The Christian (1934-1940)

Preface

  The Christian was first published in November 1925 and discontinued in 1928 after twenty-four issues. The first twenty-four issues were published in The Collected Works of Watchman Nee in Volumes 3 through 7. The magazine resumed publication in July 1934. This volume is a collection of all the articles by Watchman Nee that were published in The Christian when it was resumed. The following announcement appeared in the first issue of the resumed magazine:

  After its resumption, the nature and content of The Christian will be largely the same as before. The differences are that the former "Gospel Messages" column is now changed to "Notes on Scriptural Messages" and the former "Notes from My Bible" to "Bible Studies." These changes are only in style; the function will be the same as before. The reason "Notes from My Bible" is being changed to "Bible Studies" is because we intend to publish, in succession, notes of Bible studies which Brother Nee conducted with the brothers and sisters in Shanghai during the last few years. By this means the truth-seeking brothers and sisters in every locality will receive help. "Gospel Messages" is being changed to "Notes on Scriptural Messages" in order to keep Notes on Scriptural Messages continuing so that the help God's children have been receiving will not be interrupted. Hence, although the Notes on Scriptural Messages ceased to be an independent publication, its essential existence has not been abolished. We simply incorporated it as a column in The Christian. Thus, on one hand, The Christian resumes publication, and on the other hand, Notes on Scriptural Messages is also preserved. On the one hand, we want to restore the former testimony of The Christian, and on the other hand, we want to carry on the present help of Notes on Scriptural Messages...

  THEME: To speak forth God's will and to cultivate a Christian's spiritual life.

  CONTENT: Notes on Scriptural Messages, Twelve Baskets Full, Stories, Testimonies, Question and Answer Box, and Bible Studies.

  The editors of this magazine were Witness Lee and Tang Shou-ling. The magazine published seventeen issues and continued until 1940. Volume 21 of The Collected Works of Watchman Nee contains eleven messages by Brother Nee from the "Notes on Scriptural Messages" column and two stories by him from the "Stories" column. A table of contents of the original seventeen issues of The Christian (1934-1940) has also been included at the end of this volume.