The Ground of the Church Being Constituted of Three Crucial Elements

Witness Lee presents the ground of a local church as being composed of three essential elements: the unique oneness of the universal Body of Christ, the unique ground of locality, and the reality of the Spirit of oneness.

The ground of a local church is the genuine oneness of the Body of Christ, that is, the oneness of the Spirit. Ephesians 4:3 charges us to be diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit. The oneness of the Spirit is the oneness of the Body of Christ, which is the basic element of the unique ground of a local church.

The genuine oneness of the Body of Christ must be practiced with the unique ground of locality within the limit of the boundary and jurisdiction of the locality in which a church exists, that is, on the ground of locality, as with the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), the church in Antioch (Acts 13:1), the church in Cenchrea (Rom. 16:1), the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2), and the seven churches in the seven cities in Asia (Rev. 1:11). All these churches were on the local ground, the ground of locality.

(Witness Lee, Brief Presentation, 50-51)

The local ground of the church is basically the unique oneness of the Body of Christ practiced in the local churches. Both the universal Body of Christ and the local churches are uniquely one. There is one unique Body of Christ in the whole universe, and there is one unique local church in each locality, respectively. This unique oneness is the basic element of the church life. Since the oneness of the Body of Christ is the oneness of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3), the oneness practiced in a local church must be in the move of the Spirit and under the government of the Spirit. Hence, this Spirit is also a basic element of the church ground. In addition to this, since a local church is very much involved with its locality, the locality of the local church is also a crucial element of the church ground. So, the church ground on which a local church is built must be constituted with and prevail in the oneness executed by the Spirit and the oneness safeguarded by the locality.

(Witness Lee, Crucial Points, 22)

1. The Unique Oneness of the Universal Body of Christ

The oneness displayed by the local churches has as its base the oneness of the universal Body of Christ. Concerning this oneness, Witness Lee states:

The first element of the constitution of the church ground is the unique oneness of the universal Body of Christ, which is called “the oneness of the Spirit” (Eph. 4:3). This is the oneness that the Lord prayed for in John 17. It is a oneness of the mingling of the processed Triune God with all the believers in Christ. This oneness is in the name of the Father (John 17:6, 11), denoting the Father’s person, in which is the Father’s life. This oneness is even in the Triune God through sanctification by His holy word as the truth (John 17:14-21). This oneness is ultimately in the divine glory for the expression of the Triune God (John 17:22-24). Such a oneness was imparted into the spirit of all the believers in Christ, in their regeneration by the Spirit of life with Christ as the divine life; this oneness has become the basic element of the church ground.

(Witness Lee, Brief Presentation, 28)

The oneness of the Body of Christ is the oneness of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3) and the oneness of the divine constitution by the Divine Trinity (John 17:21-23). This is the constitutional aspect of the unique oneness for the church ground. This divine oneness separates all the believers in Christ from the unbelievers and unites all the believers together to be the one Body of Christ.

(Witness Lee, Crucial Points, 21)

The ground of a local church is the genuine oneness of the Body of Christ, that is, the oneness of the Spirit. Ephesians 4:3 charges us to be diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit. The oneness of the Spirit is the oneness of the Body of Christ, which is the basic element of the unique ground of a local church.

(Witness Lee, Eldership (2), 128)

2. The Unique Ground of Locality

Watchman Nee and Witness Lee were in absolute agreement in their teaching concerning the church’s unique ground of locality; they never wavered or deviated from this vision, as the following excerpts clearly demonstrate.

The second element of the church ground is the unique ground of the locality in which a local church is established and exists. The New Testament presents us a clear picture that all the local churches, as the expression of the universal church—the universal Body of Christ—are located in their respective cities. Hence, we see the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), the church in Antioch (Acts 13:1), the church in Cenchrea (Rom. 16:1), the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2), and the seven churches in Asia in seven respective cities (Rev. 1:4, 11). Every city as the boundary in which a church exists is the local ground of that church….

The above-defined ground of the church keeps, in practicality, the genuine oneness of the church both locally and universally (Eph. 4:3), without any division. This is the only way to avoid today’s situation of division and confusion among the members of Christ….

The local churches are the many expressions in many localities of the one Body of Christ. The local churches, being the existence of the Body of Christ for its function, are the many expressions of the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ may exist in the heavens, but to express itself, it must become the local churches.

A local church is one that exists in a locality as a city, the jurisdiction of the church being within the boundary of the city. We have seen that all the local churches are located, respectively, in different cities. To locate a church in a city is practical and convenient for its administration and its function.

(Witness Lee, Brief Presentation, 28-31)

One locality can have only one church. There cannot be more than one church; neither can a few localities combine together to form a church. God has ordained that there be only one church in each locality. Hence, we see only the church in Ephesus, and the church in Smyrna, etc. There is not such a thing as the churches in Ephesus or the churches in Smyrna. God has also ordained that no local church can be joined to another local church to form one church. This is why the Bible says, “The seven churches which are in Asia” (v. 4), and not “the church in Asia.” (Asia is a province, and there is more than one locality in a province.) God’s order in the church is that spiritually we submit to the authority of the Holy Spirit, and that we keep the locality as the boundary outwardly. If we know the Bible and if we know the Holy Spirit, we will acknowledge that there can only be one church in one locality. It is not scriptural to make a church out of a few localities or to have several churches in one locality. Forming one church out of several localities demands a oneness that is not found in the Bible, while having more than one church in one locality divides the oneness that the Scripture demands.

