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Additional Quotes about the Local Church by Witness Lee and Watchman NeeWe need to come back to the Word. The Word is our highest authority, our constitution. (Witness Lee, Eldership (1), 51) 1 Timothy 1:15 Faithful is the word and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus 1came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. 1 Timothy 1:151 Christ came into the world by incarnation to be our Savior (John 1:14). He was God incarnated to be a man that He might save us through His death and resurrection in His human body. In a local church this should be constantly announced as the glad tidings. (Witness Lee, Footnotes, 973) b. All Believers Are Received Based on the Common Faith Alone, Not on Any Special Teaching or Doctrine. The items of the gospel constitute the common faith, which is the economy of God. The economy of God, the teaching of the New Testament, is the apostles’ teaching for all the churches. Both Witness Lee and Watchman Nee proclaimed that the local church must receive all believers based on the common faith alone, not on any special teaching or doctrine. The following quotes make this quite clear: TWO CLASSES OF DOCTRINE Doctrine is not necessarily a negative thing, for the Bible is composed of doctrine. However, we need to differentiate between the two classifications of doctrine. The first class contains those doctrines that are not divisive, whereas the second class includes the doctrines that are divisive. Certain doctrines, those which constitute our faith, are basic. However, there are many other doctrines that are not basic. THE COMMON FAITH Our faith is constituted with certain basic doctrines. First, we all must believe that God is one yet triune—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Anyone who does not believe that God is uniquely one yet triune is in error. This doctrine of God is not divisive; rather, it is basic, and all Christians must believe it. Second, we all must believe that our God became incarnated in the Son. This means that the Son of God became incarnated as a man. Anyone who does not believe this cannot be saved. Third, we all must believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnated as a man, lived on earth and died on the cross for our sins to secure our redemption. On the third day He was resurrected from the dead both physically and spiritually, and today He is our Savior, our Lord in resurrection, and our life. If we believe in Him, our sins are forgiven, He comes into us as our life, and we are regenerated. All the regenerated ones are the unique church. In whatever locality they reside, they are the local expression of the universal church. Finally, all the saints in the churches are waiting for the Lord Jesus to come back to receive them to Himself. These are the basic doctrines, the doctrines that constitute the saving faith, the doctrines we must believe in order to be saved. Because every sound, genuine believer holds these basic doctrines, they are called the common faith (Titus 1:4). There is hardly any argument among saints regarding them. INSISTING ONLY ON THE BASIC DOCTRINES In addition to these basic doctrines, the Bible contains many other doctrines. Although these other doctrines are necessary and important, they are not the basic doctrines which constitute the faith. From the time of the Reformation until today, a great many divisions have come into being. Nearly all these divisions have been caused by different doctrines. Not one division was created by a basic doctrine, for none of the basic doctrines divides the saints. The divisions have been caused by the various divisive doctrines. Thus, we must be careful regarding this. We in the Lord’s recovery insist upon the basic doctrines that constitute the faith. If anyone does not hold to these basic doctrines, he is not a genuine believer, and he is not saved. However, apart from the basic doctrines, we do not insist on any other doctrines. Are things such as speaking in tongues, pray-reading, foot washing, and calling on the name of the Lord basic doctrines? Certainly not. None of these doctrines constitutes the faith. Whether or not you practice speaking in tongues, pray-reading, or calling on the name of the Lord does not affect your salvation. As long as you believe that God is one yet triune, that the Son of God was incarnated as a man, that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, that He was resurrected on the third day, and that He is coming again, you are saved and you are a member of the church. Someone may never pray-read or speak in tongues; yet if he has the common faith, he is saved. But if you do not believe the basic doctrines, you are not saved, even if your feet have been washed a thousand times. To take another example, the doctrine of the kingdom is not a basic doctrine in the Bible. Some Brethren teachers say that the kingdom has been suspended. But the Bible reveals that the kingdom is here today. But the young people must be warned not to go out and teach this particular view of the kingdom as a local church doctrine. Furthermore, the matter of exercising the spirit is not a basic doctrine. I am concerned that some of the young ones may insist that others believe that the kingdom is here today and that all others must pray-read, call on the name of the Lord, and exercise their spirit. If the young people do this, they will be sectarian. We should not insist on any of these things. (Witness Lee, Spirit and the Body, 219-221) | ||||