Scripture Reading: Eph. 2:11-18; Gal. 6:15
The book of Ephesians reveals that God’s economy is to work Christ into His chosen people to produce the church. This book also exposes certain negative things that damage the church life. According to our natural concept, we may expect Ephesians to emphasize such negative things as sin and worldliness. Although these are dealt with, they are not the main factors revealed in Ephesians as causes of damage to the church life.
We all easily recognize that sin is damaging. Without even reading the Bible, we have the knowledge that sin is a cause of corruption. Therefore, when we read about sin in the Scriptures, we readily understand, for the concept of sin is already in our natural mentality. However, it is contrary to our natural concept to say that ordinances are more damaging to the church life than sin is. The verses which speak of ordinances may make little impression on us because they do not correspond to anything already in our natural concept.
What are the basic factors that damage the church life according to the revelation in the book of Ephesians? We have indicated that sin and worldliness, although certainly causes of damage, are not the basic negative factors in this book. In Ephesians there are four categories of negative things that damage the church life. The first of these is the ordinances. In 2:14 and 15 Paul says that Christ “has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity, having abolished in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances.” The law of commandments contained in ordinances is a cause of enmity. With the ordinances there are regulations, and these regulations are the law of commandments. This gives rise to enmity. Today there is enmity even among good, spiritual Christians, enmity caused by ordinances regarding certain practices. For instance, there may be enmity between those who practice baptism by immersion and those who practice baptism by sprinkling. Related to these practices there are ordinances with their law of commandments. These ordinances are the first basic category of negative things that damage the church life.
The second category is doctrine. In 4:14 Paul says that we should “be no longer babes tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching.” The word teaching here refers to doctrine. Although Christians may regard doctrine as a positive thing, this verse clearly indicates that it can be used to carry us away from Christ. Any doctrine, even a scriptural one, that distracts the believers from Christ is a wind of teaching that carries them away from God’s economy. Doctrine, therefore, can be used to destroy the Body life. If we intend to have the proper church life, we must recognize the damage doctrine has caused to the Body of Christ.
In chapter four Paul goes on to speak of the old man (v. 22), the third category of negative things that damage the church. The old man is of Adam, created by God, but fallen through sin. Because the old man causes so much damage to the church life, we must put off the old man in order to have the proper practice of the Body life.
In 5:27 we see the fourth negative category: the spots and wrinkles. Spots are related to the natural life, and the wrinkles are related to oldness. Both spots and wrinkles are capable of causing serious damage to the church life in a very subjective way. The glorious church that Christ will present to Himself will not have spot or wrinkle or any such things, but will be holy and without blemish.
Perhaps you have read the book of Ephesians a number of times without realizing that these four categories of things can cause great damage to the church life. You may have read this book without paying attention to the matters of ordinances, doctrines, the old man, and spots and wrinkles. I myself read Ephesians for years before I began to see the seriousness of these four things with respect to the church life. In this message we shall deal in particular with the ordinances.
The primary source of the divisions among Christians throughout the centuries has been ordinances. We may trace these ordinances all the way back to the time of Babel. God’s intention in His creation of man was for mankind to be one. This was the reason that He created just one man, not a multitude of men. God’s desire was to have one corporate man. However, as a result of Babel, mankind was divided into nations, into a number of different peoples. Between these nations, these peoples, there are many differences. Not only are there differences in a general way between the Jews and the Gentiles, but there are also differences among the various nationalities, for example, between the Chinese and the Japanese, and between the Germans and the French. These differences have created divisions, and divisions are related to ordinances.
From the time of Babel, mankind has been divided by ordinances concerning the ways of living and worship. The source of this dividing work is the subtlety of the enemy, Satan. Through ordinances Satan has spoiled the oneness of the humanity created by God for the fulfillment of His purpose. Humanly speaking, it is not possible for the oneness of divided mankind to be restored. Although there is such an international organization as the United Nations, it is a fact that the nations are far from united. On the contrary, they are divided by ordinances.
One of the main elements of ordinances is language. As we all know, the division of the peoples at Babel was related to differences of language. Hence, a primary element of ordinances is language. If we can overcome the difficulty presented by language, a great part of our problem with ordinances will be solved.
On the day of Pentecost God Himself did something very significant concerning language. Peoples of different languages were saved and brought into oneness. On that day the divisions caused by language were overcome, and the church as the one new man came into existence. For the church to be the new man means that the church is a new mankind, a new humanity, a new human race. The old humanity God had created for Himself had become divided by ordinances. But on the day of Pentecost the church came into being as the new man, the new humanity.
However, throughout the centuries ordinances have crept in to divide Christians. Especially from the time of the Reformation Christians have been divided by ordinances concerning practices. Some Christians have made baptism by immersion an ordinance. With this ordinance as their basis, they have formed the Baptist denomination. Others have done the same thing with respect to their belief about presbytery or eldership. With an ordinance related to eldership as their basis, they have formed the Presbyterian denomination. This kind of thing has occurred again and again. The main reason Christians are divided is the ordinances concerning different religious practices.
It is possible to have an ordinance about any practice. For example, we may have an ordinance about pray-reading. Although we find pray-reading helpful, we should not make an ordinance concerning it or insist that others practice it. Either to impose pray-reading on others or to oppose the practice of pray-reading is wrong. No matter how much life supply you receive through pray-reading, do not make an ordinance about pray-reading. Furthermore, do not allow your local church to become a pray-reading church. In other words, do not insist that all who attend the meetings practice pray-reading. To insist on pray-reading in this way is to be divisive.
