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Additional Quotes about the Local Church by Witness Lee and Watchman Nee
What is disciplinary action? First Corinthians 5
speaks of six different kinds of persons who are saved and have God’s life,
but they have indulged themselves and become a fornicator, a covetous man, a
reviler, a drunkard, an idolater, and an extortioner (v. 11). Paul told the
church in Corinth to “remove the evil man from among yourselves” (v. 13). The
command in 1 Corinthians 5 does not say that we must put a brother away from
among us as soon as he has sinned. But it does say that we must put him away
when he becomes such a one. It does not say one who commits fornication, but
“a fornicator"; not a brother who reviles, but “a reviler.” When a man becomes
such a one, the church must put him away; it must excommunicate him. Whomever
the Lord does not want in the church, we also must not want in the church. If
we keep one whom the Lord does not want in our locality, this retention will
cause trouble. The Lord said that such a one is like a little leaven which
will leaven the whole lump (1 Cor. 5:6). Before long, the whole church will be
moldy. The whole church will no longer be pure flour; it will have leaven.
Therefore, the church must have discipline. Moreover, the church knows what
kind of person a brother is. This is reflected in the words of Sister M. E.
Barber: “The oneness of the church is the voice of the Holy Spirit.” If all
the brothers feel that a brother is such a person, then it is certain that he
is such a person. We cannot say that all the brothers have misunderstood him.
Therefore, a local church must execute God’s discipline in its
locality.
Furthermore, the Bible reveals that the church
executes discipline in regard to not only moral issues but also doctrinal
issues. However, the Lord does not want us to exercise discipline regarding
ordinary doctrines. For example, some keep the Lord’s Day while others keep
the Sabbath. (This does not refer to the Seventh-day Adventists, who are
recovering the law.) Some keep both days; we should not argue about this. Some
brothers eat vegetables and some eat meat; we should not argue about this.
However, there is a kind of doctrine which we must defend by all means, and
that is the doctrine concerning the person of the Lord Jesus. This is
mentioned in 2 John 7 through 11:
For many deceivers went out into the world, those who
do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the
antichrist…Everyone who goes beyond and does not abide in the teaching of
Christ does not have God…If anyone comes to you and does not bring this
teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not say to him, Rejoice!
For he who says to him, Rejoice, shares in his evil works.
(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 3, Vol.
56, 271-274)
In these days people have spread rumors that our
teaching concerning the Trinity is heretical. We want to let people know that
we believe in the Trinity according to the pure word of God. This message is
intended to be not only a declaration to the critics, but also a help to the
dear saints in the local churches, that all may know what we believe according
to the scriptures regarding the matter of the Triune God.
This matter of the Trinity has been a subject of
great argument and strong disputation among Christians ever since the second
century. During the last eighteen or nineteen centuries, the argument has
never ceased. It has been utilized by the enemy to destroy the unity of the
saints. Do not get caught in the snare of endless debate. We must come back
from the traditional terms, sayings, and teachings to the pure Word of God.
The controversy concerning such a mystery as the Trinity is endless. Be on the
alert to avoid this trap. My burden in this message is to fellowship with you
regarding this mystery from the pure Word.
(Witness Lee, Two Answers, 7)
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