Therefore, we must see clearly before God that in the Bible there is one locality with one church, or in short, one locality, one church. This is the principle in the Bible. If we study the matter of the church, we must be able to understand this principle of one locality, one church. Every mistake comes from violating this principle. One locality, one church is the pendulum. When it swings to one side, it is wrong because it causes three or four localities to have one church or the whole world to have one church. When it swings to the opposite side, it is also wrong because it causes one locality to have several or many churches. There is something abnormal in connection with the locality, or there is something abnormal in connection with the church. In the Bible there is one locality, one church. At the time of the apostles, the population of the city of Jerusalem was about one million. It was one of the most highly populated cities. Many localities in China today are still not as highly populated. At that time three thousand people were saved and then five thousand (Acts 2:41; 4:4). The number of the saved eventually reached several tens of thousands of people (21:20). That was really unusual. Since there was no place large enough for them to meet together, they met from house to house. However, the Bible does not speak of “the churches in Jerusalem.” I doubt whether they could easily find a meeting place large enough for three to five thousand to gather together. It may be that all these people did not meet together even once. It could be that they met in the wilderness; we do not know. Although the city was very large and there were many believers, they were still one church. Hence, the Bible shows us one locality, one church.
We have seen clearly that the Roman Catholic Church has swung to one side with the principle of having one church with many localities. Another group of people are on the other side with the principle of one locality having many churches. In the same locality, you are one church and others are another. This is congregationalism. It is enough to love those in the same congregation and not care for the other congregation. The Open Brethren have gone in the direction of the congregational church; the Closed Brethren have gone in the direction of the Roman Catholic Church.
Thus, we face a huge problem in China. We must maintain a testimony against the work of the Roman Catholic Church on one hand and the work of congregational churches on the other hand. If we are just a little careless, congregationalism will appear. If we are clear that there is one locality, one church, then we will be clear about Roman Catholicism and congregationalism. For instance, Sian is a locality; therefore, there should be one church there. Regardless of whether the church in Sian is good or bad, it is the one church there. If I am right with the brothers in Sian, I am in the church in Sian; if I am not right with the brothers in Sian, I am still in the church in Sian.
Now let us see the consequences of congregationalism. If I am a believer of congregationalism and I am right with the brothers, then I will break bread with them; if I am not, we will break bread separately because you love your group and I love my group. This kind of breaking of bread costs nothing; it is unnecessary to hire a pastor. We can just set up a table as we like and break bread. We can form another church, love one another, wash one another’s feet from morning to evening, have a love feast at every meal, and have very good fellowship. But the Bible says one locality, one church. The Bible says that “we [the saints in the same locality] who are many are...one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17). But what are you? You, being few, are two loaves. You say, “We are one loaf and you also are a loaf”-this is congregationalism. It is a dreadful situation for the church once congregationalism appears. Roman Catholicism over a period of eleven hundred years had but one church. If congregationalism exists for a period of eleven hundred years, there may be hundreds and thousands of churches. Those who like contentions always seek causes of contention. Suppose I am contentious and have found a brother to contend with. The contention will end in a division. Then I will suffer because I will have no one to contend with; so I will look for someone else. This is appalling; the church will not only be divided into many pieces but will also advocate divisions. If the principle is wrong, difficulties will follow: once a disagreement occurs, you will set up a table and another will set up another table.
Home | First | Prev | Next