Quote:
Originally Posted by Igzy
I want to take on one more thing today, because this is the opus of Canfield's case for the Ground of Locality.
If we wish to deny the ground of oneness in locality, we must ask ourselves, what other New Testament basis can we find for establishing churches? When we consider this matter quietly and honestly before the Lord, we must admit that there is none.
Canfield is saying that the New Testament shows us no other basis for establishing a practical church other than on the ground of locality. |
I cannot say that I have "quietly and honestly before the Lord" considered the matter of establishing churches, but I have considered it. And how do we know Canfield, or Lee or Nee, has
quietly and honestly considered this matter? We have to take their word. We have subjectivity masquerading as objective reality. We have, "If I say it, it is true."
So quietness and honesty aside, let's together consider the ground of the assembly. The ground of the assembly, it seems to me, is to believe and confess that Jesus is Lord. That confession, and subsequent assembly based thereon, might be on a boat, on a plane, on a train, in house, or with your spouse (thank you Theodore Geisel). It also might be in a city, but it does not need to be. It might be on the south road out of Jerusalem leading to Gaza (Acts chapter 8). It might be on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). Etc.
Now, let's also together consider ambition; fallen human ambition to be something, mixed with fallen human concepts about how things are supposed to be. In the gospels I know of two separate cases where the disiples are found arguing with each other over "who is first". Then there is the famous case of John and James and their mother, trying to get close to what they think is earthly power. When Jesus asks them if they are able to drink the cup He has, they reply, "We are able".
Then as they are all going to up Jerusalem, everyone thinks that this is the moment when political power will be transferred to the Son of David. They have been deluded by their concepts. Their idea of "the kingdom" is completely different from what Jesus is doing. He is on another level entirely. See also the comments in Luke 24, "We thought He was going to be the Savior of Israel." People are looking for an outward, earthly power to establish itself, to make itself manifest.
So when we establish our ekklesia, in the name of Jesus, beware of trojan horses, which will insinuate themselves into the discussion, cloaking bids for earthly power and position. In the case of the "one ekklesia per city" model, you get centralized control, masked as administration, and you end up with "One Publication" edicts, and you get "one apostle of the age", who supposedly is free from all human ambition, and who got run out of the Far East for by angry investors, and set up his sons as "business managers" of Daystar, Living Stream Ministry, etc. Anyone remember "Let's go Linko!!"??
The fruit of your tree reveals of what sort it is, whether or not you honestly and prayerfully got it from God or not. And I don't like the fruit of this tree; the "ground" of this assembly has been revealed.
And if you want their own words, go to one of the "local church" websites. The heading at the top says "affiliated with the ministries of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee." These ekklesia clearly have a ground other than the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that their ground is fallen human ambition, masked with fallen human concepts about how things are supposed to be.