The author of these studies, Mr.
Watchman Nee (Nee To-sheng) of Foochow, a true bondservant of
Jesus Christ, placed a great many of us in his debt when, on a
visit to Europe in 1938 and 1939, he set forth so lucidly in his
ministry to many groups of young workers and others the
foundation principles of the Christian life and walk.
Several of the addresses forming
the material from which this book has been compiled have already
been published independently and have been the means of blessing
to many. Others, covering similar but wider ground, have existed
for long in manuscript or note form. It is with the conviction
that their message merits a wider circulation at the present time
that I have undertaken the editing of the available material to
form this larger book.
Being deprived of personal contact
or communication with the author, I have myself to take full
responsibility for the work of editing. This has involved the
bringing together of matter from a number of sources to form a
logical sequence within the framework provided by two of the
original series of studies. Due to the wide variety of this
material, including verbatim records of spoken English addresses,
private notes of Bible readings and personal conversations, and a
few translations from the Chinese, liberties, perforce, have had
to be taken with the literary arrangement -- not, of course, with
the doctrine -- making the hand of the editor more evident that I
would have wished. But the privilege of close personal contact
with Mr. Nee during 1938, and the help and criticism of others
who enjoyed his ministry or who have worked with him, and who
knew him better than I, have combined, in the few places where
interpretation was necessary, to make faithfulness to his thought
the more certain.
Work on this book has been a
searching experience. It goes out now wiht the prayer that its
strong emphasis upon the greatness of Christ and upon the
finality and sufficiency of His work may be used of God to bring
His children to a place of greater spiritual effectiveness and
thus of increasing value to Him.
Angus I. Kinnear
Bangalore, India
1957
A new edition has made possible
further revision and occasional slight expansion of the text with
the aid of fresh source material. An index is now provided.
The reader is again reminded that
the author's message in this collected form had its origin as
spoken ministry. It is therefore not wholly systematic. On none
of the subjects dealt with is it to be regarded as exhaustive. It
should be approached prayerfully -- not as a treatise, but as a
living message to the heart.
Angus I. Kinnear
1958
The Normal Christian Life - Chapter 1: The Blood of Christ
