The open door (1950-1951)

Issue no. 20

June 30, 1950

The ground of the church: a transcript of a talk

  Question:The brothers and sisters who have been meeting with us for more than ten years all seem to know our ground and how it is different from that of others. The brothers and sisters saved during the past seven or eight years (especially those saved during the most recent six or seven years), however, do not know what our ground is. Therefore, I would like to ask what the actual ground of the church is.

The importance of this question

  Answer: I think this matter is very important, because the Lord has shown us explicitly in the Bible that the church has a definite ground. I presume we all recognize that the blessing of God, the Holy Spirit of God, the light of God, and even the very life of the Lord Jesus Himself are all in the church. Although we ordinarily stress the Lord’s life in individuals, the fact is that His life is in the church. Whether or not a so-called “church” is really the church is very important, because God has committed so many spiritual things to the church. If God had given many spiritual things to us as individuals, the problem would not be so great. But God has shown us in the Bible that He has placed all spiritual things in the church. Therefore, it is a very serious matter whether or not the group of which we are is a church. If we fellowship with many brothers and sisters who are not the church, it will be a great loss.

  Let us give an illustration. Some of the sisters who work in hospital laboratories use glass slides for bacterial examinations. For such a purpose, a glass slide is sufficient. However, if a brother or a sister comes to visit, the same kind of glass slide that you use every day cannot be used to serve him a beverage. The glass slide has an important use in the laboratory, but it is useless for serving a brother or a sister a cup of water. The brother is not a grasshopper or a sparrow; he cannot be satisfied with water on a slide. He must be served with a glass. Many problems can never be solved with just a slide. At least you need a glass made up of many slides before you can solve the problem of thirst.

  A flat surface can hold much less than a three-dimensional object. We are not seeking to nullify the spiritual attainment of a person before God. An individual may enjoy many spiritual things and sometimes attain great spiritual heights, but God has committed more spiritual things to the church. Therefore, when a person seeks them as an individual, he cannot obtain them. This does not mean that an individual has no blessing, but it does mean that he cannot obtain it by individual seeking. God’s riches today are in the church. The church is three-dimensional, just like a drinking glass. As an individual, one must become a part of this “glass” before he can touch the living water. Only the church can contain many spiritual things.

  We must clearly see before God that many spiritual things are in the church, not with individuals. The Lord’s word, “Upon this rock I will build My church,” is very clear and wonderful. The result is that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). This promise is for the church, not for individuals. Many times it is very difficult for individuals to resist the enemy, but as soon as the church appears, Satan is defeated. In these years we do see individuals experiencing blessings, but their blessings are limited. It is only in the church that the blessings are limitless and rich. Therefore, as soon as a person departs from the way of the church, his blessing is limited and God’s presence with him is limited. (I do not say “nonexistent,” but I do say “limited.”) Furthermore, he is not able to touch many things before God. Please excuse me for speaking very frankly. Especially during the past ten years, I have been watching to see if people know what the church is. Strangely enough, many brothers who have known the Lord for twenty or thirty years do not know God’s church. What they have already obtained has gradually declined, and what they think they have cannot be preserved intact. At the same time, there are other brothers and sisters who know God’s church. The riches of the Head have become their riches, and they are able to go forward continuously.

  Therefore, I wish that all the young brothers and sisters would note that a Christian must be concerned with not only his own gain but also whether or not the brothers and sisters with whom he fellowships are the church. Remember that each person is but an individual. Two may be the church, or they may only be two individuals and not the church. Do not presume that five hundred people gathered together are the church, or a thousand people gathered together are the church. This may not be true. Thank God, one thousand people can become the church, but one thousand people may just be one thousand individuals; thus they are only individuals and still not the church. There is a great difference here. God’s children today realize that one person cannot be the church, but they may not acknowledge that one thousand people can be one thousand individuals only and thus still not be the church. Even ten thousand people can remain as ten thousand individuals and not be the church. The church before God has other requirements. Therefore, we as children of God must pay special attention to the ground of the church.

Two basic requirements

  Today, let me bring out two matters; both must exist before there can be the church. The New Testament clearly shows us two basic requirements: first, the authority of the Holy Spirit; and second, the boundary of locality.

The authority of the Holy Spirit

  We must realize that where there is not the Holy Spirit, there is not the church. The church is absolutely not Witness Lee, Chang Yu-zhi, or Yu Cheng-hwa; the church must only be the Holy Spirit. In other words, the church from beginning to end can only have one authority, one power, and one life, which is the Holy Spirit. There is only one life of the Holy Spirit, only one power of the Holy Spirit, and only one authority of the Holy Spirit. For example, there are many elderly brothers here today. Brother Du may say, “Since I have been in the church for twenty years, I may make a proposal or initiate something.” This is something extra coming out as a frustration. When Brother Du is expressed, the Holy Spirit is not here and the church is not here as well. Please remember that wherever the Holy Spirit is not, the church is not. The church is the place through which the Spirit of the Lord may express His desires without any hindrance. As the Lord used the body given to Him by Mary when He was on this earth, so He in the Holy Spirit uses the church today. The church in its highest state is the Body of Christ. In other words, only that which is able to express the mind of the Holy Spirit can be called the church.

Only the Holy Spirit has authority

  I will go on a little further by speaking first to the elderly brothers. More or less we know what authority is, and we tell the younger brothers to submit to authority. The basic question today is this: When we are obeying authority, whose authority do we obey? Let me say that just as the younger brothers become a disturbance when they speak according to themselves, the elderly ones also become a disturbance when they speak according to themselves. The young ones who speak according to themselves are a disturbance, and the elderly ones who speak according to themselves are also a disturbance. Only the authority of the Holy Spirit is authority. Why then do the younger brothers need to obey the elderly ones? It is because the elderly ones have learned more before God and know more of God’s authority; consequently, the Holy Spirit can flow out more easily through them. They are like a water pipe through which water has flowed for years without any blockage. The younger ones should obey the elderly ones, not because the elderly ones are the authority, but because it is easier for the Holy Spirit to speak through the elderly ones. Because they have worked for the Lord for many years, it is easier for the Holy Spirit to flow out of them. We learn to submit to the elder brothers because there is the authority of the Holy Spirit in them. Once I do not obey, I easily lose the authority of the Holy Spirit in me. We are not building up the authority of the elderly brothers, but the authority of the Holy Spirit which easily flows out from the elderly brothers. In other words, the only authority in the church is that of the Holy Spirit. There is no authority that comes out from individuals. The elders do not have authority, the elderly brothers do not have authority, and the spiritual ones also do not have authority. Only the Holy Spirit has authority. This is called the Body of Christ.

An outlet for the authority of the Holy Spirit

  Recently, I saw what happened to a brother who had carried a very heavy object over a long distance several years ago. His hand felt somewhat sore then, but now it has become so disabled that it can hardly move. The brother said, “My whole body belongs to me except this hand. This member seems to belong to someone else, and it struggles with me.” I have never heard anyone say this in such a way before. I am often sick. Through my sickness I found out that whenever the existence of a certain member is felt, that member must certainly have some kind of sickness. When the human body is in perfect condition, there is no consciousness that the body exists. Whenever we feel the lungs breathing, the lungs must be sick. Whenever we feel the heart beating, the heart must be sick. From my birth to my teens, I was never conscious of my teeth, but the day I became conscious of my teeth, I was unable to sleep the whole night. The body is very natural and spontaneous. Its harmony does not result in consciousness of any of its parts; rather, because of its harmony, it does not seem to feel its existence. Today we may not feel like we have fingers. We would regard it as strange to be asked, “Do you feel that you have fingers?” But if one of our fingers is broken, we will feel uncomfortable the whole day. Whenever we feel something, then something is wrong. Whenever the body cannot use one of its members, the body is sick. In order for the Holy Spirit to have complete authority in the church, the whole Body must move freely without any hindrance. As soon as there is hindrance in a certain part, it means the Body is sick. When everyone is under the authority of the Holy Spirit, He can use everyone. Then there is no hindrance in the Body, and everything moves smoothly. When authority operates smoothly, the Body is healthy. When everyone can be used by the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit has authority and everything is very natural and spontaneous. The complete authority of the Holy Spirit is the ground of the church. Where this authority exists, there is the Body of Christ.

  A group today may have some brothers and sisters who are under the authority of the Holy Spirit and others who are not under the authority of the Holy Spirit. Immediately, we can see that there is no ground of the church there. The ground of the church is the Holy Spirit. Whenever the Holy Spirit is offended, the ground of the church is lost. The unanimous decision of all the brothers and sisters does not make up the Body of Christ. It is not a matter of sixteen hundred people raising their hands to pass a resolution, and then there is the church. It is not a matter of these sixteen hundred people, but a matter of whether or not the authority of the Holy Spirit has been executed. If the authority of the Holy Spirit is absent, there is no church ground. Only when everyone submits to the authority of the Holy Spirit does the church have its ground.

