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Additional Quotes about the Local Church by Witness Lee and Watchman NeeIn the church we should not speak of authority in a human, natural way. In the church there is no human authority. The authority in the church is the throne above the clear sky. Suppose the leading brothers or the elders in a local church are not under a clear sky, yet they would exercise authority based upon their position. That does not work. They may speak something, but there will be no weight, no ruling, because there is no throne in the clear sky. But if the elders in a local church are day and night under a clear sky, having a conscience that is pure and void of offense under the heavenly throne, with them there will be the authority. There will be no need for them to claim authority over the saints. (Witness Lee, Visions of Ezekiel, 77) To obey the elders in a local church and to obey the apostles among the churches does not mean that the obeying one does not need to obey the Lord directly. When he is seeking the leading directly from the Lord, he should also take care of the elders in the local church, because he is living and working in the church as a part of the Body. (Witness Lee, Eldership (2), 107) The case of Aaron is very interesting. Although God’s intention was to make the whole nation of Israel a kingdom of priests, the nation failed God. So, out of the entire nation, God called out one tribe, the Levites, to be a tribe of priests. The head of that tribe was the house of Aaron. At a certain time, the people of Israel murmured and rebelled against Aaron, saying, “Is God only with you and not with us?” Then God asked each of the twelve tribes to bring a rod with the name of the tribe written upon it. A rod means authority. Aaron’s rod was the only rod that budded (Num. 17:2-10). It budded almonds. In Palestine, the first thing that blossoms in the springtime is the almonds. In typology, the almond blossoms signify resurrection life. After the wintertime, the first thing that blossoms is almonds—that is resurrection life. Aaron’s rod was a piece of dead wood. Overnight this piece of dead wood budded. It became a budding rod, not budding with apples or grapefruit, but with almonds. This means that it was surviving with the resurrection life. Where there is life, there is authority. Where there is divine life, there is divine authority. Where there is life, there is the image, and the image brings in dominion. Thus, Aaron had the resurrection life to express God. So, Aaron had authority to represent God. Elders in the local churches, leaders in all the service groups, leading sisters—you all must be very clear that to be a leading one in the churches among God’s people means that you must bud. You must bud with the resurrection life. We are all simply pieces of dead wood. Whether or not this dead wood can be a rod of authority depends on whether or not this dead wood buds with resurrection life. If you have the intention to be a leader in a certain service, we will wait to see whether or not the dead wood rots or buds. If it buds with resurrection life, that is a sign authority is there. It is no more a piece of dead wood; it is a ruling rod. (Witness Lee, LS of Genesis, 94-95) We often use this illustration: When a boat is at sea, the boat and the sea cannot have fellowship. As soon as they begin to have fellowship, the boat will begin to sink into the sea. Likewise, if a hole is drilled in the church, the line of separation between the church and the world will disappear. Therefore, the local church must exercise discipline; it must have disciplinary action in order to be a local church. 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. Matthew 18:15-17 says, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone…But if he does not hear you, take with you one or two more. ..And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to hear the church also, let him be to you just like the Gentile.” Some churches are very lazy and do not care to handle troublesome matters. But the Lord said that the church must take care of disciplinary matters, if it is to be a church at all. The Lord’s teaching in chapter eighteen is regarding the local church because it refers to a place in which we can “tell.” The local church must take care of these matters. If a local church does not take care of these matters, she is neglecting her duty. If we are a church in a locality, we must bear all the responsibility in that locality. (Watchman Nee, Further Talks, 53-55) | ||||