(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 2, Vol. 34, )

As we all know, the church began in Jerusalem, and it was wonderful. There were not twelve churches in Jerusalem, one named after each of the twelve Apostles. No, there was just one church that included everyone. Acts 8:1 proves that the church in Jerusalem was uniquely one, for this verse speaks of “the church which was at Jerusalem.” There were not many churches at Jerusalem, but one church, the church, at Jerusalem. The testimony of the church eventually spread north to Antioch through some saints who moved there from Jerusalem. Later Barnabas went there to edify them and brought Paul with him. As in Jerusalem, there was just one church in Antioch. Acts 13:1 says, “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers.” From Antioch the church spread to Asia Minor, where there were several churches in various cities. In Ephesus, for example, there was just one church. We know that in Ephesus there was not more than one church because Revelation 2:1 speaks of the church, not churches, in Ephesus. Through the ministry of Paul, the church spread from Asia Minor to Europe, and a church was established at Corinth. First Corinthians 1:2 says, “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth.” Again we see the matter of one church in one city. According to the Bible, there was one church in Jerusalem, one in Antioch, one in Ephesus, and one in Corinth.

(Witness Lee, Spirit and the Body, 205-206)

God only establishes local churches in various localities. We cannot see any unit that is bigger or smaller than the local church. The local church is the biggest as well as the smallest unit. The local church is the one and only institution of Christ. In the Bible all the churches were local. There were the church in Corinth, the church in Ephesus, the church in Jerusalem, the church in Antioch, and the church in Philippi. All these churches were named after localities. Although there might have been many meeting places in Jerusalem, there was only one church. Although the meetings might have been held in various places, there was one and only one fellowship. Although there were many divisions in Corinth, they met only in one place. The sphere of the church is based on the boundary of the locality. All the Christians in a locality are in the church in that locality. Therefore, all the believers in Shanghai form the church in Shanghai. God takes the city, the town, or the village as the unit for the church. We can only read of “the church in Ephesus”; we cannot read of “such and such church in Ephesus,” because “such and such church” is not qualified to be the church of God in Ephesus.

(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 2, Vol. 43, 573)

How simple, how uncomplicated is this divine way which the Scriptures show us! Wherever we live, we are the church in that place and we build the church in that place. If all God’s people could see this principle and abide by it, there would be no divisions. We can testify that we have seen this ground of unity taken and the church life practiced upon it in many places, and we are seeing it today. From our observation and our own experience we can boldly declare that it really works and it is the most blessed way. Regardless of the grounds upon which others are standing, we must pay the price to stand upon this unique ground of locality, the ground of unity, to be built up with the believers as the proper local church in the locality where we live.

We must come out of the divisions, not to form another division, but to come back to the proper ground, the ground of unity. There is no reason for us to be divided. We are all members of the one unique church. Why not simply come together with the believers in the locality where we live to be an expression of that church? Let us not be complicated and confused by Christianity. It is a shameful thing to ask people to what church they belong. If they are believers, they are our brothers—that is all. I belong to the unique church, and they belong to the same unique church.

(Witness Lee, Ground of the Church, 10-11)

These excerpts from the ministries of Witness Lee and Watchman Nee prove that the only way to participate in the oneness of the universal Body of Christ in a practical and scriptural way is through the local churches, on the unique ground of the city in which each local church exists.

3. The Reality of the Spirit of Oneness

The third crucial element of the church ground is the unifying reality of the Spirit of oneness. Concerning this truth, Witness Lee says:

The third element of the church ground is the reality of the Spirit of oneness, expressing the unique oneness of the universal Body of Christ on the unique ground of locality of a local church. Briefly, the third element of the church ground is the reality of the Spirit, who is the living reality of the divine Trinity (1 John 5:6; John 16:13). It is by this Spirit that the oneness of the Body of Christ becomes real and living. It is also through this Spirit that the ground of locality is applied in life and not in legality. And it is by this Spirit that the genuine ground of the church is linked with the Triune God (Eph. 4:3-6).

(Witness Lee, Brief Presentation, 29)

Watchman Nee confirms this truth:

A group today may have some brothers and sisters who are under the authority of the Holy Spirit and others who are not under the authority of the Holy Spirit. Immediately, we can see that there is no ground of the church there. The ground of the church is the Holy Spirit. Whenever the Holy Spirit is offended, the ground of the church is lost. The unanimous decision of all the brothers and sisters does not make up the Body of Christ. It is not a matter of sixteen hundred people raising their hands to pass a resolution, and then there is the church. It is not a matter of these sixteen hundred people, but a matter of whether or not the authority of the Holy Spirit has been executed. If the authority of the Holy Spirit is absent, there is no church ground. Only when everyone submits to the authority of the Holy Spirit does the church have its ground.

(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 3, Vol. 55, 152)

Thus, the ground of the church is truly a weighty matter. It consists of three crucial elements: the unique oneness of the universal Body of Christ, the ground of locality, and the reality of the Spirit of oneness. The ministries of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee have unlocked this deep truth in the Bible and have also opened the way for believers today to have the proper practice of the local church.

MORE QUOTES...

Main | Progressive Revelation | Three Elements | Boundary | Paying the Price | Bibliography | Links

© 2001-2002. Living Stream Ministry. All Rights Reserved.