The History of the Local Churches


The Universal and Local Aspect of the Church

As Watchman Nee and Witness Lee repeatedly stress, in order for believers to understand the proper significance of the local church, they must first know the church in its two aspects.

In the New Testament the Apostle Paul in reference to the church uses two expressions which merit our attention. One is the “Church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32) and the other is the “churches of God” (1 Thes. 2:14). What is the distinction to be made, if any, between these two terms?

The answer lies in what many historians and theologians have termed the universal and local aspects of the church.

While many today may speak of the church in a general way, typically in its universal sense, what is often lacking is a clear presentation of the church in its local aspect. However, Watchman Nee and Witness Lee pay particular attention to the local aspect of the church as well as the universal aspect. Their ministry frequently addresses these two aspects:

Just as Christ has two aspects, His person and His ministry, the church also has two aspects, the universal aspect and the local aspect. Universally speaking, the church is the unique Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). Christ as the Head has only one Body. The second aspect of the church is the local aspect. In each locality there should be an expression of the Body of Christ (Acts 8:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; Rev. 1:11). This expression of the Body in a locality is the local church. The universal aspect of the church is revealed in the book of Ephesians, while the local aspect of the church is unfolded practically in the book of Revelation. In chapters 2 and 3 there are seven churches in seven cities, one church in each city. We all must see the one Body, and we must also see the local churches. We must see the universal aspect of the Body, and we must also see the local aspect of the church, the local churches. In every locality the church must be one as the local church.

(Witness Lee, Young People, 23, 25-26)

The church of Christ has two aspects. The first aspect, the universal aspect, is spoken of in Matthew 16. The universal church includes all the believers both past and present. There is only one such church, and we cannot add another to it. The universal church is unique. The second aspect, the local aspect, is spoken of in Matthew 18. The local church includes all the local believers at a certain time and in a certain place. It is limited to time and place. It can be counted. This is why we see expressions in the Bible such as the “church” (Acts 9:31), the “seven churches” (Rev. 1:4), and the “churches” (1 Cor. 11:16; 14:33).

(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 2, Vol. 43, 572)

Watchman Nee and Witness Lee have accurately discerned and presented these two scriptural aspects of the church. They further emphasize that this local aspect of the universal church is realized in the local churches.

MORE QUOTES...

Main

 

Two Aspects of the Church

 

Who is the Church?

 

Local Churches in the N.T.

 

Degradation

 

Bibliography

 

Links

 

Main | Two Aspects of the Church | Who is the Church? | Local Churches in the N.T. | Degradation | Bibliography | Links

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