李常受对“地方教会是异端／邪教”的指控，大致采取三类回应：一是正面说明信仰立场，表明自己在三一论、基督论、救恩论等要点上在正统范围内；二是用出版与对话澄清误解与语境；三是通过法律途径与第三方评估反击不实指控。[1][2][3][4]

## 一、信仰声明：强调与历史正统的一致

– 1970–80 年代面对“异端”标签时，他与同工多次公开说明：
– 以圣经为独一最高权威；
– 在三一论、基督论、救恩论等根本教义上与使徒信经、尼西亚信经精神一致；
– 任何有争议的用语（如“神人”“神经纶高峰”）须在完整语境中理解，而非切片解读。[3][4]
– 2007 年《对地方教会和 Living Stream Ministry 教导的声明》明确列出他们所持“共同信仰”，刻意将“高峰经纶”与“基要信仰”区分，声明差异不应上升为“异端”定罪的层次。[3]

## 二、解释语境：说明用语与圣经根据

– 对一些被指“异端”的表述——如“神成为人，为要使人在生命性情上成为神”“三一神经过过程”“一个神三个身位”等——李常受在信息与回应文章中反复强调：
– 这些话必须加上限定语：“在生命和性情上，不在神格上”“就着经纶说，不就着本体说”；
– 自认这类说法有圣经根据（如彼后一 4“有分神性”、约十七“如同我们是一”），在教父与东正教神化传统中也有平行用语。[5][6][3]
– 他在《What a Heresy—Two Divine Fathers, Two Life‑Giving Spirits, and Three Gods!》一文中，反指控反对者的三一表述，认为若拒绝经纶上的“父—子—灵与其分赐”的丰富，就等于落入“两个灵父、三个神”的逻辑，这是一种“以其人之道还治其人之身”的辩护方式。[7][8]

## 三、法律诉讼与第三方学术／护教评估

– 面对将地方教会定性为邪教、指控暴力与不法行为的出版物（如 *The Mindbenders*, *The God‑Men*），李常受及相关机构采取了多次诽谤诉讼：
– 重点针对人格诋毁与不实行为指控，而非仅就教义争议；
– 多数案件以地方教会胜诉或对方撤书告终，法院认定部分指控失实或缺乏证据。[1]
– 后来，地方教会方面主动邀请 Fuller 神学院与 Christian Research Institute 等进行长期研究评估：
– Fuller 的官方声明结论是：地方教会与李常受的教导在所有根本要点上代表“真实、历史、圣经的基督教信仰”，无异端或邪教特征；[2]
– CRI 经六年重新研究后发表“We Were Wrong”，承认早期对李与地方教会的“异端”定性不公，承认其教导在经文与教会历史中有立足点，并公开收回异端指控。[9][10]

## 四、内部陈述的态度基调

– 在官方声明与见证中，地方教会与 LSM 多次表示：
– 不愿以非根本教义差异作为彼此接纳或拒绝的根据，盼望在基要信仰上与其他信徒互为肢体；
– 对自身话语有“被误读、被断章取义”的感受，呼吁对话与完整阅读，而非以二手材料下结论。[2][3]
– 同时，他们一面强调愿意对话，一面坚持自身经纶用语与地方教会实践是对圣经启示的忠诚回应，不会仅因“争议”而退缩，这也形成了“坚守＋澄清”的双重姿态。

如果用一句话总结：
李常受对异端指控的回应，是通过阐明自己在共同信仰上与历史正统的一致、解释经纶性用语的语境与圣经根据，并借由法律行动与 Fuller、CRI 等第三方的正面评估来推翻“邪教／异端”的标签；这种策略在维护清白的同时，也带来诉讼与强势辩护本身是否符合“教会见证精神”的进一步争议。[7][9][1][2][3]

Sources
[1] An Open Letter Concerning the Local Church, Witness Lee and “The … https://contendingforthefaith.org/en/dr-j-gordon-melton-an-open-letter-concerning-the-local-church-witness-lee-and-the-god-men-controversy/
[2] Fuller’s Statement – Witness Lee Teachings https://witnessleelehren.org/en/fuller-statement-en/
[3] A Statement concerning the Teachings of the Local Churches and … https://www.lctestimony.org/StatementOfTeachings.html
[4] Witness Lee Responds – Contending for the Faith https://contendingforthefaith.org/en/witness-lee-responds/
[5] THE ETERNAL ECONOMY OF GOD https://www.ministrysamples.org/excerpts/THE-ETERNAL-ECONOMY-OF-GOD.HTML
[6] Truth Concerning the Ultimate Goal of God’s Economy, The, глава 1 https://bibleread.online/all-books-by-Watchman-Nee-and-Witness-Lee/book-truth-concerning-the-ultimate-goal-of-gods-economy-the-Witness-Lee-read-online/1/
[7] Local Church controversies – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Church_controversies
[8] Topic: Witness Lee actually condemned himself as a heretic https://lemonstograpes.com/forums/topic/witness-lee-actually-condemned-himself-as-a-heretic/
[9] We Were Wrong! Hank Hanegraaff (From the President) (A … https://www.equip.org/articles/we-were-wrong/
[10] We Were Wrong (A Reassessment of the “Local Church” Movement … https://www.equip.org/articles/the-conclusion-of-the-matter-we-were-wrong-a-reassessment-of-the-local-church-movement-of-watchman-nee-and-witness-lee/
[11] No Longer A Heretical Threat; Now Dear Brothers And Sisters In … https://www.equip.org/articles/no-longer-a-heretical-threat-now-dear-brothers-and-sisters-in-christ-why-concerning-the-local-churches-i-no-longer-criticize-but-instead-commend-a-reassessment-of-the-local-church/
[12] A Response to the Christian Research Journal’s Recent Defense of … https://normangeisler.com/a-response-to-cri-local-church/
[13] Witness Lee’s “Local Church” on Bible Answer Man https://theos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=77
[14] The “Local Church” as Movement and Source of Controversy (Part 1 … https://www.equip.org/articles/the-local-church-as-movement-and-source-of-controversy/
[15] Witness Lee: We Were Wrong – Justice of God https://justiceofgod.com/2011/10/28/witness-lee-we-were-wrong/
[16] Ministry of Witness Lee and Watchman Nee is credible and legit … https://www.reddit.com/r/localchurches/comments/1oq75nw/ministry_of_witness_lee_and_watchman_nee_is/
[17] CRI: WE WERE WRONG – YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjRAe45kXqY