  The body is that which we can freely use and move around in. It has no conflicts or difficulties at all. Whatever we want to do, it does. That which struggles with us is not the body. Whether or not a local church can be manifested depends upon whether or not it can submit to the Holy Spirit. When this kind of submission is manifested, the church is manifested. Therefore, if a brother likes to speak and make decisions by himself, the authority of the Holy Spirit is damaged, the Body of Christ is damaged, and the church is damaged. Consequently, there is no church in that place. A place with a signboard does not constitute a church. Instead, it is only as the brothers and sisters lay down their own thoughts and subject themselves to the authority of the Holy Spirit, allowing the authority of the Holy Spirit to flow through them without any hindrance, that there is the church.

  As those who serve God and bear responsibility in the work, we need to remember this one thing: After twenty, thirty, fifty, or even sixty years, when all our hair has become white, we will still be only a transmitter of authority, a channel or mouthpiece of authority. We still will not be the authority. Whenever we become the authority, everything is finished. The brothers and sisters who are workers must thoroughly know what the authority of the Holy Spirit is. Do not think that today we can give some proposals. Our proposals will not do. The Lord has never granted us the authority to make our own proposals. We can only be a channel of authority, not authority itself. If we live to be a hundred years old and have followed the Lord for those hundred years, we should not think that we can give some proposals. Only as our spirit becomes more trained, as we learn something, as the sense of our spirit becomes keener, as we receive more light, and as we touch God’s basic principles, thus becoming more familiar with the Word of God, is it easier for the authority of the Holy Spirit to come out through us.

  We use authority to serve the brothers and sisters, not to govern them. Authority is just one part of our service. I hope all the leading ones of the home meetings would take note of this. Authority is related to your ministry; it is in fact one of your many ministries. It is not for governing others but for supplying others. In a certain matter other brothers may not see, but we see; they may not understand, but we can understand. Since we understand God’s heart’s desire, we can tell them of God’s desire, saying, “Brothers, you should not do this in such a way; I know this will not do. If you do it, you will violate God’s authority. You must give up this matter.” This is not exercising authority to govern the brothers, but exercising it with a view to supply and serve them. Before the Lord, we are learning to be an outlet for the Holy Spirit’s authority to supply the brothers. We are not governing them. We are learning to let God’s authority come out as a supply; we are not here to establish our own authority.

  Regardless of what kind of position a brother may have, whether he is an overseer, an apostle, or a deacon, he loses and ruins the ground of the church in its entirety whenever he establishes or manifests his own authority. The ground of the church is entirely established upon the authority of the Holy Spirit. Whenever His authority is offended, the ground of the church is gone, and problems arise.

  When the whole church is under the authority of the Holy Spirit, it is like the Lord’s own body given to Him by Mary when He was on this earth. He can speak, listen, and walk as He wishes. The body which Mary prepared for the Lord could not have been more appropriate. His body cooperated with Him to such an extent that it was as if such a body did not exist at all and that the Lord Himself was acting alone. It was so harmonious, so united, so free of problems and conflicts. His hands were never unavailable when they were needed, His eyes never malfunctioned when they were called upon to see, His tongue was never tied when it needed to speak, and His mind was never absent when it needed to think. The church likewise can reach such a level that it is as if it does not exist at all and that Christ is acting alone. The Lord can exercise Himself spontaneously and pass through such an outlet freely. It can be in such harmony, such oneness, and such spontaneity that it is as if the Lord is not passing through it at all. The authority of the Holy Spirit passes through the church so freely and harmoniously that it is as if He has not passed through the church at all. When the authority of the Holy Spirit is able to operate so completely, there is the church. Whenever there is resistance or hindrance, that is not the church. Whenever the Holy Spirit cannot move, whenever individuals stand out, there is some problem and the church is damaged. In such a case, it can no longer be considered the church.

  Now I want to go back to today’s question. There are many so-called denominational churches. The Lord has not given us the freedom to criticize them. However, we do confess that there are many elderly brothers among us who have come out of the denominations. They know the histories. Many other brothers came out of the world and sin. They do not know how much man’s opinions, decisions, methods, organizations, names, and traditions are in the groups that use the name of the Lord. I do not wish to say more about this. From the beginning when we were called out by the Lord, we insisted on a fundamental ground — that is, we must obey and establish the authority of the Holy Spirit in the church and destroy our own authority. I ask the Lord to forgive me for saying this, because the authority of the Holy Spirit does not need to be established by man. Excuse me for using the following illustration for the sake of the younger brothers. If I release a tiger in the streets, is it necessary to send guards to protect it? No, the tiger does not need any guards; it can protect itself. Likewise, the Holy Spirit does not need our support. The authority of the Holy Spirit is in the church. It does not need our zeal to establish it. The only thing needed in God’s children is their willingness to consecrate and yield themselves to Him so that the authority of the Holy Spirit can come out of them unceasingly. It is now a matter of whether or not we are willing to consecrate ourselves. Whenever God’s children disobey, the authority of the Holy Spirit cannot come out. The basic matter today is whether or not we have consecrated ourselves adequately.

  I hope that we will consecrate ourselves afresh to the Lord for the authority of the Holy Spirit. We must pray, “Lord, You are the Head in the church. Grant me the grace that I may not be one who hinders or resists. May I have nothing of my own.” We must realize that whenever we bring anything of our own into the church, regardless of how good it is, something extra has been added to the church, and there is a hindrance. My body can only consist of its own members. I cannot allow the things of others to be added to my body. Even the best things of others cannot be put into my body. What is of my body must be my own. The things of others may be precious, but once they are added to my body they may be poisonous. We must learn before God not to bring our own things into the church. Some of them may be very good, but if they are not of the Holy Spirit, they cannot be brought into the church. Once they are in the church, the church loses its ground. In the church there is only one Holy Spirit, one authority, one power, one fellowship, one name. Anything that is brought into the church which is not of the Holy Spirit will ruin the church ground, and then there is no more church.

Anything not initiated by the Holy Spirit is not the church

  In Shanghai many people can establish an evangelistic mission, seminary, Bible institute, or Bible study class. Such a mistake is minor. But no one can establish a church! If we are not able to obey the Holy Spirit, and man’s authority and man’s things come in, there is no church. If it is not started by the Holy Spirit, it is not the church. I do not know whether we have seen the seriousness of this. It is possible for a few of us to establish a factory; this is comparatively easy to do. Allow me to say that we are men who have the leading of the Holy Spirit. Many people in the world who do not have the leading of the Holy Spirit can open a factory. However, the church cannot be started like this. Regardless of whether we are a believer or an unbeliever, whether we have the life of God or not, we cannot establish a church. If it is not started by the Holy Spirit, it is not a church. This is quite a serious matter. No one can start a church, because in the first place, no one has the authority of the Holy Spirit. If there is no authority of the Holy Spirit, there is no church. Regardless of the situation, we cannot establish a church if the Holy Spirit does not start it. First, we must ask, “What about the start?” If the Holy Spirit is not the initiator, we cannot start anything. We must submit ourselves to the mighty power of the Holy Spirit and put ourselves under the authority which operates according to God. We must be wholly restrained and not seek our own freedom. We must let the authority of the Holy Spirit pass through all of us freely.

The boundary of locality

  In addition to the above, a church has to have a second ground. Without the second element, there also is no ground of the church. We will probably ask: Is it not enough to express and live under the authority of the Holy Spirit? Is this not enough to establish the church? No, it is not. The Bible clearly shows us two things which must exist in order to establish the church: first, the authority of the Holy Spirit, and second, the boundary of locality. If we do not see this, we do not understand the church ground. Does this seem strange? Does this seem like falling ten thousand feet from heaven to earth? Yes, but remember that the church is also on earth. It is part heavenly and part earthly. The heavenly part concerns the authority of the Holy Spirit; the earthly part concerns the boundary of locality. This is a very wonderful matter in the Bible. The Bible clearly shows us this one thing: The church absolutely belongs to a locality, such as the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), which is a place; the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2), which is a place; the church in Antioch (Acts 13:1), which is a city; and the church in Ephesus (Rev. 2:1), which is a seaport. In the Bible the ground of the church is the locality where the church is. The churches all take locality as the boundary.

  Here is a special point; please pay attention to it. If the brothers and sisters in Shanghai desire to stand on the church ground, they can only stand on the ground of the Holy Spirit and the ground of Shanghai. They must stand on the ground of the Holy Spirit and also on the ground of Shanghai because Shanghai is the locality in which they live. Once we disregard locality, we immediately lose the ground of the church. Let me give a few illustrations.

The church and the churches

  Acts 9:31 speaks of the churches in Judea. The church spoken of here is plural in Greek, English, and Chinese. It is the churches in Judea. It is plural in number because at that time Judea was a province of Rome. Since a province included many localities, there were many churches. Thus, the Bible does not speak of the church in Judea, but the churches in Judea. In the Scriptures there is only a local church, not a provincial church. The same is true of Galatia, which was a province consisting of many localities; therefore, Galatians 1:2 says, “The churches of Galatia.” Ephesus is a seaport, a locality; therefore, the church in Ephesus is referred to in the singular. This point is very clear in the Bible. Philadelphia was a city, and only one church existed there. Asia, which is Asia Minor today, was a large province; therefore, the Bible says, “The seven churches which are in Asia,” not the church which is in Asia (Rev. 1:4).

