The boundary of a local church is one of the basic principles upon which the practice of the Lord’s recovery is based. From the beginnings of the Lord’s recovery in China, it has been our practice to have one church with one eldership in a city. In 1934, after observing firsthand the confusion among Christian […]
All articles tagged "the church"
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 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 Christians. Understandably, this has led […]
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (5): God’s Choice versus Doing What Is Right in Our Own Eyes
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 of the work of his […]
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (6): The Ground of the Church Being for the Building Up of the Body of Christ
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 or three in the Lord’s […]
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (1): The Genuine Ground of the Church According to the Teaching and Practice of the New Testament
Much confusion and debate exist among Christians surrounding the definition, formation, purpose, and function of the church. In fact, the pattern of Christians meeting together in local churches is entirely consistent throughout the New Testament. Some critics admit that while the New Testament does portray local churches, this portrayal should be understood only as descriptive […]
Our Attitude toward Other Christians and Their Work, Part 1: Maintaining the Oneness with Fellow Believers
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 divide themselves from other Christians. […]
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (2): Diligently Keeping the Oneness Requiring a Local Ground
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 for Christian oneness, and they […]
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (4): Are “House Churches” Biblical?
“House churches,” in which believers meet in a house as a separate, independent unit of administration, are a popular means of circumventing the biblical pattern of keeping the oneness of the unique Body of Christ in local churches. A careful examination of Scripture shows that while a church may gather in a believer’s home, such […]
Assailing the Ground of Oneness (3): Was the Church in Jerusalem a “Regional” Church?
Some have argued that the church in Jerusalem was a regional church, that is, a single church that has jurisdiction over an area much broader than the boundary of a city. But how is this proposition arrived at? Does it accord with Scripture? And if not, why is it being promoted? The Church in Jerusalem: […]