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We see clearly from the Word that the function of the church is to be the Body of Christ (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:22b-23; 4:4, 16). As to its nature, the Body is universal, but as to its expression in definite places on the earth, it is local. Hence, the church has two aspects: a universal aspect and a local aspect. According to its universal aspect, the church is unique; there is only one church. However, according to its local aspect, the church is expressed in different places at different times, representing the unique universal church and functioning as the Body of Christ.
According to the New Testament, there is only one church in the universe, yet it is expressed on earth in different localities. This means that although the church is universal, its expression in this age is local. This local expression, based on the ground of locality, is the local church. Anything bigger or smaller than a locality is not fit to be the ground of the church.
The ground of the church is local and does not change according to the size of a locality. The church cannot have more than one expression in a big locality, or less than one expression in a small locality. It does not matter whether a locality is big or small, there can be only one local church within it. History tells us that in the apostles’ time, Jerusalem may have had a population of over one million and that within Jerusalem there was a large number of believers; nevertheless, there was only one church in Jerusalem. In Acts 21:20 James and all the elders told Paul, “You observe, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who have believed.” On ordinary days the many saved ones met in different homes. The phrase house to house in Acts 2:46 and 5:42 denotes not a single house but many houses. This means that although the believers met in many different homes, they were not divided into many churches; rather, they were still one church. Although the Bible says that they met in many homes, it does not say that these homes were different churches within Jerusalem. On the contrary, in Acts 8:1 the Bible uses the singular word church, not churches, when speaking of the church in Jerusalem. This shows that although there were many saved ones and many meetings within the homes, there was still only one expression of the church in Jerusalem. This one expression was for the one testimony on earth, that is, that the Lord’s Body is one and has only one expression in each locality. God wants us, the believers, to keep the nature of the oneness of the Body of Christ in every locality.
The New Testament also reveals that although a certain locality may be small, it cannot be joined to other small localities to form a single church. Although there were many cities within the province of Galatia, the churches in Galatia were not joined together to become “the church in Galatia”; rather, they were spoken of as “the churches of Galatia” (Gal. 1:2). Likewise, the seven local churches in Asia were not added together to become one church. They remained seven churches (Rev. 1:4, 11-12, 20). If they had united themselves, they would have lost the nature of the church as the Body of Christ. For this reason the church in a big locality cannot divide itself into many churches, nor can churches in smaller localities join together to form one church. We should not think that because the churches in two or three neighboring localities are small, they ought to join together to form one church. This is not permissible, because there can be only one church in each locality.
For the church to maintain its nature of oneness, it must have only one expression in each locality. The expression of each local church is a miniature, a small local representation, of the unique church in the universe, the unique Body of Christ. In other words, the local church in each locality is a miniature expression of the universal Body of Christ. This is not to say that Christ has many Bodies on the earth; rather, this is to say that Christ has many miniature, or small-scale, expressions and that each small-scale expression is a representation of the unique large-scale Body in the universe. The Bible says that the church is the Body of Christ. Universally it is one, but it is expressed in numerous localities. The Body of Christ in Ephesians 1:22-23 is spoken of in reference to the church in its universal aspect, whereas the Body in Romans 12:5 and 1 Corinthians 12:12 is spoken of mainly in reference to the church in its local aspect.
God makes this kind of arrangement to show that the function of the universal Body of Christ should be the function of the church in any given locality, regardless of its size. We all must see that the expression of the church as the Body of Christ is one. Seeing this will preserve us from being divided. In addition, in regard to the function of the church as the Body of Christ, we need to see that we are all members of the Body of Christ and that we should all fulfill our function as members. In the church life there is a basic matter that we need to pay attention to; that is, the function of the church in relation to Christ is that of a body. Thus, every member of the Body must fulfill his function.
The church is the Body of Christ, and all the saved ones are members of the Body. As a result, for the past few years we have paid much attention to the principle of service in the Body. The principle of serving in the Body is that every saved one needs to fulfill his function as a living member. This principle is crucial. When we come together, we are not merely gathering together as an assembly to express Christ within a certain locality; rather, we are members one of another, each one fulfilling his function, so that the church can be Christ’s living Body in practicality. According to the biblical viewpoint, in addition to our own experience and study of church history, there are two necessary conditions that must be met for the accomplishment of this matter.
The first condition is related to the saints’ personal growth in life. The saints are not only saved individuals but also members of the Body of Christ. In order for these members to fulfill their function, they need to grow in life. The brothers and sisters who study medicine can tell us that when a baby is born, he possesses all the members of a body, but initially the functions of these members are not fully manifested. For example, although a baby has eyes, he cannot see clearly; although he has hands, he cannot hold things well; although he has feet, he cannot walk; and although he has a brain, he cannot think clearly. He cannot do these things because he is immature, not because he has a disease. Hence, the baby needs to gradually grow in life until his eyes can see clearly, his hands can hold things well, his feet can walk, and his mind can think clearly. Furthermore, while he is growing, he must not encounter any serious illness. If any member experiences too much illness, it will not be able to carry out its function.
