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Heroes of the Faith

Watchman Nee: Man of Suffering

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Watchman Nee is remembered for his leadership of an indigenous church movement in China, as well as for his books that continue to enrich Christians throughout the world.

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

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About the author

Watchman Nee

600 books631 followers
Watchman Nee (Chinese: 倪柝聲; pinyin: Ní Tuòshēng; Foochow Romanized: Ngà̤ Táuk-sĭng; 1903–1972) was a Chinese Christian author and church leader during the early 20th century. He spent the last 20 years of his life in prison and was severely persecuted by the Communists in China. Together with Wangzai, Zhou-An Lee, Shang-Jie Song, and others, Nee founded The Church Assembly Hall, later which would be also known as the "Local churches" (Chinese: 地方教會). or more commonly as (聚會所) meaning "assembly hall"

Born into a Methodist family, Watchman Nee experienced a religious revival, and joined the Church of Heavenly Peace, Fuzhou in 1920 at age 17 and began writing in the same year. In 1921, he met the British missionary M. E. Barber, who was a great influence on him. Through Miss Barber, Nee was introduced to many of the Christian writings which were to have a profound influence on him and his teachings. Nee attended no theological schools or Bible institutes. His knowledge was acquired through studying the Bible and reading various Christian spiritual books. During his 30 years of ministry, beginning in 1922, Nee traveled throughout China planting churches among the rural communities and holding Christian conferences and trainings in Shanghai. In 1952 he was imprisoned for his faith; he remained in prison until his death in 1972.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Johnny.
Author 10 books143 followers
May 4, 2013
This biography of Chinese pastor and martyr Watchman Nee was surprising to me in a lot of ways. One major way was that it ruined a song I used to like. It appears that Watchman Nee’s wife died a few months before the good pastor died in prison. The song I liked was written as though it was a word of comfort to her after his death (“Hush, Lady Watchman don’t you cry; you know he’ll never die. He’ll just walk into the arms of Jesus. And though it hurts to see him go, Lady Watchman you must know, he was born to die a watchman for the Lord.”). It was catchy, moving, and inaccurate.

More than that, however, was realizing how Nee failed to respond to accusation and innuendo. On one occasion, his mother was visiting the, then single, pastor and several gossips claimed that he was “living in sin.” He refused to defend himself, using the illustration, “The lower we put something, the safer it is. It is safest to put a cup on the floor.” (p. 29) On another occasion, “Brothers, if people trust us, there is no need to explain; if people do not trust us, there is no use explaining.” (p. 12) I also found it meaningful when he spoke of the likelihood of being hurt the most by those one trusts the most, citing Zechariah 13:6 and being wounded at the house of one’s friends.

I loved his little teaching on baptism. “Please remember you are not the only one who is in the water. As you step down in to the water, a whole world goes down with you. When you come up, you come up in Christ.” (p. 41) He also scored some points with me with his centipede parable. In the parable, a centipede was asked to identify what order the creature used to move his legs in order to walk. When the centipede thought about it, it was paralyzed with indecision. Similarly, “We all work too hard at being religious. God is much easier to live with than we are with ourselves. As Paul said to his friends in Ephesus, simply ‘walk in love.’” (pp. 77-78)

There were also some nice quotations from Nee’s sermons. For example, when he preached about the believer’s place in the world, he said: “Before we put their boats in the water, I want them to spend a few days considering the water that is already in their boats.” (p. 93) In other words, boats are made to be in the water, but one lets water into the boat to one’s own discomfort and risk. Again, Nee expressed the idea by saying, “I have no interest in Christian societies that build legalistic barriers around themselves to keep untainted from the world. Jesus Christ is our only effective barrier against the world.” (p. 97)

Two of my favorite quotations from the book would include the one about power and the one about fruit. “The reason many do not have power before God is due to their either being closed on the end toward the Lord or on the end toward sinners.” (p. 100) Again, he used the parable of fruit to suggest that different people be witnessed to at different points in their lives. “Some fruit take longer to ripen than others. It is just as wrong to pick an unripe apple as it is never to go into the orchard at all.” (p. 106).

In evangelical Christianity, we often have trouble understanding the relationship between faith and works and Holy Spirit-led guidance and self- and socially-influenced conscience. Nee said, “So you see that faith is the cargo and your conscience is the ship. If the ship is wrecked, the cargo will fall out. When your conscience is strong, your faith is secure; but when your conscience accuses you of sin, you faith will leak out.” (p. 107)

One of my surprises was to discover Nee’s idea of gender in the church. Some women objected to the use of “Brothers” as a term of general address in the epistles to various churches. On one occasion, Nee was asked about the term “brothers” and responded, “Are you talking about the male brothers or the female brothers?” (p. 118)

With regard to suffering, Nee explained, “The fact is that you will never be the same after you pass through suffering. Either you will have your capacity enlarged or you will become more hardened.” (p. 150) He knew of which he spoke. Because of his help in starting China Biological and Chemical Laboratories with his brother, he was imprisoned as a capitalist at age 50. The indictment was 2,296 pages long and he lived for 20 years before succumbing to death on June 1, 1972—a malnourished prisoner who had won over many of his fellow-prisoners and guards to the cause he believed in.

“What is a blessing? It is the working of God where there is nothing to account for His working.” (p. 164)

Having read many books by the late Watchman Nee, this biography was encouraging to me. It didn’t dwell so much on the suffering and persecution as upon the man’s faithfulness to the message—even in the face of difficulty.
Profile Image for Larisha.
673 reviews4 followers
April 20, 2011
This is a Must Read for anyone who is also walking in moment by moment dependence on God...living a life of Faith and /or desires to walk in Faith as God leads. Know like Jesus Christ, you too will be persecuted as our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ was. Yet, Praise God... how can we forget HIS grace? So, let us press on.. God's strength of promise in time of need is never decreased!!

One of Pastor Nee's most often quoted bible verse was 2 Timothy 3:12 - "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

Nee too accepted persecution and oppression as his destiny, buying up the opportunities to prove God's strength through whatever "opportunities" God allowed. Nee's advice to some friends rings true..."Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. You have an anointing from the Holy One: live by it! Give yourself to God; live for HIM wholly and utterly; see to it that, where you personally are concerned the things of this world are scored off Satan's books and transferred to God's account. For "the world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

As Watchman Nee asked we are to ask ourselves daily? "To what are we committed? Not to Christian work, but to the WILL OF GOD, TO BE AND DO WHATEVER GOD PLEASES. THE PATH OF EVERY CHRISTIAN HAS BEEN ALREADY MARKED OUT BY GOD."

Let us say like the Apostle Paul at the end of our lives.."I have finished my course."!!
Profile Image for Vaughn.
258 reviews
July 12, 2013
I found this to be a very well written and relatively balanced overview of Watchman's life and times.

This book is just one of the many books in the "Heroes of the Faith "series, which is comprised of "novelized biographies." As a new series (2013) from a publisher with which I wasn't formally unacquainted and by an author I didn't recognize, I began the book with low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised to find high-quality writing that not only inspired and encouraged, but also challenged some of my behaviors.

I won't hesitate to read others in the series - in fact, I've already placed an order for the next while I'll read which will be "Charles Spurgeon: The Prince of Preachers (Heroes of the Faith)".
Profile Image for Jerry Bousard.
35 reviews
April 22, 2016
Cried when I read this book. Love his commitment to Christ!
Profile Image for Brandon Stiver.
Author 1 book14 followers
July 14, 2014
Really enjoyed and learned a lot from Watchman Nee's life. He lived one of those lives that was so remarkably devout and yet to him it seemed as though his life wasn't anything special, but rather just the way a life ought to be lived for God. The two things that I'll remember from his life was his profound humility and how that played out especially in times where people attached him, his character and his ministry on completely bogus charges. He never got up in arms and defended himself, he allowed unfounded criticism and attacks knowing that God was in control and God alone judges. It's a real paradigm shift and goes against a lot of the grain of not only western thought, but even normal Christian thought. I also really enjoyed the excerpts from his teaching and it makes me want to read Nee's own work first hand. He had some amazing insights into scripture and life in general. His life is a remarkable example of how one ought to live and I recommend this book or any if you want to learn about a great man of God and be challenged with his devout faith.
Profile Image for Martha.
61 reviews8 followers
August 5, 2013
Anyone who wants to see the true work of God and His hand in our suffering, trials, and daily shame needs to read this book. I have truly not learned so much from an apostle as I have read in his book. Every new sentence, scripture, and page gives me new insight into my walk with my LORD and I thank God for the life of Watchman Nee and his incredible strength He gave him. I hope to read this book continually and find strength from God's words through brother Nee's life. God is good!
1 review
August 12, 2017
Always trust God and learn.

Shows that it's not in what you posses but in the Anointing of the God that provides.
It was not the the fishes but the power of God that multiplied.
Forget about your current situation and focus on the one who guarantees your future.
Remember we have this power in earthen vessels.
Profile Image for Giv.
147 reviews32 followers
December 30, 2020
This book is basically an overview of Watchman Nee’s life, but it’s not as simple as that.

