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In this chapter we first want to see the real and scriptural way for the elders to shepherd the churches. I am burdened for this because we have had a change in our practice of the church life. The Lord’s mercy has brought us through to our present situation. Even though I still expect to see more, I feel comforted that the Lord has brought His recovery into His ordained way. No one can deny that we are now in a changed situation.
But we need to see that for the fulfillment of the Lord’s ordained way, the eldership is crucial. Whether the new way will be a success or a failure all depends upon the eldership. The eldership is the key point, the crucial point. We need to see what the eldership should be and what the eldership should do in the Lord’s ordained way. I have the burden in this chapter to present a real need in the present situation in the Lord’s ordained way.
From the very beginning of the Lord’s recovery, we have seen very clearly that the practice of the local churches depends upon two things — the teaching and the eldership. The New Testament shows clearly that the building up of Christ’s Body is based upon the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). In Matthew 16:18 the Lord said, “Upon this rock I will build My church.” For centuries the interpretation of this rock has not been properly understood. The rock upon which the church is built is surely Christ Himself, but we need to consider the context of Matthew 16:18 to see something deeper. The Lord was asking His disciples who He was. Eventually, Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16). The Lord Jesus responded to Peter by telling him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens” (v. 17). The Lord was asking the disciples who He was, but eventually, what came out was a revelation concerning Christ being the rock. Therefore, the rock in Matthew 16, strictly speaking, does not refer to Christ directly but to the divine revelation concerning Christ.
We can see from the Epistles that the Body of Christ, expressed through the local churches in many localities, is built upon the revelation of Christ. The apostles’ teaching is the revelation. If we only had the four Gospels and Acts without the Epistles of the apostles in the New Testament, our knowledge concerning Christ would be limited. The Gospels tell us about Christ in His incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. The Epistles go on to tell us about God’s economy and His eternal plan to have the Body of Christ.
The Body of Christ is not directly covered in the four Gospels. Of course, in the Gospel of John the church is revealed as the Father’s house in chapter 14. The Lord said that in His Father’s house there are many abodes (v. 2). The many abodes are the many members of the Body of Christ (Rom. 12:5), which is God’s temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17). This is adequately proved by John 14:23, which says that the Lord and the Father will make an abode with the one who loves Him. The church is also revealed as the vine tree in chapter 15 and as the newborn child in chapter 16. But the church as the Body of Christ is not directly mentioned in the four Gospels. Without the Epistles we cannot see that Christ desires to have a Body.
John 3 shows us that Christ is the Bridegroom and the church is the bride as the enlargement and increase of the Groom. Of course, the Epistles show that the bride, the increase of Christ as the Groom, is the Body of Christ, the enlargement of Christ. This is like Eve being the enlargement of Adam, the increase of Adam. Eve is a type of the church as Christ’s counterpart to be His Body. Even though the bride is mentioned in John 3, we could not thoroughly understand who the bride is without the Epistles. The Body of Christ is clearly taught and unveiled in the apostles’ teaching.
Acts 2:42 says that all the newly saved ones were together to continue their life in the apostles’ teaching. The apostles’ teaching became the very sphere and element of the building up of the church. Ephesians 2:20 says that the church is being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. The revelation that the apostles and prophets received concerning Christ is considered the foundation upon which the church is built. The building of the church upon Christ as her foundation is according to the apostles’ and prophets’ revelation. I hope that we all can see this.
Many recognize that Christ as the rock is the foundation of the church. Christians today are divided, not over Christ as their foundation but by different teachings. The denominations are not built upon Christ according to the apostles’ teaching, but the building up of the local churches depends upon the apostles’ teaching.
Once we come together in the name of the Lord, taking Him as our foundation, what shall we do? To build up the church, the proper teaching is needed. When Brother Nee brought the recovery to us according to the revelation he had received at his time, he actually brought in the teaching. We all stood for the Lord according to his teaching. Of course, our standing and doing was according to the Bible. However, although the Bible is one, the interpretations are many. Christians have argued, for example, over the way to baptize people, and they have been divided because of this. This is just one example of many divisions over different teachings. The basic need for the building up of the Body of Christ is the apostles’ teaching. We should have no particular teaching other than the teaching of the apostles, which is the teaching concerning Christ’s person and redemptive work and concerning God’s economy in faith (2 John 9-11; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; Jude 3; Titus 1:4).
If we do not have the apostles’ teaching, what shall we do? This is like sailing without a compass. Without the apostles’ teaching, we do not have the compass, and we do not know the direction to take. Thank the Lord that in His recovery, by His mercy, we do have the apostles’ teaching. In the recovery He has given us this clear view.
