Guarding Against the Threats to Our Oneness and One Accord

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The Lord’s recovery is the recovery of the oneness of the Body of Christ. Oneness causes God’s people to enjoy His commanded blessing of life (Psalm 133). When God’s people are one, there is a way for the Body of Christ to be built up. Brother Witness Lee said:

“For the building up of the Body, there is the need of oneness…This is because the Body of Christ is one and the new man is also one; that is, there is one Body and one new man. The riches of Christ, which produce the Body and the new man, are altogether realized in the Spirit. There is one Body and one Spirit (v. 4), so we have to keep the oneness. If the oneness is damaged, the building is gone. Even though we have the best enjoyment of the riches of Christ, if we lose the oneness, there is no possibility for the building up of the Body.”

(The Greatest Prophecy in the Bible and Its Fulfillment, Ch. 4)

On the other hand, Brother Lee said that all the problems in the church are related to the lack of oneness (The Church as the Body of Christ, Ch. 12). Because oneness is so crucial, one of Satan’s strategies against the church is to cause division (Satan’s Strategy against the Church).

The Enemy’s Work of Division

Throughout the centuries, Satan has been working to keep God’s people from being one. This began at Babel and continued through the history of the children of Israel, particularly in Jeroboam’s setting up of divisive worship centers due to his ambition (1 Kings 12:25-33). This continued until the New Testament, when there were divisions and parties in the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 11:18-19). This is the enemy’s work to prevent the building up of the Body of Christ.

This principle of division is still operating today. In the world, we do not see oneness in many situations. Division is everywhere—among nations, in politics, in business, in schools, and even in families. We also see division in Christianity and among believers.

Being on Guard against Threats to the Oneness

As those who are for the building up of the Body of Christ, we need to be diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3). Without this, we will have no way to apply the rest of this section of the Holy Word. We will not be able to be perfected by the gifts that the Lord has given to His Body (v. 12), we will not arrive at the oneness of the faith (v. 4:13), we will not grow up into Christ in all things (v. 15), and we will not be built up as the Body of Christ through the mutual supply among the members (v. 16). We need to diligently guard against divisive factors, which may unconsciously develop within us. In line with this, we examine some examples from the Bible and our history for our learning.

The Four Factors of Division

In Truth Messages, four factors of division are identified: worldliness, ambition, self-exaltation, and opinions and concepts (Ch. 5). These factors cause people to be divided. Because these factors are in us, it is impossible for us in ourselves to be one.

Among these factors, Brother Lee mentioned that ambition is the first hidden “gopher” that damages the Lord’s recovery (A Word of Love to the Co-workers, Elders, Lovers, and Seekers of the Lord, Ch. 3). In the Old Testament, Jeroboam set up divisive worship centers because he feared the loss of his kingdom if those from the ten tribes went to worship in Jerusalem. While we may not set up our own group or sect as Jeroboam did, we may have ambition to be the leader or to have our own following. Brother Lee said:

“Your ambition may also be to captivate people to be your private co-workers. You may attract, charm, and capture people for this purpose. This means that in your work in the Lord’s recovery you have a party in which certain ones who are very close to you have been captivated, attracted, and charmed by you. They appreciate your ability, and they appreciate your capacity, so they stand with you. Then they become your particular co-workers. They are co-workers generally, but in particular, they are a certain person’s co-workers. Do you not realize that there is such a situation in the Lord’s recovery? I have seen this in experience.”

(A Word of Love to the Co-workers, Elders, Lovers, and Seekers of the Lord, Ch. 3)

Hierarchy is the product of ambition, of wanting to be over others. Anything hierarchical or organization is of fallen, human manufacture and is contrary to the organic nature of the Body

Opinion is also a main cause of division. In Perfecting Training, Brother Lee said that opinion is the source of all the divisions and confusion among Christians in the past nineteen centuries (Ch. 3). In fact, the many denominations in Christianity are issues of different opinions. Each group is an expression of a certain opinion. This is in contrast to the Apostle Paul’s word in Romans 14, where he tells the Romans to receive the believers according to God’s receiving, not according to doctrinal concepts.