Only one church in one locality

  There is one thing we must all notice: The world does not have a church; therefore, the Roman Catholic Church is wrong. A country does not have a church; therefore, the Anglican Church (i.e., the Church of England or the Episcopal Church) is wrong. A province does not have a church, nor does a race. In the Bible only the smallest administrative unit is related to the church — only a locality or a city has a church. The church in one locality cannot combine with the church in another locality to become one church. Each city can only be matched with one church, just as a husband can only be matched with one wife. Therefore, in Antioch, there is the church in Antioch, not the churches in Antioch. It would be wrong to say the churches in Antioch. According to God’s arrangement, a locality can only be matched with one church, not many churches. In the Bible we can never find the churches in Corinth or the churches in Antioch. But the Bible does say the church in Antioch, the church in Philippi, and the church in Philadelphia. All of these churches are referred to in the singular. There were not multiple churches in Antioch, Philippi, or Philadelphia.

  God’s arrangement for the church on the spiritual side is the authority of the Holy Spirit, and in its outward appearance, it is the limitation of locality. When the church in Corinth was about to divide itself into four parts, Paul immediately rebuked them for being divisive and fleshy (1 Cor. 1:10-13; 3:3-4). When the Corinthians were about to divide into a few smaller churches, one of Paul, another of Cephas, another of Apollos, and another of Christ, the Holy Spirit said that was fleshy. Each city, each locality, can only be matched with one church. Whenever more than one appears, it is a division, a sect, which God rejects. From God’s point of view, the church in Corinth became fleshy because there can only be one church in one locality; a second church can never be established. If one church is already established, the second is a division and is fleshy. There can never be more than one church in one locality. Someone may say that he desires to supply others with spiritual food, but supplying spiritual food is not sufficient ground to establish a church. Someone may say that he wants to help others to understand the Bible, but helping others understand the Bible is also not sufficient ground to establish a church. Neither is teaching others to know the Holy Spirit adequate grounds for establishing a church. Someone may say that we need a revival and that a revival church should be established. Recently in a certain place, someone established a Revival Church for the sole purpose of revival, but revival is not sufficient grounds to establish a church. Men cannot establish a church, because men do not have the ground to establish a church. Paul did not have the ground to establish a church; neither did Cephas or Apollos. Ephesus had the ground to establish a church, but Paul was not equal to Ephesus. Corinth had the ground to establish a church, but Paul was not equal to Corinth. Neither was Cephas or Apollos; they were all not equal to Corinth. They did not have the ground, and they were not qualified to establish a church, because a church must be matched with a locality. Anything that comes short of a locality cannot establish a church. If there is no locality, there is no church. It is more than evident that God takes the boundary of locality as the ground.

There can only be one church in Shanghai

  In Shanghai the church does not stand on denominationalism, sectarianism, or any other ground, but on the ground of Shanghai. This is the church in Shanghai. Suppose I have a quarrel with Brother Chang. I let him meet on Nanyang Road, while I find a place on North Szechuan Road. One goes south and the other goes north in the opposite direction. At North Szechuan Road I can preach the gospel, and a group of people can be saved. While the meeting hall on Nanyang Road can seat 2,400 people, I can build a bigger hall to seat 2,600. Even though I preach the gospel and start a meeting, bringing many to salvation, giving messages, and edifying the saints, I can never become the church because the qualification to take Shanghai as the ground of the church has already been taken. I am not qualified to set up another church because there can only be one church in Shanghai.

A church can only be established in a locality where no church exists

  Today in Bijie in Kweichow province, no one has taken the standing of establishing a church on the ground of locality. If anyone desires to establish a church, it is all right for him to go to Bijie because in one locality there can only be one local church. If an additional church appears there, God will say that is a division. It is just like a woman matching a man. If a man does not have a wife yet, she can marry him and be his wife. If he already has a wife, how can she become his mate? She can only be the mate of a man who has no wife. The whole New Testament tells us this one thing: The church is local. We must see that the church is local. The Epistles speak of the church in Corinth and the church in Ephesus. Revelation speaks of the seven churches in Asia. In each locality there is only one church. The church cannot become independent of locality.

  Please remember that a church can only be established in a locality where there is no church. If there is a church in a certain locality, we can only join it; we cannot set up another one. Once we set up another one, that is a division, a sect, which is condemned by God. I want to ask, “What is the difference between a woman who is a man’s wife and a concubine?” Everything is the same, except the position. Only the ground is different; everything else is the same. Though outwardly they may appear alike, something is lacking in one — the ground.

What is division?

  What is division? Division is to be without the ground, and to be without the ground is to be divisive, and is something condemned by God. Please forgive me for using Bijie as an example again. What is the difference between going to Bijie to preach the gospel, to save people, and to edify saints and going to North Szechuan Road in Shanghai to do the same thing? Outwardly, there is no difference. It is not that people cannot be saved and receive eternal life when the gospel is preached at North Szechuan Road; neither is it that the people at North Szechuan Road will lose their experience of salvation. The gospel truth is the same, and the messages may be the same. Everything seems to be the same. But we cannot establish another church at North Szechuan Road. If we go to North Szechuan Road to establish a church, that is a division. The messages given in Bijie may be exactly the same as the messages given at North Szechuan Road, but in the two different localities there are two different grounds. In Bijie it may be the church, while at North Szechuan Road it is a division. The same message is given at these two localities, but what a difference there is! Suppose we set up the Lord’s table in Bijie, that is, the Lord’s supper, the breaking of bread. If we move the table with all the attendants from Bijie to North Szechuan Road, we may pray in the same manner as before, study the Bible as before, and praise the Lord as before. In these things there is no difference at all, but in Bijie there is a church, while there is a division at North Szechuan Road. When a woman marries a single man, she is his wife; if she marries a man who is already married, she is not his wife. When we go to a place where there is no church, we can establish one. But in a place where there is already a church, we can only join it, we cannot set up another one. This is a basic principle in the Bible. If we do not care for the boundary of locality, everything is finished. If we discard this basic ground, we have no ground.

  I hope that before God we understand these two points: First, God’s church is established upon the authority of the Holy Spirit; second, God’s church is established with the boundary of locality. The ground of the church is something according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We cannot say, “The Holy Spirit has guided us to meet at North Szechuan Road.” In regard to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the first thing He would argue is that the place where we are meeting is wrong. Consequently, we violate and offend the first limitation of the Holy Spirit, and we have no ground on which to stand. Saying that we have the Holy Spirit is not enough; we must also pay attention to the boundary of locality, which is set up by the Holy Spirit. We can never violate the boundary of locality; we can only submit. Men have no freedom in the jurisdiction of locality set up by the Holy Spirit.

Locality restricting the formation of divisions

  I hope the brothers and sisters will hold fast to this basic principle. If they do, they will be clear about the standing of the so-called denominations, churches, groups, and organizations. If any group is not built upon the ground of locality, we can see that it is not the church. Are we clear? Is this not amazing? I am amazed when I read this in the Word. Going from the authority of the Holy Spirit to the boundary of locality seems like dropping ten thousand feet from the heavens all the way down to the earth. The Bible reveals that the ground of the church is based on the authority of the Holy Spirit. However, the Bible also shows us that just having the Holy Spirit is not enough; we also need the match of the ground of locality. These two together produce the church. As we look back, things become clearer and clearer, and more and more we have to praise the Lord. In the past two thousand years, if the people in the church had been willing to be limited by locality, there would not have been the difficulties and confusion. If man had submitted to God’s authority, neither Catholicism nor Protestantism could ever have been established. Neither could the more than one hundred denominations in China and more than six hundred major organizations and five thousand minor organizations in the world today have been established. All would have been restricted by the boundary of locality.

Locality never being subject to change

  Excuse me for using political terms. A dynasty may change, but a locality never changes; a political party may change, but not a locality; a country may even change, but a locality does not. Shanghai has always remained Shanghai, and Ch’ang-ch’un has always remained Ch’ang-ch’un. During the Ching Dynasty, Shanghai was Shanghai; during the Republic, Shanghai was still Shanghai; even now Shanghai remains Shanghai. During the Sino-Japanese War when the country almost became part of another country, the locality remained the same. Many things will change, but the locality will never change. God wills the locality as the ground for the church. We have the church in Rome as a locality, but never the church of the Roman Empire. The name is similar, but in fact they are different. The church in the city of Rome is recognized by the Holy Spirit, but not the church of the Roman Empire. For this reason, we must learn before God to keep the ground of locality.

  Please remember this one thing: The church must stand on the ground of locality. For many years we have been standing on this ground, rejecting all that is not in keeping with this ground, rejecting all other labels. Any group which does not take the locality as its ground is not the church. The service we have entered into here is with the hope of building up the church in Shanghai. If an inquiry is made about this matter by an outsider, we must make it clear to him that the church has the authority of the Holy Spirit inwardly as the content and the boundary of locality outwardly. The authority of the Holy Spirit plus the boundary of locality make the church. If there is no authority of the Holy Spirit within and no boundary of locality without, there is not the church.

