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We have seen that the church is the Body of Christ and the house of God, the vessel through which God can be expressed in the universe. The expression of the Body of Christ, the house of God, is local, and there is only one expression in each locality. On the one hand, the administration of each church is local; on the other hand, all the churches are one with regard to their move, having the common goal of upholding God’s testimony on the earth.
It is not sufficient for us to realize only this; we need to know the oneness of the church. The oneness of the church is also the unity of the church. However, we do not like to use the term unity because the church is one from the beginning; there is no need for the church to be united. If we use the word unity, we are implying that there was a time when the church was not one. Hence, we prefer to use the term oneness to describe the church. The word oneness can be applied to something that is produced out of one source, one origin, and according to one principle. Therefore, it is not only permissible, but it is appropriate to say that the church is one because the source, origin, nature, and principle of the church are all one. The church is truly something that is one. The church cannot be two and cannot be divided; once the church is divided, it is through. We must preserve the nature of the oneness of the church.
We will consider the oneness of the church in the following six points.
Everything that is related to the church is one. Whenever the church loses the oneness, it immediately is divided and falls apart. The church comes out of the Triune God; hence, the source of the church is one. The church is produced by the Triune God entering into man to be his life; hence, the producing of the church is one. The nature of the church is the Triune God coming into man as life; hence, the nature of the church is one. The principle that is produced out of this nature must also be one. The administration of the church is one regardless of where the church is expressed. In the universe the church has only one fellowship. The testimony of the church is also one. Every aspect of the church is one. Therefore, the church is altogether a matter of oneness.
Ephesians 4:3-6 speaks of seven “ones”: one Body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God. These seven ones are all concerning the oneness of the church. The Body is the focus of the seven ones. The Body is produced from people who have one faith. Through this faith, the content of what we believe, we receive the Lord and eternal life, and we are saved. In the Gospel of John this is the faith through which we believe into the Son and receive eternal life (3:15). In the book of Romans it is the faith by which we are justified (5:1). This faith does not refer to whether we believe in pretribulation rapture or posttribulation rapture or whether we should keep the Sabbath. These things are not the faith; they are merely views and opinions. One person may believe in the pretribulation rapture, and another person may believe in the posttribulation rapture. One person may believe in keeping the Sabbath, but another person may not believe in keeping the Sabbath. These are merely views and opinions. There is only one faith that causes man to be justified and saved and to receive God as life. Hence, the Bible calls it “one faith.” As long as a person is saved, this faith is in him regardless of whether he believes in a pretribulation or posttribulation rapture or whether he believes in keeping the Lord’s Day or the Sabbath.
The Body is also the result of one baptism. This baptism is not a matter of being immersed or sprinkled but of being baptized into the name of the Lord and being buried together with Him. Through baptism those who have believed into the Lord have died, been buried, and resurrected with the Lord. Hence, they have been delivered from everything that is of the old creation. Through one faith we enter into the new creation, and through one baptism we are delivered out of the old creation. Through one faith we become the new creation in Christ, and through one baptism the old creation in Adam is terminated. Through one faith and one baptism we are transferred out of Adam into Christ.
When we receive the Lord and are put into Him through one faith and one baptism, we receive the Spirit. The Lord, the Spirit, and God are one. Thus, we receive the Triune God — the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. The Father is in the Son, the Son is in the Spirit, and the Spirit enters into us (John 14:17). When we receive the Spirit, we receive the Son who is in the Spirit, and we also receive the Father who is in the Son. With regard to order, the Father comes first, the Spirit comes last, and the Son is in the middle. With regard to the Triune God’s reaching us, the Spirit comes first. When we receive the Spirit, we receive the Son, and when we receive the Son, we have the Father.
Through one faith and one baptism we have received one Spirit, one Lord, and one God, and this produces the one Body. The one Body is the church. The church is produced in this way. The one faith and one baptism are the history of the one Body; they are accomplished facts. However, the Body is not something merely from the past. The Body also has a glorious future, that is, a hope. This one hope is to enter into glory, to be the same as the Triune God. Therefore, our hope is also one.