These four factors of division are not all-inclusive. In The Normal Christian Church Life, Brother Nee mentions seven forbidden grounds of division, which should not be reasons for believers to be divided. These include spiritual leaders, instruments of salvation, non-sectarianism, doctrinal differences, racial differences, national differences, and social distinctions (Ch. 5). Brother Lee also showed us that division includes all negative things, such as Satan, sin, worldliness, the flesh, the self, the old man, and evil temper. (The Genuine Ground of Oneness, Ch. 3). May we be saved from all these factors of division!

The Hidden Divisive Factors in a Past Turmoil

Brother Lee also identifies several divisive factors that were exposed in 1989. These factors have caused turmoil in the past, and are worth our consideration today. These include:

  • The intention to do an extra work in the unique work of the Lord’s recovery
  • The tendency to keep separate territories
  • The way of not having one’s work mingled with others’ work
  • The hidden expectation of being a prominent figure in the Lord’s work
  • The negligence regarding the keeping of the one accord in the Lord’s recovery

(Elders’ Training, Book 10: The Eldership and the God-ordained Way (2), Ch. 1)

We need to be warned against the tendency to keep separate territories in the work and not having our work mingled with others’ work. There is only one work to build up the one Body. Although workers care for certain aspects of the work out of necessity, that part of the work does not become their jurisdiction where they can exercise authority and exclude others (Regions of the Work and Companies of Workers, Ch. 7). In fact, areas that have become isolated have become causes of turmoil in the past. Brother Lee said:

“Some of the co-workers may want to keep their locality or area of the country independent and, to some extent, isolated. According to our history, when this happened in the past, turmoil came out of these isolated areas and cities.”

(Elders’ Training, Book 10: The Eldership and the God-ordained Way (2), Ch. 1)

On the contrary, even in the New Testament, Peter’s work mainly on the Jews and Paul’s work on the Gentiles were related and for the building up of the Body of Christ. Paul went to fellowship with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:2, 4; 21:17-20a), while the effect of Peter’s work reached Corinth, which was a Gentile city (1 Cor. 1:12).

We also have to be wary of neglecting and not keeping the one accord, which is the practice of the oneness. In Ephesians 4:2-3, keeping the oneness is related to being lowly and meek in dealing with ourselves, and being long-suffering towards others and bearing them in love. To be lowly is to remain in a low estate, to be meek is to not fight for oneself, and to be long-suffering is to endure mistreatment (Footnote 1). To practice these requires our taking up the cross. If we do not allow the cross to operate in us, we cannot be one. On the other hand, through the cross we are brought out of ourselves and into oneness in the Triune God.

To keep the one accord, we have to stay in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles. This means that we need to avoid having different teachings, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy. Different teachings are a major source of divisions and of the church’s degradation (1 Tim. 1:3-4, 6-7; 6:3-5, 20-21). Witness Lee said:

“If we are teaching things other than what the New Testament stresses, we are teaching differently, and it will be hard for us to be really one. If we have many different teachings, we will also have many different practices resulting in division. It would then be impossible to have the one accord, the oneness.”

(Elders’ Training, Book 07: One Accord for the Lord’s Move, Ch. 7)

We pray that the Lord would enlighten us to see the enemy’s work of division among us. May we be saved from any divisiveness, so that we could be one for the building up of the Body of Christ.

Excerpts from the Ministry

A Word of Love to the Co-workers, Elders, Lovers, and Seekers of the Lord, Chapter 3

BEWARE OF AMBITION

In this chapter I wish to fellowship with you some further crucial matters. First, we should beware of several factors. These factors are like wolves, roaring lions, and speeding cars on the street that can harm us. The first factor is ambition. What I have written in the accompanying outline is according to my personal experience. I do not mean to say that only you have these negative points and I do not. I also have experienced them. Who does not have ambition? In the Lord’s work, the ambition is to be the leader. If you are among the co-workers, you may want to be the leader. If you cannot be the first among them, you may still want to be the “vice-president.” Even the sisters who have roommates want to be the leader among them. In the church you may want to be the elder, even the leading elder, the leader of the elders.

