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Acts 1:8; 8:1; 13:1; 14:23; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 8:1; Rev. 1:4, 11; 1 Tim. 3:1; Titus 1:5; Acts 20:28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 5:19-20
I. The need for establishing churches
II. Being local
III. The pattern of the apostles in the New Testament
А. Starting from Jerusalem
B. Spreading to Judea, Samaria, and Galilee
C. Reaching Antioch in Syria
D. Spreading in the provinces of Syria and Cilicia
E. Turning to Asia Minor
F. Spreading to the province of Asia in Asia Minor
G. Reaching Europe — churches raised up in the province of Macedonia
H. Spreading to the province of Achaia, next to Macedonia — churches raised up in
I. Spreading to Italy
IV. The government of the established local churches
In the last lesson we talked about the formation of the universal church. In this lesson we shall consider the establishment of the local churches. What is the difference between the formation and the establishment? [There is an important difference between the formation of the universal church and the establishment of the churches. The universal church is not established; rather, it is formed with two categories of elements: all the believers as the extrinsic element and the all-inclusive Christ, the embodiment of the processed Triune God consummated as the all-inclusive, compound Spirit as the intrinsic element. Instead of being established, the universal church is formed by these two categories of elements.]
The formation is related to the universal church and was accomplished by the Triune God exclusively. He did the choosing, the redeeming, and the regenerating through His incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Only He is qualified to form the church. None of us can help Him in the formation of the universal church. The establishment of the churches, however, is different. It is a job that man can participate in by co-operating with the Triune God. Man not only can participate, man is needed to establish the churches.
Why is there a need to establish the churches? The universal church has already been formed by the Triune God, but where can people see it? This glorious church must be practical and real to people. Local churches are needed so that people may see God’s glory. Before the Lord ascended to heaven, He said in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the remotest part of the earth.’’ He desires that man would express Him everywhere, from Jerusalem to the remotest part of the earth. Local churches are His practical expression and His testimony. Therefore, local churches must be established all over the inhabited earth for the sake of His testimony. The apostles, in Acts, began to establish the local churches and we are continuing this process until the Lord’s return.
[The local churches are established, not formed. Establishment is different from formation. We should not say that we are going to a certain place to form a local church there. On the contrary, we go to a certain city not to form a local church but to establish a local church. The church as a whole was altogether formed more than nineteen hundred years ago on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius. This means that, in the eyes of God, the universal church, the Body of Christ, has been formed. This is an accomplished fact. Now, after the formation of this universal church as a complete entity, there is the need for the spreading of the church. The way to spread the church is to bring it to a certain locality and plant it. This planting is the establishment of a local church.]
[No one is able to go to a place to form a local church. Assuming to do such a thing would be abominable in the sight of God, for it is presuming to do something that only God Himself can do. But although we cannot form the church, we have the position, the right, the opportunity, and even the commission to go to the uttermost parts of the earth to establish local churches.
The Lord has formed the church. Our burden is to bring the church as a tree to every city, town, and village and plant a church there. We all need to be faithful to carry out the burden to establish local churches by planting church trees. We should be burdened not just for the saving of sinners but for the establishing of churches. The married couples should be like Prisca and Aquilla who planted a church tree wherever they went. If we all have the desire to establish churches by planting church trees, the establishing of the churches will be very fast and prevailing.]
You may say, “I am only in high school, how can I go and establish churches?’’ Do not worry. Prepare yourselves for the Master’s use by reading the word and by praying everyday, by being in the church meetings, by developing a good character, by studying hard, and by going to a good college. After you graduate from college you can attend the full-time training. By being trained, you will be made ready by the Lord. When the time comes, based on the sending of the Holy Spirit, you will have the opportunity, along with other saints, to plant church trees, that is, to establish local churches.
In this section [we shall give a history of the planting of local churches recorded in the New Testament. According to this record, the planting of the churches began in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and went as far as Rome. Although Paul wanted to go to Spain, he was not able to do so. Therefore, during New Testament times, the planting of the churches went only as far as Italy.]
[The establishment of the churches began from the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1), and it started from the city of Jerusalem (Acts 2:5).]
[The first local church was the church in Jerusalem. The first mention of the church in Acts is in 5:11. “Great fear came upon the whole church.’’ This was the church in Jerusalem.]
[Acts 8:1 clearly speaks of “the church in Jerusalem.’’ This was the first church established in a locality within the jurisdiction of a city, the city of Jerusalem. It was a local church in its locality, as indicated by the Lord in Matthew 18:17. It was not the universal church, as revealed by the Lord in Matthew 16:18 but only a part of the universal church, which is the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). The record of the New Testament concerning the matter of the establishment of the church in its locality is consistent throughout (Acts 13:1; 14:23; Rom. 16:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 8:1; Gal. 1:2; Rev. 1:4, 11).]
