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Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 1:1; 6:16; 8:1, 18-19, 23-24; 11:8, 28
As we have pointed out, 2 Corinthians is an improvement over the first book in the experience of Christ, in the spirit, and in the church. Furthermore, the gifts spoken of in the first book are replaced by the ministry in the second book. In this chapter we want to see the churches in 2 Corinthians.
We all must improve from knowing the church in a general way, or a so-called universal way, to knowing it in a local, specific, and practical way. Many Christians do not know anything about the church. Some Christians know something about the church, yet they know only about the universal church. But there is a small number of Christians who not only know the church but also know the local churches.
The universal church is more or less something in doctrine, in teaching, and in theory. But the churches are the practicality of the universal church. Many Christian teachers have spoken many messages and have written many expositions on the book of Ephesians regarding the church. Of all the expositions that have been written regarding the church, the majority are on Ephesians. But when we move from Ephesians to 2 Corinthians, we move from the church to the churches. There are very few expositions on the book of 2 Corinthians. The church, we may say, is the ABCs, while the churches are more advanced. Some have said that 2 Corinthians shows us the sufferings of the apostle Paul. This is true, but they do not see the reason that Paul suffered. Paul was suffering for the churches. You may have been taught about the church, but have you ever been taught about the churches? To know the churches is a great improvement. Some of us may know the church only in a doctrinal, general, weak, and even vague way. But we do not know the churches in a practical, particular, and specific way. We need to go on from knowing the church in Ephesians to knowing the churches in 2 Corinthians.
The word churches, in the plural number, is used many times in the book of 2 Corinthians. In Ephesians there is only the church in the singular number, not the churches. In 2 Corinthians 1:1 the church is mentioned in the singular number, but that is the church which is at Corinth, not in the universe. Besides this verse, all the references to the church in this book are in the plural number — churches. Verse 1 of chapter 8 refers to the churches in Macedonia. Verse 18 of the same chapter mentions a brother who was praised in the gospel throughout all the churches, and verse 19 says that this brother was chosen by the churches. In verse 23 we read of the messengers, or apostles, of the churches, and in verse 24 the Corinthians were exhorted to show before the churches the proof of their love. In 11:8 Paul said that he robbed other churches, and in verse 28 that he bore anxiety for all the churches. He had many burdens that pressed upon him daily, and they were the care for all the churches. In 12:13 Paul asked the Corinthians if they were inferior to other churches. It is all the time the churches, not the church.
We cannot find one instance of the word church in 2 Corinthians in the sense of the universal church. There are altogether eight verses with the word churches. Have you ever noticed them? I venture to say that many have not. They have noticed the church but not the churches. They have begun, but they have not advanced. Second Corinthians is not the beginning; it is the advance in the local churches.
Do not think that I am boasting or being critical. It is a fact that many Christians know the church but not the churches because they have not improved. It is abundantly clear in the Word that the churches are a step beyond the church. With the church we are in doctrine, in theory, but with the churches we come into the practice and reality. Many speak about the church as the Body of Christ, about the Body life and the Body ministry. Some speak of the New Testament church. But where is the reality of the local church life? Some even speak despitefully of the local church. If they are right, we had better remove 2 Corinthians from the New Testament. This book is full of the local churches.
Every truth in the Bible develops progressively, and the truth of the church is no exception. The church was first mentioned by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 16 (v. 18). That was the seed. But immediately after chapter 16, the Lord touched the local aspect of the church. In chapter 16 there is the church, while in chapter 18 there is the church in a locality, the church to which you can go. If you have some problem, you must “tell it to the church” (v. 17). Then in the book of Acts we see the growing up of this seed into all the local churches — the church in Jerusalem (8:1), the church in Antioch (13:1), etc. Following this, in the Epistles there is the definition of the church. Finally, in 2 Corinthians and in Revelation, the local churches are strongly emphasized. The local churches are the harvest of the truth concerning the church.
With the teaching regarding this matter in the Bible, there is no ambiguity. It is exceedingly clear. By constant repetition and emphasis the Lord has driven this matter home. The final confirmation is in Revelation 1:11: “What you see write in a scroll and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamos and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” There are seven cities with seven churches — not seven churches in one city, but seven churches in seven cities. There should be one church in one city, and one city for one church. Nothing could be clearer.
The book of 1 Corinthians tells us something about the local church, but it is not very extensive, and it is mostly in the way of teaching. In 2 Corinthians, however, we do not have the teaching of the church, but the real practice of the church. We do need the teaching, but we cannot do without the practice. In certain high-school and college courses, there is first a lecture and then a lab. The lab is where the lecture is put into practice, and it is certainly an improvement, practically speaking, upon the lecture. One is in theory, and the other is in practice. Let us see the practice of the church in the book of 2 Corinthians.
In 1:1 there is a compound subject — the apostle Paul and Timothy. It is not the apostle Paul with Brother Timothy, but the apostle Paul and Brother Timothy. They are writing to the church of God which is in Corinth with all the saints. They are not writing to the church and all the saints, but to the church with all the saints. The saints cannot be on the same level as the church. The saints belong to the church and are included in the church; therefore, the apostle uses the word with. The saints are not the unit; only the church is the unit. It is not the church in Corinth and all the saints but the church in Corinth with all the saints. Timothy could be on the same level as the apostle Paul, but the saints could not be on the same level as the church. You are not a unit; you are part of a unit. You belong to the church; the church is the unit. Second Corinthians is for the local church and for those in the local churches.
