Scripture Reading: Eph. 4:1-3; 5:21; 1 Pet. 5:5; Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25; Rom. 15:6
In this chapter we want to see more concerning knowing the Body. If we want to be those who are in the practicality of the Body, we need to keep the oneness of the Body and maintain a good order in the Body. Although the verses in the Scripture Reading may be familiar to us, I would like to point out two of them. Ephesians 5:21 says, “Being subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” First Peter 5:5 says, “In like manner, younger men, be subject to elders; and all of you gird yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
In the previous chapter I touched three problems that have been among us — pride (mostly among the young people), heroism (mostly among the middle-aged), and opinions (mostly among the older ones). In our fellowship in this chapter, we want to address a few problems that have been existing among us for years. Until these problems are solved and removed, the church life will not have much peace, and the recovery will be greatly devastated. We expect to have the proper increase and the growth in life. But due to these problems the church has been greatly limited in the increase and delayed in the growth in life.
Throughout the years we have found out that regardless of how much we teach about the oneness of the Body, some among us would not take care of this oneness. When I was in the Lord’s work in mainland China, I saw a number of turmoils. Thank the Lord that I was preserved from any involvement in these turmoils. Eventually, the Lord sent me to Taiwan. In Taiwan there was one serious turmoil that took place from 1957 to 1965. In 1978 we had a turmoil in the recovery in the United States. Then nine years later, in 1987, we had a second turmoil. This turmoil is still lingering among us. It has not altogether passed away. Because of this, I want us to see the root of this problem. The source, or the root, of this present turmoil is the carelessness in our regard for the oneness of the Body. We have taught much concerning the Body, and we have printed many books concerning the Body, but when a certain situation arises, not many would take care of the Body. To take care of the Body is to take care of the oneness. If the oneness is gone, the Body is finished. No oneness, no Body. The Body can only exist and survive in the oneness.
Today in all of Christianity, the reality of the Body is absent because there is no oneness. In the Catholic Church there is a so-called oneness that is humanly manufactured. The word catholic means “universally one.” This so-called oneness has been maintained by the organizational papal system. This is a man-made, manufactured oneness. This is not the real oneness. After Luther was raised up by the Lord, the state, or national, churches were eventually formed, such as the Church of Germany, the Church of Sweden, the Church of Denmark, the Church of Norway, and the Church of England. Through the formation of these national churches and the Protestant denominations, the oneness was slaughtered. Because the Lord’s seeking ones realized that the Catholic Church and the national churches were off, they tried their best to keep the truth that they had seen and to recover this truth. As a result, division after division was continually formed. Based upon this principle, the Presbyterian Church came into existence because some desired to keep the truth of the presbytery. This is the truth concerning the churches being managed and administrated under a group of elders. The Baptists saw the truth of baptism by immersion, so they formed the Baptist Church. Even the Baptists are divided among themselves. Today there are the Southern Baptists, the American Baptists, and the Conservative Baptists. There are many, many so-called private churches today. There are also many free groups.
In the eighteenth century Zinzendorf took the lead in the recovery of the initial stage of the church life in the unity of the Holy Spirit. In the nineteenth century the British Brethren were raised up by the Lord, and they saw many truths. However, they were too occupied with doctrine according to the letter. Due to this they were divided. The first division among them took place because of a disagreement between Darby and Newton over the person of Christ and over the rapture and second coming of Christ.
Another problem among the Brethren was concerning whether or not the recovered church should receive those saints who still remained in the denominations. George Müller felt that these saints should be received. He pointed out that some who remained in the denominations, such as Hudson Taylor, were spiritual, seeking after the Lord, and living a high standard of the Christian life. Hudson Taylor tried his best to avoid the formation of another denomination. The China Inland Mission that he formed was a mission established for going into the interior of China to save sinners. Despite what Hudson Taylor endeavored to do, China Inland Mission churches were eventually formed, established, and built up. Thus, according to the view of the Brethren, Hudson Taylor formed another denomination. Darby argued that such people might be spiritual, but because they still remained in the denominations, they had to be called evil companions. This debate concerning the receiving of the saints caused further division among the Brethren.
At this point in our fellowship concerning knowing the Body, I would like to add a word concerning those saints whom the Lord used to recover the experiences of the inner life. Madame Guyon was the one who took the lead in this recovery in the seventeenth century. However, although she was so spiritual and in life, she still went to the image of Mary. The preface of her biography says something concerning her doing this. When we translated this biography into Chinese over fifty years ago, a brother among us had the thought of including this preface, but we did not agree with this. Her life with the Lord was very good, but the truth was not that complete to her. We could not publish such a preface in the Chinese version of her biography. I am sharing this to impress us that we should not trust in people’s spirituality. Spirituality is conditional. How spiritual is it to be spiritual? If you say that someone is very good, how good is very good? You may be very spiritual today, but how will you be ten years later? Because spirituality is conditional, it should not be taken as a base or as a standard. The base and the standard must be the truth. The truth is not conditional. It is the fact.