The church ground and spiritual blessing

  The clearer the ground of the church is, the richer are the spiritual blessings. In these recent years and in particular during the past one or two years, we have seen God blessing the church ground. Many brothers and sisters have begun to see the difference between the way of individualism and the ground of the church. As the authority of the Holy Spirit is manifested in all the members, causing them to serve God in coordination rather than in individual activities, we see the Lord’s blessing. In some local churches the members increase twofold, fivefold, and tenfold — all in multiples.

  Originally there were only thirty or more members in Taipei, but now they have increased to over a thousand. We have sent some brothers there, and they have worked very diligently. God has continued to bless, and the members have continued to increase. When I was in Hong Kong, I received a letter from a brother. I feel this brother knows what the church is because of the following incident. The church in Taipei expected Brother Witness to be responsible for their gospel campaign during the Chinese New Year. After this decision was reached, Brother Witness had to come to see me in Hong Kong concerning some matters. They were really disappointed because they thought that they could not carry out the campaign themselves. Brother Witness said to them, “To have Witness is just to have one more brother; to lose Witness is just to lose one brother.” If there is a church in Taipei, having or losing Brother Witness is just a matter of having or losing one brother. However, if there were no church in Taipei, it would be terrible. In the end, the brothers in Taipei preached the gospel. Some of the brothers who you would think could not preach the gospel preached the gospel contrary to expectation. As a result, over fourteen hundred people received the Lord. At the follow-up meetings, two hundred twenty-eight people were baptized on the first day alone. It does not matter whether a brother is taken away or added, because there is still the church. Now I will come back to that brother’s letter. I am very pleased with his statement: “I believe that if the brothers learn to serve the Lord in a coordinated way, whether there are three thousand or ten thousand newly saved ones, we will be able to absorb them. When the church comes into being and begins to function, it can absorb five hundred new believers if five hundred come, and one thousand if one thousand come.” What is this? This is God’s church.

A vessel needed to contain God’s blessing

  Some of us pray that the Lord would bless us as He blessed the church during Pentecost. But if the Lord really answered our prayers, what would we do? If the Lord really granted us the blessing of Pentecost, what would we do? If the Lord gave us three thousand or five thousand people, what would we do? If several thousand people suddenly filled our meeting place, we would immediately see that we would not be able to absorb them all. If three thousand people were added in Shanghai at one time, we could not absorb them. We would not know how to baptize them, how to divide them into different home meetings for the Lord’s table, how to edify them, and how to visit them. However, when God blesses and the church is strong, we can easily absorb them. Regardless of how many come, we will not drag along through our inability to handle them adequately. We now have about fifteen to sixteen hundred brothers and sisters among us; our fellowship is not adequately covered already. What would we do if another thousand were added? It would be hard for us to bear them if God should bless us with that many. We are not talking about an organization but a container that can bear God’s blessing. If God blessed us by giving us three thousand and then two thousand disappeared after two days, this would not be the church. If we do not know when people come and when people go, or how many have been added or how many have been lost, this is not the church. The church is a container of such capacity that it is able to contain God’s blessing. A church is supposed to attain to such a degree that when God blesses — abundantly blesses — there is a vessel which is able to contain this blessing.

  When all the brothers and sisters obey the Holy Spirit, they will all rise up to serve and receive the blessing. No one will bring in his own opinions, but everyone will be occupied with service. When this happens, God’s church will come forth. If we are not getting ready for the Holy Spirit’s work, He will not work. We must be prepared for the Holy Spirit’s work. We must always prepare more room. We would rather let the Lord bring people in than let Him take people out. When the Holy Spirit begins to work, we will really see that there is not enough room. We must prepare for the Holy Spirit’s work. We must prepare a larger meeting place and enlarge our capacity; then the Lord will bless. We must prepare men for service; then the Lord will bless. If we do not prepare everyone for service, the Holy Spirit will have no way to work.

All must learn to serve

  I hope the brothers and sisters will see that the ground of the church is based on locality and on the authority of the Holy Spirit. For the authority of the Holy Spirit to come in means that every person learns to reject his own ideas and submit to God’s authority. As everyone learns to serve, the church of God appears. As the church, it is not sufficient that our own personal opinions are denied. On the positive side, everyone must submit to the authority of the Holy Spirit. Once we submit to the authority of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit immediately will direct and instruct everyone to serve.

  I would ask the leading brothers, especially the leading ones in the home meetings, to excuse me for saying the following words: The minimum responsibility you have before God is to serve, but this is not enough. If you can only serve but cannot bring others into service, you have failed. The Holy Spirit is directing every person to serve. On the negative side, do not bring in your own ideas; on the positive side, let the Holy Spirit direct everyone to serve. The authority of the Holy Spirit means that the Holy Spirit can pass through everyone, the Holy Spirit can direct everyone.

  Therefore, whoever can only serve by himself, but cannot commit things to others, is a failure. Whoever does not hold responsibility in his own hands, but distributes it to the brothers and sisters that they may share in the same work, is useful in God’s hand. We should not think that we must do everything when situations arise. Those who hurriedly finish things themselves, who hold things in their hands, and who will not assign them to others are hindering the work of the Holy Spirit. Responsibilities must be distributed; they should not be retained in our own hands. Retaining things in our own hands is a hindrance. Things should not get stuck to us. When the authority of the Holy Spirit is given full freedom in the church, it no longer is a matter of doing it or not, but it is a matter of letting the Holy Spirit have the freedom to release Himself. When the authority of the Holy Spirit works, moves, and is released in the whole Body, that is the church. The work must always be distributed. Distribution is a principle. Whenever a responsibility comes upon us, we should distribute it immediately. A thing may be done by one person, or it may be done by five persons. It is better, however, to distribute it among five persons. Always be involved and always involve others. If we practice this, we are training the brothers and providing them the proper guidance. In this way, everyone will learn to serve.

  Brother Witness Lee and I have had a long time of looking to the Lord and conversing. We believe all the more in what we have seen before. In the days ahead God will certainly take the way of migration. Therefore, every brother must be trained. We should not hope that people will migrate to Nanchang in the future, yet expect the church in Nanchang to train them for us. We have to train them now. I am afraid that the brothers and sisters have no training before God, and when the time of migration arrives, such ones will not be able to go out. Therefore, everyone must learn something concerning the church. We must learn much more before God regarding how the whole Body serves. If we do this, there will be a way for God to go out from us.

  A message by Watchman Nee, recorded by Brother Kun-min and others.April 1, 1950

The church in the city and the church in the house

  Question: Concerning the ground of the church, we have said that there should be only one church in a city, because there is only one unit. Some people, however, speak of “the church in a house,” quoting the Scriptures as their basis, as being an additional unit to the locality. They imply that the church may possibly have several units in a locality. What should we say to this kind of statement?

  Answer: The New Testament has a total of four passages which refer to “the church in a house,” that is, in a home.

Romans 16:5

  “And greet the church, which is in their house.” “Their” refers to Prisca and Aquila mentioned in verse 3. Here the fact is simple. The church in Rome, like hundreds and thousands of other local churches, first started in the house of a brother. This means that the principal members of such a house were brothers and sisters in the Lord. At the same time, there were not many members in the church; therefore, they used this brother’s house for their meeting place. This is a historical matter, not a doctrinal matter. It is possible to give an explanation for a doctrine, but it is impossible to give an explanation for historical events, because historical events are facts. Anyone who is acquainted with history knows that hundreds and thousands of churches first started in homes. Therefore, the church in a certain place became the church in a certain person’s house. The church in Rome was the church in Prisca and Aquila’s home.

  Question: Some say that since Paul sent greetings to the church in Rome as well as to the church in a house, this signifies that there was not only a local church but also a church in a house. Are there not, therefore, two churches?

  Answer: Let us consider the matter slowly. I fear that you have not listened to the word of God carefully. The book of Romans never speaks of “the church in Rome.” How then could the apostle have greeted the church in Rome? The book of Romans does not present clearly in writing one greeting to “the church in Rome” and another greeting to “the church in the house.” But in greeting the church in the house of Prisca and Aquila, it is implied that such a greeting is to the church in Rome, which was meeting in Prisca and Aquila’s house. Hence, the church in Rome was the church in Prisca and Aquila’s house.

  I presume the difficulty of those who argue about the church in both the house and the locality lies in the fact that after verse 5 Paul mentions so many names. I think all Bible expositors know that after Paul greeted the church in verse 5, he purposely mentioned several important individuals and especially greeted them one by one. This does not mean, however, that these people were outside the church in the house, but that they were the ones inside the church in the house to whom Paul sent his particular greetings. Some people, besides being included in his general greetings to the church, needed special attention. Do not make the mistake of thinking that since everyone is included in the general greetings to the church, it is unnecessary to add further greetings to them individually. That is not holy affection; neither is it the fact. Paul did not do such a thing, and neither would you or I.

