Message Two—The Ground of the Oneness of the Church
Acts. 13:1a . Now there were in Antioch, in the local church, prophets and teachers.
Rev. 1:11 Saying, What you see write in a scroll 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.
The Sphere and Limit of the Church Being the Same as That of the City
To my realization the use of so many tos in this verse makes the composition rather awkward. There must be a reason for this repetition. “Write in a scroll and send it to the seven churches.” Then it says “to” the first place and “to” the second place and “to” the third place and “to” the fourth place and “to” the fifth place and “to” the sixth place and “to” the seventh place. Why did the Lord speak in this way? If it were written by me, I would simply say, Send it to the seven churches which are in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. I would not use so many tos.
I do not believe that anyone would write this verse as it is. Every one of us would probably put all seven names after one “to.” But the Lord did not do it in this way. He told John to send this book to the seven churches. Then He said to send it to this city and to that city. This clearly shows us that one church equals one city and represents that city.
When something was written and sent to the church in Ephesus, it was sent to the city of Ephesus, because the church in Ephesus represented that city in the eyes of the Lord. If we read Revelation 1:11 again, we will realize that this is what it means. This verse tells us clearly and definitely that a church in a place must be equal to the city in which the church is located, and it corresponds with 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 means to ordain elders in every church. This makes it abundantly clear that the sphere and limit of the church must be exactly the same as that of the city. In other words, the boundary, the jurisdiction, of the church is identical to that of the city. (CWWL, 1968, vol. 1, “The Practical Expression of the Church,” ch. 8)
The Practice of the Church Life in the Early Days
Being the Practice of Having One Church for One City,
One City with Only One Church
The practice of the church life in the early days was the practice of having one church for one city, one city with only one church. In no city was there more than one church. This is the local church, with the city, not the street or the area, as the unit. The jurisdiction of a local church should cover the whole city in which the church is located; it should not be greater or lesser than the boundary of the city. All the believers within that boundary should constitute the one unique local church within that city. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Rev. 1:11, footnote 2)
The Church Today Being in Oneness and Being Built on the Ground of Oneness
From the beginning in Genesis 1 to the consummation in Revelation 22, we consistently see the divine oneness. God is one, and the man created by God was also one. This unique man was placed in front of the unique tree of life. After the corporate man created by God had been divided into nations, God selected one man, Abraham. Then, centuries later, He produced one church. Ultimately, God will have one eternal city with one throne, one street, one river, and one tree. In each of the four great acts of God, therefore, we see the principle of oneness. This should cause us to realize that the church today must be in oneness and must be built on the ground of oneness. Oneness is the very ground of the church. May the Lord grant us more light concerning this precious oneness. (CWWL, 1979, vol. 2, “The Genuine Ground of Oneness,” ch. 1)
All the Local Churches as the Local Expression of the Unique Body of Christ
The New Testament presents us a clear picture that all the local churches, as the expression of the universal church—the universal Body of Christ—are located in their respective cities. Hence, we see the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), the church in Antioch (13:1), the church in Cenchrea (Rom. 16:1), the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2), and the seven churches in Asia in seven respective cities (Rev. 1:4, 11). Every city, as the boundary in which a church exists, is the local ground of that church. Such a unique ground of locality preserves the church from being divided by many different matters as different grounds. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 2, “A Brief Presentation of the Lord’s Recovery,” ch. 1)
All the believers in Christ are the components of the Body of Christ. Practically, they are scattered in many cities on the earth. Spontaneously, they are separated into many units in each city, respectively, according to their dwelling. According to the New Testament pattern set up and ordained by God and according to the principle of the New Testament revelation concerning God’s economy of the church, in each city in which the believers dwell, it is not allowed to have more than one unit as a local expression of the unique Body of Christ, nor is it permitted to have a local church in a certain city without the proper fellowship in the Body of Christ with the other local churches.
Hence, we see the church in Jerusalem in Acts 8:1, the church in Antioch in Acts 13:1, and the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 1:2. Revelation 1:11 shows us the seven churches in Asia in seven respective cities. The city is the ground on which the church is built.
Actually, the many churches are simply the one universal church appearing in many cities. We may use the illustration of the moon. There is one moon but it appears in different localities. When we are in San Diego, it is the moon in San Diego, and when we are in Taipei, it is the moon in Taipei. It is the same moon appearing in many localities. It is the same with the church. There is one church appearing in many localities. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 2, “1993 Blending Conference Messages Concerning the Lord’s Recovery and Our Present Need,” ch .1)
The Lord’s Recovery Today Being to Return
to the Ground of the Oneness of the Church
When the Israelites entered into the good land, they were one, and they eventually had Jerusalem as the unique place for their worship to God. At a later time, however, some were carried away to Assyria, some to Egypt, and many to Babylon. After seventy years of captivity in Babylon, God released them to return to Jerusalem (2 Chron. 36:21-23; Ezra 1—2). By that time, however, the Jews in Babylon had become a community and were one as a people there. Some might have felt that the ones who returned to Jerusalem neglected the ones who remained behind. However, it was more necessary for them to care for God’s purpose than for the Jews remaining behind. In the same way, today is the day of the Lord’s recovery, and this recovery demands that we return to “Jerusalem,” that is, to the ground of oneness. What is most important is not our love and care for those who remain behind but our need to fulfil God’s purpose. (CWWL, 1970, vol. 2, “The Lord’s Recovery of the Sevenfold Spirit and the Unique Ground of Oneness for the Local Churches,” ch. 5)
