| Title | : | Release of the Spirit: The Breaking of the Outward Man for |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0935008837 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780935008838 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 126 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1989 |
Release of the Spirit: The Breaking of the Outward Man for Reviews
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Unlike some people who lived it before they read it, or read it and never lived it, I had the good fortune to not have a clue about what Watchman Nee was talking about, and then finally seeing the picture for myself.
When I first started reading the book, I thought that he was just speaking out of his head. After all you don't really hear anybody speaking about this sort of thing now a days do you? Of course you don't, because a lot of ministers out there today, haven't been through the type of breaking that Watchman Nee describes in the book.
Myself among them at the time, I decided to just get it over and skim through it. And once I had left it alone, and the Lord began to work, dealing with me on some major issues, I learned that it was not my effort that counted, it was my openess to the Lord to be used as He desired.
And until I came to that point, as watchman Nee goes over in the book, of either opening up to the Lord, or being broken, I couldn't be used to do any ministry of real spiritual value. It took actually living the lesson for me to really appreciate how right on he was in this book.
Maybe when you get this book you will be like I was and think he's spouting from his mind. But let me tell you if you will accept it and ask the Holy Spirit to help you live it, it will change your life, in ministry, in relationships, and everything else. That is why I give it five stars. Not because I think it's the most well written book, but because I know from experience that what he talks about is true. And I pray that you get that revelation too. -
Great! Watchman Nee differentiates between the perception of spirituality and the life of one controlled by the Spirit - the inward man. It begins with brokenness and continues with the release of the spirit, controlling the whole person. Nee writes that this release is the key to Christian service, not to be controlled by the outward man (passions of the flesh, perceived ministry opportunities, circumstances, etc.), but to be controlled by the inner spirit, which is controlled by the Holy Spirit. "The inward man is freed only after the outward man is broken. This is the basic road to blessing in the Lord's service."
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I took a while to read this book, even though it’s 100 pages. If I read a chapter it would leave an impression on me throughout the day. It probably won’t be as beneficial to read all at once. A lot of wisdom to take from Watchman Nee’s words as they really shine light on my own vain efforts at achieving an artificial spirituality, but also describing what authentic reliance on the Holy Spirit looks like.
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Not yet sure how to rate until I read it again. Read in 2007.
I want to rethink it because he had some stuff I didn't understand as lining with the Bible, and as a Chritian leader you'd expect that to be so. No criticism intended. I remember he said something about connecting with people's spirits through their voice and the advanced can do it without the voice. I might be missing the meaning, hence the need to read again. -
This is a great little book on body, soul, and spirit, with insights into how to leverage understanding of these concepts into growth in our daily walk as Christians.
While Watchman Nee's other work, "The Spiritual Man" lays out these concepts in much more detail and clarity, its size can be daunting to many readers, and this little book (The Release of the Spirit) provides a quick study into the topic, with a study guide in the back to make it a great choice for small group studies.
Enjoy. -
Every single Christian in the world should read this book.... it is imperative that we know who the Holy Spirit is in our lives and Watchman Nee lays everything out so beautifully and succinctly for us in this little text!
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Brokeness, persecution, and sacrifice as a way of being more in touch with the Spirit.
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A great book on the breaking of the outer man, or the death to flesh/self, in order for the Spirit to be released through you.
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Explores the concept of brokenness and flesh vs. Spirit. Very life-changing - explains a lot.
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"While in a meeting and listening to a preacher, he was so burdened for souls that he asked the preacher for permission to speak. He went to the pulpit, but no words came. His inner man was so burning with a passion for souls that his tears gushed forth in torrents. In all he managed to utter just a few incoherent sentences. Yet God's Spirit filled the meeting place; and people were convicted of their sins and their fallen condition."
A life so full of love, aptly described by a fulfillment in God & the breaking of our selves. A burden for others that is fueled by the love of Christ, so strong that the man could barely talk. How a Christian needs this, and how God calls us to it. If you hunger to serve Christ on this earth I strongly recommend this book! -
More like 3.5 stars.
A good book, but originally a series of teachings, and it shows. The repetition appropriate for a teaching environment interferes with reading. Nee must have repeated some version of the phrase "the inner man is freed only after the outer man is broken" a hundred times. Often three of four times a paragraph. It is, after all, the thesis of the book. But in print a few dozen repetitions would suffice.