In 1957 Brother T. Austin-Sparks came to us in Taiwan for the second time. We had a few sessions with him to talk about the matter of spirituality and the truth concerning the church. Dr. Chang Yu-lan, who is now with the Lord, pointed out that there were a number of meetings in Taipei, all of which claimed to meet in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then he asked Brother T. Austin-Sparks which one of these meetings could be considered as the church in Taipei. Brother T. Austin-Sparks said strongly that the ones who have more of Christ are the ones who are more the church. At first I thought I should not be involved in this discussion, since I was the translator. Eventually, I realized that I had to say something; otherwise, the issue would not be resolved.
I pointed out that Christ is the element, the reality, and the center of the church. Because of this, we might mistakenly think that those who have more of Christ are more the church. Although this seems to be correct, I showed that this was wrong. I pointed out the example of Madame Guyon. She had much of Christ, but she still remained in the Catholic Church. Could we say that because she had much of Christ, she was right concerning the church? Then I pointed out how Brother T. Austin-Sparks referred to F. B. Meyer in his messages. Although F. B. Meyer was very spiritual, he still remained in a denomination. He worked for and built up that denomination. Could we say that because Brother Meyer had much of Christ, he was right concerning the church? My speaking refuted what Brother T. Austin-Sparks said. My illustrations showed that we should not say that the more of Christ you have, the more you are the church.
Brother T. Austin-Sparks visited us in Taiwan in 1955 and in 1957. He took many pictures during his first visit, and he showed these slides to people when he returned to England. He said that in his entire life, he never had such a marvelous congregation as he had in Taiwan. He visited us again in 1957, and this was when the problem with him arose over the truth concerning the ground of the church. When he returned, he told people that I was too much for the church ground. I told people, however, that I was not yet enough for the church ground. The church should be measured by the ground of locality and by the reality of the Spirit of oneness. It should not be measured by people’s spirituality. Spirituality is relative and conditional.
Brother T. Austin-Sparks’s second visit to us created a big problem, and all the saints were tested. Some young co-workers who were raised up and taught by me were influenced by him. One of these young co-workers was even saved through me in Shanghai. They began to say that they just wanted Christ and did not care for the church. To just want Christ and not care for the church is divisive. Regardless of how much you care for Christ and have experienced Christ, if you meet in a way that does not care for the truth of the church, your meeting is a division.
These divisive ones proclaimed that they had seen the church in glory. They condemned me and some other brothers as old men who did not have visions. They felt that they had the vision. I had a long talk with them. I told them that if they did not take care of the truth concerning the church, especially the church ground, they would be divided again and again after they left the recovery. What I said to them came to pass.
I began to warn them in 1959, and we tolerated them until 1965. During those years they were causing trouble among the churches. The leading brothers wrote me a letter in 1965 asking me to return to Taiwan from the United States to solve this problem. They said that I was the only person who had the ground, the position, and the right to deal with this problem because the work in Taiwan was started by the Lord through me. I eventually returned to Taiwan in 1965, and this problem with these rebellious ones was solved.
How can such things take place among us? They can take place because the ones involved do not care for the Body, for the oneness. Regardless of how many visions someone has seen, he has no right to build up any division. I hope that we all can see this. Paul and Peter encountered the trouble concerning circumcision recorded in Acts 15, but they did not have any division. They tried their best to get the problem solved in order to keep the oneness of the Body of Christ, that is, the oneness of all the local churches in both the Jewish and Gentile territories. Thus, the churches kept the oneness, and there was no division. In 1987 rebellion and division began to occur with certain ones among us. Even if the accusations they made were true, however, that cannot be built up as a case to justify their division. One leading brother asked one of these rebellious ones about their meeting as a division in Anaheim. This one said that he would remove this division from Anaheim. But it does not matter where it is removed to. Wherever it is, it is still a division.
I must testify in honesty that I have been commissioned by the Lord to carry His truth and bring His recovery to the United States. The recovery is based upon the truth that Christ has only one Body. Even if these divisive ones move to a city in which there is not a church, they have to be checked concerning what kind of relationship they have with the other churches. One of the tests of a genuine local church is that it should have universal fellowship with all the other local churches.
