The leadership in the New Testament ministry is in the New Testament teaching more than in the leading ones of the New Testament ministry. In America the leadership of the country is in the constitution more than in the presidency. The critical factor in the government is the constitution. Likewise, the New Testament leadership was not in Peter or in Paul as much as it was in their teaching. If Peter or Paul would have turned from their teaching, the saints would not have followed them. The churches followed the apostles' teaching, and they followed the apostles because the apostles had the New Testament teaching. The apostles kept their teaching, they were in their teaching, and they were one with it.
In 1934 there was a turmoil in the church in Shanghai, mainly directed against Brother Nee. At that time I assured him that I completely followed him, not because of who he was, but because of the teaching and revelation he brought into the Lord's recovery. Brother Nee and I had not known each other formerly; we had no personal affection. He took the lead, and I followed him because he had the revelation in his teaching and he kept the revelation. I also told him that if one day he would deviate from the revelation he had passed on to us, I would still follow the revelation, but I would no longer follow him.
Today, because of the present rebellion in the Lord's recovery, some saints are trying to vindicate me. However, I do not care to be vindicated. Rather, it is the teaching in the Lord's recovery which should be vindicated. The churches in the Lord's recovery do not follow a man, but they follow the teaching of this ministry. However, following the teaching and not the minister does not mean that we should reject the minister. Some have twisted my word concerning not following a man but following his teaching and claim to be following my teaching while rejecting me. Even the students in a school cannot receive teaching while rejecting the teacher. What the ministry in the Lord's recovery has brought to the churches is according to the New Testament teaching of the apostles. For this reason I am at peace. I do not care about the turmoils in the church. The turmoils cannot overthrow the New Testament ministry.
Some have wrongly taught that the local churches are autonomous, that once an apostle establishes a local church and appoints the elders, he is through with that church and should stay away. This is not according to the Bible. The apostle Paul established churches, and he appointed the elders in the churches (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). After this, however, he did not stay away from the churches. He visited the church in Ephesus after it was established and once stayed there for three years. Later, while he was returning to Jerusalem, he could not forget the church in Ephesus. Acts 20 tells us that from Miletus he sent word to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church (v. 17). They came to him, and he spoke a long word, warning, instructing, and even charging them. Acts 20:31 says, "Therefore watch, remembering that for three years, night and day, I did not cease admonishing each one with tears." Verse 20 says, "I did not withhold any of those things that are profitable by not declaring them to you and by not teaching you publicly and from house to house." No doubt he taught the saints in Ephesus concerning God's economy and concerning their daily life, declaring to them anything that was profitable. He told the elders in verses 29 and 30, "I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. And from among you yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverted things to draw away the disciples after them." This shows how concerned Paul was for the future of the church in Ephesus. Paul also wrote an Epistle to the church there. This illustrates that the apostles never stayed away from the churches which they had established.
The leading ones in the ministry were not strict in directing the move of their co-workers. First Corinthians 16:12 says, "And concerning our brother Apollos, I urged him many times to come to you with the brothers; yet it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has opportunity." The leading ones were strict, however, in the teaching of the New Testament (1 Tim. 1:3-4; 2 John 9-11). First Timothy 1:3 says, "Even as I exhorted you, when I was going into Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things." Second John 9-10 says, "Everyone who goes beyond and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God...If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not say to him, Rejoice!" The apostles were not strict in directing a co-worker such as Apollos to go to a certain place. However, they were very strict concerning the New Testament teaching. This proves that the real leadership in the ministry is in the apostles' teaching.