A. Those apostles like Peter, John, and Paul, who are directly appointed by the Lord or who are constituted directly by the Lord’s revelation, are on equal standing. Peter, John, and Paul did not learn from anyone else, and not one of them was under another’s leadership; they were all on equal standing.
B. Those apostles produced by the Lord’s directly appointed apostles are led and directed by those who produced them. They do the same work that those who produced them do. Timothy and Titus are cases like this (1 Tim. 1:3; Titus 1:5; cf. the entire texts of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus). According to the record of the New Testament, Timothy and Titus were always under Paul’s leadership and direction. They did not start another work; rather, they shared in the same work with Paul.
C. Those apostles who are perfected by men also work in the churches raised up by the first two kinds of apostles. They seem to be on equal standing with the apostles who are directly appointed by the Lord. As an example of this kind of apostle, we have Apollos (Acts 18:24a; 19:1).
All apostles perfect the saints, whether they are appointed directly by the Lord or constituted by the Lord’s direct revelation, are perfected by men, or are produced by the Lord’s directly appointed apostles. As a result, they and the saints whom they have perfected are completely one in the ministry’s work of building up the Body of Christ. Although there is the difference in kind, the work is one. All are for the perfecting of the saints with the goal of the building up of the Body of Christ. Moreover, the saints whom they have perfected all do the same work. This can be clearly seen in Ephesians 4:11-12.
As for the condition among us, most of the brothers and sisters are not perfected enough to participate in the ministry’s work of building up the Body of Christ. The first step in the work of the ministry is the preaching of the gospel for the saving of sinners. This is not something that only the particular gifted ones should do; rather, the evangelists should perfect the saints so that all the saints can do the same thing they do. Since we are building up the Body of Christ, this Body needs new members to be added all the time. Hence, the first item in the service of the church is the preaching of the gospel and the saving of sinners by every member.
Following this, we have the care for the home meetings. The preaching of the gospel is the begetting; the care for the home meetings is the rearing. As soon as a person is saved, there should be someone to meet with him, care for him, and nourish him in his home. This does not require the arrangement of the church. All that is needed is someone who will pick up the burden to do it, not in an organized way, but in an organic way. Then, there is still the need to teach this new one the truth. At that point, he will need the small group meetings. When three to five homes gather together, we have a group meeting. Lastly, we bring this new one to the larger meetings of the church, where he can function to build up the Body of Christ. Hence, begetting, rearing, teaching, and building are the real service of the saints in the church. The preaching of the gospel is the begetting; the home meetings are the rearing; the group meetings are the teaching; and the larger meetings are the building. This is what all the saints should do as the work of the ministry after they are perfected.
According to my observation, although the church in Taipei is on the right track and is taking the new way, much is still not organic. There is still a strong emphasis on organization. Most of the door knocking, home meetings, and group meetings still depend on arrangement. Strictly speaking, all these things should be taken up spontaneously and organically by the brothers and sisters. These things should originate from the inward feeling and burden of the Spirit. Hence, our urgent need today is to perfect the saints one by one.
There should be not only face-to-face feeding, but also face-to-face teaching. We must be recovered to such an extent that the number of serving ones equals the number of brothers and sisters. All the saints need to serve. They are all priests to God, and they all function as members of the Body of Christ, working together with the gifted ones to do the work of the ministry for the building up of the Body of Christ.
These matters show us clearly that firstly, all the different kinds of apostles share in the unique work of the New Testament ministry for the building up of the Body of Christ, and that secondly, all the saints perfected by these different kinds of apostles also share in this unique work of the New Testament ministry for the building up of the Body of Christ. From the Head, Christ, through the gifted members, and then through the elders to the perfected saints, we arrive at the local churches. When the saints in the local churches work together with the different kinds of gifts to do the work of the ministry, there is the building up of the Body of Christ.