EXPLANATORY NOTES
The Spiritual Man is a translation of the only book of any
substantial size which brother Watchman Nee himself ever wrote. At
the time of writing it he felt this work might be his last contribution
to the church, although since then God has graciously overruled.
Long after the book’s initial publication in Chinese our brother once
was heard to express the thought that it should not be reprinted
because, it being such a “perfect” treatment of its subject, he was
fearful lest the book become to its readers merely a manual of
principles and not a guide to experience as well. But in view of the
urgent need among the children of God today for help on spiritual
life and warfare, and knowing our brother as one who is always open
to God’s way and most desirous to serve His people with all that God
has given him, we conclude that he would doubtless permit it to be
circulated in English. Hence this translation.
Translations used. The Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the
Bible has been used throughout the text unless otherwise indicated.
Additional translations where employed are denoted by the following
abbrevations:
Amplified—Amplified Old Testament
ASV—American Standard Version (1901)
AV—Authorized Version (King James)
Darby—J. N. Darby, The Holy Scriptures, a New Translation
Young’s—Young’s Literal Translation
Soulical and Soulish. The adjectives “soulical” and “soulish” have
been used to convey distinctly different meanings. “Soulical” as
herein employed pertains to those proper, appropriate, legitimate, or
natural qualities, functions, or expressions of man’s soul which the
Creator intended from the very beginning for the soul uniquely to
possess and manifest. “Soulish” appears in these pages to describe
that man in toto who is so governed by the soulical part of his being
that his whole life takes on the character and expression of the soul.