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The Tree of Life
Tree of
156 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1987
17 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Witness Lee
2,096 books116 followersWitness Lee (李常受, pinyin Lǐ Chángshòu) was a Chinese Christian preacher associated with the Local Churches movement and the founder of Living Stream Ministry. He was born in the city of Yantai, Shandong Province, China, in 1905, to a Southern Baptist family. He became a Christian in 1925 after hearing the preaching of Peace Wang and later became a close coworker of Watchman Nee. Witness Lee moved to Taiwan in 1949 as the Communists were advancing in mainland China. During the 1950s, his ministry extended throughout Southeast Asia and in 1962 Lee moved to the United States, relocating the base of his ministry to Southern California. He gave his last public conference in February 1997 at the age of 91. Many of Lee's spoken messages have been published in over 400 books and translated into more than fourteen different languages. Lee's major work is Life-study of the Bible, comprising over 25,000 pages of commentary on every book of the Bible from the perspective of the believers' enjoyment and experience of God's divine life in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Lee was also the chief editor of a new translation of the Bible entitled the Recovery Version.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 10, 2016
"The way to fulfill God's purpose is seen in the tree of life" (8). Unpacking this thesis statement and tracing its implications throughout the entire Bible is what this book is all about. This is certainly one of Witness Lee's classics, presenting some of the dominant concepts that are central to his ministry and crop up repeatedly throughout his corpus. You'll find illuminating biblical commentary geared toward spiritual experience and practical application, all pervaded by a sober intoxication (to borrow a phrase from Augustine) with the enjoyment of God. "God's first intention is not to have man toiling, but to have man feasting and feeding on Him, to have man enjoying God Himself" (10). "The central thought of God is that God wants to be our enjoyment" (39).
Much of us in modern, western Christianity fall prey to the subtle lure away from the enjoyment of God. We have a proclivity for "knowing" and "doing", but not delighting in God Himself as our life. This is an old trick played on a new generation. The first temptation of man was to know something—Adam and Eve. The second temptation was to do something—Cain. Certainly knowledge and work for God have their proper place, but they come out of our enjoyment of God as the tree of life. God did not give Adam a list of commandments to obey or a set of doctrines to systematize; He gave him a tree of life to eat. This tree of life is Christ our life (Col 3:4). Lee follows the NT and many of the early church fathers to interpret this tree figuratively. "The tree of life is God in Christ as the Spirit to be life to us" (9). Augustine said, "The tree of life also was Christ....He is rightly called whatever came before Him in order to signify Him." This book is a delightful corrective to that type of Christianity that is captive to an enlightenment rationality and pragmatic work ethic. Pick this book up if you find yourself echoing the prayer of the Psalmist, "restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation." This book will paint the enjoyment of God in vivid colors all throughout the Bible and provide plenty of examples of how God can be enjoyed by us in the most practical ways.
Much of us in modern, western Christianity fall prey to the subtle lure away from the enjoyment of God. We have a proclivity for "knowing" and "doing", but not delighting in God Himself as our life. This is an old trick played on a new generation. The first temptation of man was to know something—Adam and Eve. The second temptation was to do something—Cain. Certainly knowledge and work for God have their proper place, but they come out of our enjoyment of God as the tree of life. God did not give Adam a list of commandments to obey or a set of doctrines to systematize; He gave him a tree of life to eat. This tree of life is Christ our life (Col 3:4). Lee follows the NT and many of the early church fathers to interpret this tree figuratively. "The tree of life is God in Christ as the Spirit to be life to us" (9). Augustine said, "The tree of life also was Christ....He is rightly called whatever came before Him in order to signify Him." This book is a delightful corrective to that type of Christianity that is captive to an enlightenment rationality and pragmatic work ethic. Pick this book up if you find yourself echoing the prayer of the Psalmist, "restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation." This book will paint the enjoyment of God in vivid colors all throughout the Bible and provide plenty of examples of how God can be enjoyed by us in the most practical ways.
August 3, 2016
Witness Lee in this short book focuses on the line of the tree of life found in the Bible. Everything in the Bible and everything that God wants for us to do is found in this 'tree of life.' Do you want to know God's purpose? The tree of life. Do you want to know what God is doing today? The tree of life. Do you want to know the meaning of your life? The tree of life. I hope it's clear that everything revolves around the tree of life. If you follow the tree of life in the Bible, it becomes manifested that all God wants us to do is to just enjoy Him. Sure, there is the matter of service and work for God. But that's all out of the issue of enjoying God as the tree of life.
This book gives not only how the tree of life fulfills God's purpose, but also practical handles in how we can experience Christ as the tree of life.
Simply put, if you want to know God's purpose for Himself and for yourself, read this book. It's a must.
This book gives not only how the tree of life fulfills God's purpose, but also practical handles in how we can experience Christ as the tree of life.
Simply put, if you want to know God's purpose for Himself and for yourself, read this book. It's a must.
February 19, 2021
Revelatory and Transformative
This book has taken my walk with the Lord to a higher and deeper dimension! I now desire to learn more how to eat and drink Christ Jesus and be transformed into His Likeness. Moreover, as a Pastor, my determination to teach God's people how to eat and drink Christ is my new priority. My life and ministry will never be the same after reading this book. Praise the Lord!!
This book has taken my walk with the Lord to a higher and deeper dimension! I now desire to learn more how to eat and drink Christ Jesus and be transformed into His Likeness. Moreover, as a Pastor, my determination to teach God's people how to eat and drink Christ is my new priority. My life and ministry will never be the same after reading this book. Praise the Lord!!
September 11, 2020
The first thing presented to man was the tree of life, and at the same time the first commandment was also given to man – eat the tree of life. Unfortunately before eating this tree, man was deceived to eat the tree of knowledge of good and evil that consists of satan’s nature. Due to the fallen nature of man after eating the wrong tree, man was prohibited to access this tree of life.
God’s eternal purpose could never be stopped, though it seemed impossible. Eventually through the marvelous event of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the tree of life was open again to His people.
In this book the author presented the items and events that point to the tree of life, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Hence we can see that this tree is not an afterthought. In the beginning God wanted man to eat this tree, and in the end God will get what He wanted that issued out of this eating.
What is this tree in reality? How do we eat this tree as a Christian? What does eating this tree do? Why do we need to eat this tree? Or really, what does God get out of us eating this tree?
Reading this book makes me appreciate deeper God’s wisdom shown in His work. May the reader be enlightened by picking up this book and find the secret of eating this tree.
God’s eternal purpose could never be stopped, though it seemed impossible. Eventually through the marvelous event of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the tree of life was open again to His people.
In this book the author presented the items and events that point to the tree of life, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Hence we can see that this tree is not an afterthought. In the beginning God wanted man to eat this tree, and in the end God will get what He wanted that issued out of this eating.
What is this tree in reality? How do we eat this tree as a Christian? What does eating this tree do? Why do we need to eat this tree? Or really, what does God get out of us eating this tree?
Reading this book makes me appreciate deeper God’s wisdom shown in His work. May the reader be enlightened by picking up this book and find the secret of eating this tree.
January 16, 2013
Was my favorite spiritual book that knocked out Siddhartha. When I read Tree of Life, I carried it around, it tore, lost pages, and was highlighted, underlined and roughed up. It really had uplifted my spirit.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews