None of us should make an issue over the practice of the new way versus the old way, because these ways are not our faith. Surely there is nothing wrong with preaching the gospel by visiting and contacting people. We do not necessarily need to go out to knock on people's doors to preach the gospel. Calling people on the phone, writing letters, sending booklets, and any other kind of contact with people is a kind of "knocking on doors." In order to keep the oneness, we need to remain in our spirit so that we can be kept in fellowship with the Lord. Then if there are problems, we can fellowship with those who are concerned. Based upon our fellowship with the Lord, with much prayer, we can get everything solved.
We should fellowship by seeking the Lord's solution with an open spirit, a pure heart, a lowly mind, and a meek attitude (Eph. 4:2). We should not be proud. Also, we should fellowship according to the teaching of the Scriptures properly interpreted, not understood by taking them out of context. Some may justify what they are doing by claiming that it is according to the Scriptures. However, it is according to the Scriptures by their wrong interpretation, by their twisting, and by their taking certain verses out of context.
Our fellowship to solve any problem should be without self-interest. The entire pursuit should be for the Lord's glory and for the benefit of the Lord's recovery. To solve any problem in fellowship, no parties or divisions should be formed for backing in partiality, threatening, and/or challenging others. If we would practice all these items, we surely can have every problem solved in fellowship. This is the best remedy to heal any disease of division.
There may be some divisive members among us. Paul referred to these ones in Romans 16:17, which says, "Now I exhort you, brothers, to mark those who make divisions and causes of stumbling contrary to the teaching which you have learned, and turn away from them." Some make division purposely. We have to turn away from these division-makers. Titus 3:10 says that we must reject the factious, sectarian, members. Some members are very factious, very sectarian, very divisive, and their purpose in contacting others is to cause division. There are some like this today who have the intention of remaining among us to spread their poison. No doubt, they are division-makers, and they are factious, sectarian. Since they are division-makers, we have to turn away from them. Since they are still factious after being admonished again and again, we have to reject them.
This is according to the practice of the quarantining of the lepers in typology (Lev. 13:45-46; Num. 12:10-15). When Moses' sister, Miriam, rebelled, God punished her with leprosy. Then she was quarantined. To be quarantined is to be put aside for the profit of the whole congregation. This is because certain diseases are very contagious. If a person is sick with a highly contagious disease, he is quarantined, separated even from his family members, until he is healed. This is for the protection of the entire family. The Scriptures charge us in the same way. Anyone who is spiritually sick of the disease of division, having become a divisive person, must be quarantined. Division is very contagious, so the church has to learn to quarantine the divisive ones. According to the apostle's teaching, we must either turn ourselves away from them or reject them. This protects the entire church so that the church can remain in a safeguarded situation.
I hope that the Holy Spirit will continue to speak to us through this fellowship. If we will spend the time to pray over this fellowship, we will see more light. All the local churches need to be kept in the oneness of the Body of Christ. The seven lampstands in Revelation, typifying the seven local churches, are all identical (1:12). They are all one in the Triune God. We need to be diligent to keep the oneness of the Body of Christ so that the Lord will have a way to accomplish His divine purpose according to His divine economy.