For the believers to grow without any hindrance is altogether a matter of life. After the brothers and sisters are saved, they are all members; nevertheless, if they fail to grow in life, or if they experience hindrances in regard to their growth, they cannot be expected to fulfill their functions as members. For this reason we need to lead the brothers and sisters in the matter of life, help them grow in life, and deal with any hindrances that arise. This kind of leading is necessary for the brothers and sisters to grow properly, manifest their functions as members, and realize their position as members one of another. In this way Christ will be able to express Himself in their locality, and they will become a miniature expression of Christ.
The subject of Romans is not merely justification by faith. Much more, Romans speaks concerning how we sinners are constituted into the Body of Christ, which is expressed as local churches. Romans 1 speaks of sinners under God’s wrath, chapter 2 speaks of sinners under God’s condemnation and judgment, and chapters 3 and 4 speak of being justified by God and saved through God’s grace. Chapters 5 and 6 speak of the believers’ old man and old nature being crucified with the Lord. Chapter 7 speaks of believers still having the flesh and still being under the bondage of sin. Chapter 8 speaks of believers having the law of the Spirit of life, which enables them to live not by their self and flesh but by the spirit. Chapters 9 through 11 are an insertion that speaks of God’s choosing. Then chapter 12 says that once a believer has been saved, he becomes a member of the Body of Christ and should practice the Body life. Furthermore, the brothers and sisters who enter into the Body life manifest their functions through the exercise of gifts.
In Romans 12, once a believer consecrates himself (v. 1), he learns to live in the Body and to coordinate with the brothers and sisters as the Body of Christ. This shows that function is primarily related to growth in life. If we live in Romans 3 through 5, even though we are saved and are members of the Body of Christ, our function as members will not yet be manifested. One of us may be an eye, but the function of an eye will not yet be manifested. Likewise, one of us may be a hand, but the function of a hand will not yet be manifested. Thus, we need to grow. At the same time, we need to avoid developing any troubling hindrances but should learn to coordinate and function together with the saints.
Prior to Romans 12 there is no mention of how Christians should serve and live. These chapters show only that Christians were formerly sinners and that they have been justified by God and crucified with Christ in order to live in the Holy Spirit. These may seem to be individual matters. However, the Christian life and living are matters entirely related to the Body. If we truly live in the Spirit, we will immediately see that we are members of the Body (Eph. 4:4). This is the reason that Romans 12 begins by telling us how to serve God in the Body, live the Body life, and function as members one of another. Even the loving of others and the prayer spoken of in verses 9 through 12 are matters in the Body. In other words, loving others and praying are functions of the members of the Body.
The entire Christian living is a living in the Body, and the entire Christian service is a service carried out in the Body. To function as members in the Body is not only to serve but even to live. This is the Christian living and service spoken of in Romans 12 through 16. It is the result of the growth of the Body unto the manifestation of its functions. Hence, if we want the brothers and sisters in a locality to function as members one of another, we must lead them to properly and healthily grow in life.
The second condition is related to the administration of the church. The administration of the church must be suitable so that the brothers and sisters can function as members. If the brothers and sisters have not grown in life or have problems in regard to their growth in life and are unable to manifest their functions, they themselves will be held accountable. However, if the administration and practices of a local church do not allow the brothers and sisters to fulfill their functions, then the administrative system and practices are accountable. To say it mildly, the administration may restrict the brothers and sisters from functioning properly before the Lord; to say it more strongly, the administration may obstruct the work of the Holy Spirit.
According to my observation, brothers and sisters in small local churches usually have sufficient opportunity and a proper environment that enable them to manifest and develop their gifts, unless they do not have a heart for the Lord or sufficient growth in life. In a larger local church, however, it is more difficult to provide brothers and sisters with the opportunity and environment. In a large local church, such as the church in Taipei, there are so many brothers and sisters who love and pursue the Lord. For this we truly worship the Lord. Even if their growth is not up to standard, we cannot deny that they have a measure of growth. Generally speaking, however, only a few brothers and sisters fulfill their functions because the administration of the church has fallen short.
I dare not say that the administration in Taipei has been wrong, but my personal feeling is that perhaps the system may need to be adjusted according to the present circumstances. In the past our numbers were small, and it was fine for us to be divided into six or seven districts. Now, although our number has increased, we continue to meet in the same number of districts. This has caused the church to gradually come to a halt, and we are unable to go on. This indicates that in the past few years the administration of the church has not been adequate to meet the present need and has been unable to provide the brothers and sisters sufficient opportunity to function. In other words, the administration and practice of the church life have somewhat restricted the spiritual functions and gifts of the brothers and sisters.
