Hymns 824

Scripture Reading:

Matt. 16:18      And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Matt. 18:17      But if he does not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

THE UNIVERSAL ASPECT

In the universal aspect the church is uniquely one. At the end of Ephesians 1 Paul says that the church is the Body of Christ, the fullness of the One who fills all in all. This is the church in its universal aspect, for Christ has only one Body, which is unique in the universe.

The Universal Church

The universal church is the house of the living God, the Body of Christ, the bride that matches Christ as the Bridegroom, and the new man.

As Revealed by the Lord in Matthew 16:18

In Matthew 16:18 we have the Lord’s first mentioning of the church. In this verse He says, “On this rock I will build My church.” What is revealed here is the universal church for the unique testimony of the Lord in the universe.

The universal church has been formed out of the all-inclusive person of Christ. He is the factor, the element, the constituent, for the formation of the universal church. The church, therefore, was not formed out of nothing but was formed out of something wonderful. This is typified by the formation of Eve out of Adam. Adam was the factor, the element, the constituent, for the bringing forth of Eve. In like manner, in contrast to creation, which was out of nothing, the church has come into existence through the wonderful person of Christ, the embodiment of the processed Triune God and a unique, perfect man. The universal church, the Body of Christ, is built on the rock of the revelation concerning the wonderful, excellent, all-inclusive person of Christ, the Son of the living God.

THE LOCAL ASPECT

Universally, the church is uniquely one. Locally, however, the church is expressed in many localities. Therefore, the one universal church becomes the many local churches. God is expressed in Christ, Christ is expressed in the church, and the church is expressed in the local churches.

The Local Churches

In the local aspect the church is expressed in many localities as many local churches. The one universal church expressed in many places on earth becomes the many local churches. The expression of the church in a locality is the local church in that particular locality.

The universal church as the Body of Christ is expressed through the local churches. The local churches, as the expressions of the one Body of Christ, are locally one. Without the local churches there would be no practicality and actuality of the universal church. The universal church is realized in the local churches. Knowing the church universally must be consummated in knowing the church locally. It is a great advance for us to know and practice the local churches.

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).

As Revealed by the Lord in Matthew 18:17

The universal church was revealed by the Lord in Matthew 16:18, but the local church was revealed by Him in Matthew 18:17. The church mentioned in this verse must be a local church because it is a place where we can go. The Lord said that if you have a problem with a brother, you should go to him first. If he listens to you, the problem is solved. But if he does not listen, you should bring one or two with you to witness to him, expecting him to listen to them. If he still does not listen, then you should bring the problem to the church. This, of course, must be the local church. It cannot be the universal church, for we cannot bring a problem to the universal church, only to the local church.

Taking a City as the Boundary and Ground of Each Local Church

The churches are established in different cities by taking a city as the boundary and ground of each local church. Revelation 1:11 indicates this very clearly. In this verse the voice said to John, “What you see write in a book and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” This verse is composed in a very important way. Here we see that the sending of this book to the seven churches equals the sending of it to the seven cities. This shows clearly that the practice of the church life in the early days was that of one church for one city, one city with one church, with the city as the boundary and ground of each local church. In no city was there more than one church. This is the local church, local with respect to city, not with respect to street or area.

Revelation 1:11 corresponds to Acts 14:23 and Titus 1:5. In these two verses we see that to ordain elders in every church is to ordain elders in every city, and to ordain elders in every city is to ordain elders in every church. This makes it abundantly clear that the sphere and limit of a church must be exactly the same as that of the city in which it is located. In other words, the boundary, the jurisdiction, of the church is identical to that of the city in which it is established.

All the Local Churches Being the One Unique Body of Christ in the Universe

All the local churches are the one unique Body of Christ in the universe (Eph. 4:4). Every local church is a part of this universal Body, a local expression of this unique Body. This one universal church, the one Body, comprises all the local churches. There may be thousands of local churches, but together they constitute one universal church. The universal church is the unique Body of Christ, and all the local churches are simply the local expressions of this one Body. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 199-200)

Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 199-200