CHAPTER SIX

THE UNIQUE GROUND OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES OF GOD AND THE UNIQUE ONENESS OF THE UNIVERSAL BODY OF CHRIST

Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 1:1-2, 9, 10-13; 3:3-4; Eph. 4:3-6

OUTLINE

1. The unique ground of the local churches of God-1 Cor. 1:1-2, 9, 10-13; 3:3-4:
   1. The church of God-the content of the church in its essence-1:2a.
   2. The church at Corinth-the locality for the existence, expression, and practice of the church (1:2b); such a locality becomes the local ground of the local churches on which they are built respectively (Acts 8:1; 13:1; Rev. 1:11).
   3. Those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, the called saints-the constituents as the framework of the church-1:2c.
   4. With all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place-the recipients of this Epistle in every place other than the saints in Corinth-1:2d.
   5. Christ is “theirs and ours”-Christ is the portion of the local saints in Corinth and of all the saints in whatever place, who participate in the fellowship (enjoyment) of Christ, into which all the believers have been called by the faithful God- 1:2e, 9.
   6. Divisions among the saints are condemned by the apostle as the deputy authority of Christ the Head-1:10-13.
   7. Christ is not divided-Christ is unique, not divisible nor divided-1:13.
   8. Division is of the flesh, according to the manner of man-3:3-4.
   9. Our practice under today’s divisive and confusing degradation of Christianity:
      1. We do not and should not participate in the Catholic heresy, the Protestant denominations, and any kind of free groups of Christians.
      2. But we recognize and receive the individual believers in Christ who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, redeemed by His blood and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, who are not factious (Titus 3:10), not making divisions (Rom. 16:17), not worshipping idols, nor living in sin (1 Cor. 5:11), even if they are still related to any of the above listed divisions.
      3. We are one with all the believers who are in the Lord’s recovery throughout the world.
      4. We do not have any creed; we have only the unique Bible properly translated and interpreted by and according to the Bible itself.
2. The unique oneness of the universal Body of Christ-Eph. 4:3-6:
   1. The unique oneness of the universal Body of Christ is of the Spirit, which oneness believers should not break but keep diligently in the uniting bond of peace-v. 3.
   2. In the whole universe there is only one unique Body of Christ, with the Triune God as its contents-vv. 4-6:
      1. The one Spirit as the essence of its contents.
      2. The one Lord as the element of its contents.
      3. God the Father as the source of its contents, who is over all and through all and in all triunely.
   3. The blending of the universal Body of Christ:
      1. God has blended the Body together (1 Cor. 12:24):
         1. The blending of all the individual members of the Body of Christ.
         2. The blending of all the churches in certain districts.
         3. The blending of all the co-workers.
         4. The blending of all the elders.
      2. Such a blending is not social but the blending of the very Christ whom the individual members, the district churches, the co-workers, and the elders enjoy, experience, and partake of.
      3. For the building up of the universal Body of Christ (Eph. 1:23) to consummate the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2) as the final goal of God’s economy according to His good pleasure (Eph. 3:8-10; 1:9-10).