On other disturbing element is Chapter Five: "The Church and God's Work". In a book about the workings of the divine spirit on the human spirit, statements like "Today God has entrusted all His work to the church and will not act apart from it." seem out of place. All? (My quibble is with the apparent negation of the working on the Holy Spirit. Members of some Christian traditions will find no problem; others will see a big problem theologically. As Nee was giving a practical teaching--not expounding theology--perhaps no such issue existed in his mind.)
Given the clarity and power of Nee's other teachings, I'd encourage the potential reader to find this teaching elsewhere. But if you can't, don't pass this by. -
I think this book would have made a great article. Watchman Nee's main point for the book is great, but I wasn't a big fan his execution. After the first 30 or so pages it became pretty repetitive. Besides that it still had a great message about need for the Spirit of God to break our outer man (mind, will and emotions) in order for our inner man (new spirit) to truly be released. The release of our inner man is what allows us to authentically walk in step with the Father.
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A good read, laden with insight
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How could a book so short take me a month to read? The answer: The truths in this little book are so profound that I found myself daily re-reading chapters. Lots to "chew on."
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"In conclusion, the inward man is freed only after the outward man is broken. This is the basic road to blessing in the Lord's service. It is our responsibility first to ask God for enough light to recognize the mighty hand of the Holy Spirit, then to submit to it willingly, and finally to acknowledge that whatever He does is His prerogative.""
I didn't understand all of this, but it was really helpful and timely in what I did. My primary takeways are to rejoice and be thankful for every hardship in my life and to avoid protecting myself from discomfort or correction.
More quotes:
"Anyone who serves God will discover sooner or later that the great hindrance he has in the Lord's work is not others, but himself."
"The Lord is ever finding and preparing a way in order to use us. Since the time when we were saved, we have been touched by the Lord many times in various ways--all with the purpose of breaking our outward man."
"The Lord longs to find a way to bless the world through those who belong to Him. Brokenness is the way of blessing, the way of fragrance, the way of fruitfulness. When we offer ourselves to the Lord for His service, we cannot afford to be lenient and spare ourselves."
"Lord, for the future of the church, for the future of the gospel, for Thy way, and also for my own life, I offer myself without condition, without reservation, into Your hands. Lord, I delight to offer myself unto You; and I'm willing to let You have Your full way through me."
"Romans 8:4 The law of the Spirit of life works effectively only for those who are spiritual--those who mind the things of the Spirit. Who are they ? They are the ones who do not mind the things of the flesh. The word 'mind' in verse 5 can also be translated 'to be intent upon, to be attentive to.'"
"Our difficulty is that while God withstands us, we blame others. We react like that prophet who, blind to God's hand, blamed the burro for refusing to budge. ALL that comes to us is ordered by God. To us as Christians, nothing is accidental. 'O God, open my eyes that I may see Thy hand.'"
"We must undergo thorough training and strict discipline, because whatever is left untouched in us will be left untouched in others. The more we spare ourselves--our pride, our narrow opinions, yes, even our feelings of happiness--the less will be our usefulness."
There came a time when God committed Himself to human form in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth. The rich fullness of God was channeled, without restriction, through His flesh. In our day, God commits Himself to the church. Currently His power and His work flows in and through the church."
"Let no one think we are only interested in individual spiritual experience. Our concern is the release of God's way and the liberty of His work in the Body."
"You may even be ignorant of your affinity for certain things, but He knows you and will deal with it most thoroughly. Not until the day comes when all these things are stripped away will you know perfect liberty. Perfect is God's wondrous work, and nothing less than perfection can satisfy Him. He cannot stop short."
"The less enlightened you are about yourself, the more submissive to God you appear to be in your own eyes."
"Too often we can easily identify what comes from the outward man. We quite glibly confess, 'This was soulish, for it came from self.' But we do not really see what the soul of self is. Then one day, God's mercy comes to us. His light shines upon us, and His voice announces to us--with severity and solemnity: 'What you frequently refer to as your "self" IS your self! You have talked lightly and easily about the flesh. Now you must SEE how God hates this and will not allow such to continue.'"
"The Word of God is living and operative. God does not speak and then wait for you to make it operative. Rather, it is His Word which is effectually operative in your life."
