The Recovery of the Local Churches

The Spread of the Local Churches

The first chapter of 1 Corinthians shows us clearly that there was only one church in Corinth. If some among them should say, “I am of Paul,” while some other said, “I am of Apollos,” with a third party saying, “I am of Cephas,” and a fourth proclaiming, “I am of Christ,” the church would be divided into four parts. Every one of these parts would be smaller than the boundary of the locality. The Bible calls this division and walking according to the flesh. This kind of division produces sects which God hates.

(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 2, 192-193)

Throughout the centuries of church history, the problems, the confusion, and the divisions took place due to the saints not seeing the corporate church of God. In the past the saints saw something concerning such items as God’s salvation, sanctification, and the need of being spiritual, keeping the holy Word, not loving the world, and being for the Lord’s interest and work on this earth. They also saw that we need to labor to win souls and that we need to be enthusiastic for evangelism to the extent that we would go to other lands for the spread of the gospel. However, all of these items are not God’s goal but are the means to reach His goal. God has only one goal. God’s goal is unique. God’s ultimate goal is the church.

(Witness Lee, History of the Church, 8)

Please remember that Catholicism is the church in captivity in Babylon. Many Bible readers admit this. As the children of Israel were taken captive to Babylon, the church was also taken captive to Babylon. Protestantism came back from Babylon, but they did not build the temple. Even though many came back from Babylon, the temple was not there. Today you and I must be those in church history who rise up to build the temple. We are a people like Nehemiah, building the temple and learning to raise up God’s church again in this age. Many have come out of Babylon but still have a Babylonian appearance. Even today they still do not look like the church. Catholicism is very structured. Protestantism is less structured, but being less structured is still not the church.

(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 3, Vol. 51, 82)

Satan also leavened the church with Protestantism in its hierarchy. The Protestant church has its ministers and pastors in a kind of religious organization with a hierarchy. Revelation 3:1 also reveals that the Protestant church is living in name but dead in actuality.

Protestantism is full of different teachings. The denominations are based upon their different teachings. The Southern Baptists stress baptism by immersion. Based upon that teaching, they set up a denomination to baptize people by immersion. The Presbyterians stress the presbytery, the ruling and managing of a so-called local church by a body of elders. Based upon that teaching, they formed the Presbyterian church. All of the different denominations are founded upon their different teachings, and they have their traditions which they must keep.

Furthermore, today in the Protestant church there are some modernists, teaching people that the Bible is not inspired by God, that there are no miracles, that there are no angels, and that there is no Spirit. The modernists do not believe that Jesus is God or that He died to redeem us from our sins. They do not believe in the resurrection of Christ. Instead, they say that Christ sacrificed Himself merely as a martyr. Protestantism is also full of worldliness and divisions. This is why we cannot remain there. We do not want to be under that kind of leavening.

(Witness Lee, Constitution, 2444)

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