Each of the seven ones is indispensable to every believer. Believing in a pretribulation rapture or posttribulation rapture or keeping the Sabbath or the Lord’s Day does not matter because they do not affect our salvation. However, if we lack any of the seven ones, we are not saved. We must have the faith that causes us to be saved and the baptism that delivers us from the old creation. We must receive the Spirit, the Lord, and God who make us part of the Body. We must also recognize this Body and admit that the future of the Body is the hope of glory. If we are short in any one of these seven points, there is a problem with our salvation.
These seven ones are the very elements that constitute the church: one faith, one baptism, one Spirit, one Lord, one God, one Body, and one hope, to enter into glory. The elements that constitute the church are all one. Its history is one, and its future is one. Its inner life is one, and its outer form is one. Since everything concerning the church is one, the church is one. When we see this, we will understand why we should never do anything that would cause the church to be divided. Whenever the church is divided, the church is destroyed.
There is only one church in the universe. There are not many churches in the universe; there is only one church. Since the source and production of the church are one, the existence of the church must also be one. According to the nature of the oneness of the church, the existence of the church in the universe must be one. According to the principle of the oneness of the church, the existence of the church in the universe should also be one. Therefore, the church is uniquely one in the universe; there is only one church. This is the aspect of the church emphasized in Ephesians 1:22-23.
There is only one church in the universe, and there is only one church in each locality. Regardless of whether the city was Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), Antioch (13:1), Ephesus (Rev. 2:1), or Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2), there was only one church in it. There can be only one church, not two or more, in each locality. If there are two or more in one locality, the oneness of the church is immediately damaged. All the saints in the universe belong to the universal church. In the same principle, all the saints in one locality belong to the church in that locality. If the believers in one locality become divided and form two churches, the oneness of the church is damaged.
Regardless of the locality, there can be only one church. In Taipei there is one church, and in Tainan there is also one church. In Tokyo there is one church, and in New York City there is also one church. In a large locality there is one church, and in a small locality there is also one church. The church is one. However, in today’s situation there are so many “churches” that there is almost one on every corner. There can be an East Gate Church on one corner, and a Baptist Church on another corner, or there can be a Lutheran Church on this street and a Wesleyan Church on the next street. This can be compared to a “church” market. If we see the light concerning the oneness of the church, we will abhor this situation. Such a condition completely contradicts the oneness of the church by establishing more than one “church.”
This can be compared to God’s creation of man and woman. God ordained that a man should marry one woman and that a woman should be married to one man. There should not be polygamy. People in both the East and the West abide by this ordination. A person who is married to more than one person is looked down upon because in the human concept, marriage is meant to be between one man and one woman. A man can have only one wife, and a woman can have only one husband. This also applies to the church. There should be only one church in each locality. If there are many “churches” in one locality, it is a big problem. This is not a small mistake. It is a serious sin (3:3-4). It is a sin greatly abhorred by God.
Some people may say, “Surely there are believers in these ‘churches.’ Surely some love the Lord zealously.” Yes, I agree that there are believers there. However, I would like to ask, “Are there not believers and pious ones also in the Roman Catholic Church?” However, Revelation 17 says that the Roman Catholic Church is a great harlot. Brothers and sisters, this age is dark, and the condition of the church is confused. We truly need God’s mercy. To those who have blurry eyesight, the Roman Catholic Church is a religion of piety, teaching man to believe in God, attend mass, and worship the crucified Savior. Little do they know that in God’s eyes, Roman Catholicism is a great harlot. Hence, we should not ask whether they are a Christian organization, or whether they preach the same gospel, or whether they speak the truths in the Bible. We should not assume that there is no problem as long as these conditions exist. We cannot merely look at these things. They may have all these things, but in the Lord’s eyes there is abominable confusion within. As another example, even though some are of the church of Jesus Christ, why should they hang a sign of Wesley? Why should they hang a sign of Luther? This is not a small thing. If this is not spiritual fornication, what is it? A church that has several names is no different from one woman who has several husbands.
In 1954 some believers went to Baguio in the Philippines. When a renowned preacher from China heard that we were coming, he left. Before leaving Baguio, he asked a brother whom he knew very well to ask me why we considered only ourselves to be the local church. I responded, as if jesting, and asked the brother to convey the following analogy to the preacher: “One day, Mrs. Chao saw Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Liu, Mrs. Wang, and Mrs. Chang. Being jealous, they asked Mrs. Chao, ‘Why do you consider only yourself to be Mrs. Chao?’ Mrs. Chao replied, ‘Why do you even ask me such a question? Do you not call yourselves Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Liu, Mrs. Wang, and Mrs. Chang?’”