It is a book of a hero, of an ordinary man living his life simply for one and only audience, God.

This book makes me admire Watchman Nee, that in times of criticism and persecutions and suffering and illness, he could recognise that he is living in the will of God.

I asked myself this when I complete this book- if everything were to stripped away from me.. my marriage, my relationships with others, even my church, my ministry, my leadership, my personal accolades, ability, how would I respond?

Will it be despair? Or will it be standing firm in realising God is still in control and trusting him? Is my identity tied to my ministry and my abilities, or is it in my relationship with God as a child of God?

I am thankful I don’t live in a country where I don’t get to say the name Jesus.
I am thankful I can praise God, worship Him and talk about Him freely.

And I pray that I will never take this for granted.
Profile Image for Anni.
181 reviews3 followers
April 27, 2017
Finding a book about Watchman's life was hard enough. He wrote many, many books about Christianity and his ministry but there is hardly a book about his life. Why is his life story so allusive? Who knows. So I had to play the card I was dealt which was this book right here. I'm saddened by the fact that this is a series. Horrified actually. If you want a considerably better missionary series, try Christian Heroes: Then & Now.
As for this butte, it didn't give his life justice. I'm left with more questions than answers, skimmed through the majority of pure boringness and hope I got the gist.
Profile Image for Mac.
250 reviews5 followers
April 23, 2011
Two stars because it's so simple and basic. Also, I find the phrase 'Heroes of the faith' to be pretty lame. With that said, Watchman Nee's life and desire for Jesus is incredible, and encourages me to abandon everything for Christ. His motto of 'nothing for myself and everything for the Lord' is changing how I pray and how I desire to live daily. Really want to read The Spiritual Man now.
Profile Image for Laura Desy.
3 reviews1 follower
April 10, 2015
Reading this book can give a motivation for us to have faith in God. Although a lot of trouble and the everything seems impossible, but Pastor Nee still has faith in God. I learned from his total dependence on God.
188 reviews10 followers
December 13, 2017
I have read several of Watchman Nee's books and found them so deep and rich, however I did not know much about the man himself. This biography helped me realize why he could write about how to live the Christian life the way he did.
Profile Image for Nicole Savage.
11 reviews
Read
October 29, 2007
this is one of the most inspirational books i've ever read! it created a fire in me for evangelism that i haven't had in a long time. he was a modern day Paul
287 reviews7 followers
April 25, 2018
A true hero of the faith. MR. Nee was studious student of the Bible and a prayer worrier. I thank GOD men of such faith are still possible ,in this post Apostolic age.
Profile Image for grllopez ~ with freedom and books.
326 reviews88 followers
February 21, 2024


To start, this is a juvenile read, and it is perfect for youth; therefore, my rating is based on my overall personal reading experience. However, the biographical story of Nee T'o-sheng, or Watchman Nee, is no less impactful.

Christianity took a thousand years to reach the Eastern world, and by then China was fixed in superstition, legalism, and the teachings of Buddha and Confucius. When England declared war on China in the early 1800s, it opened the doorway for Protestant Christians to start schools and missions. In the 1850s, Nee's grandfather became a believer and broke the pagan practices in his family, becoming the first Chinese evangelist of Foochow, China.

In his young adulthood, Nee T'o-sheng recognized his own sin and need for the Savior. He saw what Christ had done for him on the cross and immediately wept, repented, and experienced joy and peace. To mark this milestone in his life, T'o-sheng changed his name to Watchman Nee.

While Mao Tse-tung was converting to the atheistic religion of Karl Marx, Nee was laying the foundation for the Christian church in China. It was a woman, Margaret Barber, who was his mentor, and helped him in his Christian mission. She taught him to remain humble and "stay broken." It was through this ideal that Nee never defended himself, especially when falsely accused. He explained, "Brothers, if people trust us, there is no need to explain; if people do not trust us, there is no use in explaining."

He also learned the lesson of the cross. He taught that if one "cannot stand the trials of the cross, [one] cannot become a useful instrument [of God]. It was from Barber that he developed his lifelong motto:
I want nothing for myself: I want everything for the Lord.
And Nee lived exactly this way for the remainder of his life. Though he experienced poor health, he continued steadfast in his ministry, writing and teaching and leading believers and laying the foundation for churches throughout China. He worked hard to keep the Chinese church humble and true, grounded in the word of God, during a time when "...lukewarm religious secularism, denominational jealousies and prideful, compromised ecclesiastes had paralyzed the movement..." Corruption had found its way into the church, and he was determined to eradicate it.

