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The Brethren
Since the Brethren did not pay enough attention to
the fact that the church has the locality as her boundary, the “Exclusive
Brethren” demanded unified action throughout in every place, resulting in
breaking the boundary of locality and falling into the error of the united
church; while the “Open Brethren” demanded independent administration of every
meeting, the result of which is that there are many places that have many
churches in one locality, thus falling into the error of the Congregational
Church, which makes each congregation an independent unit. The “Exclusive
Brethren” exceed the boundary of locality, while the “Open Brethren” are
smaller than the boundary of locality. They forget that in the Bible there is
one and only one church in every locality. The words spoken in the Bible to
the church are spoken to this kind of church. Strangely enough, today’s
inclination is to change the words spoken in the Bible to the local church to
words spoken to the spiritual church. Moreover, when some brothers set up the
church, they set up a church that is smaller than the locality—the “house”
church is a case in point. But in the Bible there is no “United Church” of the
churches everywhere; neither are there churches of the congregations and
meetings in one locality as independent churches. One church for several
localities or several churches in one locality—both are not ordained of God.
God’s Word clearly reveals that one locality can have only one church, and
there can only be one church in one locality. To have one church in several
localities demands a unity which the Bible does not demand; to have several
churches in one locality divides the oneness which the Bible
demands.
The difficulty of the Brethren in those days was that
they were not clear enough regarding the teaching in the Bible on locality.
The result is that since those who have the “United Church” type of unity are
united with brothers in other places, they are not afraid to be divided from
brothers in the same locality. Similarly, those who take the meeting as a unit
and who have no problem with the brothers in the same meeting are not afraid
to be divided with the brothers who are in other meetings in the same
locality. Because they have not realized the importance of the teachings in
the Bible concerning the locality, divisions have resulted in both cases. The
Lord does not demand the impractical unity of all places. The Lord also does
not permit taking one meeting as the boundary of unity—that is too free; it is
licentious, having no restriction or lesson. With just one word of
disagreement, another meeting is formed immediately with three to five as a
group, and this is counted as oneness. There can only be one kind of oneness
in a locality. What a restriction to those with fleshly license!
The movement of the brothers is still in progress,
and the light of “locality” is clearer and clearer. To what extent the Lord
will work we do not know. We can only wait for history; then we will be clear.
If our consecration to the Lord is absolute and we ourselves are humble, it
may be that we will receive mercy to be kept from error.
(Watchman Nee, Orthodoxy, 73-75)
The move among the Brethren at the beginning was
really marvelous. This was a golden time that was a great help to the church
life. Many spiritual, seeking Christians agree that this may have been the
beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy in the Lord’s epistle to the
church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3. However, due to the Brethren’s
overemphasis on doctrines, they were divided again and again.
(Witness Lee, History of the Church, 35)
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