Without proper administration the church in a big locality will lose the Lord’s presence and enter into confusion. Many saints may even be hurt and withdraw themselves. Hence, in order to maintain a local church in proper order and keep it on the right course, there is an undeniable need for proper administration. The Bible shows that there must be elders and deacons in a church in order for it to have an orderly and systematic administration (1 Tim. 3:1-13). However, we do not have a strict organization, nor do we have positions within the church. In this regard, I can testify concerning the elders in Taipei that every one of them has the intention to help the brothers and sisters. None of them has any intention of establishing a strict organization to control the brothers and sisters, and none of them has any ambition for position. All of them love the Lord and carry out the administration of the church in fear and trembling according to the Lord’s Word.
Many of us have served the Lord together during these past few years, and even though there have been some disorderly situations, they have been rare. All of us have the desire to serve and coordinate in an orderly and proper way. However, under our present administration there is unconsciously a restriction that prevents the brothers and sisters from developing their gifts and carrying out their functions. We have been considering this matter for a period of four to five years, and we dare not make a decision quickly. Only recently have we begun to realize where the problem lies; that is, the size of the district meetings is too big.
The administration of the church should provide the brothers and sisters an opportunity to develop their spiritual gifts and carry out their functions as members. However, according to spiritual principle, the administration should also give the brothers and sisters some guidelines. In order to produce a good condition, we feel that a large church should be divided into smaller district meetings — the more the better and the smaller the better — until all the brothers and sisters have the opportunity to exercise, develop, and carry out their spiritual functions.
Some brothers and sisters may ask why our meetings are held in districts. First, it is according to the teaching in the Scriptures. In the Bible large local churches, such as the church in Jerusalem, met in different homes, which served as district meetings (Acts 2:46; 5:42; 12:12). Our problem is not that we fail to practice according to the biblical principle but that our district meetings have become too large. Because every district meeting covers a wide area, we need to readjust so that we may have the proper situation for the practice of the district meetings of the church.
Second, we need to see that the church of God on the earth is a matter of expression and that it cannot be separated from human community. There is only one church because there is only one God. There is only one Head of the church; hence, the church as the Body of Christ can be only one. However, it is impossible for all the saints of God to be one church in respect to time, space, and church administration. As a result, in His Word God gives us the principle of locality. The definition of locality is a place where a human community gathers and resides. Every city forms a place where people gather and reside, and it is the boundary of the local church, as ordained in the Bible.
To state it less precisely, the church of God lodges in human communities, or societies. The church is of God and not of the world (John 17:14, 16). It is separated from the world (15:19; 17:19), yet it remains in the world (v. 15). Today the city of Taipei is a large city, and within it some have been saved and regenerated to become the church; hence, in Taipei there is an expression of the church. These saved ones, who become the church, are separated from the world by God; nevertheless, due to physical limitations, they continue to exist in communities, living and walking accordingly. Hence, we can say that the church lodges in human communities.
The Bible shows that in God’s ordination the unit for the expression of the church is a city, or locality, the same unit in which people gather and reside. For the church there is no greater or higher unit, nor is there a smaller or lower unit. Within a community the basic constituent is the individual. Actually, it is probably more accurate to say that households are the basic unit within communities. This is because the majority of individuals do not live alone but share a house with others. Hence, a city or locality takes the home as its basic unit. As far as the city, or locality, is concerned, the home is a very important unit. In the Bible we see that the local churches were the center of the believers’ living and actions. Hence, the churches took the city, the place where people gather and reside, as the unit of their expression. However, these local churches met in many different homes, just as a city, or community, is divided into many homes.
We need to see that there is a difference between spiritual homes and physical households. For instance, there may have been two thousand households of saved ones in Jerusalem, but there could not have been exactly two thousand spiritual homes. Rather, a number of households probably joined together to meet. For example, Acts 12 says that there was a spiritual home in the house of Mary, the mother of John, and that a considerable number assembled together and prayed (v. 12). From this we see that a spiritual home includes not merely those within a single household but also neighboring households; therefore, once a physical home becomes a spiritual home, the number of people included is much greater than those within the household.
We practice the district meetings according to the principle in the Bible, that is, to gather people from one area of a city into a spiritual home. At present there are six district meetings in the church in Taipei. In principle this is right, but in practice there are too many people in each meeting. In other words, it appears that the spiritual homes include too many saints. At present we are trying to change not the terminology or the principle but the practice. According to the findings of our study, we want to subdivide the districts even more. This will be more convenient for the brothers and sisters, and at the same time it will give them more opportunity to develop their gifts. In addition, we want to broaden the administrative authority by delegating more authority to the various district meetings so that the brothers and sisters may be kept in an orderly condition.