The one church has been divided. This is something very offensive to the Lord. It offends the Lord even more than immoral sins. The church that should be of Christ openly and shamelessly puts up a sign of Lutheran or of others. Oh, what a shame! This is the same as Mrs. Chao calling herself Mrs. Chang. Today the Protestant churches condemn the Roman Catholic Church, calling her a great harlot, but what about the Protestant churches? Are they a pure and chaste woman in the eyes of the Lord? Those who have light will painfully admit that the Protestant churches have also become harlots.
Although there are many local churches, there cannot be many kinds of churches. There is only one kind of church. “Many” is a matter of quantity, but “kind” is a matter of nature. For example, there are many churches in Taiwan. There is a church in Tainan, a church in Taipei, a church in Taichung, and a church in Kaohsiung. Since there are many localities, there are many churches. However, these churches cannot be many kinds of churches. Since the nature of the church is one, there can be many churches in many localities, but there cannot be many kinds of churches. The church in Taipei and the church in Tainan are of the same nature. However, today in many places there are not only many “churches” but many kinds of churches. This shows that the oneness of the church has been lost and that the nature of the oneness has been changed.
We must see that the church is one; just as the church is one universally, the church is also one locally. Although there are many churches in different localities, the nature of these churches is one; they are of the same kind.
The church is one universally and also one locally. The nature of the church is one, and there is only one kind of church. Therefore, the church is indivisible.
If a physical body is divided, dismembered, it will fall apart. Since the church is the Body of Christ, the church cannot be divided.
The church is the dwelling place of God. A dwelling place is a house. If a house is divided, it will not be able to stand (Mark 3:24). Therefore, as God’s dwelling place, the church cannot be divided.
Deformed Christianity, however, uses many invalid reasons for division, resulting in the current state of confusion. We must realize that the church cannot be divided, and we must also beware of the following reasons for confusion.
The Lutheran Church took Martin Luther as their basis and divided. The Methodist Church took John Wesley as their basis and divided. Martin Luther and John Wesley were both greatly used by the Lord, but they should not have become the basis for division.
First Corinthians 1:12-13 and 4:6 explicitly condemn division on the basis of persons. Some believers in the church in Corinth said, “I am of Paul,” others said, “I am of Apollos,” and yet others said, “I am of Cephas.” This indicates that they took spiritual giants as the basis for dividing themselves from others. However, even though they were divisive, they had not yet established a “church of Paul,” a “church of Apollos,” or a “church of Cephas” in the way that people today openly put up Lutheran and Methodist signs. Since the Holy Spirit condemned the divisiveness in the church in Corinth, will He not even more condemn the denominations today?
In the church in Corinth some probably said they were of Paul because they were saved through Paul. There were others who probably said they were of Apollos because they had received edification from Apollos. This is the same as someone saying, “I was baptized by Pastor So-and-so; therefore, I belong to his church.” However, the apostle Paul said that we should never consider ourselves as belonging to those who are used by God in order to separate ourselves from others (3:3-8, 21-23). We belong to only One — our Lord Jesus Christ. Belonging to those through whom we were saved, by whom we were baptized, or from whom we received edification is condemned by the Holy Spirit.
Those in the Pentecostal Church have received the gift of the Holy Spirit; hence, they call themselves the Pentecostal Church. Those in the Holiness Church stress holiness; hence, they call themselves the Holiness Church. These denominations use a certain spiritual fact to promote themselves and make this a reason to separate themselves from others. Division on this basis is also not right.
In 1 Corinthians 1:12-13 the Holy Spirit not only condemned those who claimed to be of Paul, of Apollos, and of Cephas, but He also condemned those who claimed to be of Christ. This is because they separated themselves from others based on the fact that they belonged to Christ. Although it is right to belong to Christ, it is not right to make this the basis of division. Therefore, there is no reason that allows us to be divided from other believers. There is, however, nothing we can do if believers decide to divide themselves from us. In such a case, even though there is division, it is not our responsibility.
