In this message we shall continue to see the revelation of the mystery of Christ, the church, given by Christ in the Gospels.
The church was revealed by Christ the first time in Matthew 16:15-20. The second time the church is revealed by the Lord is in Matthew 18:15-20.
In Matthew 18:15-20 we have a revelation of the local church. Verse 17 says, “But if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.” The church revealed in Matthew 16:18 is the universal church, which is the unique Body of Christ, whereas the church revealed here is the local church, the expression of the unique Body of Christ in a certain locality. Chapter sixteen relates to the universal building of the church, whereas chapter eighteen relates to the local practice of the church. Both indicate that the church represents the kingdom of the heavens, having authority to bind and to loose.
In Matthew 16:18 the Lord Jesus says, “On this rock I will build My church.” This is the universal church. But in 18:17 we have the local church, for this verse speaks of a church to which we can go when we have a problem. Matthew 18:17 says that if we have a problem to be solved by the church, we must go to the church. If this church is not the local church but the universal church, we would not be able to “tell it to the church.” In fact, Matthew 16:18 is included in 18:17. We cannot have 16:18 without 18:17. However, if we have 18:17, we have 16:18.
According to the context of 18:17, in the local church we have both the reality and the practicality of the kingdom of the heavens. This means that if we would be in the kingdom of the heavens in a practical way, we need to be in a local church. In a chapter dealing with relationships in the kingdom, the Lord Jesus eventually speaks concerning the church. This proves that the practicality of the kingdom today is in the local church. Without the local church, it is impossible to have the practicality and reality of the kingdom life. Many Christians talk about the kingdom life, but without the practical local church life, this talk is in vain.
In chapter sixteen the Lord Jesus revealed the universal church. But the universal church requires the practicality of the local church. Without the local church, the universal church cannot be practiced; rather, it will be something suspended in the air. The local church is the reality both of the kingdom and of the universal church.
The revelation of the church in Matthew 18 is, in particular, for the administration of the church in its locality. In 18:15-20 we have the administration, or the government, of the church. In the church there is the need of administration, of government. If we have a problem with a brother which we cannot solve with two or three, we should bring it to the church. The church has government.
The administration or government of the church is in the local churches. If we do not have the local churches, we do not have this government. In the local church there is the government which is a real restriction and test to the flesh and the self. If we know how independent our natural self is, we shall be willing to submit to the government, the administration, in the church. We all need to learn submission because of our independent self. This is why we need the government and restriction of the local church.
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