The condition of the vital groups is that of loving one another in oneness and with one accord (John 13:34-35). To love one another may seem very common. However, we must admit that although we do love one another, we may not love one another very much. Because we meet together day after day and year after year, we surely have human affection for one another; but the condition of loving one another in the vital groups should be more than this. We need to love one another, meeting together in a mutual love.
We not only love one another, but we love one another in oneness and with one accord. In John 17 the Lord Jesus said that when His disciples are one in the Triune God, the whole world will believe that He was sent by the Father (vv. 21, 23). This is the way to gain people. Often when we go out to visit people by twos and threes, the people whom we visit may realize that there is no oneness among us. The result is a lack of impact. But if two or three of us go out as one man, the people whom we visit will realize that there is a dynamic power among us. There will be the impact, and they will be convinced.
In John 13:34-35 the Lord Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” By our loving one another the whole world will know that we are the Lord’s disciples. This is the real impact. Without our speaking anything, people will be convinced because they see us loving one another in oneness and with one accord. On the whole earth, in every society everyone knows that whenever people group together, there is struggling and fighting. Wherever there are groups of people, there will be debates, arguments, and strife. But when people are among us and we are really one, they will wonder what has made us one. The Lord Jesus is the living person who has made us one. Our being one is the strongest testimony that we are the people of Jesus. We are disciples of the One who has made us one.
These are the terms and conditions for us to gain people. Regardless of how much others oppose us, if we are such people, nothing can prevent us from gaining the proper increase.
In forming the groups, each group should not have more than seven to eight members. Also, although I do not like the matter of leadership, after many years I have discovered by experience and with the confirmation of the Bible that without leadership no one can be properly grouped together. Leadership is necessary. Because of the need for leadership, the Lord Jesus appointed the twelve apostles (Matt. 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16). After the Lord’s ascension, the twelve apostles remained on this earth. The only way they could remain on this earth to be the Lord’s testimony was by being grouped together.
The apostle Paul was a very spiritual person and was organic in all things, yet in his practice he still appointed elders in every city for every church (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). Then in 1 Timothy 3 he taught concerning the raising up of the elders and the deacons. Therefore, according to our learning, there is a need for leaders. We should not have a king, but we do need to have two leaders for each group. Having two leaders will be a help by matching the two together.
We also need the proper practical arrangement. In principle on this earth, wherever anything is properly arranged, there will be a proper result. We have the highest truths. If we cannot be successful in our practice, what a shame that would be. Of course, we should pray much. We must depend on God, on the Lord, on the Holy Spirit, and on the divine life, yet we should not forget the New Testament principle of incarnation. The New Testament principle of incarnation is that everything for God’s interest should be done by God through man and should be done by man with God. Our grouping ourselves together is to take care of our human responsibility.
We are all for the Lord’s recovery. Therefore, we must find a way to meet the Lord’s need. If we do not, we will owe the Lord something. Our practicing the vital groups does not mean that we are changing our way. We still trust in the Lord, and we still believe in the Spirit, in the Word, and in the divine life. We trust in these three things to build up the church, but there is the need of the human side.
When God created man, He formed man with a body of clay (Gen. 2:7). That body was an organization, because at that point there was no life in the body. Then God breathed into this body the breath of life, making the body organic. Then man became a living organism. This organism has a physical and visible aspect. Today the church as an entity has the Triune God within as the organic element, and it also has a proper outward arrangement as its physical and visible aspect. Although I taught very much concerning the group meetings, during the past three years I have not seen much result in our practice. After further study I found out that we are short of the physical side, the side of having a proper practical arrangement.