"In such light, you begin to realize that even your own condemnation of your pride is itself pride. In fact, your very own talking against your pride is now boastful. Enlightenment exposes your true condition. Immediately, it dawns upon you that you are ten thousand times worse than any of your preconceived notions about your proud self. Right then and there, your prideful heart, your self-importance, your stubborn flesh will wither away under this blazing light and die with no hope of survival."
"When our spirit is released, it will supply the true needs of the world. Do we impress people with ourselves, or with the Lord? Do we draw people to our teaching, or to the Lord?"
"All whom the Lord loves He disciplines, subdues, and corrects. While the external afflictions may vary, the outcome is the same--the self within is wounded and the will of the outward man is broken. Thus, a common feature marks out those who have been enlightened and disciplined--they become meek."
"Stubborn inflexibility is in the hidden nature of our character, not in the voice. Some appear outwardly to be more gentle before others, but they are inwardly just as inflexible and obstinate before God." -
Some differences are dismissed as mere semantics. My difference with this giant of the Christian faith is really about terminology. I don’t believe that his use of the term “soul” is biblical, but I think the basic message of The Release of the Spirit is quite correct. But terminology is important to a guy like me. Isolating the soul as some component different from the body and the spirit seems distorted to me. I’m fundamentalist enough to take the Bible seriously when it says that God breathed into the “body” and the human became a living soul. In that verse from Genesis, we see that a body is important to becoming a soul as is the “breath” or “spirit” (the Hebrew word means both, as well as “wind”). A human being is a soul; one doesn’t have a soul, one is.
I know, that doesn’t quite fit the supernatural idea of an ephemeral “soul” escaping the limitations of the body (both a pagan idea and the way some Christians perceive the afterlife). And, yes, I know that lots of fundamentalist Christians talk about body, soul, and spirit, but what would probably be more accurate would be to speak of body, mind, and spirit – physical, mental, and awareness of the “other.” Just as Christian theology is full of paradoxes (Jesus is Human/Divine, God is both available (imminent, close-to-hand) and beyond (transcendent, “wholly other”), one saving life loses it and vice-versa, God is both sovereign and chooses to allow free will), souls include body, mind, and an awareness of more.
Now, the mind is a tricky thing. The mind influences the body and vice-versa.
The mind detects the spiritual and is affected by the spiritual. Indeed, the word translated as “soul” in the New Testament is the word we transliterate as “psyche” with its obvious root for psychology, psychiatry, psychosis, etc. It is probably best to understand what Watchman Nee calls soul as our “total personality,” influenced by body and spirit yet mediated through the brain.
Nee begins The Release of the Spirit by introducing three concentric circles: the “bulls-eye” is labeled as “spirit,” the next circle is labeled as “soul,” and the exterior circle is labeled as “body.” Nee contends that, within the soul is the will and that the will influences what the body does as well as either allows or doesn’t allow the spirit to work in a person’s life. Nee uses the term “outer man” to describe the two outer circles and asserts that in order for the Spirit of God to work in an individual’s life, the “outer man” must be “broken.” His imagery is the well-known story of the woman who broke the alabaster jar to spread ointment on Jesus’ feet (p. 12). In order to allow the Holy Spirit’s fragrant presence full reign in our lives, the “outer man” must be broken.
I understand what this powerful spiritual leader is saying about brokenness. When the jar was broken in the New Testament story, the perfumed ointment became available. The broken jar allowed access to the ointment. Many times, humans with calloused emotions, stubborn wills, addictive personalities, and irrational prejudices close up access to God’s power and influence in their lives. They are like tightly sealed jars with no easy way to open them (or old-fashioned piggy banks with no plugs on the bottom that have to be broken to access the funds); they hide and hinder God’s working through their lives.
