The epistles of the apostle Paul are clearly divided into two categories. The first one is from the book of Romans to 2 Thessalonians, which can be compared to the soul of the church; it deals with the spiritual aspect of the church. The three books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus belong to another category; they specialize in the organization of the church. They tell us who are qualified to be elders and deacons, how to handle matters, and how to behave in the house of God. This is what we call management. Unfortunately, when Bible readers talk about the church, they always refer to the spiritual aspect and neglect the management of the church. They circle around the first category and neglect the teaching in the three books of the Timothys and Titus. If a man dies, it is not because he is weak in soul, but because he is weak in body. The same is true with the church. No matter how many spiritual messages there are, if the management is lacking, the church cannot help but be weak. This is a law.
Brothers, thirty years ago, we all had the inaccurate concept that once we become spiritual, all of our problems will be solved. However, with the passing of time, we discovered that there is no such thing. It is important to be spiritual, but management is also necessary. Spirituality alone cannot solve all of the problems, just as the soul is not the whole man. Sometimes, I hate my body and think that it is very troublesome; when I eat too little, I feel hungry; when I eat too much, I feel too full; when I do not receive enough nutrition, my body cannot hold itself up. When I wear too many clothes, I sweat; when I wear too little, I catch a cold. It is really difficult to minister to the body, but I am obliged to take care of it, because if my body fails, all else is vain. This is also true with the church. From the book of Romans to 2 Thessalonians, it is a matter of life, and from 1 Timothy to Titus, it is a matter of management. If the body is not in good health, it is of no use to be spiritual. No matter how intellectual you are or how much education you have, when the body is dead, everything is finished. In the same principle, the church has its need on the spiritual side, and it also has its needs on the management side.
In the direction of service, the first thing we have to do is to teach the brothers and sisters the way the church is established. If they are edified in this way, when they are led to move to a new locality, they will know how to cooperate with the Lord in establishing a church. Some brothers and sisters have been saved for many years, yet they still do not know by what way the church is produced. They grow up in the family, yet they do not know the genealogy and the history of the family. The reason for this is that they lack the spiritual education.
The Bible shows us that when the apostles go out to preach the gospel and some are saved, the apostle will establish a church. This is not the quick way. The quick way is for the saints to go to a place and to bring the church to that place. The saints bring the gospel with them. Wherever they go, the gospel is spread, and people are saved. When the saved ones come together to worship the Lord and to allow the Lord to gain the ground among them for the spreading of His work, the church is established.