Beginning from chapter 8, all the references to the church are plural in number. Verse 1 of chapter 8 says that the grace of God was given in the churches of Macedonia. Macedonia was a province of the Roman Empire, just as California is a state of the United States. In one province there were many churches. In the one state of California, there can also be many churches, such as the church in Los Angeles, the church in San Francisco, the church in Sacramento, etc. The churches in California are not the churches in Los Angeles, just as the churches of Macedonia were not the churches in Thessalonica, one of the cities of Macedonia. Corinth was a city belonging to Achaia, which was another province, south of Macedonia. In one city there can only be one church; but in one province there can be many churches, because in one province there are many cities.
The grace of God given in the churches refers to the giving of material things. If we give something for the need of other saints or for the need of other churches, this is giving grace. Sometimes we think that as far as our giving is concerned, it has nothing to do with the church, but I am burdened to tell you that even this should be related to the church. It must not be an independent thing. By this we may realize how much the saints in the early days were possessed by the churches. They did not do their giving by themselves; they did it in the churches and through the churches.
In 8:18 we read of a brother whose praise in the gospel was throughout all the churches. Not only the church in one place would say that this brother was marvelous, but also all the churches. If you are praised by only one church, there may be a problem. The church in Los Angeles may praise you, but what about the church in San Francisco and the church in Sacramento? Your praise must be throughout all the churches. One church could be wrong, but it is hard for all the churches to be wrong. If all the churches say that a certain brother is not good, it certainly means that this brother is not good. If all the churches speak well of a certain brother, it is real proof that this brother is good in the Lord. It is not an individualistic matter; it is a real Body matter.
Verse 19 of this same chapter says that this brother was selected by the churches. It is easy to be selected by the Lord, for the Lord is the only One. But it is rather difficult to be selected by the churches. Some church may like you, but some may not. Some may say Amen to you, but some may not. Yet here it says that this brother was selected by the churches. It is really a Body matter.
Brothers and sisters, have you seen such a thing on the earth today? Here is the improvement from the church to the churches. Yes, every local church has its own administration, but still the churches are one. What a beautiful and marvelous sight! This is a real improvement.
Some may say, “We are the church in Los Angeles. Let us alone. You are the church in San Francisco. Don’t interfere with us; don’t bother us.” In a sense, each of the churches is local in its administration, but we need to realize that all the churches should be one. We are not unified or organized to be one, but if we mean business to practice the real church life, all the local churches will be one. There is no organization, no control, no center, yet the many local churches are one. This is indeed marvelous!
In 8:23 some brothers are spoken of as the apostles of the churches. This means that they are the ones sent by the churches, and they are the glory of Christ. It is not just a matter between you and the Lord, nor between you and your local church, but between you and the local churches. If you are sent out, it is not only by your local church but by the churches. All the churches agree in this one thing.
Then the apostle, in verse 24, advised the church in Corinth to show the proof of their love to all the churches. We are to show something for the Lord in the sight of all the churches. It is very practical. We do need a practical church life.
In 11:8 we see how frank and how absolutely unpolitical the apostle Paul was. He said, “I robbed other churches, taking wages for the ministry to you.” I love the apostle Paul for his frankness. In 12:13 we see the same thing. He was so genuine. Brothers and sisters, in the church life we need to be genuine and frank. Do not think that this is a small matter. In the church life you cannot tell a brother to his face that he is good, and then behind his back say that he is not good. If there is no need to say anything, it is better not to say anything. Who are we to criticize? The Lord is the Judge. Whether brothers or sisters are right or wrong, the Lord knows. Leave this matter to the Lord. We must be wise and not say so many things criticizing this and that. But sometimes, as the leading ones, it is necessary to speak, not with the intent of criticizing, but with the burden of bearing responsibility. If I must say something about you, then whether in your presence or behind your back, I must speak according to the truth. We must learn the lesson of being genuine and frank. We must never say anything in two ways with two faces. If we say something, we must not speak loosely or lightly, but frankly in the presence of the Lord. Then we can have the church life.
If you are dealing with only one local church, it is comparatively easy to be two-faced and go undetected. But if more churches are involved, you will be exposed. How do you behave in Los Angeles, and how do you behave in San Francisco? If you are political, sooner or later you will be exposed. If you cannot be exposed in the first church, you will be exposed in the second. If not in the second, in the third or the fourth. Then your whole fabrication will collapse. The churches are the proving ground to us.
Finally, in 11:28 the apostle Paul said, “Apart from the things which have not been mentioned, there is this: the crowd of cares pressing upon me daily, the anxious concern for all the churches.” How much the apostle Paul cared for the churches! It says here that he cared for all the churches, not for the church. How practical Paul was!
We all need to know the churches, not just the church. It is more than worthwhile to sell ourselves for the local churches. I am so happy that I have been spoiled for everything else by this. I do not have any taste for anything but the local churches. May the Lord be merciful to us that we may all be so clear and practical.
In the Lord’s recovery of the experience of the church life, there is a progression. In the last century the Lord recovered the doctrine of the church through the Brethren. Then in the beginning of this century, the Lord recovered something more, that is, the spiritual principles, the spirituality, of the church. But this was still not so practical. Then after the year 1930, the Lord began to reveal the practicality of the church — not just the doctrine, not just the spirituality, but the practicality. The doctrine is certainly right and necessary. The spirituality is definitely right and necessary. The spirituality is definitely required and is even an improvement upon the doctrine. But in what way can we practice the church life? Must we wait until the New Jerusalem? No. The church life must be practiced today, and there is no other way but the local churches. Without the local churches, we cannot have the practical church life. There must be the churches.
It is interesting and regrettable to see how Christians in each stage of the Lord’s recovery of the church life have criticized and opposed those in the succeeding one. Those without the doctrine of the church criticized those who introduced it. Then those with the doctrine of the church opposed those who saw the spirituality of the church. Eventually, those who see the spirituality of the church criticize the matter of the practicality of the church. This is exactly the situation.
May the Lord be merciful to us that we may be in the forefront of His recovery.