I prefer the term “openness” to “brokenness.” The latter sounds like it is God’s work to destroy us (and God does demolish certain deadly negatives in our lives when we let God do so) instead of transform and empower us. The former works better with another illustration in the book, electricity. “When the Holy Spirit is working, He needs to be carried by the human spirit. The electricity in an electric bulb does not travel like lightning. It must be conducted through electric wires. If you want to use electricity, you need an electric wire to bring it to you. In like manner, the Spirit of God employs the human spirit as His carrier, and through it He is brought to man.” (p. 21)
Now, if you were to cut an electrical wire and reconnect both sides with insulating material, you would have a blockage. At best, the current might eventually melt the insulator and create an ad hoc connection (at worst, start a fire), but the current wouldn’t be able to get from the source to the bulb. I would prefer to say that the electrical current transforms the conductive wires from “dead” to “live.” We need to have the blockages in our lives removed so that we can be transformed from “dead” in our sins to “alive” in the Spirit. So, I like what Nee is saying about removing the blockages and barriers, but I prefer being an “open” conductor of God’s power to being a containment device that has to be “broken.” Again, we’re talking terminology and one person’s meat may be another’s poison.
To get an example of what Nee means (in his own words), “The spirit is hard because it is clothed in the hardness of the outward man, or proud because it is clothed with the pride of the outward man, or jealous because of the jealousy of the outward man. Originally the spirit is colorless, but it can be tainted by the outward man if the latter is not broken.” (p. 43) But to show that Nee doesn’t mean “brokenness” in the sense of trashing one’s human potential (greatly enhanced by allowing God to work through it), consider the following: “So, our spiritual sensitivity is gradually gained through experiencing God’s hand upon us.” (p. 45) If one is “trashed,” one cannot “grow” in the nurture of the Holy Spirit. Again, I’m not objecting to this wise man’s message, just the terminology that causes trouble to my personal understanding.
Those differences aside, let me share some of the practical aspects of the book. In the spiritual walk, it is often necessary to discern, weigh, and consider how people are really living. I remember reading William James’ important work and his emphasis on noting people’s deeds, but you can’t always tell intent from the actions. As T. S. Eliot wrote in Murder in the Cathedral: “…the greatest treason, to do the right thing for the wrong reason.” Even Thomas Aquinas pointed out that the major difference between the marriage act and adultery is intent since the mechanics are the same, only the commitment makes the difference. So, Nee counsels his readers to pay attention to what people say as the initial clue to intent. He cites Matthew 12: 34 (“…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” which could be rendered, “…one speaks out of the overflow of the will”) on page 46. For some of this, such counsel requires one to actually listen—a difficult task for those of us who enjoy talking more than paying attention to others.
I also appreciated the warning about the church as the Body of Christ. “God’s committal to the Church is like His committal previously to one Man, Christ—without reservation or restriction. Thus the Church may restrict God’s work or limit His manifestation.” (p. 50) Believers need to grasp the awesome responsibility inherent in this truth (and this insight may be the most important in the book!).
Returning to the “outward person” that Nee calls the soul and I call the mind, Nee describes the way things get out of control in our lives. “Our emotions run wild because our wills have not been dealt with. The root is in our will. The same is true with our thoughts. We may be able to mouth the word, ‘Not my will but Thine be done,’ but how often do we really allow the Lord to take over when things happen?” (p. 62) Later, addressing the idea of how the Bible discerns between the thoughts and intents of the heart (remember that the heart in ancient understanding was the same as the “will”), Nee says, “’Thoughts’ refers to what we deliberate in our hearts and ‘intents’ our motives. Thus the Word of God is able to discern both what we think and what motivates the thinking.” (p. 69)
I particularly liked the emphasis on “revelation” (not to be confused with the biblical book) when Nee writes (all in caps): “REVELATION ENABLES US TO SEE WHAT GOD SEES.” (p. 72) Nee goes on to say, “Many works of the flesh are allowed to exist because they are not recognized by us as such. Once His light reveals the flesh to us we tremble, not daring to move.” (p. 78) In God’s revelation, whether through prayer, Bible study, preaching, teaching, or experience, shows us what we are really like and prepares us for God’s transforming work in our lives. That is what is truly meant by The Release of the Spirit.
I can honestly say that I would rate this book higher without the problematic terminology. But I can still say that it is worthwhile—especially for those who supplement Nee’s admonitions and assertions with additional Bible study. -
Goodreads' 2 Stars "It was OK" for me means, "I have mixed feelings."
Note that the Kindle version is the Christian Fellowship Publishers translation, which is somewhat different from the free online version published by Living Stream Ministry, who use full title of the book is "The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit"
[available here through the "Books A-Z link"]. I think that title more-accurately reflects the content and character of the actual text. The CFP translation noticeably softens language, and in my opinion is more readable than the LSM translation.