Finally, I have some feelings to share with the brothers and sisters. First, it is not enough to merely divide big district meetings into smaller ones; there must also be the Spirit. To have merely the principle but not the Spirit is to have dead regulation. The principle of the district meetings is according to the truth; nevertheless, we must have the Spirit while carrying out the truth. Otherwise, our practice will be merely according to dead letter and doctrine. The truth is like the rails of a train track, and the Spirit is the power that moves the train. Thus, the deep sense within me is that the brothers and sisters need to look to the Lord and be willing to rise up to receive a strong burden from the Lord to open their homes to become spiritual homes.
Today a brother may go to a small locality where there is no church, and he may pray, “O Lord, I am here, and I need to meet and serve.” Then he will have the burden to find some saints or lead some sinners to the Lord. After he has found a group of people, they will begin to pray together. In this way they will have the Spirit and be burning within. As a result, they will rise up to follow the way of the truth by meeting together and raising up a local church in that place. In the same principle, there may be a brother whose home is far away from a district meeting; moreover, although he loves the Lord, he is limited in the meeting and does not have much opportunity to function. Because the district meeting is going to be divided into smaller meetings, he may pray, “Lord, I would like my home to become a base, or place, to provide the brothers and sisters with more opportunity to serve You.” This is the one thing we are asking the brothers and sisters to do. For this, we need to go before the Lord to pray and ask the Lord to put such a fervent burden in every brother and sister. We need many homes as bases to meet God’s need. In these many homes, or bases, the brothers and sisters must inwardly have a fervent burden for the truth to be worked out in an unhindered way.
Second, not every home needs to be opened to become the base of a smaller meeting, nor is every saint able to be a responsible one in a small meeting. We hope that every brother and sister and not only the responsible ones in the current district meetings will have the desire to tell the Lord, “Lord, our meeting should be subdivided into smaller meetings so that I may have the opportunity to serve You. I may not become a responsible one, and my house may not become the base for a small meeting; nevertheless, I would like to put my shoulders to the task.”
Third, a small district meeting should include no more than two hundred people. Perhaps only fifty will meet regularly; these fifty should then bear the burden to take care of the rest by repeatedly visiting them, seeking them out, recovering them, and stirring them up. If this is the case, I believe that it will bring in a great blessing. Gradually, although the ratio of those who attend the meetings may not be high and the spiritual content may not be deep, the atmosphere of the meetings will be strong. In this way we can arrive at the point where at least seventy to eighty percent of the saints attend the meetings. If the Lord has mercy on us, from now on we will practice in this way: There will be six or seven strong message meetings every Lord’s Day at the main stations for the ministry of the word. All the saints will gather at these six or seven locations to receive the ministry of the word; then on the weekdays they will be in the smaller district meetings, fellowshipping and sharing concerning the help that they received from the ministry of the word, as well as what they have experienced of Christ in their daily life.
Fourth, I hope that the elders and responsible ones in the various districts will try their best to render the brothers and sisters spiritual supply so that such a supply would replace regulation. If there are strict regulations but not an adequate supply, the districts will be like a person who has only skin and bones but no flesh; such a person is ugly and unseemly. We need to have much spiritual supply. We need spiritual supply more than outward administration. I have no intention to rebuke the elders concerning their administration, but I feel that the ratio of spiritual supply to administration is not so proper. From now on, the elders of the whole church and the responsible ones for the various districts need to pursue spiritual growth and provide the brothers and sisters with more spiritual supply, trying their best to replace administration, according to principle, with spiritual supply. In this way the Lord’s blessing will surely increase. The more blessing there is, the more the church will grow; the more the church grows, the more district meetings there will be and the more the brothers and sisters will be brought into function.
We do not want a great deal of administration; rather, we would like to give the brothers and sisters more freedom. This freedom is for functioning, not for the indulgence of the flesh. This requires the brothers and sisters to learn the serious lesson of being broken through the cross. Our natural man, our flesh, and our self need to be broken by the Lord. All of us love the Lord and the church, but if our natural disposition, our flesh, and our self have not been broken by the Lord, we will bring in many problems. In the end, although we may desire to do certain things, we will end up doing the opposite. Many times, we would like to help the church and the brothers and sisters; however, in the end what we do stumbles others, and things do not turn out as we desire.
As those who love Him, may we learn to be those who are spiritually rich, those who minister to the church and the saints, and may we learn not to cause the saints to suffer loss or the church to be damaged. This requires that we strongly receive the lesson of the cross. In our being we should have no intention to be the head or to be better than others; rather, we should desire only that the brothers and sisters receive supply through us and that the church be built up so that the Lord’s testimony will become brighter and stronger, and more people will be saved. This is what we should all desire and learn to fulfill. If this is the case, I believe that the Lord’s blessing among us will be rich and abounding. May the Lord be gracious to us.
