The History of the Local Churches

Additional Quotes about the Local Church by Witness Lee and Watchman Nee

Now let us see the importance of the boundary of locality. Perhaps we first should look at history. We have seen that in the beginning the churches in the Bible were local. Later, these churches were united to form provincial or district churches. Still later, they were united into an international church under the pope. When the churches were harmonious with God’s purpose in the beginning, they were local. Gradually, however, they degraded until there was only one church in the whole world, the Roman Catholic Church.

(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 3, Vol. 56, 370-371)

This local oneness was damaged and altogether lost by the time the Catholic Church was formed. The emperor Constantine the Great initiated the formation of the Catholic Church early in the fourth century. In A.D. 325 he called a council at Nicaea to settle theological disputes which were a cause of strife throughout his empire. He used his political influence to bring about a certain kind of unity. By the end of the sixth century the Catholic Church was fully formed with the establishment of the papal system. At that time the local oneness was absolutely destroyed and lost.

(Witness Lee, Genuine Ground, 139-141)

The book of Revelation, written between A.D. 90 and A.D. 95, speaks of seven churches. Other than two that did not receive a rebuke, the other five all received severe rebukes (Rev. 2—3). All the way from the degradation of Ephesus to the Lord’s vomiting of Laodicea out of His mouth, there was a continuation of degradation. The lampstand at Ephesus was removed, and Laodicea was vomited out of the Lord’s mouth. Although there were some recoveries in between, for the main part it was a situation of desolation.

Historically speaking, the situation of desolation continued. From the second century on, the Roman Catholic church was formed in a general way. During the second to the third century, the practice of the local church was abolished. By the fourth century, at the time of Constantine, the formal church was established.

(Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, Resumption, 414)

Main

Two Aspects of the Church

Who is the Church?

Local Churches in the N.T.

Degradation

Bibliography

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