you allow him to.

For Nee, ALL of the work of the Holy Spirit is done through negative means alone--through breaking and through revealing your depravity; but if you read all of the New Testament, you'll be surprised at how little of that is really expressed. Granted that such means are sometimes necessary, look at how Christ transformed his disciples while on earth: It wasn't through breaking them; it was through patience and teaching and compassion and service and kind example and creativity and healing and . . . . Sure, there was heartbreak at the cross and despair in Peter when he denied Christ. Life is not all good. There are some heartwrenching moments. Once in a very great while Jesus even scolded them. I read through all of the Gospels while I was reading Nee's book and found the Gospels present a balanced and mostly positive approach toward working with the human soul that you won't find in Nee's book.

Nevertheless, there are some nuggets of wisdom amid the gravel: "Those whose words pretend intimacy with God are probably farther away from Him. When one doesn't have the light, it is easy for him to claim intimacy with God." So, the book is not without its good points.

Rating:
Summary: This is THE secret of success in Christ
Review: Nee unfolds the secret that sorts the mature from the immature in Christ: simply the breaking of the outer man. Having gone through what Nee describes in this book, I now see from the perspective Nee describes should be essential for all Christians.

If you want to know why you are not fruitful in your life as a Christian God can use Nee's work here to reveal what you must do to be fruitful for His glory.

It's a small book that God used in my life to do BIG things.

Rating:
Summary: Releasing the Mingled spirit
Review: This is a critical book for every seeker of the Lord Jesus Christ. A lot of times we have our own agenda with God - what we want God to do for us. But the Lord's desire needs to overcome our fallen desire in order for Him to accomplsh His plan in us. This book shows, among other things, that God needs to overcome (break) our desires, plan, wants, needs, everything that is sourced in us, in order to fill us with Himself and and that we become an expression of Him. Hallelujah! Definitely a must read!

Rating:
Summary: You have to live it to appreciate it!
Review: Unlike some people who lived it before they read it, or read it and never lived it, I had the good fortune to not have a clue about what Watchman Nee was talking about, and then finally seeing the picture for myself.

When I first started reading the book, I thought that he was just speaking out of his head. After all you don't really hear anybody speaking about this sort of thing now a days do you? Of course you don't, because a lot of ministers out there today, haven't been through the type of breaking that Watchman Nee describes in the book.

Myself among them at the time, I decided to just get it over and skim through it. And once I had left it alone, and the Lord began to work, dealing with me on some major issues, I learned that it was not my effort that counted, it was my openess to the Lord to be used as He desired.

And until I came to that point, as watchman Nee goes over in the book, of either opening up to the Lord, or being broken, I couldn't be used to do any ministry of real spiritual value. It took actually living the lesson for me to really appreciate how right on he was in this book.

Maybe when you get this book you will be like I was and think he's spouting from his mind. But let me tell you if you will accept it and ask the Holy Spirit to help you live it, it will change your life, in ministry, in relationships, and everything else. That is why I give it five stars. Not because I think it's the most well written book, but because I know from experience that what he talks about is true. And I pray that you get that revelation too.

In His Love,

RJJ