The apostles’ teaching includes two main and crucial items. These items are revealed in Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 14. Ephesians 4 speaks of one Body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father (vv. 4-6). Many Christians would agree with these seven “ones.” But many would not agree with the revelation in verses 11 through 16. These verses are also a part of the apostles’ teaching as a continuation of the seven “ones.” They tell us that all the gifted persons are for the perfecting of the saints. Who practices this today? These verses also speak concerning the oneness of the faith and the winds of teaching. They go on to speak about the Body building itself up through the joints of supply and through each one part operating according to its measure. The application and practice of these verses cannot be seen in Christianity.
First Corinthians 14 is also a part of the apostles’ teaching. This chapter reveals that the church meetings are meetings of mutuality, not meetings with one person speaking and the rest listening. All the attendants in the meeting should be speakers. Where can such a thing be seen today? Without the practice of Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 14, how could the Body of Christ be built up? We must hold and practice the entire teaching of the apostles, without selection according to our preference.
The second need for the building up of the church is the eldership. The New Testament shows that the building up of the Body of Christ, including all the local churches, involves the gifted persons — the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers (Eph. 4:11-12). These are the ones who give the apostles’ teaching. The building up of the Body of Christ also involves the elders. It is the elders who put the apostles’ teaching into practice. The apostles teach not only the saints in the churches but also the elders of the churches. Then the elders put the apostles’ teaching into practice. The elders should never separate themselves from the apostles’ teaching. For the building up of the church, we need the apostles’ teaching and the eldership to practice it. We may have the apostles’ teaching, but what about the proper eldership to carry it out?
The eldership is altogether a matter of shepherding. The elders should shepherd the church and take care of the church according to the apostles’ teaching. The apostles’ teaching in the New Testament shows that Christ builds up His Body through all His members. Ephesians 4 shows that Christ as the ascended Head gave the gifted persons to perfect all the saints to do the same work that they do to build up the Body of Christ. This is the way that Christ takes to build up His Body. The gifted persons should not replace the other saints. They should teach and perfect the saints so that the saints can do the same thing that they do. Then all the members have a share in the building up of the Body. All the members should be put to use. Deformed Christianity puts most of the members aside and leaves the function to a special group of clergy.
We have to admit that over a period of time, we gradually drifted back to the practice of deformed Christianity. Eventually, the elders among us nearly replaced the saints. All the things of the church were in the hands of the elders and on the shoulders of the elders. The eventual result of this practice was that everyone was fired and replaced with a clergy. The saints were not replaced with Christ but replaced with the elders among us. I am concerned that although the way among us has been changed, our old practice actually still remains. The things concerning the building up of the Body of Christ are still mostly in the hands of the elders.
I would like to give a testimony of my experience in this matter. After the Second World War, the central government of nationalist China moved back to Nanking. In 1946 the saints in Nanking invited me to come and visit them. Eventually, they asked me to move there with my family to stay with them. I moved there in 1947. They had a meeting with me, which could have been considered as a meeting to initiate me into the service of the church there. I told them in the first message that I had a heavy burden to come to Nanking. Then I said that I was going to unload my burden and transfer it from my shoulders to their shoulders. While I was with them, I did this.
The elders should realize that the way that our Head, Christ, takes to build up His Body is to use all of His members. In Matthew 25 there is a parable about the Lord’s slaves. Some have five talents, some have two talents, and others have one talent. The Lord treasures the one-talented ones. The problem among us is that we trust too much in the five-talented and two-talented ones. By trusting too much in these two categories of people, we spontaneously and unconsciously annul the one-talented ones.
The God-ordained way, which has been brought into the Lord’s recovery in these recent years, is prevailing to recover the functioning of the members of the Body of Christ. This way annuls the clergy-laity system. Actually, this way revives and resurrects the “laity.” Through the God-ordained way the clergy is buried, and the laity is resurrected. I am concerned, however, that in some of the churches the eldership is still replacing the saints. In a certain locality many new ones may have come into the church. They may be full of joy and rejoicing, but after five years they may become calm. They become calm, and the leading brother who helped them becomes more active. If such a situation is to be resurrected, the so-called clergy must be buried, and all the saints must be resurrected.
