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Scripture Reading: Rom. 16:3-16; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15-16; Philem. 1-2
In order that we may be definitely clear concerning the local church (i.e., one church in one city), we must see the matter of the church in the home. Some may think that it is possible to have the church in the city and at the same time a church in the home.
In the New Testament Epistles only four homes are mentioned in which there were churches. In two of these places, it is the home of Aquila and Priscilla. The first is in Romans 16:5: “Greet the church, which is in their house.” This is the house of Aquila and Priscilla. At this time they were living in Rome, and the church in Rome was meeting in their home. Therefore, the church in Rome could be called the church in their house. In fact, today in Sacramento, the church in Sacramento meets in the home of a certain brother. So we could say that there is a church in his house.
Then in Romans 16:10-11 two more houses are mentioned. But both of these verses do not mention a church. Romans 16:14 says, “the brothers with them,” but it does not speak of a church. Romans 16:15 mentions “all the saints,” but it also does not say that they were the church. It is just like the place that we call the Magnolia House today in Los Angeles. So many saints are living there, but we cannot say that is a church. At that time in Rome, there was only one house where there was a church, and that was the house of Aquila and Priscilla.
We must realize that the church in the home must be equal to the church in the city. There were not two churches in Rome, one called the church in Rome and another which met in the house of Aquila and Priscilla. The church in Rome simply met in the house of this couple, so there was a church in their house.
Then 1 Corinthians 16:19 says, “The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you much in the Lord, with the church, which is in their house.” This again is the house of Aquila and Priscilla. Now this couple has moved from Rome to Ephesus. Acts 18:18-19 tells us this fact. So the church in Ephesus was meeting in their house. Wherever they were, this couple was so willing to have the meeting of the church in their house. In Acts 18 we see that Aquila and Priscilla traveled with the apostle Paul from Rome to Ephesus. But after Paul left Ephesus, they remained there, and the church in Ephesus met in their home. This is why the apostle Paul mentioned the church in their house.
Another church meeting in a home is mentioned in Colossians 4:15-16. Verse 15 says, “...the church, which is in his house.” This is the house of Nymphas. If we read these verses carefully, we will see that the church in the house of Nymphas was the church in Laodicea. Verse 16 says, “And when this letter is read among you, cause that it be read in the church of the Laodiceans also, and that you also read the one from Laodicea.”
The church in the house of Nymphas was the church in Laodicea. There was not a church in Laodicea and another church in the house of Nymphas. In Revelation 3:14 the church in Laodicea is mentioned as the only church in that city. This is the strongest proof that there were not two churches in Laodicea. There was only one church in this city, and that church was meeting in the house of Nymphas.
Now let us read Philemon 1 and 2. “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy the brother, to Philemon our beloved and fellow worker and to Apphia the sister and to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church, which is in your house.” To understand these two verses regarding the church in the house of Philemon, we must read Colossians 4:9 and 17: “With Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you” (cf. Philem. 10). “And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you fulfill it” (cf. Philem. 2). These two verses prove that Philemon lived in Colossae. The church in Colossae was meeting in his home. The church in his house was the church in Colossae.
The church in Rome was in the home of Aquila and Priscilla, and the church in Ephesus was also in the house of Aquila and Priscilla. Then the church in Laodicea was in the house of Nymphas, and the church in Colossae was in the house of Philemon. These are the four instances of a church meeting in a home in the New Testament.
Today Christians have too much liberty regarding the church. This is because they do not have the vision concerning the local church. If we have the vision of the local church on the right ground, we will all be restricted.
How can we practice the church life in today’s confusion? How can we apply all the matters we have mentioned in the preceding chapters of this book? It all depends upon one thing: that is, how much we have really seen the local church on the right ground. Whenever we come to this point regarding the ground of the church, there is always a sense that we are fighting against something. I do not know why, yet in another sense I do know. Why are so many veiled when it comes to this matter? It is simply because they are so natural and religious. The natural, human, religious concept is a veil that covers us and keeps us from seeing the ground of the church.
We all need the Lord’s mercy to see the local church on the right ground. Unless we see this, there is no way for us to go on. If we are only willing to be shown the local church on the right ground, the way will be opened for the Lord’s mercy and grace to flood in. Regardless of how weak you are, if you are really willing to see this, the Lord will come in to bless. However, you cannot be indifferent. Do not say, “Well, the unique ground of the local church is good, but...” The Lord knows. You may fool others, but you cannot fool the Lord. He knows that if you say this, you are not ready for any blessing along this line.
For the local church we must be absolute and say, “Lord, I am wrecked. I am sold. I am completely spoiled. I have no other choice.” There is no need for us to do anything if we take this kind of attitude. In the whole universe the devil will know where we stand, and the Lord will too.
If we are so ready, so definite, so strong, and so absolute with the Lord’s purpose in the way of the local church, the Lord will raise up others to stand with us. But if we are neutral and lukewarm, the Lord will do nothing. He hates lukewarmness. Many miss the blessing of the Lord because they are lukewarm. They say, “Yes, the denominations are wrong, and we should not be sectarian, but still it is rather difficult to have the local church. The denominations are not the right way, but still there are problems concerning the local church.”