  The proof of this is in verse 3. If the greeting sent to the church automatically included everyone and it was unnecessary to greet them again by mentioning certain names, Paul should not have greeted Prisca and Aquila in verse 3. Paul should have greeted in verse 5 just “the church, which is in their [Prisca and Aquila’s] house.” Should this not have included Prisca and Aquila already? Greeting the whole church naturally includes individuals. However, mentioning individuals in addition to greeting the church does not mean that these individuals are not of the church but members of another group. If this were so, then Prisca and Aquila were not of the church that was in their own house! Do you see the point? Paul greeted Prisca and Aquila in verse 3. Then in verse 5 he proceeded to greet the church which was in their house. If mentioning individual names in addition to greeting the church means that these individuals were not of this church and that there was another church in existence, then even Prisca and Aquila, whom Paul mentioned separately in his greeting, were not of the church which was in their own house!

  The fact is that the church in the house of Prisca and Aquila was the church in Rome. The church in Rome at that time was in the house of Prisca and Aquila. Just as the individuals mentioned before verse 5, such as Prisca and Aquila, were of this church, so the many individuals named after verse 5 were also of this church. Moreover, the many individuals who were not mentioned were also of this same church.

  In verses 10 and 11 two more houses are mentioned in which there were also the Lord’s people. Nevertheless, Paul did not say, “Greet the church in Aristobulus’s house” or “Greet the church in Narcissus’s house.” Only in verse 5 did Paul say, “Greet the church, which is in their [Prisca and Aquila’s] house.” Even though the whole household of Aristobulus believed in the Lord, there was only one church in Rome, which was the church that was in the house of Prisca and Aquila. Therefore, although there were believers of the household of Aristobulus, they could not become the church. Although many of Narcissus’s household were believers, the believers in his house could not become an independent church. There was only one church in Rome, which was the church in the house of Prisca and Aquila. Therefore the Bible does not mention the church in the house of Narcissus. The household of Aquila, the household of Aristobulus, and the household of Narcissus all belonged to the church in Rome. Although these were three households of believers, there were not three churches. There was only one church. Rome was a locality; therefore, it had only one church, which was in the house of Prisca and Aquila.

  History tells us that Rome was a very large city during the time of the Lord. But in the early days the believers in Rome were few. Because the city was large and the believers were scattered throughout the city, it was normal for Paul to add personal greetings to the greeting sent to the church in Rome, which was meeting in the house of Prisca and Aquila. He especially mentioned, “Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers with them” (v. 14), and also, “Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints with them” (v. 15). These saints were scattered in places far away from each other in the city of Rome, just like the saints today in the church in Shanghai who live in the Yangshupu District or the region of Jiangwan. But Paul told us that there was only one church in the city of Rome and that was the one in the house of Prisca and Aquila. Although they were scattered and a few brothers were together with those who lived nearby, Paul did not call them the church; Paul only called them “the brothers with them” or “all the saints with them.” Only one church can exist in one locality.

First Corinthians 16:19

  “The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you much in the Lord with the church, which is in their house.”

  This salutation was given in A.D. 59 when Aquila and Prisca lived in Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19). The church in Ephesus was meeting in their house; it was therefore called “the church, which is in their house.” This does not mean that one church was in the city of Ephesus and another church was in their house. It means that the church in the city of Ephesus was the church in the house of Aquila and Prisca. This historical fact cannot be changed.

  Later, they returned to Rome and again opened their home to be the meeting place for the church in Rome. They were really a faithful and lovely couple.

Colossians 4:15-16

  “Greet the brothers in Laodicea, as well as Nymphas and the church, which is in his house. And when this letter is read among you, cause that it be read in the church of the Laodiceans also.”

  We can discover from history that the church in Laodicea met in the house of a brother by the name of Nymphas, a believer in Laodicea, not Colossae. (Please refer to the writings of Moore, Alford, Earle, and Finley.) Therefore, Paul called the church in Laodicea the church which was in Nymphas’s house, that is, the church in Laodicea in the house of Nymphas. This is a fact, and it is very evident.

  Question: Is it possible that “the brothers” mentioned in verse 15 are different from the church?

  Answer: No. How could it be possible? Paul mentions three categories of people: 1) the brothers, 2) Nymphas, and 3) the church. If the brothers and the church are not the same, where does Nymphas fit in? It says, “The brothers…as well as Nymphas.” Does “the brothers” include “Nymphas” or not? Everyone has to acknowledge that “the brothers” includes “Nymphas.” Therefore, both “the brothers” and “Nymphas” are of the same group. Although both are of the same group, after Paul had greeted the brothers (that is, after Nymphas had been included in the greeting to the brothers), he especially singled out Nymphas and greeted him personally.

  Furthermore, regarding “Nymphas” and “the church, which is in his [Nymphas’s] house,” does the latter include the former? Of course, the church has to include him. If so, why is it not enough for Paul to say, “Greet the church, which is in the house of Nymphas”? Although the church in his house includes Nymphas, Paul still says, “Greet…Nymphas and the church, which is in his house.” He greets the church, but he especially greets Nymphas.

  In these three categories of people, Nymphas is a part of each. In the same manner, “the brothers” and “the church” are identical. Therefore, Paul does not stop with greeting “the brothers in Laodicea,” he goes on to greet a particular brother by the name of “Nymphas.” Since the meeting of the church is in Nymphas’s house, Paul therefore goes on to greet “the church, which is in his house.” “The brothers” refers to individuals, while the church refers to the whole group. But they are identical. Paul first greets individuals, then greets the whole church.

  Question: What is the relationship between “the church, which is in his house” in verse 15 and “the church of the Laodiceans” in verse 16?

  Answer: Verse 15 is a greeting, while verse 16 regards the reading of the Epistle. In verse 15 Paul greets the brothers in Laodicea who are the church meeting in Nymphas’s house. In verse 16 he spontaneously informs those at Colossae explicitly and without further explanation that the brothers in Laodicea whom he has greeted in verse 15 are the church that meets in Nymphas’s house and that this church is the church in Laodicea. Now he requests that the brothers in Laodicea read his Epistle to the Colossians. (Colossae is only twelve miles away from Laodicea.) By reading these two verses carefully, you will see that the church in Nymphas’s house in Laodicea (v. 15) is the very church of the Laodiceans (v. 16). Peter is Cephas, and Cephas is Peter — the two are interchangeable. The same is true here.

Philemon 1-2

  “To Philemon…to Apphia…to Archippus…and to the church, which is in your house.”

  Philemon was a believer living in Colossae, and he was a co-worker of the apostle Paul. The church in Colossae met in his house; consequently, the phrase “to the church, which is in your house,” indicates the church in Colossae. This is history.

  Theotorian (?) said that until the fifth century, whenever visitors toured Colossae, they would visit the house of Philemon as a historical site. It was a place tourists could not miss in Colossae. This was due to the fact that the church in Colossae met in that particular house.

  The church in the house of Philemon was the church in Colossae, for the church in Colossae met in the house of Philemon. Therefore, the churches in the Bible all take locality as the unit — the house can never be the unit for the church.

The house being insufficient as an unit

  We have seen that the New Testament speaks of the church in a house four times. What do all these actually mean? We must see whether or not the house is the unit for the jurisdiction of a church by examining this matter from another angle. I do not know whether or not you understand what a “unit of jurisdiction” means. For example, when we weigh things, we use the pound as the unit of measurement; thus, the pound is the “unit of weight.” When we measure things, we use a foot as the unit. Thus, a foot is the “unit of length.” A pound is a unit of weight, and a foot is a unit of length. Is a house the unit of jurisdiction for the church? As I have said before in other places, the unit of jurisdiction for the church is a city, or a locality. This is based upon God’s teaching.

  Why is it that a city, or a locality, is the unit? It is because Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea were all localities, and only one church stood in each locality. If God did not take locality as the basic unit of church jurisdiction, there would not have been seven churches in these seven localities. There would have been instead one church for all seven localities. In other words, although one can say that there are seven localities, he cannot call the seven congregations in the seven localities seven churches (presuming that a church is not based on locality). But in the Bible, God told us that there were seven localities and there were also seven churches! They were seven churches in Asia, not the church in Asia; they were churches, not the church; they were the ekklesiae, not the ekklesia. Not only were there seven different churches on this earth, but there were also seven lampstands in the holy place before the Lord — there were seven, not one. It is undoubtedly evident that what men should obey is what God has shown us, that the locality should be the unit of jurisdiction for a church.

  This is to say that a church takes a locality as its unit. When we add more than one unit together, we do not have just one unit; we must have two or more churches. Therefore, we have “the churches…in Judea [a province]” (1 Thes. 2:14) and “the churches of Galatia [a province]” (1 Cor. 16:1). Because a province is made up of many localities and the basic unit of the church is a locality, once there are many localities, there are also many churches.

  Again, may I ask, Can the house become the unit for the church? To answer this question, we must have a very clear mind; otherwise, we will make mistakes. We have to understand the difference between the house mentioned in the Bible and the house mentioned by those who advocate house churches today. The house that is spoken of in the Bible is the place where the church in that locality met. Therefore, the church in a certain person’s house is also the church in that locality. The church in the house of Aquila was the church in Rome, the church in the house of Nymphas was the church in Laodicea, and the church in the house of Philemon was the church in Colossae.