In the previous chapter I was simple to stress that we need to have the individual, direct contact with sinners through the proper skill. A better machine sometimes requires higher skill to operate. In the Lord’s recovery the spreading of the gospel is a great thing. All sinners have been captured by God’s enemy, Satan. They are kept under Satan’s hand and in his kingdom. It is not that simple to get them out of his hand. This is the highest profession in the universe, and it requires the highest skill and the top technique.
Contacting people individually to transfer them into the kingdom of God is the highest spiritual “machine.” Today people need to learn to use the computer because this is the computer age; otherwise, they will not be able to work effectively. We also need to learn to preach the gospel. We cannot change the truth of the gospel, but the way to preach the gospel must be changed and improved according to the Lord’s way to meet His need. If we still remained in our old style of eldership, I would be very grieved. We need improvement. The truth can never be changed, but our practice should be improved all the time. The eldership in its shepherding is for the purpose of raising up all the saints, all the members, to function.
In our preaching of the gospel, we have to learn, but we may not have the heart to learn. We may be filled up with our old way. By God’s mercy and grace, we have agreed to take the new way, to let the church go on in this way. But I am concerned that our taking of the new way is still by the old way. Actually, the “cargo” is still the old way. We may have improved our way of preaching the gospel, but that improvement may still be in the old way. The practice of one man preaching and the rest listening is the practice of the old way. The new way is to contact sinners individually and directly. This is the “computer way.” I beg all of you who are for the recovery to learn this way.
In addition to learning the new way of preaching the gospel, we also need to be brought into the organic practice of prophesying for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ. There is a great need in the eldership today. If we are going to shepherd a church with the desire to make it living, we must know how to do two things in the “computer way” — gospel preaching and prophesying. Prophesying is not just a matter of standing up and releasing yourself by speaking in the meeting. There is a difference between prophesying, testifying, and ordinary speaking. Ordinary speaking is not prophesying. A person may speak a lot and still not prophesy. We may have the label of practicing 1 Corinthians 14, but in actuality, we do not have the practice of 1 Corinthians 14. Our label may say one thing, but the cargo is different from the label. If the elders want their church to be living, fresh, and even refreshing, they must know how to preach the gospel and prophesy. They themselves must do these two things. These are the terms for us to fulfill the need in our present situation.
Now I would like to say a word of love, advice, and warning. We should not think that we will abandon the churches that are in the old way. This is absolutely wrong. We will not abandon anyone or any church. Rather, we would still take care of them and help them. It does not matter whether a church is high or low, living or not living; it is still the church. We still have to bear the burden to take care of that church. We should never criticize, despise, or form parties. We must maintain the present churches. Otherwise, the Lord’s recovery is finished. If we lose the churches, we lose the recovery.
On the one hand, you elders must take care of the church and participate in the normal church life. On the other hand, you should practice the new way, the “computer way.” The elders should take the lead to practice the “computer way” of contacting sinners. Then within a short time your practice will influence others. Others will rise up to follow you. You do not need to make an announcement. You do not need to promote this in the meeting. On the one hand, you should just go along with the church. On the other hand, you should practice the “computer way” to save sinners. Nobody will condemn you as long as you do not promote, criticize, despise, or form parties among the saints. Rather, all will appreciate what you are doing.
There are a number of saints who will not be able to take this way, but they will still appreciate your taking of the new way. I appreciate all the saints who are able to use a computer, even though I myself do not use one. We should sympathize with the saints who do not feel that they can take the new way. But at least we should expect that one-fifth of the saints will take the “computer way.” If one-fifth take this way, the “computer age” will be brought in. Not everyone in the United States can use a computer, but many people can. The using of the computer is gradually spreading into all parts of society. At the initial stage I only expect one-fifth of the saints in the church to know and practice the “computer way.” I believe that this will issue in a thirty percent increase yearly.
This fellowship is very crucial. We need to be the forerunners who take the new way, the God-ordained way. We all need the Lord’s grace to have a change in our concept in shepherding the church. First, you have to release everything concerning the church out of your hand, and let the saints share in these things. You need to be revolutionized with this thought. It is hard to ask the saints to take the “computer way” if you do not take it first. You should take the lead to learn the “computer.” Then the “computer age” will come into the Lord’s recovery. Our way of contacting sinners is the most effective and quick way. This way will change the entire structure of the Lord’s recovery.
There are some churches in the recovery that have had about the same number for over ten years. The saints merely come together in a routine way every week. There is no “new blood,” no new element. Today we need the spreading and the increase. I hope that within the next few years there will be more local churches in the United States. I beg you elders to have a change in your concept, in your view. Then you should sacrifice something for the Lord to learn these two things — the “computer way” of preaching the gospel and the “computer way” of prophesying. You do not need to promote these two things. You do not need to charge the saints or rebuke them for not prophesying in the meetings. You should take the lead to learn. Then others will follow you, and you can encourage them.
