Since we have looked at the oneness of the church and the fellowship of the church, we now need to look at the ground of the church. What is the ground of the church? Many people have been saved and have formed a church, but on what ground should the church stand? What ground should the church take? According to the Bible, the ground of the church is based on the fellowship of the church in oneness. The fellowship of the church in oneness is the ground of the church. When all those who have been saved come together, not having any division but being fully in oneness and fellowshipping in mutuality, then this oneness, this fellowship, is the ground of the church.
Therefore, to lose the oneness, the fellowship, of the church is to lose the ground of the church. Please consider, if the oneness of the church is lost, would the ground of the church still exist? The sects and denominations today have lost the oneness of the church with their divisive condition and have also lost the ground of the church. Logically, all Christians in the city of Taipei should be one. This oneness enables all to have mutual fellowship, and it is this fellowship in oneness that is the ground of the church in Taipei. However, this is not today’s situation. Rather, today’s situation involves division into numerous sects and denominations. Because of division, the oneness of the church and the fellowship of this oneness have been lost. Hence, the ground of the church is gone. Many denominations today have their respective ground, but none of them are the ground of the church; rather, their ground is the ground of a sect or denomination. The ground of the church was originally based upon the church’s one fellowship, which is not divided. But what is the situation today? The oneness has been damaged, and the fellowship in oneness has been lost; many sects and denominations have arisen with each standing on a different ground. The Baptist denomination has its ground, the Presbyterian denomination has its ground, the Lutheran denomination has its ground, and the Holiness denomination has its ground. Each denomination has its own ground, but none of them is the ground of the church. There is only one ground for the church, and that is the fellowship of the church in oneness. There is only one church, and the fellowship of the church is one. The church is one, and the fellowship of the church is also one. Only the fellowship of the church that is according to this oneness is the ground of the church. Once the oneness of the church has been damaged, the oneness of the fellowship of the church has been lost, and the ground of the church has also been lost.
As the ground of the church is based upon the fellowship of the church in oneness, any ground outside of this fellowship in oneness is not the ground of the church. This is natural. Any ground that is not based on the fellowship of the church in oneness, but rather on an interpretation of the truth or on a method of administration or on anything else, cannot be regarded as the ground of the church. Consequently, the ground of today’s sects and denominations is not the ground of the church.
This fellowship of the church in oneness is universal, but it is manifested in every locality. This is the same as the church itself. There is only one church in the universe, but in time and in space it is manifested in locality after locality. In like manner, the fellowship of the church in oneness is universal, yet it is expressed in locality after locality.
Therefore, the church in every locality should have only one fellowship and one ground. This should be the case in London, New York, and Taipei. Regardless of the locality, the church should have only one fellowship, one ground. I believe that this is easily understood not only by Christians but also by unbelievers. On many occasions when I was preaching to those who were hearing the gospel for the first time, they would ask a question which I could not answer. They asked, “Do Christians preach the same one Jesus?” I said, “Of course, He is the same.” Then they asked, “Do the Presbyterians preach one Jesus and the Baptists preach another Jesus?” I said, “We all preach the same Jesus.” They said, “Since the same Jesus is being preached, why are Christians divided into so many denominations?” When they asked me this, I had no word as an answer. Therefore, even unbelievers know that the divided situation in Christianity is wrong. Today in Taipei it almost seems as if there is a “church” every few feet. As a result, the ground of the church is altogether in a state of confusion.
In the early days, regardless of the locality, there was only one church. In Jerusalem there was one church (Acts 8:1), in Antioch there was one church (13:1), and in Corinth there was one church (1 Cor. 1:2). In every place there was only one church (Rev. 1:11). Even in places such as Jerusalem and Corinth, where the cities were large and the believers many (Acts 21:17-21; 18:8-10), the church was still one. In addition, since the number of believers was large in Jerusalem, they met in many houses (2:46), but they were still one church; they were not divided into many churches. This is because in one locality there can be only one church, just as there can be only one church in the universe. Since the church in the universe is not divided, the church in each locality should not be divided. Therefore, in one locality there should be only one church and there should be only one fellowship of the church and one ground of the church.
Every saved person with proper reasoning would acknowledge that since all believers are members of the church, there should be only one ground, there should be only one fellowship, and there should be only one church. This is the proper way. But what is the situation today? Incredibly, in one locality there are so many churches! There are so many grounds! There are so many fellowships! This situation is not only one of separation, of division, but also of confusion. This is exceedingly wrong. Every saved person must condemn such a mistake! He must hate this division and oppose this confusion! We must all desire the oneness of the church. God’s desire is for the church to be in oneness, and we must also desire that the church be in oneness.
Although the fellowship of the church in oneness is manifested in each locality respectively, it is not of a local nature but of a universal nature; it is a fellowship that includes all the believers on the whole earth. If the fellowship of Christians in a certain locality is independent and of a local nature, it is a local sect. This should not be the case. The fellowship of the church has a universal nature even though it is local. Only in this way is it truly the fellowship of the church, and only this kind of fellowship of the church is the ground of the church. Therefore, the ground of the church is the local expression of the church’s universal fellowship in oneness. Although this fellowship is expressed in a locality, it is universal in nature; it is one locally and one universally as well. This universal fellowship in oneness, which is expressed in a locality, is the ground of the church. Speaking simply, the ground of the church is the manifestation of the church’s universal oneness in a locality. To say it more simply, the ground of the church is the oneness of the church. Whenever we are divided, we have lost the oneness of the church, and we have lost the ground of the church. Whether our division involves a split from the local church or a split from the universal church, both cause us to lose the ground of the church.