Second, your ambition may also be to get a place, even a district, for your work. Who does not have such an ambition? I was with Brother Nee, and I learned of him. I never saw that he was ambitious to get a place, a certain district to be his district or little empire. A district in this sense is a little empire. You may want to be an emperor in your district, with everything under your control and rule and where everyone must listen to you. Who is not like this? I was like this, but the Lord dealt with me. Your ambition may also be to captivate people to be your private co-workers. You may attract, charm, and capture people for this purpose. This means that in your work in the Lord’s recovery you have a party in which certain ones who are very close to you have been captivated, attracted, and charmed by you. They appreciate your ability, and they appreciate your capacity, so they stand with you. Then they become your particular co-workers. They are co-workers generally, but in particular, they are a certain person’s co-workers. Do you not realize that there is such a situation in the Lord’s recovery? I have seen this in experience.

Beginning in 1984 I called three urgent conferences of the co-workers and elders. In my opening word I pointed out that among us there is the tendency of division. By this I meant that quite a few capable co-workers in the Lord’s recovery liked to keep their district as their empire, and they liked to attract people to be their particular co-workers. We are all co-workers generally, but some became particular co-workers with certain attracting ones. Therefore, I warned you all. After my speaking, one of the co-workers stood to confess that this was the case. However, at that time I realized that his confession was not strong enough. It was very weak, and today he has become a problem in the Lord’s recovery. He still claims that he is in the recovery, and he still takes the ground of locality. He protests that his meeting is a local church, and he declares that he is one with Brother Lee. He accepts my ministry, and he receives standing orders of the books of the Living Stream Ministry even until today. Recently, he spoke to me for close to one hour to explain his stand. I told him I felt that it was not the Lord’s timing to respond to him at that time. Later, after further consideration with the Lord, I felt that I had received a clear word and that it was the Lord’s timing to respond. I felt to tell him, “You are a division, and whatever you do in your place is a division because you cut your meeting off from all the churches in the recovery. Moreover, you like to visit the rebellious ones and stand with them. You should realize that all the churches are one Body. You cannot stand alone, separate from the other churches. If you do, you are a division.” In Corinth some said, “I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ” (1 Cor. 1:12). Paul condemned them for this. Even if you say that you are of Christ, that is a division. It is as if Paul said to them, “Is Christ divided? Why do you say that you are of Paul? Do not be of me. I am of you, and we all are of Christ.” First Corinthians 1 shows that there should not be any differences among us. No one is of Cephas, no one is of Apollos, no one is of Paul, the highest apostle, and no one is even of Christ separately from others. We all are of Christ, who is not divided.

Our fallen disposition by birth always likes to captivate people. If someone can do a work for the Lord, he may like to attract people. He may like to charm them and captivate them, and if he succeeds in captivating others, the captivated ones become members of his little party. In the Lord’s recovery there is the possibility of having such a party. If you have the opportunity and the time, you may do this. You have not done this because you have not had the opportunity, the condition, and the situation, but when you do have the opportunity, you may do it. This is the first “underground gopher” that damages the Lord’s recovery. You may have been damaged by this. Within you there may be this very strong hidden “gopher.” I consider this as the first problem.

Elders’ Training, Book 10: The Eldership and the God-ordained Way (2), Chapter 1

THE HIDDEN DIVISIVE FACTORS IN THE PAST

The present trouble among us had its beginning in the past, but the fermentation or leavening process was not significantly manifested until 1985. This fermenting process has continued over the past few years and has become fully exposed this year (1989). In August of this year, the brothers who are taking the lead in the present trouble began to publish a paper called The Word and the Testimony in open opposition to the Lord’s recovery and ministry.

From 1984 to 1986 I called three urgent elders’ trainings. The first was in February 1984, the second in September 1985, and the last in February 1986 (see Elders’ Training, Books 1—8). My opening word in two of these three elders’ trainings was concerning the danger of division.

The Intention to Do an Extra Work in the Unique Work of the Lord’s Recovery

The present problem among us came out of something that was hidden in the past. One of these hidden things was the intention to do an extra work in the unique work of the Lord’s recovery. In the recovery there is a definite work that is for the building up of the local churches unto the building up of the universal Body of Christ. This is the work. But among us, there was a case of someone who wanted to do an extra work within the work. This person would not leave the recovery or give up the church life. Instead, he insisted on having a particular work of his own, by his own effort, within the recovery. This was a divisive factor.