When these dissenting ones came to me, I told them that regardless of what they did, I would not make any division or set up new churches. But I also told them that I would not tolerate anything that was against the truth. Later, they began to say that once an apostle establishes churches and appoints elders in them, he should keep his hands off these churches. I pointed out that Paul did not keep his hands off the church in Ephesus. He established the church in Ephesus, appointed elders there, and went back to Ephesus. He stayed there at one time for three and a half years (Acts 20:17, 31). When he could not go to them personally, he wrote to them (Eph. 1:1). How could the apostles be commissioned only to set up the churches without building them up? This is altogether illogical and unscriptural.
When I shared this, they had no ground to teach concerning the so-called autonomy of a local church as put forth by G. H. Lang in his book The Churches of God. The church is not an organization that can practice autonomy. Even the United States, a nation of organization, cannot have absolute autonomy. In this country the states do not have an autonomous defense, diplomacy, or postal system. The postal system, the diplomacy, and the defense of the country are national matters. Even in a nation like the United States, absolute autonomy cannot be practiced. The ones in this recent rebellion taught this because they wanted me to stay away from the churches. Their teaching issued in division.
Later, one of them said that there was not only one apostle but also a number of apostles. He said that he could present a list of the brothers among us who were apostles. Another brother asked him for this list. All the ones on this list had been my students. After this I went to Taiwan and gave a message on the different kinds of apostles (see chapter 2 of A Timely Trumpeting and the Present Need). Because of what I presented, they changed and said that there were only twelve apostles — eleven plus Paul. They said that the one selected in Acts 1, Matthias, was a wrong one. This was the old teaching of the Brethren. We knew this and rejected it many years ago. Brother Nee rejected this wrong teaching in The Normal Christian Church Life (see chapter 1). When they got to know this, they eventually said that there were no apostles. I said in the past that all the saints could function as apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers. This shows that the ones involved in this recent rebellion do not care for the truth. They do not care for the oneness, for the Body of Christ. We should not do anything without taking care of the Body.
To keep the oneness of the Body is actually to keep the oneness of the Spirit because the Spirit is the reality and the essence of the Body. Paul says in Ephesians 4:3 that we should keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. Christ has abolished on the cross all the differences due to ordinances. In so doing, He has made peace for His Body. This peace should bind all believers together, thus becoming the uniting bond. There should never be any kind of fighting within the church. We need to keep the oneness by remaining in the uniting bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:2 says that we need to keep the oneness with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing one another in love. Lowliness is to remain in a low estate, and meekness is to not fight for oneself. We should have these two virtues in dealing with ourselves. Long-suffering is to endure mistreatment. We should have this virtue in dealing with others. By these virtues we bear one another. You have to bear me, and I have to bear you. This is what it means to walk worthily of the Lord’s calling (v. 1b).
Any division annuls the Body. If the Body is annulled, the oneness is killed. Then the recovery is gone. What is the Lord’s recovery? The Lord’s recovery is the recovery of the oneness of the Body of Christ.
In addition to keeping the oneness of the Body, we need to maintain a good order in the Body. The church is the highest entity in the universe with the top standard. Thus, we need to have a beautiful, pleasant order among us. If there is a problem among us, we have to take care of it in a biblical way. When a problem arose concerning circumcision, Paul and the brothers with him took care of it in the proper way. Acts 15 speaks of their going to see the brothers in Jerusalem. They came together in a proper way to give testimonies and to seek the Lord’s leading. Eventually, the decision was made through Peter by James. Through Peter’s testimony and by James’s word, a conclusion was reached. They said that this conclusion seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to them (v. 28). This shows that the conclusion reached was by them and by the Spirit. This is the right way to solve a problem in the churches. We need to come together properly, pray, study the Word, and make a decision. By taking care of Christ and by taking care of His Body, we will avoid division, keep the oneness, and maintain a good order in the Body. I feel I must say this because another turmoil may suddenly rise up among us. We should not repeat anything of the past. Let us come together with an open spirit to pray together, get into the Word, and check our situation with the Word in fellowship. Then we can get a divine answer. This is the right way.
To keep a pleasant, good, and beautiful order in the recovery, we need to be subject to one another in the fear of Christ (Eph. 5:21). Not only should the younger ones be subject to the older ones, but also the older ones should be subject to the younger ones (1 Pet. 5:5). The elders should not be a special class in the church. Peter charges them to not lord it over the church (v. 3). On the other hand, the saints should respect the elders. The younger ones should respect the older ones, and the older ones should also respect the younger ones. The wives should respect the husbands, and the husbands should also respect the wives. Our subjection with respect is a mutual thing.
Not being subject to one another offends Christ as the Head. Actually, not being subject to one another is rebellion against the Head. This means that we have no fear of Christ in His headship. Paul tells us that we need to be subject to one another in the fear of Christ, who is the Head. Only the Head is superior. Only the Head should be unique and different from the Body. None of the members, even the apostle Paul, is in a special or super class.
