Up until this point, we have been dealing with the reality of the church. Now we must go on to consider the practicality of the church. I have known some dear ones who have truly seen the reality of the church, but who were not clear about the practicality of the church. Eventually, due to this, they missed the mark. We need both the reality and the practicality.
In various verses of the Bible certain aspects of the church are set forth. As we fit these verses together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, we get a full view of the church. The same is true regarding the practicality of the church.
The first verse dealing with the practicality of the church is Matthew 18:17, where the Lord Jesus speaks of telling something “unto the church.” In this portion of the Word, we see a clear view of the practicality of the church. In Matthew 16 we see the material for the building of the church— stones built upon the rock. In Matthew 28 we see that the way the Lord builds the church is by baptizing people into the Triune God. But now we must discover the place where the Lord builds the church. It is not logical to say that He builds the church in the heavens. The building of the church must take place on earth. But since the earth is very large, we still need to know in what place on earth the Lord builds the church.
This brings us from Matthew 16 to Matthew 18. In relating the case of how to deal with a brother who has sinned, the Lord Jesus indicates that the church can only be built in the localities where the believers live. The Lord firstly says to go to the brother alone and then, if necessary, with one or two others. If he will not listen to the two or three, then the brother should take the matter to the church. On the one hand, the matter may be taken to the church (Matt. 18:17). On the other hand, two or three must meet together in the Lord’s name to pray (Matt. 18:19-20). As they are gathered together in His name, He will be in their midst. This is the proper understanding of Matthew 18:15-20.
However, most Christian teachers misuse this verse, saying, “As long as two or three meet together and have the Lord’s presence, they are the church.” I have heard this teaching since the time of my youth. For years I was blindly misled by it. One day in my study of the Bible I realized how foolish it is to say that two or three are the church. If two or three are the church, then why must they still bring the problem to the church? That the two or three must go to the church proves that they are not the church. If they were the church, there would be no need for them to “tell it to the church.” Rather, the “two or three” here are some saints who are part of the church and who meet together, not to have a church meeting, but simply to pray for the troublesome brother. This is the correct interpretation of this portion of the Word.
The church mentioned in Matthew 16 becomes practical in Matthew 18, for in Matthew 18 there is a church to which we can go. Here the church is solid, practical, and real in our living. The church is not merely a matter of meeting, but of administration with authority. The church has the authority in the flow to deal with the saints. This is what we call the practicality of the church life.
The practicality of the church is the local church. We have seen that in Matthew 28:19 the Lord charged His disciples to disciple the nations and to baptize them into the Triune God. This discipling of the nations began on the day of Pentecost when at least three thousand were discipled and baptized into the church. Immediately, the first local church, the church in Jerusalem, came into being. Beginning on that day, the church was not only real, but also practical. Prior to that time there was no practicality of the church. If we are not in a local church, we are simply in the air and do not have the practicality of the church.
The Bible is wonderfully arranged. The first church established was the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). As the flow proceeded out from Jerusalem, it reached the city of Antioch, where there also was a church (Acts 13:1). The church in Antioch was a station of the church flow. From Antioch, God turned His divine flow westward from Asia to Europe. After the flow had turned toward Europe, it reached Greece and Macedonia. Hence, there came to be a church in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2). Wherever the church flow went, there was always a local church. Only in the local church can the church be practical. Only in the local church and by the local church can we have the practice of the church. If we do not have the local church, we do not have anything practical as far as the church is concerned. Eventually, the Bible ends with seven local churches (Rev. 1:10-13).