I remember reading and really enjoying this book in my college years. Coming back to it in my mid-40s was a different experience, and I would be cautious to recommend it now.
First, what's good. There is a message at the heart of this books that is vital to all believers, that the Lord must deal with our self-centeredness, our self-absorption, our self-interest, before He can move through us in a meaningful way. The fallen human self self is the "outer man" which must be "broken". This is the essence of the Christian worldview: it is sin, acting in the fallen self, that is the source of mankind's problems, and the solution to that problem is the cross. This is the lesson that every believe must eventually learn, and Nee articulates it thus "The Lord wants to break our outward man in order for the inward man to have a way out. When the inward man is release, both unbelievers and other Christians will be blessed."
However, I am concerned about some of the language he uses, and the way he attributes the suffering in our life to God. First he speaks of "destroying the soul", "crushing", and "breaking" all as the work of God to deal with us in a disciplinary way, as if God is the source of the breaking, crushing, and destroying. This is similar to describing the suffering of Job as the work of God to strip away self-righteousness and natural integrity to re-form him, when in fact such breaking and crushing are the work of His enemy, and what God offers is redemption of the brokenness, and restoration.
Some of the later chapters have elements with a noticeably eastern flavor and rely more on experience and authority than a Westerner looking for copious scripture references and logical arguments might expect or desire. Also, some of his arguments may seem a little odd, such as holding up the "dual person" over the "single person" in "Before and after brokenness". Maybe he was not familiar with where this kind of Cartesian thinking leads. In its own context, it makes sense, but the arguments of that section don't converse well with our modern (2020's) cultural context. Another example is his treatment of "How to know man", which again is tenuously supported from scripture and doesn't hold us so well through the East/West cultural translation.
For a certain believers, this book will be a source of inspiration and growth, especially if they can hold the context in which it was written/spoken in mind and understand and apply the central truth. Others who may struggle with images or concepts of "sinners in the hands of an angry God" or who may have trouble trusting the love of the Father, risk discouragement and a paralyzing bout of introspective struggle. -
A large portion of this Sri to my deals with humility. One thing I found striking was the implication that while we strive to break the spirit of pride we must not seek to imitate humility but to allow the Spirit of God to interact within us and produce humility. It is a displeasure with our self. Not that we would be insecure, but instead that we would see what is right and holy and when we step into the light of the word be wholly judged before the One. In His light we see our lack of selflessness and abundance of pride. And by this means he begins the work of humility.
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I believe every christian/child of God should read one or more of Watchman Nee's books in their lifetime on earth. It's been an amazing journey so far. I have learned so much and he explains things in so much details I could practically relate with some of the things he said. I would not mind reading this book again. Fantastic and spiritually edifying. It's a must read if you would like to break boundaries in the Spirit.
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Yeahhh. Watchman Nee 🔥🔥😩. Loved this book. Could relate because I’ve been experiencing most of what he talks in the book, but just could not find words to explain it. Watchman Nee does a good Job to explain a lot of subjective Christian experiences for all (Christian’s) to understand.
This book is a must-read for all believers! We need to all understand the process of brokenness and division of spirit and soul -
This is another of Watchman Nee's book which I have written in the margins, highlighted and flagged pages with tabs. His references to Brother Lawrence are appreciated because Lawrence's book is also a favorite and a "repeater."
As Nee's book always do, this is another to challenge my thinking. I certainly found myself returning to a passage so that I could ruminate on it. -
This is the first book I've read by Watchman Nee. I was afraid that it would be hard to understand, but it really isn't. He does like to repeat himself a lot, but I think that's just his way of teaching. I liked it and am glad I read it.
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Todos los libros de san watchman neee son clásicos.
Este habla sobre la humildad y romanos 8 parafraseado.
Era necesario leerlo sobre todo ahora en esta etapa mía de la vida en que lo soy todo, menos humilde.
(Y por lo mismo no muy cristiana). -
I read this book along with our congregation for Pastor's Book Club. I am certainly glad I had the pastor to lead discussion and emphasize points in the book. I found the book sometimes hard to read and often I would get lost in the repetitiveness of the author's words.
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Extraordinary Book
This is the best book I've ever read on the Holy Spirit. Read this prayerfully and it will change your life.