But another conflict was brewing, as China was engaged in a civil war between the Nationalists and Marxists. "[Nee] understood the consequences to Christianity if a government founded on the hostile atheism of Marxist ideology came to power." While Nee was hopeful, understanding that "...the end of this world is the start of a better one," he held fast and recited a fellow believer:
The Lord sat as King at the Flood; He sits as King forever!
After prayer and patience, knowing there was not much time left to act, Nee and his fellow workers moved to spread the gospel like never before.

On New Year's Day, 1951, Watchman Nee preached his final recorded sermon, encouraging believers to count on the Lord, trust Him, and seek His blessings because the only guarantee "...is that you will be persecuted for living a godly life in Christ Jesus."

On April 10, 1952, Nee was arrested and charged as a "lawless capitalist." He remained imprisoned for twenty years. Even after his initial fifteen-year term was up, he was denied release; while not much is known of his time in prison, it was apparent that he refused to convert to the religion of Communism. He entered his eternal rest on June 1, 1972.

He once said,

to what are we committed? Not to Christian work, but to the will of God, to be and to do whatever He pleases. The path of every Christian has been already marked out by God. If at the close of a life we can say with Paul, 'I have finished my course,' then we are blessed indeed. the Old Testament saints served their own generation and passed on. Men go, but the Lord remains. God Himself takes away His workers, but He gives others. Our work suffers, but never His. He is still God.


* * *
4 reviews
January 17, 2020
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the struggles of Christians in China. When I started reading this book I was not sure if it was going to interest me, but I was soon captivated by the quotes of Watchman Nee. His quotes are shockingly deep and powerful and showed me how to look at the bright side of things when bad things are happening all around. His quotes also taught me that to be right you don't always need to have the last word in an argument, and also that it sometimes is just best not to try to argue back after being falsely accused. Watchman Nee dwelled on the positives and not the negatives in life. He was always trying to share the gospel with everyone he met from civilians to his prison guards. Watchman Nee dedicated his whole life from conversion to death to God. Watchman Nee suffered much persecution for his faith and spent the last 20 years of his life in prison. My main goal in life is to share God with others and to see the people in heaven that I reached out to. This book sets a great example of faith and love for us to follow. I guarantee that whoever reads this book will find spiritual truths that they have not heard before.
Profile Image for Paula.
335 reviews17 followers
April 22, 2018
I picked this up as a "value" priced book. It was on a sale table and, man, am I glad I did. I'd already read a 2 or 3 books by Watchman Nee and was convinced of his passion for God (as my mother was-she owned his books and I received them upon her death). Nee also possessed a his desire that all people know the Lord and follow Him exclusively. This biography tells us Nee's life story in a mere 192 pages. But even though it wasn't an exhaustive study of his life, I felt when I was done that I knew him better and could understand his motivations.
Here's a quote from the book which sums up what you'll find if you read or have read any of his work. A man known as Shepherd Ma visits with him and after some discussion, says, "As usual, Brother Nee, you have a way of making me understand my own poor heart." Indeed.
This book is part of the Heroes of the Faith series.
1 review
October 22, 2024
Honestly, I have not yet read the entire book. Yet, I am so looking forward to the next chapter.

The writer is very creative in how he frames the prologue. What Christian could refute the deep spirit that the book portrays of a Christian life, right from the beginning? Laurent writes with amazing talent, pathos, and sympathy to portray details in Watchman Nee's life that bring us from an impoverished view of the Christian walk to strong enlightenment on what it is to truly be a Christian. Through Nee's example of consistent humility, constant growth, sacrifice, and persistent study, we learn ways that we can connect more deeply and profoundly with our Savior, Christ Jesus.
Profile Image for Katherine Erwin.
7 reviews
September 1, 2020
Amazing work for God


We can all learn from these readings on how to make ourselves ready when our time comes to speak out with regards to Jesus's works and carry on with it in the time to come when we as God's children will be persecuted for His Kingdom - the time is close.
8 reviews1 follower
June 27, 2018
Great overview of the life of Watchman Nee. A very encouraging read and great explanation of the trials and victories of Nee's church.
Profile Image for Sylvain.
88 reviews1 follower
November 15, 2020
The life of a man of God, searching the will of God.
Profile Image for Eric Anderson.
239 reviews
March 24, 2021
Pompous martyr with supposed blessings but just one lucky duck who didn't have the corner on suffering.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews

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