It is the tendency of Christians to create ordinances related to those practices which they personally find helpful. For this reason, there are ordinances about practices such as foot-washing and about speaking in tongues. Those who advocate speaking in tongues may have an ordinance imposing it, but those who oppose speaking in tongues may have an ordinance forbidding it. It is by ordinances like these that Christians have been divided. Therefore, it is of vital importance that we receive all genuine Christians and not become divided over ordinances.
Christian groups sometimes adopt rather unusual practices. One Christian group in Taiwan has the peculiar practice of chair-shaking. In their meetings they often kneel down, take hold of the legs of chairs, and then shake the chairs. They think that this is the best way to be freed from the natural mind and to be filled with the Spirit. Simply because we may not agree with this practice does not give us the ground to criticize those who do. Many of the Christians in this chair-shaking group are noted for their prevailing preaching of the gospel among the mountain people in Taiwan. Furthermore, a number of professional people have been attracted to this group and then have received spiritual help. I certainly do not oppose this chair-shaking, but I do oppose any ordinances that may be formed regarding it.
On the one hand, we may see the error of denominations. On the other hand, we may see the truth of the ground of oneness — the truth of one church in one city. We may also have come together to meet as the church on the proper ground. However, although we may have seen the truth of the church ground and may be for this truth in a definite and practical way, we may still have our ordinances. If we do not drop these ordinances, we shall eventually have a problem concerning the oneness.
We must exercise ourselves not to have any ordinances. We must admit, however, that it is not easy for us to drop them. Some believers have ordinances about musical instruments. I know of a certain Brethren assembly that was divided over the use of a piano. Eventually, two groups came into existence, one favoring the piano and the other opposing it. Both groups were formed because of ordinances.
In the early days of the church life in Los Angeles, some saints had a problem over the playing of tambourines in the meetings. Some had an ordinance in favor of tambourines, whereas others had an ordinance in opposition to it. I found myself having to fight against both kinds of ordinances in the attempt to preserve the proper oneness. To one brother who strongly opposed the use of tambourines I said, “Please tell me, what is the difference in the eyes of God between playing a tambourine and playing a piano?” This brother admitted that in the eyes of God there was no difference. But he was quick to point out that as far as he was concerned, there was a difference. When I said that this difference was due to his background, he agreed, but still went on to oppose the use of tambourines. Eventually, the ordinances concerning tambourines kept a number of saints from participating in the church life. This is only one of the many illustrations we could give to prove that ordinances can ruin the church life.
For the sake of the church life, we should not have any ordinances concerning the way to meet. Simply be one with the church in your locality, regardless of their way of meeting. Be one with the church simply because it is the church. Do not oppose any particular practice, and do not impose any practice. Either to impose or to oppose is to bring in ordinances.
The Apostle Paul was very clear about ordinances, and he knew the futility of debating whether certain practices are right or wrong. During his time, there was a heated debate about circumcision. No doubt many said that Paul was not scriptural because he discontinued this practice. In Galatians 6:15 Paul uttered a very significant word related to this controversy: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Gk.). Paul realized that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision had anything to do with God’s economy. The only thing that avails as far as God’s economy is concerned is a new creation in Christ. To be a new creation is to have Christ wrought into our being.
Applying this principle to our situation today, we see that the crucial question is not what we do about chair-shaking, tongues-speaking, or pray-reading. It is altogether a matter of Christ wrought into us and making His home in our hearts. As in the time of Paul, the only thing that avails is a new creation in Christ Jesus.
We need to recognize the fact that God uses many different ways to bring people to Himself. Some may criticize the practice of speaking in tongues, but many believers have been helped by this. In like manner, certain saints in Taiwan are helped by shaking chairs. Who are we to condemn them for this or insist that they discontinue this practice? If certain ones desire to speak in tongues, we should not stop them. The same holds true of pray-reading or of any other practice, as long as it is not sinful. The church must be all-inclusive, receiving all genuine believers in Christ. Only in this way can we preserve the oneness.
To see the matter of one city, one church, is good, but it is not adequate. If we do not deal with our ordinances, we shall eventually be divided by our opinions or practices. Christ should be our only source. We should not allow anything of our background or culture to be our source. Otherwise, we shall bring in different ordinances according to our various backgrounds and cultures. Christ, not our ordinances, is the source of the church life.
If we did not love the Lord, division would not present such a serious problem, for we would probably all be distracted by worldly endeavors. But because we love the Lord, we also love the Bible and care for the truth of the Bible. As a result, disputes may arise concerning doctrine. Such disputes may lead further to division. In that case, we would repeat the history of divisive Christianity.
In the Lord’s recovery we need to be brought out of every kind of division and return to the genuine oneness. However, if we see only the ground of oneness but not this matter of the ordinances, our oneness will not be secure. Rather, we may be in danger of again becoming sectarian or divisive. We may attempt to impose a particular practice on others in the church. To do this is to have ordinances. The church meetings must be general; they must not specialize in certain practices. If someone desires to speak in tongues, he should be free to do so. However, he should not try to make speaking in tongues the focal point of the meeting. Our oneness does not consist in practices; it is in Christ as everything. Insistence on certain practices damages our oneness. We should give the saints liberty without insisting on any particular practice. Then the oneness will be preserved.
As long as the saints in a locality are for the Lord and are standing on the proper ground of the church, we should be one with them. Instead of imposing any practice on them, we should minister the riches of Christ. What we need is to be strengthened into our inner man and filled with the riches of Christ unto all the fullness of God. Then instead of trying to adjust others or to correct them, we shall minister Christ to them. The Holy Spirit will always honor what is of Christ. If we supply Christ to others, the Spirit will honor this, and they will be helped. In this way we shall practice the church life in a proper way, free from the damage caused by ordinances.
