The Recovery of the Local Churches

The Spread of the Local Churches

According to the Bible, a church should be local. The boundary of the locality is determined by the boundary of its civic administrative unit. The Bible shows us local churches, but it does not have churches on a street or churches in a district. The justification for starting a church is not based on its number of members. A local church may cover a large geographical area and may have a large number of people, but it is still one church.

(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 3, Vol. 62, 287-288)

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. If we are mindful that the seven lampstands are the seven churches, we will be reminded of the proper standing of the church in the eyes of God.

(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 2, Vol. 34, 167)

According to the revelation and pattern of the New Testament, the church is the gathering of the believers in Christ who have been called out from the world by God. Such a church, as both the house of God and the Body of Christ, is universally one to appear and be expressed on the earth in many localities as many local churches. The fellowship in life of this church is uniquely one, both universally and locally.

(47 speakers, 1993 Blending Conf, 19-20)

Next, we need to see that the practical expression of the church must be local. It must be in the place where we Christians are. This is extremely important. If we would have the practice of the church and therefore have the practicality of the church, we must have the local expression of the church. There is no other way. This means that we need to see the locality of the church.

(Witness Lee, Heavenly Vision, 19)

Learn to stay away from complications and make yourself very simple. Read the simple words of the New Testament: “the church in Jerusalem,” “the church in Antioch,” “the church at Cenchrea,” “the church in Corinth,” etc. It is so clear—the church must be local.

(Witness Lee, Vision of the Church, 8)

Today the church is in a state of desolation. According to typology the church has been captured to Babylon. The thriving condition of the church as seen by Paul in the first century was lost soon afterward. From that time, the church fell into a state of captivity, which continued until the time of Thyatira. After Thyatira, there was Sardis, where God began His work. Thyatira typifies Roman Catholicism, and Sardis typifies Protestantism. God began His recovery work at the time of Sardis. Although the truths were buried for such a long time, when they were recovered, they immediately became actualities. When Paul spoke concerning the truths in the first century, those truths were spiritual realities, yet they were not actualities. For example, when he spoke about the church, it was a reality, but the actual church had not appeared yet. After the Reformation, not only were the truths recovered, but the actual things themselves were recovered. For example, justification by faith is no longer just a truth; it has become an actual thing. If the Lord delays His coming, the church will no longer exhort men to be justified by works. The actual matter of justification by faith has been recovered in the church.

(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 3, Vol. 57, 1555)

Main

The Reformation

The Moravian Brethren

The Plymouth Brethren

A New Beginning

Watchman Nee’s Calling

Watchman Nee’s Revelation

Watchman Nee’s Care for the Local Churches

The Local Church in Foochow, China

Witness Lee’s Revelation

The Spread of the Local Churches

Bibliography

Links