With spiritual things, and especially with the local church, we must be exceedingly absolute. It is just like the case of a married woman. If a woman marries Mr. Smith, she must strongly declare that she is Mrs. Smith. If she says, “Well, of course, for me to be Mrs. Jones or Mrs. Johnson is wrong, but for me to be Mrs. Smith is still a problem,” then I would ask, “What Mrs. are you? To be Mrs. Jones or Mrs. Johnson is certainly wrong, but who are you? Are you Mrs. Smith?” If we take this kind of attitude in our marriage, the entire blessing of our married life will be lost.
If the denominations are wrong and the local church is right, we must pour out every drop of our blood for it. There is the need for absoluteness. The Lord never likes any kind of mixture. In Genesis 1 everything is after its kind. A peach tree must be a peach tree. An apple tree must be an apple tree. Any kind of hybrid does not reproduce. When an apple tree is grafted into a peach tree, it exists for one generation only. This is the natural law.
If you feel that the denominations are right, then stay with them and be absolute about it. But if you feel that the Lord’s way is the local church, then you must be absolute. Only then will you see the blessing. The Lord is never pleased with any kind of mixture. If you feel burdened to go and work for a certain mission, you must do it absolutely. But if you are not certain that this is of the Lord, you will simply lose the ground for receiving the blessing.
We all need the Lord’s mercy. We need the vision, and we need to be absolute. Once we see it, we must be willing to die for it. It is only when we are so absolute that we will have the blessing. In these last days the Lord is going to prepare His bride by recovering the local church. He is so desirous of seeing many seeking ones becoming absolute to take this way. Wherever the Lord can find even a few on this earth who are so absolute for the local church, He will pour out His blessing upon them. By His mercy we must be absolute for this way. This is the basic issue. Do not ask, “What shall I do?” Instead you must ask, “Am I absolute? Am I ready to pay the price?”
In 1937 an American brother was really seeking the Lord, and due to his seeking, he was persecuted by the other missionaries of his mission. He came to me for prayer and fellowship, and he was really helped by our meetings. Because of the war, he returned to America; but after the war, he went back to Shanghai. When he heard that I was in Shanghai at that time, he came to see me again. But he never took this way. He was so close, but he never was absolute. Sometimes the closest ones are the hardest ones. I have seen those who were far from this way; yet when they saw it, they gave their lives for it. It all depends upon the vision of the local church and our absoluteness for it.
Do not try to be neutral. Do not try to reconcile the denominations with the local church. You can never reconcile them. Can you reconcile black with white? You can, but it will be grey; it will neither be black nor white.
We all must be so absolute. If you feel the denominations are right, then continue in them. But if you feel they are wrong and you have seen something of the local church, then pay the full price. Never be neutral.
Some have tried their best to get us to compromise even a little. But we made it clear that that is one thing we can never do. We can never compromise. The Lord never taught us to compromise. If we like black, we take black. If we prefer white, then we take white.
All problems issue from this one thing: a lack of absoluteness. I am so glad when a sister gets married and proudly proclaims, “I am Mrs. So-and-so.” This is the right principle. If we have seen the light regarding the local church, we must be absolute. We must be wrecked, spoiled, and ruined for this way. We all must learn to be absolute. We need not ask, “What should I do?” If we are absolute, ninety-nine percent of our problem has been solved. If we are absolute, we will immediately be clear, and we will know what to do.
Of course, the old ties will be cut. We will be wrecked and the bridges will be burned behind us. But I am afraid that with many the bridges are still there. They think they can experiment to see if it will work. If it will, they will stay. If it will not, they will step back over the bridge. But they will never see anything in that way, and they will never be clear. There must be no bridges behind us. Then we will be clear regarding what we must do.
When a person is so absolute and burdened with the vision concerning the local church, he will pray prevailingly. He will even pray by calling all heaven and earth to be his witness. “Lord, I call heaven and earth to witness for me. I am sold for Your purpose of the local church!” This kind of prayer will shake the darkness and will be so prevailing. Those who are absolute in this way will have the Lord’s authority and the Lord’s presence in a powerful way.
The way of the local church is not a small matter. Please do not be somewhat influenced and say, “Well, this is something better. I will try it.” Have you realized that all the Israelites who attempted to enter the good land were not successful? Not one of them entered. Only the two who were so absolute got in. They took the attitude that regardless of how big the giants were in the land, they must enter, and they did. Praise the Lord! If you say, “Let us try,” that is the end. This is not a way for trial but a way to which we must be sold.
The local church is a lampstand. In the dark night it is extremely easy to find a lampstand. So many people in the Far East who have never come to the United States know where the church in Los Angeles is. The shining of the church in Los Angeles has gone throughout the whole world. In the darkness it is very easy for people to see the lighthouse. If you go to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at night, you can clearly see the lighthouse. The local church is such a lampstand. Nothing can cover it, and nothing can hide it. Do not be concerned about finding the local church in a certain city. If there is a lampstand there, it will be easy to find.
If you go to a place where there is a meeting, but there is a question regarding the ground they take, it may not be the local church. If it is the lighthouse, there is no need to question it. If you must ask, “Is this the lighthouse?” it may not be the lighthouse. We must not make our local gathering so obscure. The local church must be so definite and absolute. We should be able to say, and others should be able to say, “This is the local church.” There are some places that are exceedingly ambiguous. They cause one to question whether they are the local expression of the church or not.
O brothers, may the Lord be merciful to us! No one can force us to take this way; but once we see it, no one can force us to drop it. It is so precious that we would never drop it. If we drop it, then we simply have no way to go on as a Christian. The only way to follow the Lord absolutely is to go the way of the local church.