You must contact some of the saints meeting with you to shepherd them. Shepherd them into the proper morning revival and daily victory. On the one hand, you should practice this. On the other hand, you should go to tutor the saints one by one. We need to contact sinners one by one and tutor the saints one by one. Our work should be a one-by-one work. Gradually, you will gain someone to do what you are doing. If you elders expect the church to be revived in a general way, it will never happen. This has been an unfulfilled dream in Christianity for centuries. You should work on people one by one. Go to contact sinners one by one and go to tutor the saints one by one. You do not need to give messages in the meeting to encourage them, advise them, or rebuke them. Do not rebuke, charge, or impose things on them. Just do it yourself directly. Then you will see a change in your meeting every week. If you tutor the saints one by one, you will gradually gain a good number of saints to function in the meetings. This is how to shepherd the church in the God-ordained way.
I am also concerned about the lack of fellowship among the churches in the Lord’s recovery. Our giving to meet the need of the churches should be done by individuals and by the churches in fellowship. We do not have the practice of centralization, especially in financial matters. If the church in your locality has a burden for another church, you should just give directly to them. Then you will be in fellowship with the church to whom you gave the gift, and they will be brought into fellowship with you. The New Testament shows that the apostle Paul had the burden to help the churches in Judea in their financial need, and he brought the other churches into this burden. This practice was to help the churches to communicate, to fellowship, with one another directly. We need more fellowship among the churches today. We also need a number of brothers in the work to travel through the needy churches to have fellowship with them and to bring them into the fellowship. There is the need for the “blood circulation,” the fellowship, to reach all the parts of the Body.
Many of us need to go out to get acquainted with the churches. The circulation of the spiritual blood will become a strong factor in the Body to neutralize all the differences and take away any troubles. Perhaps some in certain areas may be afraid of being confused if others come to visit them. But there is nothing in the New Testament which indicates that the apostles tried to avoid confusion by exclusion. According to Paul’s writing, we realize that Apollos was not fully one with him in the work. Apollos was somewhat a factor of confusion, but Paul still recommended him (1 Cor. 16:12).
Based on this I want to advise us to open up our city, our region, and our country to the recovery, to all the saints. In the seven epistles to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, the word of the Lord to a particular church is the word of the Spirit to all the churches. On the one hand, in the eyes of the Lord, all the churches are distinct, but on the other hand, they are all the same. The Lord’s way is not to federate the churches, nor is it that the churches should be independent and separate from one another. All the churches should be dependent on one another and help one another.
Some of the co-workers may want to keep their locality or area of the country independent and, to some extent, isolated. According to our history, when this happened in the past, turmoil came out of these isolated areas and cities. Through the Lord’s mercy, the recovery has reached every major continent. It is hard for the recovery to go on if we are lacking in communication, in fellowship. But to have fellowship, to have communication, we must try our best to avoid controlling. When we fellowship with other churches, we should not have the consideration of being under them. No church is under any other church. All the churches are on the same level. On the other hand, none of the workers should have the thought of controlling the churches that they visit.
All the churches need to be open to the fellowship in the Body. There are no Californian churches or Texan churches. In the Lord’s recovery we have to be fully open to the Lord and open to one another. We should not be afraid that some different practices or teachings will come to our place. We need more fellowship among the churches. This will neutralize the differences among us. If you have been working in one place for years, it might be good for you to take the initiative to go to another place. One brother among us was captured for the church life in Odessa, Texas. Then he went to Los Angeles, to Anaheim, to San Bernardino, and back to Anaheim again. His going to San Bernardino was a great help to himself and to others.
I hope that my fellowship in these two chapters will impress you and protect you in the Lord’s recovery and in His ordained way so that the Lord would use His recovery through His ordained way to build up His Body. If you keep yourself isolated in your environment and situation, that will be a loss to you and to the Lord’s interest. Furthermore, if you do not strive and struggle by sacrificing to pay the price to learn the “computer way” in contacting people for the gospel and in prophesying for the building up of the church, you will be behind in the Lord’s move. The Lord’s move is going on. To be kept in the Lord’s recovery we must keep ourselves open to one another. Moreover, the only way that can speed us up into the Lord’s age, the Lord’s move with the God-ordained way, is for us to pay the price and endeavor to enter into the practice of the new way, the “computer way.”