  What about today? Some people teach that although Rome is one locality, there can be two churches in Rome — one on a street and one in a house. They say that in Colossae there can be three churches — one on a street and two in different houses. They teach that the church in a house is a church that is smaller than the jurisdiction of a locality, and in the same locality there can be many churches. They utilize the word house in the Bible to assume that the church unit in the Scriptures is not limited or bound to a locality but to a house. You must take note that the house spoken of in the Bible and the house proposed by some people are entirely different.

  Now the question is: In the Bible, is there a unit smaller than the locality for the boundary, the jurisdiction, of the church? Man says there is; God says there is not.

  This question is very easy to answer. We have seen that there was only one church in Rome, one church in Colossae, and one church in Laodicea. Clearly, the book of Revelation shows us that the church in Laodicea was singular in number, which also corresponds to the one golden lampstand in the heavens.

  The most obvious example was the church in Jerusalem, which at that time was the church with the greatest number of members. All those who study the Bible know that the meetings of the church in Jerusalem were held in different homes. The Bible says, “In the temple and…from house to house” (Acts 2:46). The word house here is not merely one house. Acts 5:42 also records, “…in the temple and from house to house.” Here again it is not merely one house. Later, when Peter came out of prison, he went to the “house of Mary” (12:12), which was one among many of the houses. Now the question is whether this kind of house can be the unit of jurisdiction for the church. History shows us that among all the other churches, Jerusalem had the greatest number of members and the greatest number of home meetings. If God had any intention to take the house as the church unit, then Jerusalem would have been the most qualified locality and the best church to be a pattern to others. If in Jerusalem, where there were many members and many houses, God did not use the house to be the sphere, the jurisdiction of the church, then we know it is not likely to find any factual basis for taking a house as the sphere of the church elsewhere in the Bible.

  What then is the fact? There were many houses in Jerusalem, but God had only one church in Jerusalem. Every time the Holy Spirit speaks of the church in Jerusalem, He consistently uses the word church in the singular, never churches in the plural. The Bible only uses the term the church in Jerusalem, never the churches in Jerusalem. It never says, “Every church in every house in Jerusalem.” There may have been many houses for meetings, but there was still one church in Jerusalem. Any thought of taking the house as the unit of the church is a human concept, not the teaching of the Bible. Just this one phrase “the church which was in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1) is enough to make it impossible for anyone to establish an isolated, independent, individual, and solitary church in a house.

  We also can compare Acts 14:23 with Titus 1:5:”…appointed elders for them in every church” and “…appoint elders in every city.” These two verses correspond and agree with each other. “Every church” is in “every city.” It is in every city, not in every house. The house may be used as a meeting place, and the church may be called the church in a certain person’s house. However, the church in Nymphas’s house was still the church in Laodicea. The city or the locality, not the house, is the proper designation of a church; it is the proper boundary of the church and the proper unit of the church.

Two mistakes

  Two great mistakes are found in men today.

  First, some people desire to have a church bigger than a city or a locality. They want to unite many churches in different localities and make them one big church, that is, bigger than a locality. They have never considered that there is not such a term like the church in China in the Scriptures. How many realize that the term the church in China is not scriptural? All of God’s children must understand that in the Scriptures there is not a united church that is greater than a locality.

  It is “the churches of Galatia [a province]” (Gal. 1:2), not “the church of Galatia.”

  It is “the churches of the Gentiles” (Rom. 16:4), not “the church of the Gentiles.”

  It is “the churches…which are in Judea [a province]” (1 Thes. 2:14), not “the church in Judea.”

  It is “the seven churches which are in Asia [a province]” (Rev. 1:4), not “the church in Asia.”

  It is “the churches” in Syria and Cilicia [districts], not “the church” in Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:41).

  Therefore, the boundary, the jurisdiction, of the church on the earth is limited to a locality. Even if we put two churches in two different localities together, they cannot be one church; they are still two churches. In the province of Asia, if we add up the churches as one plus one plus one plus one plus one plus one plus one, the result is not one church, but seven churches. In the whole province of Galatia, if all the churches in the different localities are added together, we still will not have the church in Galatia, but “the churches of Galatia.” Who can say that the church is over and above the locality? May God open our eyes so that we will not cause confusion to the testimony of God.

  Second, some people desire to have a church smaller than the city or the locality. They want to divide one locality into many “churches,” many “assemblies,” or many “congregations.” Some euphemize these gatherings as “house churches.” But these are all of the same nature. They are divisions, the purpose of which is to establish men’s own sects according to the flesh. God’s children must discriminate between the house spoken of in the Bible and the house as it is conceived in human thought. In the Bible, when the house is equivalent to a locality or city, that house is called the church, like the church in Rome, the church in Colossae, the church in Laodicea, etc. But when the house is smaller than the locality or city, that house cannot be called the church, like the house meetings of the church in Jerusalem. This is very different from the house conceived in human thought, which is purposely made smaller than the locality or city, perpetuating the life of the sects or changing the sects into another form.

  The brothers, therefore, must remember the teachings of the Bible:

  It is “the church which was in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1), not “the churches in Jerusalem.”

  It is “the church…which is in Corinth” (1 Cor. 1:2), not “the four churches in Corinth.”

  It is “the church in Laodicea” (Rev. 3:14; Col. 4:15-16), not “the two churches in Laodicea.”

  There is “the church in Ephesus,” not “the churches in Ephesus.” There is “the church of the Thessalonians,” not “the churches of the Thessalonians.” There is “the church in Antioch,” not “the churches in Antioch.”

  God’s church takes locality as its boundary. When the church in a certain person’s house is completely equivalent to the church of that locality, it can be called the church in that person’s house. However, when the “church” in a certain person’s house is smaller than the church in his locality, it cannot be called a church. If the “churches” in the “house” of Cephas, in the “house” of Paul, in the “house” of Apollos, and in the “house” of Christ were added together, there would not be four churches in Corinth, they would still singularly be the church in Corinth. From this we can see that God has never made this type of “house” a unit for the boundary, the jurisdiction, of the church. Since the four houses are not four units, the believers meeting in them respectively cannot be four churches.

  There must have been over ten thousand brothers in Jerusalem, and they might have been divided into one hundred houses for meetings. Since houses of this kind are smaller than the city, that is, smaller than the locality, and smaller than Jerusalem, they are not sufficient to become the units of the church. If we add these one hundred houses together, they do not become one hundred churches. In the Bible there is only the singular church in Jerusalem. Since one hundred meetings added together could not become one hundred churches, but only one, this means that each one is not sufficient to become a unit by itself.

  If the church in Nymphas’s house (Col. 4:15) and the church in Laodicea (v. 16) are not the same, then when we add them up they must be two churches, but after we add “them” together in this way, God speaks of “the church in Laodicea” in Revelation 3:14, not “the churches” or “the two churches in Laodicea.” They are just one.

  When the house is smaller than a locality, it is not sufficient to become a unit. When the house is equivalent to the locality, it is qualified to become a unit. But the unit is the locality, not the house. We must be very clear that the standard unit for the boundary of the church in the Bible is the city or locality. When the house is equivalent to the locality, we can speak of the church in So-and-so’s house. When the house is smaller than the locality, we can add one plus one, but the total is not two; it is still one. We may add ten plus ten, but the total is not twenty; it is one. We may add one hundred plus one hundred, but the total is not two hundred; it is only one. The total is always one. By this we know that a “house” cannot equal the unit for the boundary, the jurisdiction, of the church.

  Who can point out from the Bible two churches in one locality? No one! I can only say that one locality has two denominations, or one locality has four sects, or one hundred localities have more than one hundred manifestations of the flesh. But I cannot say that one locality has two or more churches. I can only say that one locality has over one hundred home meetings. One locality only has one church. This is certain.

  For the past twenty-eight years, as a result of the Lord’s calling, the denominations have lost their place in the heart of those who love the Lord. The brothers who recommend dividing the church into houses must guard against the suspicion that they are changing things for the sake of defending the sects or themselves. May the Lord cause His children to see that all those who have left the denominations have not necessarily left the sects. May God have mercy on me for speaking frankly.

  We must seriously ask our hearts in the light: Am I rejecting the sin of denominations on the one hand, while refusing to “submit to the church” on the other hand, and by so doing have I only come up with the compromise of the house? May the Lord have mercy on those who do this, and may He have mercy on me for speaking it.

  I am very sad at heart because at the critical moment when the Lord is moving on victoriously, such a disruption has come in. If we are only slightly disobedient today, a hundred years from now — should the Lord delay His coming — this disobedience will become a great detour for the church. I hope you brothers would fast and pray for our brothers. May God turn back their hearts. On the other hand, those who have contact with them must demonstrate firm and unchanging love so that the Lord could gain back these ones. May the Lord put a fear and a trembling in them. May they know that speaking for the Lord requires the putting aside of oneself. They should be humble, and they should see and listen before speaking. May they also see the serious result of speaking without revelation. Once Ishmael is born, the fleshly will forever persecute the spiritual. This is going on all the time, even until today (Gal. 4:29).

