Witness Lee: The Practice of the Local Church

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The New Testament reveals that the universal mystical church, comprising all believers, is experienced practically through the local church, its expression in each city. As Ephesians 1:22-23 also shows us, the church is Christ’s Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all. However, in order for the local churches to properly experience and express this all-filling Christ, they must adhere to certain governing principles. These principles for the practice of the local church have been comprehensively presented in the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, two faithful Christian writers whom the Lord used greatly in the twentieth century to recover not only the scriptural truth, but also the scriptural practice of the local church. The purpose of this Website is to present, through selected excerpts from the writings of Witness Lee and Watchman Nee, these principles governing and guiding the proper practice of the local church as Christ’s expression on the earth today.

The Practice of the Local Church

A. The Body of Christ Needs the Local Churches for its Practice

B. The Governing Principles of the Practice of the Local Church:

1. Based on the Word of God

2. Through the Cross

3. Taking Christ as Life

4. In the Holy Spirit

5. Under the Headship of Christ

6. For the Building Up of the Body

7. Practical Virtues for the Church Life [Romans 12:9-21; Hebrews 13:1-7, 16-19]

8. No Ordinances

9. Receiving All Genuine Believers

One of the hallmarks of the writings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee is the matter of the practice of the local church. The details of this practice are guided and governed by a number of principles which can be applied in all of the local churches.

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Practice

Principles

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