[The church in Jerusalem was composed of the elders, the serving ones, and the believers. Acts 11:30 speaks of a gift sent “to the elders through the hand of Barnabas and Saul.’’ This indicates that in the early days the finances of the church were under the management of the elders.
An elder is an overseer (1 Tim. 3:1). The two titles refer to the same person: elder, denoting a person of maturity; overseer, denoting the function of an elder.]
[Acts 6:3-6 speaks of seven serving ones in the church in Jerusalem. Acts 6:3 says, “Now brothers, select seven well-attested men from among you, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we shall appoint over this need.’’] Seven brothers were chosen. [Since these seven were chosen to serve tables, they may be considered deacons, just as those whom Paul and his co-workers appointed later in the churches (Rom. 16:1; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8).
It is significant that in the appointment of the seven serving ones no leader was appointed. This indicates that no rank or position was regarded. All the serving ones are the servants to the saints. This is a good pattern for us to learn and follow that we may avoid leadership in rank and position in any form.]
[Two verses that speak of the believers who composed the church in Jerusalem are Acts 2:44 and 5:14. Acts 2:44 says, “All those who believed were together and had all things common,’’ and 5:14 says, “Believers were all the more being added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and of women.’’ The designation believers denotes those who have believed in Christ as the Son of God according to God’s New Testament economy. This designation, of course, indicates the matter of believing. Anyone who does not have faith in Christ, who does not believe in Christ, is certainly not a believer.
The believers are also those who have received Christ as their generating life for them to become the children of God.]
[Furthermore, the believers are those who have believed into Christ as the Son of God to have an organic union with Him.] The church is composed of such believers.
[The establishing of the churches spread quickly from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. Acts 9:31 says, “So the church throughout the whole of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it was multiplied.’’ This verse speaks of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, all of which were provinces in the Roman Empire. Judea was in the southern part of the Jewish land, Galilee was in the north, and Samaria was between the south and the north. There were churches in all three of these provinces.]
[The Jews considered Galilee a despised region and Samaria a region full of mixture. Nevertheless, 9:31 speaks of the church throughout the whole of Judea and Galilee and Samaria. This indicates that no matter how much Galilee was despised and Samaria was rejected by the Jews in Jerusalem, the churches raised up in those regions were all considered one church. In the local sense, they were the churches, but in the universal sense, all these churches are the church. Here we have a basic revelation concerning the oneness of the church universally.]
[Acts 11:19-26 records the spread of the gospel to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch through the scattered disciples. Verse 26 refers to the church in Antioch. When Barnabas found Saul, “he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for a whole year they were gathered in the church and taught a considerable number.’’]
[Acts 13:1 opens with the words, “Now there were in Antioch, in the church that was there.’’ This clearly refers to the local church established in Antioch.
Acts 14:26 and 27 say that Paul and Barnabas “sailed away to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. And having arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them.’’ Verse 27 does not say that they gathered the believers but that they gathered the church. This indicates that the church in its essential meaning is a meeting, a congregation or assembly. There was such a church, such a congregation, in Antioch.]
[Acts 13:1 tells us that in the church in Antioch there were “prophets and teachers: Barnabas and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen, foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.’’ Prophets are those who speak for God and speak forth God by God’s revelation. They sometimes speak with inspired prediction (11:27-28). Teachers are those who teach the truths according to the apostles’ teaching (2:42) and the prophets’ revelation. Both prophets and teachers are universal as well as local (Eph. 4:11).
When the establishment of the local churches started with the one hundred twenty in Jerusalem, only typical Jews were involved. But according to the record in Acts 13:1, the prophets and teachers in the church in Antioch were from a number of different sources. Barnabas was a Levite, a Cyprian by birth (4:36). Niger, whose name means black and should denote a Negro, was probably of African origin. Lucius the Cyrenian was from Cyrene in North Africa. Manaen was the foster brother of Herod and was governmentally related to the Romans. Finally, there was Saul, a Jew born in Tarsus and taught by Gamaliel according to the law of Moses (22:3). The fact that the prophets and teachers here were composed of Jewish and Gentile peoples with different backgrounds, education, and status indicates that the church is composed of all races and classes of people regardless of their background, and that the spiritual gifts and functions given to the members of the Body of Christ are not based upon their natural status.
In 13:1 the Lord set up a pattern for the spreading of the churches. From Antioch the Lord’s move turned to reach the Gentile world, and in the Gentile world there were many different kinds of people, people of different cultures, races, and statuses. Therefore, at the very beginning of this turn, the pattern was established to indicate that the churches are composed of all races and classes of people.]