The impossibility of having it both ways

  Some people have a wrong thought. They agree that the boundary, the jurisdiction, of the church is locality, yet because they are unwilling to get out of the sects, they think that the house is also a boundary of the church. They think the two can go together side by side without contradiction. They cannot distinguish when the house is the same as the locality and when the house is different from the locality. When the house is the same as the locality, it can be the boundary of the church. When the house is different from the locality, the two cannot be the boundary, the unit, of the church at the same time. The key rests with locality, whether or not the house equals the locality.

  If the house is the unit, then locality, which is bigger than the house, cannot be the unit. How can locality be the unit if it can be divided into smaller units? If we acknowledge locality as the unit, how can we also acknowledge the house as a unit? Since locality is the smallest unit, how can it be divided into smaller units such as houses? (Please remember that those who promote “house” churches do not view the word house scripturally; that is, they do not consider house in the context that locality and house are identical. Instead, they view the house according to their own concept, making it smaller than locality. This is not the kind of house spoken of in the Bible. Please pay attention to this matter.) If a foot is one unit of measure, then an inch is not sufficient to be the unit, because it is less than a full unit. If we take an inch to be the unit, a foot can no longer be the unit, because a foot equals twelve units. Likewise, if the unit for the church is locality, then the many houses in one locality cannot be many churches. One locality with one house has but one church; one locality with one hundred houses also has but one church. With one hundred houses there are not one hundred churches. If the house is the unit, then there is one church with one house, and there are one hundred churches with one hundred houses. In this case a locality with one hundred houses could never have only one church. These two, house and locality, are completely different units. Either we take the house as the unit or locality as the unit. There must be a unit, but we cannot have both. The house and the locality cannot both be units for the church.

  If the locality is the unit, then 1) a united church of several localities joined together is wrong, and 2) isolated divisions within one locality are also wrong. If the house is the unit, then 1) the united church is still wrong, but 2) the divisions in each locality are justified. All the divisions within a locality can hide behind the word house. If the “house” is the unit, all who refuse “to hear the church” (Matt. 18:17) can organize separate “house” churches. The “house” church becomes a shelter to all the divisive ones in a locality. May the Lord be merciful to His church.

  Therefore, we must be clear that there can be only one unit — either house or locality, not both of them together. Similarly, if our salvation is not by grace, it has to be by works. It cannot be by grace and works; we cannot have both. According to the Bible, the boundary, the jurisdiction, of the church is the locality, just as our salvation is by grace. Dividing the church in a locality into many “house” churches brings divisions into the Body. It is the work of the flesh.

  I believe God in His great wisdom made the locality the boundary of the church in order to eliminate the works of man, which try to divide the church within one locality.

The intention and the outcome

  When we search the Bible for judgment and settlement upon some teaching, we must not only check the intention of our heart, but we must also take heed to the direction in which this kind of teaching leads and the outcome it produces.

  For example, someone said that the Bible never prohibits Christians from smoking opium. He said, “If you say that Christians should not smoke opium, please prove it from the Bible.” Undoubtedly, the Bible does not have clearly written statements prohibiting the smoking of opium. But we must take note of the outcome that this kind of saying will bring to the children of God. The only thing this teaching will do is lead men into the world and to fulfill their lusts. Another example is baptism. Some think that immersion is right, but sprinkling is also right. They give many reasons for their position. But these reasons simply reveal that man can change God’s word. Likewise, if anyone says that there can be the church in a house besides the church in a locality, we will also ask, What will be the outcome of this kind of teaching? Could there be any other outcome than that of men within a locality having the freedom in the flesh to break the unity of the church and to lead God’s children into the way of divisions? If in one locality there can be many “house” churches, with all having their own administration and thinking that they are one spiritually, are they not deceiving themselves? If we maintain this kind of teaching, how many more divisions will result in a locality, divisions under the name of so-called “house” churches? At present there are already scores of denominational churches, but if “house” churches are scriptural, there will be hundreds more churches in one locality! Is this something that a person who has consecrated himself to the Lord and who loves the Lord would want to see?

  We all know there is only one church. Throughout history, past and present, there is only one church. Because there is only one Head, there is only one Body. The church is a Body with life; thus, it is not right to divide it for any reason. We must stress this: The church is one because the Body is one. Any excuse to divide the church is a sin. Division is sin, because it is a “division in the body” (1 Cor. 12:25).

  Although the church is one, it is impossible for all the brothers to meet together. Time and space prevent all the brothers around the whole world from meeting together all the time. Besides this, it is impractical as far as church administration, supervision, and management are concerned for all the brothers to come together in one world church. Therefore, God’s Word not only permits but also ordains that the church be separated. In order to practically make the church (singular) become the churches (plural), God has established the way for one individual church and another individual church to remain two churches instead of one. This is the principle of “locality” as revealed in the Bible.

  In the Bible no church is bigger than the locality; neither is any church smaller than the locality. Whenever people gather and dwell together, there is a “locality.” A locality is where people gather and dwell together. As long as a locality is a place where people gather and dwell together, it is the boundary of the church according to the Bible. People who dwell together in one locality can be independent of other localities. It is not a matter of the number of people (believers), but a matter of locality. The basis for separation is not love or lack of love, but locality. The basis for God allowing the church to be separated is locality. Any other kind of separation is sin. We commit sin if we are separated from our brothers for any other reason than that of locality. In the Bible the only kind of distinction that does not touch upon the nature of the church is the distinction of locality. The distinction of locality is God’s great wisdom. I am in Shanghai and you are in Soochow, but when we both come to Nanking, we will not create any problem. Other than the boundary of locality, there absolutely should be no other boundary. In the church God only allows us to separate by the principle of locality.

  Undoubtedly the church is one. How then can there be many churches? The distinction can only be on the basis of locality. Because we have our physical body, we are naturally limited by geographical boundaries. Any difference because of names, human feelings, or other factors is harmful to the nature of the church. Only the distinction of locality does not touch the nature of the church. In this way, no one can turn away from the general ground of locality. We may be able to do many things, but we are not qualified to establish a church as we like. Once we see that the ground of the church is local, there will be no more reason for the existence of any sects. The matter of locality cuts man’s flesh to the deepest part.

  Now let me repeat what I have been saying about the nature of the church. Any reason to divide the church damages the nature of the church; that is, it turns the unity of the church into disunity. Due to the fact that we are in the human body, geography is the only factor that can separate us. Such separation does not threaten the nature of church unity. Therefore, God ordained to have locality as the earthly boundary of the church. God also ordained that in one locality there should be only one church to express the unity of the heavenly church.

  We must see the spiritual reason for separating the church by localities. Once we see this, we will know whether or not the present-day principle of separating the church by houses is of God. The way to separate the saints at Jerusalem by houses was scriptural. Due to the great number of people — a physical reality — they were separated into many meetings in the houses. The church, however, was still one, “the church [singular number] in Jerusalem.” Today, man’s way to divide the church by houses is to make many churches within one locality. It has nothing to do with physical limitations, geographical reasons, or the inconvenience of coming together from great distances. It has nothing to do with the fact that the crowd is large and that there is not enough room to sit together. It has nothing to do with the fact that there are so many people and that care for them is impossible. It has nothing to do with the practical problem of handling administration over great distances. It is simply a way of dividing the church into many churches. Dividing people into many churches because of such an underlying reason is harmful to the nature of the church. Separations that are not based on geographical or physical demand are spiritual in nature; they touch the spiritual unity. This kind of separation is not outward and limited, but inward and spiritual. Any division that is not for a geographical or physical reason is an intrinsic, real, basic, and spiritual division. Therefore, this kind of division is a division in the very nature and essence of the church. It is damaging to the spiritual unity.

  This is very serious. Since we first saw the light concerning the oneness of the Body of Christ twenty-eight years ago, we have passed through many waves of adversity. But I believe we have never passed through one that is more serious and more ambiguous than the teaching about the “house” church. This is the first time people have opposed the truth by agreeing with it. Since we all are people who serve God, I beg you to seek the light of God. Do not send forth a confusing voice in the church of God; rather get rid of the sectarianism from your heart.

  We must not push the oneness of the church entirely to the “spiritual” side by saying, “We are one in life! We are one spiritually!” Brothers, when we do not live together in the same city, we might be able to cover ourselves with spiritual words and hide our disunity with such “spiritual oneness.” But since we all live in the same city, is it conceivable that we would not express or demonstrate our oneness? Since there are no geographical and physical factors to divide us, is not this the time to show that we are one church? Why at such an opportune time for us to show our oneness should this different teaching related to a “house” church come into being? Does this teaching related to a “house” church represent unity or separation and sectarianism? Lord, have mercy on us!

  I dare not say from where the teaching about the “house” church comes. But I am afraid that the brother who speaks about this has not seen the sin of sects. This teaching is a halfway place to sectarianism; it is not a thorough rejection of sects. A person who has left the denominations is not necessarily one who has left the sects. I am afraid that some who only know their individual movement, individual living, and individual work are not willing to be limited by the Body. These are the ones who love this kind of talk about the “house” church. Those who do not desire to listen to the church but desire to establish their own churches value this kind of “doctrine.” May the Lord’s blood cover me for speaking like this. I think humility may be profitable to some people, but not to take our own way is profitable to all of God’s children.

