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1 Ths. 5:21
Scipture quotations are from the American Standard Version (1901) of the Bible unless otherwise indicated.
Nee, Watchman. The Latent Power of the Soul. Richmond, VA: Christian Fellowships Publishers, 1972.
When in 1924 I first called the attention of God’s children to the dividing of spirit and soul, many well-disposed brethern thought of it as merely a dispute over words having no great significance. What they failed to see was that our conflict is not concerned with word but with that which lies behind. The spirit and the soul are two totally different organs: one belongs to God, while the other belongs to man. By whatever names one may call them, they are completely distinct in substance. The peril of the believer is to confuse the spirit for the soul and the soul for the spirit, and so be deceived into accepting the counterfeit of evil spirits to the unsettling of God’s work.
This series of articles had originally been intended to be written immediately following the completion (in 1928) of The Spiritual Man. But because of physical weakness and the heavy burden of other service, I was only able to have them published in last year’s issues of Revival magazine. In response to the request of its readers, I now put forth this booklet.
The greatest advantage in knowing the difference between spirit and soul is in perceiving the latent power of the soul and in understanding its falsification of the power of the Holy Spirit. Such knowledge is not theoretical but practical in helping people to walk in God’s way.
Just last night I was reading what F. B. Meyer once said in a meeting shortly before his earthly departure. Here is a section of it: “This is an amazing fact that never has there been so much spiritualism outside the church of Christ as is found today... Is it not factual that in the lower part of our human nature the stimulation of the soul is quite prevailing? Nowadays the atmosphere is so charged with the commotion of all kinds of counterfeit that the Lord seems to be calling the church to come to a higher ground.” [1] Today’s situation is perilous. May we “prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” ( 1 Ths. 5:21; top ) Amen.
Watchman Nee
March 8, 1933
[1] Since the original quotation could not be found, this portion has been freely translated from the Chinese. - Translator back
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