Adding "One Publication" to the Seven "Ones" in Ephesians 4 —
What Did James Lee Really Say?

In an article charging the co-workers in the Lord's recovery with carrying out a "campaign" for one publication, a brother who opposes the co-workers' fellowship regarding being restricted in one publication makes the following statement:

In his spoken message, James Lee went so far as to suggest that "one publication" should be added to the seven "ones" in Ephesians 4. To our knowledge this word, heard by many at the conference and through web-cast, has never been retracted. It does not appear in the published version [see The Ministry Magazine, vol. 7, no. 2, March 2003, p. 101].

On the one hand, these few sentences charge James Lee with making "one publication" equal in significance with the seven ones in Ephesians 4:4-6-one Body, one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. On the other hand, they imply that this statement was cut out of the printed message in The Ministry Magazine. Both accusations are false.

A thorough review of the audio of this message ¹ shows that James Lee made no such statement. In fact, his mention of the seven "ones" in Ephesians 4 and his mention of Brother Lee's fellowship about being restricted in one publication were separated by well over one hour (or nineteen pages in the printed version of the message in The Ministry Magazine). Furthermore, both statements were faithfully polished for publication in The Ministry Magazine.

Approximately fifteen minutes into the tape, James Lee says:

And Paul in his epistles stressed this again and again: there is one Body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all... [Literal transcription by DCP staff]

In The Ministry Magazine this appears as:

Paul stressed this repeatedly in his Epistles. In Ephesians 4 he wrote, "One Body and one Spirit, even as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (vv. 4-6).

Then at approximately an hour and twenty-nine minutes into the tape, he says:

... the principle of speaking can be applied, can be applied to other media such as our writings, publication, music; these are different forms of our speaking. Even in these speakings we have to be exercised not to present different impression, different appearance, different content. In the recovery, whatever we speak, whatever we write, whatever we put out, we must be under this governing control, speaking the same thing. That is why Brother Lee in the Elders' Training book, he says in the recovery we only have one publication, to eliminate any ground for confusion. Because throughout the recovery we have churches all over the six continents, over 3,000 churches over the earth, if we don't have some kind of a controlling element, we all would just speak our own things, put out our own things. [Literal transcription by DCP staff]

This appears in The Ministry Magazine as:

The principle of speaking can be applied to other media as well, such as literature and music. These are different forms of speaking. Even in these speakings we must be exercised not to present different impressions and appearances. In the recovery, whatever we speak, write, or otherwise put out must be under this governing control of "speaking the same thing." This is why Brother Lee, in Elders' Training, Book 8, says that in the recovery we have only one publication work. In this way we eliminate any ground for confusion among the three thousand churches on the six continents. If we do not have some kind of a controlling element, we will all speak our own things....

Where did the author of this dissenting writing come up with the thought that James Lee suggested adding "one publication" to the seven "ones"? Just before the one hour and eighteen minute mark of the tape, he says:

And, brothers and sisters, when you travel a little bit, visit the churches all over the earth, what a glory, what a wonder it is wherever you go you hear saints speaking the same thing. We were in Africa recently, we got in Angola, they spoke Portuguese, but they spoke the same thing. We were in South Africa, they spoke the same thing; we were in Kenya, they spoke the same thing; we went to Korea, they spoke in Korean, but they still said the same thing! I really feel this is the wonder of all wonders, this is greater than the seven wonders of the world . [Emphasis added, literal transcription by DCP staff]

In The Ministry Magazine this was shortened to say:

When we visit the churches all over the earth, what a glory and a wonder it is that no matter where we are, we hear the saints speaking the same thing. I have recently been in several countries in Africa and in the Far East. Regardless of where I went, the saints spoke the same thing. This is a wonder of wonders.

It appears that James Lee's word about all of the saints and all of the churches speaking the same thing being greater than the seven wonders of the world has been twisted in the hands of this dissenting one into a call to add "one publication" to the seven "ones" in Ephesians 4! And while it is true that his comment about the seven wonders of the world was dropped from the printed message, that editorial decision in no way changed the meaning of what he was saying.

Furthermore, from even a casual reading it should be obvious that being restricted in one publication work was not the subject of Brother James' speaking in this passage. Rather, he was speaking concerning the apostle Paul's admonition that all of the believers in the churches should speak the same thing, that is, to speak forth God's New Testament economy.

1 Cor. 1:10 - Now I beseech you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion.

Rom. 15:6 - That with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Tim. 1:3-4 - [3] Even as I exhorted you, when I was going into Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things [4] Nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God's economy, which is in faith.

In fact, the subheading under which the speaking appears (and which was the main point concerning which Brother James was speaking) reads, "Our Needing to Consider One New Manin Ephesians 2:15 Together with One Mouth in Romans 15:6 and Speak the Same Thing in 1 Corinthians 1:10."

The audio and video tapes of the complete, unedited message were available to the author of this dissenting article had he cared to confirm his rendering of James Lee's words as accurate. His failure to do so before publishing these untruths on the World Wide Web and republishing them in the journal of one of the churches is reckless behavior that reveals the animus behind his criticism of our brother.

Notes:

¹The message in question was given at the 2002 Thanksgiving Conference in San Diego. The conference was entitled "Living the Life of a God-man for the One New Man." James Lee's message was entitled "Thinking the One Thing, Being Like-Souled, and Speaking the Same Thing as the One New Man with One Person and One Mouth." It is available from Living Stream Ministry as K02 SDC 04. Many churches already have copies in their tape libraries.