  Finally, this kind of “house” church is not the house that is in the Scriptures. This kind of “house” church is a sect, a disguised sect. This kind of “house” church causes people to divide, not to unite. This kind of “house” church hurts the nature of the church while concealing its wound. This kind of “house” church builds up the individualism, lawlessness, and ambition for leadership in many. May the Lord have mercy on me for speaking in such a way. May He have mercy on His churches that they may not be damaged.

  Watchman

The way of migration

  Since the publication of the fourth issue of The Ministers, many of God’s children seem to have a feeling concerning migration. We have already received many letters asking about the matter of migration. We will now answer them as follows:

  1) The meaning of migration: Migration is a term used in the world. In the Bible migration is to “get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee” (Gen. 12:1; cf. Acts 7:3).

  2) The goal of migration: It is to preach the gospel to all the nations and to be the Lord’s witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth (Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8).

  3) The requirements for migration: We must have an inward burden for the gospel and a will to suffer. We must be willing to absolutely obey and to give our all for the gospel. If we do not give up everything, migration is not only meaningless, but a joyless suffering, and can even put us into turmoil.

  4) The preparations for migration: First, there is the spiritual preparation. We must resolve the matter of our consecration. All should live for the Lord and His gospel whether in life or death, through sweetness or bitterness. We must have a strong, thorough consecration. Second, there is preparation for the work. In our own locality we must first learn to preach the gospel, visit sinners, and do the individual work of leading people to the Lord. Third, there is the preparation of practical affairs. We must learn something about how to manage the church finances, care for the brothers and sisters, arrange baptisms, and accept people at the table meeting. Fourth, there is the preparation of our livelihood. We must be prepared to take up a skilled trade (such as barber, cobbler, tailor, toothpaste maker, soap maker, chandler, weaver, coppersmith, farmer, or rancher). Those who migrate must engage in some form of production work. We must be able to at least support ourselves, and it is better if we can contribute to the support of others. The worst thing that can happen is for a person to migrate not for the gospel but for solving his personal problem with his livelihood. Some may even think that if they migrate, they will not have to work again and others will take care of their living.

  5) The areas for migration: We must be certain that we migrate to places with people to whom we can preach the gospel. Do not migrate to the wilderness or a valley in the mountains where there is no one to hear the gospel. Thus, we should first concentrate on the areas with big cities. If there are brothers and sisters who want to migrate, it would be most appropriate for them to go to Shenyang or Ch’ang-ch’un in Manchuria; Sian, Lanchow, or Tihua in the Northwest; Hankow, Chungking, or Ch’eng-tu along the Yangtze River; and Kweichow or K’un-ming in the Southwest. It is best if we are able to first contact the church in the locality we want to migrate to and make some arrangements.

  6) The practice of migration: It is all right if we want to go out alone. If the brothers and sisters can go out corporately, it is best if they have all things in common and work together in one accord for the gospel. (Anyone who has not made a thorough consecration and does not meet the requirements for migration should absolutely not be part of a group which has all things in common.) If we cannot live with all things in common, but want to migrate individually, then it is best if we migrate to a locality with a church. At the same time, if there are members of our family who do not agree with us, do not force migration on them. We must put it into the Lord’s hands and wait with patience for the Lord’s arrangement in our environment.

  7) The result of migration: Those who migrate for the sake of the gospel in this way are Christians who have been uprooted from the world. They are consecrated Christians, those who love the Lord. Another result of migration is the spread of the gospel.

  May God strengthen the way of migration so that all the brothers and sisters in all the churches would be able to give and expend their all for the total outreach of the gospel. For the sake of carrying the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth, it is right for each church to have fifty to one hundred brothers and sisters coordinating together to migrate to various places. If we practice this, the glorious dawning will soon be here!

  Chang Yu-zhiMay 3, 1950

A few thoughts about migration

  1) Because the migration of the church is for the gospel, the motive for migrating must match the goal. Migration cannot be done with any other motive.

  2) Those migrating must have a mind to suffer. Without such a mind, it is best not to move, or you will become a problem to the group.

  3) Those migrating must give up their all. They cannot keep anything for themselves and cannot insist on any personal rights. All must be done with the “house” as the center.

  4) The qualification for the responsible ones in each house must center on their spiritual condition. Their ability to manage affairs should not be the criteria for their selection. (It is best if they have both.) Internal unity has much to do with spiritual leadership. Abilities should be channeled under the direction of the houses to meet the various needs.

  Brother Wei

The history of the churches in Wenchow and the surrounding areas

  Twenty years ago Brother Wang Tian-zuo and Brother Chang Wu-seng went to the first conference in Shanghai and brought the revival fire to P’ing Yang. At that time Brother Wang Yu-ting received the light of the truth and started the Lord’s table at Chiaotunmen. This was the first assembly in the Lord’s name in Wenchow and the surrounding areas. In the fall of that year, the two brothers and Brother Chang sent a letter of invitation to Brother Chai Ji-ching with Brother Mao Ching-shi from Taishun, and more than ten brothers from Pumen including Brother Su Ti-sheng, Brother Chin Zhi-fang, and Brother Su Jie-min came in one accord to Chiaotunmen for a ten-day conference. The conference was very strong, and there was indeed the supply of life. After the conference, the brothers went to Fanshan, Mazhan, Leejiajing, Channei, and Nansungyang to build up the local churches. When the brothers arrived in Pumen, they met Brother Wu Zheng-zhong. He also received the light and invited Brother Chai and Brother Mao to pass through Fuding on their way back to Taishun. This produced the meeting in Sanjiaocheng and meetings in the Lord’s name in the Taishun area.

  In January 1929, a second conference was held. Brother Chen Ching-fa, Brother Huang Li-chuan, and Brother Dai Yun-zhang, who received the light earlier, joined this conference. In the third year, at the third prayer meeting, Brother Lin Wei-zhong, Brother Wang Zhu-you, and Brother Cheng Tseng-yu, all who had previously received the light, joined the rank of the brothers. In the previous three conferences, all felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, and all witnessed the tremendous working of the Spirit. During every meeting, saints cried out in tears to God, asking Him to open their spiritual eyes so that they could see His plan and heart’s desire and so that all the believers could arrive at the oneness of the faith.

  In 1931 there was a ten-day conference in Jinxiang. The responsible ones from all the localities and many of the co-workers from P’ing Yang attended it. After this conference, many localities heard the news and were raised up. In 1933 Brother Wang Yu-ting went to Yungjia and Brother Pan Huo-ling was enlightened. Next, Brother Wang Jin-yi went to Rian and Tsengduichun and began meetings in the Lord’s name in those places.

  As we look back over the abundant grace received from the Lord and see that there are more than one hundred miniature local churches, we cannot refrain from praising and giving glory to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The only problem is that the present situation is not as good as the past. Furthermore, many of the co-workers, such as Brothers Chai Tze-ching, Wang Tian-zuo, Wang Jin-yi, Wang Yu-ting, Chang Ming-hua, Pan Huo-ling, Lee Shu-ren, Chen Ching-fa, Fu Xuan-gao, and Sister Huang Lan-ru, have all left this world to be with the Lord. We who remain are young, weak, useless members who really need the supply of prayer from the brothers and sisters in other localities.

The open door (The ministers is now combined into this paper.)

  NATURE: To show the way to serve, to help the serving ones and the churches in the different localities go on, and to solve problems related to the ministry.

  FREQUENCY: We publish irregularly. (The burden of materials and labor is not light. We are looking to the Lord, and whenever His supply is sufficient to publish an issue, we will publish it.)

  PRICE: We have no set price.

  SUBSCRIPTIONS: All who wish to subscribe to this publication should clearly write their name, address, and number of copies requested and send it to The Gospel Book Room, P. O. Box 5008, Shanghai.

  ATTENTION: 1) When subscribing, please write neatly and make sure the address is clear. 2) When changing your address, your name must be the same as when you first subscribed. It is best if you can also send us the number from the wrapper of your copy.

  WIRING MONEY: If God’s children could help with the costs of publication according to the amount God has given them, we would be happy to accept it. If you are wiring money, please wire it to Gospel Book Room Shipping Office, 145 Nanyang Road, Shanghai. If you are wiring money through the post office, you will need to write our branch name. Please mark it: Jingan Temple.

1. A map of the churches near the fuding and wenchow areas

Please spend a few minutes to read this announcement from the publisher

  1) From this year, we hope to resume publication of The Christian and The Present Testimony. Hence, The Way will be merged with The Christian, and The Testimony will be merged with The Present Testimony. However, The Christian and The Present Testimony will be published irregularly and at no fixed price. (There are no stock copies of back issues of either The Christian or The Present Testimony.)

  2) There are still copies of the sixth through eighth issues of Collection of Newsletters, the second and third issues of The Ministers, and the second through fourth issues of The Testimony. Those who want copies should send one thousand yuan postage to us. We will limit it to one copy per person until all have been given out.

  3) We apologize that there are no more back issues of The Open Door.

  The Gospel Book Room, P. O. Box 5008, ShanghaiJune 1950