Tag: oneness
Public discourse in our society today is often characterized by extreme incivility and intemperance. The advent of the Internet and particularly social media has reinforced this trend. As those who have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ to partake of His holiness, we should resist this trend. Whether … Continue reading “Let Your Speech Be Always with Grace, Seasoned with Salt”
God’s desire is to head up all things in Christ (Eph. 1:10). In His plan the church as the Body takes the lead to be headed up in Christ by its members holding Him as the Head and growing up into Him in all things (4:15). Upholding the headship of … Continue reading Caring for Both the Headship of Christ and the Fellowship of the Body
The Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread, and having given thanks, He broke it and said, This is My body, which is given for you; this do unto the remembrance of Me. Similarly also the cup after they had dined, saying, This cup … Continue reading Coming to the Lord’s Table
Recently, a former co-worker accused the North American co-workers of drifting toward organization and hierarchy by allegedly giving serious consideration to centralizing ownership of the local churches’ meeting halls. This is a gross misrepresentation of what actually happened in a North American co-workers’ fellowship. Moreover, in spreading his false account, … Continue reading Serious Errors Made Concerning the Fellowship among the Co-workers
Concerning the practice of the church, certain basic principles need to be understood and kept in balance. Fundamentally, the church as the unique Body of Christ is one universally and includes every believer irrespective of time and space. Practically, this one universal Body of Christ is manifested in time and … Continue reading Receiving All Believers but Not Different Teachings
The New Testament presents the church as universally one in its existence and locally one in its manifestation (Eph. 1:22-23; Acts 13:1). Yet Christians today are divided among a plethora of denominations and local sects. Underlying these divisions are innumerable grounds advanced to justify their existence and separation from other … Continue reading Assailing the Ground of Oneness (7): The Identifying Characteristics of a Genuine Local Church and the Forbidden Grounds of Division According to the Scriptures
The book of Philippians shows us the great need that believers have in times of turmoil. The church in Philippi was a very good church that participated with the apostle Paul in the furtherance of the gospel (Phil. 1:5-7; 4:14-19). However, it had two problems—Judaizers who sought to bring the … Continue reading Magnifying Christ in the Midst of Turmoil
The story of Cain and Abel, the first two sons of Adam and Eve, establishes an important principle that the worship of God should not be according to man’s thought but according to God’s revelation (Gen. 4:3-8). Abel offered a lamb according to God’s revelation, but Cain offered the fruit … Continue reading Assailing the Ground of Oneness (5): God’s Choice versus Doing What Is Right in Our Own Eyes
Matthew 18:20 contains a wonderful promise: “For where two or three are gathered into My name, there am I in their midst.” However, some have misused this verse to discount the need for local churches established and built up on the proper ground. They claim that the gathering of two … Continue reading Assailing the Ground of Oneness (6): The Ground of the Church Being for the Building Up of the Body of Christ
Because the Lord is continually advancing to carry out His economy, His people must advance with Him. Individuals are finite in terms of their lifespan and what experiences they can acquire of the Lord during their life. The lessons learned through precious experiences of Christ, the cross, and the Body … Continue reading A Harmonious Coordination between Generations to Advance God’s Move
After leading the children of Israel to the threshold of the good land, Moses recounted at length their history, including both negative and positive events, as well as God’s revelation of Himself through His laws and statutes. At the end of his speaking, Moses said, “I call heaven and earth … Continue reading Our Basic Choice
The Bible says that we are to forgive one another as God in Christ forgave us (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13). This is a crucial factor in practicing the church life for the building up of the Body of Christ and thus merits our attention in these days. Practicing Forgiveness in … Continue reading Forgiveness and the Building Up of the Body of Christ
One defining characteristic of the ministry in the Lord’s recovery is an absoluteness for the truth. If we are faithful to the Lord, we cannot compromise the truth. For that reason we can accept only what matches God’s intention as expressed in the Bible; we cannot accept manmade imitations or … Continue reading Our Attitude toward Ecumenism
This three-part article will address the relationship between those who meet in the local churches and fellow believers, the denominations and free groups to which they may belong, and their work. If we are not clear in these matters, we may be influenced by accusations that those in the recovery … Continue reading Our Attitude toward Other Christians and Their Work, Part 1: Maintaining the Oneness with Fellow Believers
Ephesians 4 speaks of one Spirit and one Body and of our need to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace (vv. 3-6). Some Christians ask whether the oneness of the Spirit and of the Body mentioned in Ephesians 4 are not sufficient in themselves … Continue reading Assailing the Ground of Oneness (2): Diligently Keeping the Oneness Requiring a Local Ground
In the Bible the words of three parties—God, Satan, and man—are very significant. As the Word of God, the Bible speaks forth God’s person, intent, and work. By His word He framed the universe (Heb. 11:3). When God came in the person of the Lord Jesus, His words were spirit … Continue reading Words That Spread Death and How to Stop Them
Some have claimed that questions are not allowed in the local churches. On the one hand, this should not be true in any local church. On the other hand, all the saints must discern between proper and improper questions and between questions and questionings. A proper question takes as its … Continue reading Questions versus Questionings
Based on the New Testament, Witness Lee taught that there is only one unique ministry. Some have twisted his teaching to slanderously claim that Witness Lee was referring to his own ministry. This is a gross mischaracterization. The One Ministry of the New Testament The word ministry means “service.” Properly … Continue reading The One Unique New Testament Ministry
Because the church is composed of redeemed sinners who are in the process of transformation, it is inevitable that there will be problems among the saints. No one can say that they no longer have sin or that they have been transformed to the extent that their flesh, self, or … Continue reading The Proper Way to Deal with Problems in the Church
Because the matter of deputy authority has been misrepresented and maligned, the following questions and answers seek to clarify what it is, what it is not, and the principles that govern it. Is deputy authority biblical? Deputy authority is not only biblical; it is a vital part of the divine … Continue reading Some Questions and Answers Regarding Deputy Authority
The churches in the New Testament were established by and continued in the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). The apostles’ teaching brought them into the apostles’ fellowship, which was the unique fellowship of the Body of Christ in and with the Triune God (1 Cor. 1:9; 1 John 1:3). Only one … Continue reading Concerning Having One Publication Work