In Antioch, the Holy Spirit set Barnabas and Paul apart to be sent out to establish more churches among the Gentiles (Acts 13:2-4).
[The establishment of the churches spread to the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. In these two provinces of the Roman Empire churches were established. This is recorded in Acts 15:40 and 41. “Paul, having chosen Silas, went out, being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. And he passed through Syria and Cilicia, establishing the churches.’’]
[After the churches were established in Syria and Cilicia, Paul and Silas were sent by the apostles from Jerusalem to strengthen them. Such a strengthening implies a confirmation, recognition, by the apostles.]
[Acts 14:21-23 refers to the churches established in the cities of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. After Paul and Barnabas brought the good news to the city of Derbe and made a considerable number of disciples (vv. 20-21a), “they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch’’ (v. 21b). This is not the Antioch from which they were sent out on this journey of ministry (13:1); rather, it is the Antioch in Pisidia, the Antioch in Asia Minor.
The churches in these cities were “the churches of Galatia’’ (Gal. 1:2), a province of the ancient Roman Empire. Through Paul’s preaching ministry churches were established in a number of cities in that province. Hence, “churches,’’ not “church,’’ is used when Paul refers to them.]
[Elders were appointed in every one of the churches in Galatia. Acts 14:23 says, “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fastings, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.’’ The Greek words rendered “in every church’’ contain the preposition kata with the distributive usage — according to church. The phrase “in every church’’ in 14:23 equals “in each city’’ in Titus 1:5. The comparison of these phrases indicates not only that the jurisdiction of a local church is that of the city in which it is located, but also that in one city there should be only one church. The eldership of a local church should cover the entire city where that church is. Such a unique eldership in a city preserves the unique oneness of the Body of Christ from damage. One city should only have one church with one eldership. This practice is illustrated, beyond any question and doubt, by the clear pattern in the New Testament (Acts 8:1; 13:1; Rom. 16:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; Rev. 1:11), and it is an absolute prerequisite for the maintenance of proper order in a local church.
All the churches in which the elders were appointed respectively by the apostles in Acts 14:23 were established within less than one year. Hence, the elders appointed in these churches could not have been well matured. They must have been considered elders because they were comparatively the most matured among the believers. They were not voted in by their congregation; they were appointed by the apostles according to their maturity in Christ. They were charged by the apostles to care for the leadership and shepherding in the churches.]
[Revelation 1:4 speaks of “the seven churches which are in Asia,’’ and verse 11 says, “What you see write in a book 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.’’ Asia was a province of the ancient Roman Empire in which were the seven cities mentioned in verse 11. The seven churches were in those seven cities respectively, not all in one city.]
[Elders as overseers were appointed in these churches by the Spirit (Acts 20:17, 28). To the elders of the church in Ephesus Paul said, “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers’’ (Acts 20:28a). It was the apostles who appointed the elders in every church. But here Paul, the leading one who did the appointing, says that the Holy Spirit did it. This indicates that the Holy Spirit was one with the apostles in their appointing the elders and that the apostles had done this according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.]
[This reveals that a local church comes into existence only through the work of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the work of the apostles concerning the churches should be absolutely the work of the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit establishes the elders, it is the Holy Spirit who establishes the churches.
The overseers in Acts 20:28 are the elders in verse 17. This proves that overseers and elders are synonymous terms denoting the same persons.]
[The Greek word for “overseer’’ is episkopos, from epi, meaning “over,” and skopos, meaning “seer,” hence, “overseer” (“bishop,” from Latin episcopus). An overseer (1 Tim. 3:2) in a local church is an elder. The two titles refer to the same person: elder, denoting a person of maturity; overseer, denoting the function of an elder. It was Ignatius in the second century who taught that an overseer, a bishop, is higher than an elder. From this erroneous teaching came the hierarchy of bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and the pope. This teaching is also the source of the Episcopal system of ecclesiastical government. Both the hierarchy and the system are abominable in the sight of God.]
[The spreading of the churches continued and eventually reached Europe. Churches were raised up in the province of Macedonia, and in 2 Corinthians 8:1 Paul speaks of “the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia.’’ Macedonia is a province of the Roman Empire in southeastern Europe between Thrace and Achaia on the Aegean Sea.]
