The denominations opposed him, attacked him, and did their best to destroy his ministry. The following illustration is one example. When Mrs. Nee's aunt was opposing her marriage to Watchman, some denominational Christians collaborated with her to attack him and did their best to damage his ministry. They hated him and launched a full-scale assault against him.
One of the methods his opposers used to attack him was by spreading rumors against him. This is the "evil report" mentioned by Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:8. Rumors are the most subtle and damaging kind of attack. A rumor is nothing but a lie. Some opposers defamed Watchman by spreading rumors and evil reports. While Watchman was single and living in Shanghai, his mother came to stay with him for a period of time. Some spread the rumor that he was living with a woman. What an evil rumor that was!
By 1934 Watchman Nee's ministry was completely rejected by the denominations. He presented his ministry to them; what he received in return was their despising, their criticism, their opposition, their attacks, and their spreading of rumors. He was fully rejected!
When the Lord was on earth, the Judaizers also despised Him, criticized Him, opposed Him, attacked Him, and spread rumors about Him. The same thing was done to the apostles. These are the basic weapons Satan uses against God's economy. He attacked Watchman Nee with the same weapons.
Watchman Nee was also misunderstood and misrepresented. Watchman illustrated this misrepresentation by saying, "The Watchman Nee portrayed by them I would also condemn." Watchman Nee was often presented through the filter of inaccurate information coupled with a suspicious imagination on the part of those who misunderstood him. For this reason people who presented him in this way gave a completely wrong impression concerning him. This also caused him to suffer.
Another source of Brother Nee's sufferings was the brothers and sisters. These sufferings were of a more serious nature than those from the denominations. Sufferings from the denominations came from without, while sufferings from the brothers and sisters came from within. Sufferings coming from within the inner circle afflicted him more than any other kind.