Witness Lee and Watchman Nee: The Governing Principles of the Local Church

The Governing Principles of the Practice of the Local Church

In The Constitution and the Building Up of the Body of Christ, Witness Lee teaches that the reality of both the universal church and the local church is not in doctrinal matters; rather it is absolutely a matter of the believers’ living of Christ. He continues by explaining that the church, in its reality, is altogether a matter of the Christ whom we live and magnify.

Paul the apostle, when he was Saul, was mistaken to keep the law of God as the main goal of his life. After he was saved and regenerated, the main goal of his life was corrected from keeping the law to living Christ. He saw that he was crucified with Christ and it was no longer he who lived but Christ who lived in him (Gal. 2:20). So, he endeavored to live Christ that Christ might be magnified in him (Phil. 1:20-21) for the building up of the Body of Christ (Col. 1:24) and the fulfillment of God’s eternal economy (Eph. 3:9-10).

Being a Christian depends mainly on living Christ for the constitution and building up of the Body of Christ. This is the reality of the Lord’s recovery in this age. Without Christ as the life element for the constitution of the Body of Christ, and without the Body of Christ as the full expression of the all-inclusive Christ, the recovery today would become zero. Do not consider the church merely according to outward teachings and practices, concerning the matters of the local churches, the universal church, local autonomy, or of this or that. The church in its reality is not in this realm. The church is altogether a matter of Christ whom we live and magnify. If you live yourself, you are neither the universal church nor a local church. But if we live Christ, He is everything—the universal church and the local church. Why are there divisions today? Simply because people talk about doctrines and practices concerning the church, but neglect the living of Christ. If they do live Christ, no division would come into being.

(Witness Lee, Constitution, 18)

In the following brief excerpt from his book Salvation in Life in the Book of Romans, Witness Lee exhorts believers to live in the one unique Body of Christ by living practically in one local church.

The Body of Christ is unique in the universe. In the whole universe there is only one Body. The church of God is also unique in the universe. This unique church of God in the universe becomes the churches in the various cities locally in all five continents through the spread of His children over all the earth. Every believer can only live in the practical church life in one local church. If anyone is not happy with the church where he is, he may move to meet in another church. After a while, he may move to yet another place to find a church that will satisfy him. This kind of moving is not according to the will of God. God wants the believers to live the church life locally, practically, and without any opinion.

(Witness Lee, Salvation in Life, 51)

The church—both the universal church and the local church—is not in the realm of outward teachings and practices, writes Witness Lee. Rather, the Christian life hinges mainly on the matter of living Christ for the building up of the Body of Christ. As Witness Lee further states, the will of God ordains that every believer live the “practical church life” in oneness with the believers in his locality, without preferences or opinions.

Main

Practice

Principles

Bibliography

Links