1 Tim. 3:15 But if I delay, I write that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God.
Acts 6:4 But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.
The Key to the Building Up of the Church—
the Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word
The two most important matters in the building up of the church, God’s house, are the administration of the church and the ministry of the word. If the administration of a local church is poor, there will not be much building in that church. Similarly, if the ministry of the word is poor in a local church, there will not be much building there. We have used the word edification for so many years, but we now need to use the word building. The individual saints need to be edified, but the church as a corporate entity, as the Body of Christ and the house of God, needs to be built up. The building up of the church depends on the administration of the church and the ministry of the word.
The progress of the church first requires the administration of the church and then the ministry of the word. The sequence in the Bible, however, first presents the ministry of the word and then the administration of the church. When the condition of the church is normal, the administration of the church is not as crucial. But when the church becomes desolate and disorderly, there is a need for the administration of the church and the ministry of the word. The ministry of the word and the administration of the church go together; it is difficult to say which is first and which is second. Therefore, the brothers, especially those who minister the word and those who serve as elders, need to see the responsibility they bear. The condition of God’s building, that is, whether a local church is strong or weak, depends on the administration carried out by the elders and the word released by the ministry.
Depending on Our Person
The condition of the administration of the church and the ministry of the word depends on our person. Our person determines the condition of the administration of the church and the ministry of the word. The central work of God is His building, which depends on the administration of the church and the ministry of the word. The kind of person we are determines how we administer the church and minister the word. The administration of the church and the ministry of the word cannot be separated from our person. (The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word, msg. 1)
The Ministry of the Word Producing Building Materials
The ministry of the word produces building materials. In order to build a house, we must have materials; without materials we cannot build a house. The materials for the building of the church are produced by the supply from the ministry of the word. A rich supply is needed for the saints to become useful materials. Hence, the materials for the building up of the church come from the supply in the ministry of the word. When the supply is abundant and rich, there will be materials for the building up of the church.
The Administration of the Church Being the Skill for Building
The administration of the church can be considered the skill needed for building. Having materials does not necessarily mean that a house can be built. We need skill. There must not be a shortage in materials or in skill. The administration of the church includes governing and management. To govern requires people or things to be placed under authority. To manage means that people and things are not merely placed under authority but are directed in an orderly fashion so that their function is manifested. (The Perfecting of the Saints and the Building Up of the House of God, msg. 5)
The Proper Church Government
Being a Matter of Life and Not Organization
The proper government of the church is the outworking of the inner life within the believers. However, since there is a lack of life among the Lord’s children, it is very difficult for the proper government in the church to exist. Without life, the government of the church becomes a matter of organization. However, if the church does not have the adequate amount of life, this system will still be only an organization. A living body and a corpse are the same in terms of their parts; both have ears, a nose, bones, and legs. The difference between them is that a living body has life and a corpse does not. The proper government of the church is not a government based on organization but a government based on life.
Establishing the Government of the Church
If the saints in a locality have the adequate growth in life, it will be easy for them to have the proper church government. If there is the growth in life among us, then spontaneously some brothers will begin to function in a certain way, and all the rest of the saints will recognize that these brothers are the elders. This is the way that a family governs itself. If all the members of a family gradually grow in life and are healthy, that family will spontaneously have a family government.
The Lord’s way is the way of life and the growth in life. Thus, if we take this way, the Lord will honor it. This is truly wonderful, for when the Lord honors something, He blesses it. If, however, we take our own way, we will lose the Lord’s presence, and there will be no blessing. When the Lord does not honor the way that we take, we are forced to do everything with our own human effort. Christianity has complicated the matter of the government of the church. In the denominations the government of the church is based almost entirely on organization. However, if we follow the Lord’s way revealed in the Bible—the way of life—everything will be very simple, and we will receive the Lord’s blessing. (God’s Intention Concerning Christ and the Church, msg. 4)