Being subject to one another is the way to keep the one accord (Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25; Rom. 15:6). Even if your way is better, you should still take the other brother’s way. Otherwise, there will be no one accord. If you are going to a place that has previously been under the work of some other co-workers, you should find out what has been taught by them. Then you should go along with them. If you do not care for what they have taught or done in the past and teach according to your preference, you will make trouble. We should always try to maintain a good, beautiful, nice, and pleasant order among us.
In February 1986, when I spoke concerning the one accord, I said that if some did not choose to take the God-ordained way, they should not criticize or oppose it. Otherwise, they would cause division. Thank the Lord that the church in Taipei has been fully turned to the God-ordained way. This turn was made after seven years of labor and ministry. When I returned to Taipei in 1984, we did not change the way to have the church meetings until more than three years later. Then we realized that the time was right to change from the way of one man speaking and the rest listening. We began to have a prophesying meeting, in which every attendant has equal opportunity to speak for the Lord. Thank the Lord that the majority of the saints in Taipei accepted this God-ordained way.
No one can deny that having a good speaker speak every Lord’s Day helps people to a certain extent, but the annulling and killing of the saints’ function is hidden in this practice. If someone takes the way of one man speaking and the rest listening for more than ten years, the ones under his speaking, who received much help, will be annulled in their function and their capacity of speaking for the Lord. Now that we are practicing the God-ordained way, many new ones among us are being raised up in a proper way to be functioning members of the Body of Christ.
For conferences or trainings it is all right to have the ministry of the word. But for a brother to speak and the rest listen every Lord’s Day in the church meetings annuls the functioning of the saints. Furthermore, everyone enjoys hearing the new ones speak. We like to hear them say something about Christ in their fresh way. If only a few brothers speak all the time, the riches in all the members of the Body of Christ cannot be released. In the God-ordained way all the riches of Christ come out through His members. Then the church meetings are like a love feast with many different portions of food.
We need to drop the system of one man speaking and the rest listening and take the God-ordained way of having the church meetings in mutuality. The age has changed, and the tide of the Lord’s move is here among us. If some try to maintain the old way, they will cause trouble, and eventually, they will be sifted. All the churches are endeavoring to fully enter into the God-ordained way. We do not want to see anyone go back to the old way. This will create trouble. I hope that we can all have a real turn to the new way, the God-ordained way. This is the tide of the Lord’s move today, and we have no choice except to follow Him according to His way.
After passing through many experiences throughout the years, I feel that today is the most golden time. The entire world, especially eastern Europe and Russia, is open to the truths that have been released in the Lord’s recovery. We need to learn the lessons from our past history so that we do not repeat the negative things. We have seen from the training on Zechariah that when the Lord comes back, the remnant of Israel will have learned the lessons. They will be empty and ready to take Christ as everything. We should learn to take care of Christ, His Body, and the truth. If we take care of these three things properly, there will be no problems. We should not let anything frustrate us from these three things. We should not take in anything or care for anything but Christ, His Body — the church — and the truth.
As we take the Lord’s new way to build up the church, we will be greatly blessed. We will enjoy the Lord as our rain much more than we did in the past (Zech. 10:1; Hosea 6:3). I hope that we will rise up to drop everything other than Christ and to carry Christ as our Ark, to carry the Body of Christ as our tabernacle, and to follow the truth as our pillar of fire in the night and our pillar of cloud in the day. The past turmoils should be warnings and lessons to us. We do not want to repeat these things or be influenced by them. We have Christ, we have the church, and we have the truth. Let us go on in this way.
We need to maintain a good order in the Body by being subject to one another. Then we will keep the one accord without criticizing, without despising, and without opposing. We should respect one another, help one another, perfect one another in life, and complete one another in work. We should never despise or criticize others. Instead, we should always receive help from others and return help to them. We want to be perfected and to perfect others. We should not think that our work is complete or consummate. We should want to be completed and helped by others. Then we can help others to complete their work. If we take this way, we will be greatly blessed by the Lord’s dear, sweet presence. Then at His coming back we will be rewarded, and we will be His bride to match Him and to fight the war against Antichrist.
After the recent training on Daniel and Zechariah, the view in the Bible, the divine revelation, is so clear to us. Nothing counts and everything is vanity except God’s economy with Christ as the center, the hub, and as the circumference, the rim, making us His members to constitute His Body and preparing us to be His bride so that we can return with Him to defeat Antichrist and his followers to bring in the kingdom of God as the great mountain that will fill the whole earth. This is the ultimate end of the divine revelation in the Bible. Since we have seen this, we should spontaneously forget everything in the past. We should go on with our Christ, who is God’s centrality and universality, so that we can fulfill His heart’s desire.