The Tendency to Keep Separate Territories

Another hidden divisive factor is the tendency to keep separate territories. The Lord’s work and move for the accomplishment of God’s eternal economy is uniquely one. If we consider any region in which we are participating in the Lord’s unique work as our particular territory, this will be a cause or a factor of division. Even the tendency to keep a separate territory should be uprooted. We should work for the Lord within His measure (2 Cor. 10:13-16), but we should not consider what the Lord has measured to us as our particular territory. Our local work in our region should be for the Lord’s universal Body. In the New Testament we cannot see such a thing as jurisdiction in the Lord’s work.

The Way of Not Having One’s Work Mingled with Others’ Work

In the past there was the hidden factor of working in a way of not having one’s work mingled with others’ work. The New Testament unveils to us that Peter’s work for the Lord, mainly in the Jewish land, and Paul’s, mainly in the Gentile world, were all for the one Body of Christ, without any distinction or separation. Rather, they were one in the carrying out of God’s New Testament economy. The effect of Peter’s work was realized in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:12), and Paul went to Jerusalem to fellowship with the apostles and elders there (Acts 15:2, 4; 21:17-20a). This kind of fellowship, like the blood circulation of our physical body, helps the Body of Christ in the circulation of the divine life. It mingles the different pieces of our work for the Lord’s recovery into one move. If our work is void of this kind of fellowship, this may develop into another factor of division.

The Hidden Expectation of Being a Prominent Figure in the Lord’s Work

There was also the hidden expectation of being a prominent figure in the Lord’s work. We cannot deny that this “gopher” of ambition was among us. If you are ambitious and have the capacity, your capacity may neutralize your ambition, and there may be no problem. The problem among us today is that a number of brothers have ambition but do not have the capacity. Ambition plus incapacity is a real problem.

If all the ambitious brothers had the capacity, their capacity could swallow up the ugliness of their ambition. But if they have ambition without the capacity for their ambition, their ambition with their incapacity causes them to become dropouts. If you desire to be a prominent figure and you have that capacity, you may become such a person. If all the churches are helped by you and all the churches listen to you, you may become a prominent figure. But if you do not have the capacity and you want to become prominent, this is when a problem comes in.

We can see the difference in capacity with Barnabas and Paul in Acts. Barnabas was used by the Lord to bring Saul, who became Paul, into the ministry (9:26-27; 11:22-26). Furthermore, in Acts 13 Barnabas’s name was mentioned first when the list of prophets and teachers in Antioch was recorded and when the Spirit set Barnabas and Saul apart for the work. Shortly after they went out, the matter of capacity arose. At the beginning of the journey, Barnabas was always mentioned first (vv. 2, 7); then Paul’s name began to be mentioned first (vv. 9, 13, 16, 46, 50). Paul’s name was mentioned first because his capacity to meet the need at that time was greater than Barnabas’s, and he eventually became the leading speaker (14:12). Paul began to take the lead on their journey because he had a greater capacity. Barnabas did not have the capacity that Paul had. Later, Paul wrote fourteen Epistles. Who could speak as much, as deeply, or as high as Paul spoke? Of all the writers of the New Testament, Paul was the only one to use the term the Body of Christ. The other writers did not use this term or the term economy, because they did not have as great a capacity as Paul.

When Paul and Barnabas returned from their trip to Antioch, a big problem arose concerning circumcision, and the church in Antioch sent them to Jerusalem to fellowship so that the problem could be solved (Acts 15:1-3). After the problem of circumcision was solved and they returned from Jerusalem to Antioch, they wanted to make another journey (v. 36). At this juncture Barnabas wanted to bring his cousin, John Mark (v. 37; Col. 4:10), on the journey. But Paul would not agree to bring Mark along, because Mark had left Barnabas and Paul in a negative way on their first ministry journey (Acts 13:13 and footnote). Barnabas’s desire that Mark go with them was simply according to his own feeling. As a result, Barnabas and Paul separated from each other (15:39). From that point on, even though Barnabas might have gone out to visit the churches, his ministry was finished as far as the holy record in Acts is concerned.