There was a group of believers in northern China who insisted that believers would all be raptured after the great tribulation. Therefore, they became a posttribulation rapture sect. There were others who believed in rapture before the tribulation and became a pretribulation rapture sect. These two groups of believers were divided. Some groups insist on keeping the Sabbath, but other believers say that since the Sabbath is of the Old Testament, they should keep the Lord’s Day in the New Testament. Still other groups are divided because of different views concerning immersion and sprinkling. Then there are some who divide because of different opinions concerning head covering. Even items related to the breaking of bread, such as using a large or small cup, eating wafers or bread, or drinking grape juice or grape wine, are the basis for divisions among believers. Forgive me for saying this — there are too many divisions among Christians. In the sixty-six books of the Bible there are so many points that can cause contentions. May the Lord preserve us that these points would not be reasons for division.
The basic Christian faith consists only of the seven ones spoken of in Ephesians 4:4-6. Apart from these seven ones, nothing should be considered as basic to the faith. Our fundamental faith can have only this “one faith.” If we consider the many possible different doctrinal views as being part of the “one faith,” the fundamental faith, there will surely be many divisions among God’s children. This should not be so.
Galatians 5:19-21 speaks concerning the works of the flesh. One of the items is sects or heresies. The Greek word for heresies in the Chinese Union Version means “divisions due to different doctrines.” Therefore, any act of causing division because of different doctrines is the work of the flesh.
Romans 14 speaks of not passing judgment on others’ considerations but rather of receiving one another: “One believes that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables. He who eats, let him not despise him who does not eat; and he who does not eat, let him not judge him who eats, for God has received him...One judges one day above another; another judges every day alike” (vv. 2-3, 5). This portion of the Word makes it clear that none of us should pass judgment on others. Even if a person is a vegetarian and keeps the Sabbath, the Bible says that we should still receive him. Being a vegetarian and keeping the Sabbath are not according to New Testament truths. Nevertheless, the Bible tells us to receive one who is a vegetarian and keeps the Sabbath. We should receive one who has different views and opinions. Hence, God does not allow any division based on differences in doctrinal views.
Although the Bible acknowledges that man has different views with respect to doctrines, it absolutely forbids man from being sectarian and divisive based on different doctrinal views. First Corinthians 1:10-13 and Titus 3:10 show that the Bible forbids people from being factious. Even more, the Bible condemns those who form parties and cause divisions. As long as there is the oneness on the seven points of the fundamental faith spoken of in Ephesians 4, the Bible does not forbid different doctrinal views if they do not hinder the oneness of the church. However, the Bible absolutely prohibits people from forming parties and causing divisions based on these doctrinal views. The Bible condemns any kind of sectarianism and denominationalism.
First Corinthians 12:13 and Colossians 3:11 say that there cannot be Jew or Greek in the Body of Christ. Jews are a certain race, and Greeks are another race. Division because of racial differences is not permitted in the Bible. Therefore, a “church” based on an ethnic group should not be established.
The fact that 1 Corinthians 12 and Colossians 3 say there cannot be Greeks or Jews means that there cannot be divisions based on race or nationality. Divisions according to nationality, such as the Anglican Church in England, which is either the Church of England or the Episcopalian Church, and the Church of Christ in China, are neither right nor permitted in the Bible.
First Corinthians 12:13 and Colossians 3:11 also say that there cannot be slave or free in the church. Therefore, it is not permissible to have divisions based on social rank. There cannot be a church of university professors, just as there cannot be a church of rickshaw pullers. In the past there was a “church of the rickshaw pullers” in Shanghai. We should bear in mind that although there are different social classes in society, there cannot be such a thing in the church. A university professor must be able to sit in the meetings beside a brother who is a rickshaw puller. This is a lovely matter.
In five of the seven epistles written to the seven local churches in Asia, the Lord rebuked the churches because of their weaknesses and mistakes (Rev. 2—3). However, because those five were local churches, the Lord did not ask anyone to leave. Although the spiritual condition of those churches was weak, and there were even serious mistakes among them, the Lord still wanted the believers to be overcomers in these churches.
All the above points show that the church is one; therefore, it should never be divided. There is absolutely no reason for the church to be divided. Any reason for division that goes against the seven points of the fundamental faith spoken of in Ephesians 4 is wrong. Once the church is divided, it is no longer one, and the result is confusion. This confusion is spiritual fornication. May the Lord preserve us to continually live in the oneness of the church.
