The Spiritual Man (3 volume set) [Paperback]

Watchman Nee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1998

This is a combined edition of all three volumes of the great Chinese pastor-teacher Watchman Nee's classic work, based on Scripture and personal experience, on the spiritual life and spiritual warfare.

Product Details

• Paperback: 740 pages
• Publisher: Living Stream Ministry; 1st edition (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0736302697
• ISBN-13: 978-0736302692
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book won me over, October 4, 2005

By 

James Christian (Fort Worth, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Spiritual Man (3 volume set) (Paperback)

I first started reading this book with an open, but cautious, mind. As one reviewer wrote, it seemed that this book is based on only one verse, and I was a bit skeptical about it. It wasn't until I delved further into this book to discover that the one verse statement is not correct. The book is very Scriptural. The Bible many times shows the differences between the spirit and the soul, but our English translations are not always clear.

1 Cor. 2:14-15 says: "But a soulish man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God... but the spiritual man discerns all things..."

1 Cor. 15:44 says: "[Our body] is sown a soulish body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a soulish body, there is also a spiritual one."

Jude 19 says: "These [mockers] are those who make divisions; they are soulish, having no spirit."

Most translations translate the word "soulish" as "natural", but in the Greek it is the adjectival form of the word "soul". There are more passages, but these are just a few to get you started.

Those who have warned against this book are right to say that we should always put the Bible first, but they are not right in saying that it is un-Biblical. I recommend reading this book with an open mind, the Bible (and maybe Strong's Concordance) in hand, a prayerful heart, and discernment.

This is an excellent book that will really aid you in your walk with God, teaching you to walk by the Spirit and not yield to the flesh, putting your spirit, soul, and body in the proper alignment. One should remember that Mr. Nee wrote this book in his early twenties. For those familiar with his later works, the level of maturity is slightly noticable. As he grew in faith, he refined some of his teachings later. So that should be kept in mind when reading. As with all things, please compare this book's words to Scripture and prayerfully receive God's teaching. For those who want to live by the spirit, this book will definitely get you off to a great start.

From the first chapter:

"What is the significance of distinguishing the spirit from the soul? There is a great significance. It has much to do with the spiritual life of the believers. If believers do not know the boundary of their spirits, how can they understand the spiritual life? If they do not understand the spiritual life, how can they grow in their spiritual living? Because believers are either negligent or ignorant of the distinction between the spirit and the soul, they never grow in their spiritual life. Moreover, many times they take something soulish as spiritual, constantly remain in a soulish living, and do not seek after spiritual things. If we mix up what God has separated, we are bound to suffer loss."

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In spirit, we know God., March 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Spiritual Man (3 volume set) (Paperback)

Although many people claim to be worshippers of God, God is still looking for true worshippers (John 4:23-24). The book clearly shows the reason why a Christian needs to be guided by his spirit in stead of his soul, and how he could be spiritual in order to serve God. The book is an excellent experiential guidance (rather than a doctrine) for believers to experience, or rather to touch the living God who dwells in their spirit, in order to know Him, serve Him, and worship Him according to His heart's desire.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spiritual Masterpiece!, April 13, 2008

By 

David D. Flowers (The Woodlands, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Spiritual Man (3 volume set) (Paperback)

"Many Christians are born again and have participated in the Lord's resurrection but lack the manifestation of the power of the resurrection." (p.51)

According the the Scriptures, "a complete person is a tripartite being, a person with a spirit, a soul, and a body." (p.6)

Watchman Nee reveals how Scripture teachs us that man is spirit, soul, and body. Nee explains how God created man to join His Spirit with man's spirit (i.e. the eternal center of a man). The spirit is to govern the soul of a man (i.e. thoughts, emotions, will) and then the body. He calls the spirit of a man the "inner man"; the soul--the "outer man"; the body--"the outermost man." Before the inner man is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, a man's spirit is inopperative. His spirit is there, but in fact... it is dead! The soul then tries to function as only the spirit can do. Thus, the soul coupled with the power of sin... produces flesh! Man is then a frustrated being.

Nee submits that most Christians live a "mixed" life. Many Christians are unaware of this divine created order of God. Therefore, many believers can not distinguish the difference between the spiritual life and the soulish life; a life powered governed by the spirit and the life ruled by man's own natural life. The Christian life is to be a Spirit-led and a Spirit-driven life. The Holy Spirit has regenerated the spirit of a man and is to continue to be the power that controls and governs him.

However, many Christians allow their soul to interfere with the Spirit's work. Again, this produces flesh! The Spirit is hindered from joining with man's spirit while the soul of a man is not in full submission to the Spirit. It is any wonder why many believers live a defeated life. They are trying to produce in their natural life what can only be birthed from the Spirit at work in the spirit.

Nee speaks from experience. There is absolutely no way a person can speak on this subject with not having first identified its activity in their own life. Nee wonderfully describes the battle going on in each Christian. Our soul wants to govern, but the Spirit must rule for God to be glorified in us.

I have yet to read a book such as this. It has taken me over a year to read volume one in "The Spiritual Man" three-volume series. It's depth into the biblical teaching of the tripartite nature of man and the nature of God is unparalled to any book I know in the past or present.

Skimming over the book every time I would pick it up to read again... I saw how Christ had been at work in my life. At first I was overwhelmed by the depth of spiritual meaning and how I was to see this expressed... if ever... in my daily life. I was relieved to find that the Lord was working out my new-found knowledge into spiritual exprience.

I know why Nee states in the beginning that "the enemy hates this book." If the Christian can ever apply these spiritual truths to his own life... there will be nothing that stops him from fully expressing Christ's life in the power of his resurrection. What at first may seem like spiritual arrogance... turns out to be a truly humble man writing of deep spiritual things he learned in experience and articulated by the grace of God.

Volume one unveils the mystery behind spirit, soul, and body... and teaches readers how to continually be mindful of the diviine order God has set in place for us to walk in Christ's life. If you want to know the true meaning of "denying self" in order that you might know what it is to "take up your cross daily"... then this spiritual masterpiece is for you.

I highly recommend that you begin reading this book right away. If I was to recommend reading another Nee book before this one... it would most definitely be The Release of the Spirit by Nee. This book would work as a great precursor into what Nee unfolds in volume one of "The Spiritual Man".

I do not see why any believer should wait to read this book. It especially should be read by new believers... lest you learn the Christian life in many errors and needlessly walk in the wrong direction spiritually. The spiritual truths in this book need to be discovered immediately following new birth in Christ. Reading this book sooner than later will save you much heartache and aimless wandering from the divine spiritual order of God.

Once you have read Nee's insights into the spiritual order of things... the Word of God will come alive to you in ways never seen before. By the Word of God and the work of the cross... we shall be governed by the Spirit of God!

I look forward to reading the next two volumes.

I also recommend reading:
The Normal Christian Life (Hendrickson Christian Classics)
Christ the Sum of All Spiritual Things
The Centrality of Jesus Christ (Works of T. Austin-Sparks) Volume One
The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine
Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ (Library of Spiritual Classics, Volume 2)