[A church was established in Philippi, comprising the saints with the overseers and deacons. In Philippians 1:1 Paul says, “Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.’’ This verse indicates that the church in Philippi was established in good order. Notice that Paul speaks of the “saints…with the overseers and deacons.’’ This is the only place in the New Testament where such an expression is found. It is significant that Paul speaks of the saints with the overseers and deacons. In every local church the unique group consists of the saints. The saints are the components of a local church. Among the saints there are leading ones, which the New Testament describes as elders or overseers. Both titles refer to the same people. When an elder is carrying out his responsibility in the church, he is functioning as an overseer.
In 1:1 Paul also mentions the deacons. Deacons are the serving ones in a local church under the direction of the overseers (l Tim. 3:8). The English word “deacons” is an anglicized form of the Greek word diakonos, which means a serving one.]
[Thessalonica, like Philippi, was a city of the Roman Empire in the province of Macedonia, north of the province of Achaia. After the Macedonian call, which Paul received on his second journey of ministry, he and his co-worker Silvanus visited first Philippi and then Thessalonica (Acts 16:9-12; 17:1-4). The apostle stayed and worked there for only a short time, probably less than one month (Acts 17:2).
First Thessalonians 1:1 says, “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’’ Both 1 and 2 Thessalonians were addressed to the local church in Thessalonica, composed of all the believers in Christ in that city. Such a local church is of the believers and is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This indicates that such a local church is born of God the Father with His life and nature and is united with the Lord Jesus Christ organically in all He is and has done. Hence, it is of men (such as the Thessalonians), yet in God and in the Lord organically.]
[The planting of the churches also spread to the province of Achaia. Achaia was south of Macedonia and was a province of the Roman Empire, a great part of today’s Greece, in which is the city of Corinth.
In 1 Corinthians 1:2 and 2 Corinthians 1:1 Paul addresses “the church of God which is in Corinth.’’ The expression “the church of God’’ is marvelous. It indicates that the church in Corinth was not the church of Cephas, of Apollos, of Paul, nor of any practice or doctrine, but of God. The church was constituted of the universal God, but it existed in Corinth, a definite locality on earth. In nature the church is universal in God, but in practice the church is local in a definite place.]
[Another church in the province of Achaia was the church in Cenchrea. In Romans 16:1 Paul says, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deaconess of the church which is at Cenchrea.’’ Phoebe was a deaconess, that is, a serving one. Paul held her in such high esteem that in the following verse he said that “she has been a patroness of many and of myself as well.’’ The word “patroness’’ in Greek is a word of dignity, denoting one who helps, sustains, and supplies. Phoebe was a sister who served others at any price and at any cost. If we mean business with the Lord in the church life, we also need to serve the church and care for it regardless of the cost. The first requirement for the practice of the church life is that we serve the church.]
[Eventually, the establishing of the churches spread to Italy, and a church was raised up in Rome — the church in Rome. The fact that there was a church in Rome is indicated by Paul’s words in Romans 1:7: “To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints.’’]
[The church in Rome met in the house of Prisca and Aquila. In Romans 16:3-5a Paul says, “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the nations; and greet the church in their house.’’ The church in their house was the church in Rome. There were not two churches in Rome, one called the church in Rome and another which met in the house of Aquila and Prisca. The church in Rome simply met in the house of this couple, so there was a church in their house.
On the one hand, this couple was for all the churches; on the other hand, they were for their local church in particular. When they were living in Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19), the church in Ephesus was in their house (1 Cor. 16:19). When they were in Rome, the church in Rome met in their house. Therefore, the church in Rome could be called the church in their house.]
[The government of the church is very simple. The apostles go out and preach the gospel to establish the churches. Then they select the more mature believers and appoint them to be elders to shepherd, to take care of, a local church. The elders should take care of the churches according to the apostles’ teaching. Because all the churches are established by the apostles, and the elders are selected and appointed in different localities by the apostles, in taking care of the churches all the elders should take the word of the apostles.]
The apostleship is universal and the eldership is local. Before Paul and Barnabas were sent out from the church in Antioch, they were teachers and prophets in that locality, being local (Acts 13:1). When they were set apart and sent out by the Holy Spirit, they became apostles, the sent ones for the universal church (Acts 13:2-4). Although their apostleship was universal, the churches they established were local.
[Since it is the apostles who appoint the elders, the apostles are above the elders (Acts 14:23). Because all the elders in the local churches are established and appointed by the apostles, the apostles are over the elders.]
[The eldership is local, and it is under the apostleship. First Timothy 5:19-20 indicates that an accusation against an elder should be made to the apostles. This shows that the elders are under the apostles.] It is not true that once the eldership is established, the elders are divorced from the apostles. This is illogical and impossible. They are still under the leading and guiding of the apostles who raised them up and appointed them to their office. They should always stay in fellowship with these apostles to ensure that the churches established by the apostles will stay healthy in the Lord.