According to my understanding, the problem between Paul and Barnabas consisted mainly of two points. First, Barnabas might have had some hidden unhappiness within him, because he took the lead at the beginning and later Paul began to take the lead since Barnabas had a smaller capacity. This was not an easy matter to overcome. If Barnabas had been happy about this development, that would have been a great mercy to Barnabas. Second, according to the record in Acts 15, Barnabas did not keep a proper principle in wanting to take John Mark with him. Apparently, he did this only because of his own personal feeling concerning his cousin. This violated the spiritual principle. Barnabas should have submitted to Paul’s way of not taking John Mark in order to allow Mark to learn the lesson. Instead of submitting to Paul, Barnabas took his own way, and this resulted in a separation between him and Paul. Paul had a greater capacity than Barnabas, and because of this, he eventually was the one to take the lead in the ministry.

For more than twenty-five years in this country, I never told people that I was an apostle. But in these past few years, some brothers began to talk considerably about apostles and have said that there is not one, but many apostles among us. This is a shame! In a meeting of the church in Anaheim on August 28, 1988, one of the sixteen points concerning the standing of the church in Anaheim, a point presented by a certain brother, was that there are many apostles among us today, not just one. He said that he would give a list of these apostles to any of the saints who were interested. One brother asked for and received such a list from that brother. The list included seven names, with a question mark beside one of the names, and it did not include the name of the one who gave the list.

Shortly after I received news concerning this list, I went to Taipei, and I gave a message there concerning the three different kinds of apostles (see A Timely Trumpeting and the Present Need, ch. 2). The seven brothers on that list were all under my ministry. According to the truth concerning the kinds of apostles, this would make them apostles like Timothy, Titus, and Silas, who were produced by the Lord’s directly appointed apostles. After this message was published, another word came out saying that there are no apostles today. This is similar to what John Nelson Darby taught. Later, still another word came out saying that there are only twelve apostles—the eleven, who were selected by the Lord Jesus, and Paul. It was said that the selection of Matthias by lot in Acts 1 was wrong. But according to the Bible, when Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost (2:14), he stood up with the eleven, which included Matthias.

This kind of speaking is based on whatever would be a benefit to the speaker and does not have the standard of truth. This is a basic problem.

The Negligence regarding the Keeping of the One Accord in the Lord’s Recovery

Another great divisive factor in the past has been the negligence regarding the keeping of the one accord in the Lord’s recovery. In the elders’ training in February 1986, my burden was to ask the elders to take care of the one accord in the Lord’s recovery. More than four hundred brothers signed a letter written to me, assuring me that they would endeavor to keep the one accord (see Elders’ Training, Book 8: The Life Pulse of the Lord’s Present Move, ch. 10). But in the past three years of rebellion, a few brothers condemned that letter and even said that a part of that letter is heretical. Two of them wrote to tell me that they would remove their signatures from that letter. This shows that either they were not clear about the real meaning of the one accord or they despised it.

The abovementioned factors of division hidden in the past are a strong proof that there was a negligence regarding the keeping of the one accord in the Lord’s recovery. The present turmoil among us is not a matter of right or wrong but an issue and a full manifestation of this negligence. This manifestation has progressed to the extent that some of the rebellious ones told people definitely that they will fight until they put me down. This shows strongly that they would not care for the one accord. This is surely a hidden factor of division.

The present turmoil among us did not develop in only one day. Ice in a river accumulates over a period of time before it becomes several feet thick. In the same way, in our situation there has been a certain amount of accumulation of unpleasant things over a number of years. At the beginning I had no realization concerning any opposition or criticism, because I was busy in Taipei. But when I came back in December 1987 and the brothers came to make certain demands according to their plan, I began to realize that something was terribly wrong. Their plan was actually their conspiracy.

In principle, turmoil and problems among the Lord’s people come from two sources—a human source and a satanic source. After observing and considering the situation among us over the past three years, I believe that this turmoil is initiated by Satan, the evil one, the enemy (Matt. 13:19, 28). It is something from the realm of darkness to destroy the ministry and to shut the door to the new way. Satan hates the ministry, and he also hates the new way. The ministry with the new way is the great blockade to the enemy in his evil device, so Satan and the evil spirits moved quite strongly to do something. As a result, some of the brothers were captured and used by the evil spirits to do things that are altogether illogical, unreasonable, and inhuman. They told people that I am old, that I am no longer able to judge things clearly. This is a lie. All such things show strongly that this turmoil is of the devil.

However, in spite of the turmoil, by the mercy and grace of the Lord, most of the churches around the globe are still going on positively. The reports of their present situation, given by their elders who were present in the elders’ meetings, are quite encouraging.