Further Talks on the Church Life

Rating:
Summary: Practical, clear study on NT teaching on the local church
Review: Before I begin my actual review, I want to note that this book is a sequel to Watchman Nee's "The Normal Christian Church Life" (NCCL), and should be read only after reading that other book. He begins Further Talks on the Church Life (FTCL) assuming that his readers are already familiar with the New Testament (NT) practice of the local church, as he explained thoroughly in NCCL. Personally, I first read NCCL and then FTCL. For a thorough treatment on the subject, both books should be read together: NCCL provides the base for FTCL, and FTCL answers some important questions that NCCL left unanswered. Now for the review, which takes both books together.

I rate these two books the highest possible, and I believe they are two of the most important books for all Christians to read. The Church lives in a divided situation today, and Watchman Nee helps us see how to return to the practical unity that the Lord Jesus prayed for in John 17 by returning to the biblical practice of the local church life.

NCCL and FTCL present the proper New Testament teaching on the practice of the local church. The books argue that the Bible teaches that the minimum and maximum boundary for a local church is the city or "locality" (vaguely defined as anything from a village to a metropolis). That is, a local church with one administration and one membership must include all genuine believers in a city, and it cannot extend beyond a city. A so-called local church that excludes any genuine believer that lives in that city (based on differences, for example, of doctrine, practice, understanding, or maturity) is an illegitimate because it is exluding someone whom Christ has accepted. A so-called local church that tries to extend beyond the boundaries of a city is a denomination that is extending its scope beyond the boundary given to it by Scripture; such groups, without exception, choose their membership based on some doctrine, practice, or teacher other than Christ. The members of such groups are all genuine believers, but such groups are divisions that divide the Body of Christ.

Watchman Nee establishes this biblical teaching by carefully examining the way the Bible uses the word "church" in the singular and "churches" in the plural. A thorough study (using Greek "ekklesia" or a Strong's concordance #1577) easily shows that "church" in the singular has only two uses--either the universal Church (the Body of Christ), or a local church that is never smaller or larger than a city. "Churches" in plural is used exclusively to refer to multiple city-churches. This is the basis of Watchman Nee's argument. He establishes this in the first book (NCCL); in the second book (FTCL) he completes the argument by carefully addressing the four NT mentions of the "home church", demonstrating that these must necessarily be local churches that are no smaller than the entire city.

Other important highlights of these two books are studies on the unity/oneness of all believers; how to make this unity practical, rather than empty words; and the difference between missionary works and the work of the churches.

I have a personal testimony on the effect these books have had on me: I first read NCCL, and I was very much helped and impressed by most of the book, especially about the unity of all believers. However, I disagreed with Watchman Nee that the city is the sole boundary for a local church. However, a few months later I read the book a second time, and found that all my arguments had gone away, and that his biblical exposition was incontrovertible. Indeed, I came to realize that my real reason for disagreement initially was that I did not want to face the implications of what it meant to practice the local church life as including all believers in my city. Even then, I still had some lingering questions about how the "home church" (Ro 16; 1Co 16; Co 4; Phlm 1) fit into this perspective. However, when I read FTCL, a chapter devoted to these four cases answered all my questions. I am now fully persuaded and am practicing practical unity with all believers in my city today. I have never in my life so enjoyed the unity of all Christians as since I read these books.

I end this review with a recommendation of how to read these two books: It might be best to start, even before reading NCCL, with the chapter in FTCL on "The Content of the Church". This chapter shows that while we cannot accept anyone in the church who denies the divine and human person of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must accept everyone who believes in the Jesus of Scripture, regardless of doctrine or practice. (In this chapter, he is not very clear on how to deal with the controversial matter of baptism--pages 90 and 91 clarify this point.) With this view of how inclusive a local church can be, you should read NCCL, and then FTCL.

Rating:
Summary: Practical, clear study on NT teaching on the local church
Review: Before I begin my actual review, I want to note that this book is a sequel to Watchman Nee's "The Normal Christian Church Life" (NCCL), and should be read only after reading that other book. He begins Further Talks on the Church Life (FTCL) assuming that his readers are already familiar with the New Testament (NT) practice of the local church, as he explained thoroughly in NCCL. Personally, I first read NCCL and then FTCL. For a thorough treatment on the subject, both books should be read together: NCCL provides the base for FTCL, and FTCL answers some important questions that NCCL left unanswered. Now for the review, which takes both books together.

I rate these two books the highest possible, and I believe they are two of the most important books for all Christians to read. The Church lives in a divided situation today, and Watchman Nee helps us see how to return to the practical unity that the Lord Jesus prayed for in John 17 by returning to the biblical practice of the local church life.

NCCL and FTCL present the proper New Testament teaching on the practice of the local church. The books argue that the Bible teaches that the minimum and maximum boundary for a local church is the city or "locality" (vaguely defined as anything from a village to a metropolis). That is, a local church with one administration and one membership must include all genuine believers in a city, and it cannot extend beyond a city. A so-called local church that excludes any genuine believer that lives in that city (based on differences, for example, of doctrine, practice, understanding, or maturity) is an illegitimate because it is exluding someone whom Christ has accepted. A so-called local church that tries to extend beyond the boundaries of a city is a denomination that is extending its scope beyond the boundary given to it by Scripture; such groups, without exception, choose their membership based on some doctrine, practice, or teacher other than Christ. The members of such groups are all genuine believers, but such groups are divisions that divide the Body of Christ.

Watchman Nee establishes this biblical teaching by carefully examining the way the Bible uses the word "church" in the singular and "churches" in the plural. A thorough study (using Greek "ekklesia" or a Strong's concordance #1577) easily shows that "church" in the singular has only two uses--either the universal Church (the Body of Christ), or a local church that is never smaller or larger than a city. "Churches" in plural is used exclusively to refer to multiple city-churches. This is the basis of Watchman Nee's argument. He establishes this in the first book (NCCL); in the second book (FTCL) he completes the argument by carefully addressing the four NT mentions of the "home church", demonstrating that these must necessarily be local churches that are no smaller than the entire city.

Other important highlights of these two books are studies on the unity/oneness of all believers; how to make this unity practical, rather than empty words; and the difference between missionary works and the work of the churches.

I have a personal testimony on the effect these books have had on me: I first read NCCL, and I was very much helped and impressed by most of the book, especially about the unity of all believers. However, I disagreed with Watchman Nee that the city is the sole boundary for a local church. However, a few months later I read the book a second time, and found that all my arguments had gone away, and that his biblical exposition was incontrovertible. Indeed, I came to realize that my real reason for disagreement initially was that I did not want to face the implications of what it meant to practice the local church life as including all believers in my city. Even then, I still had some lingering questions about how the "home church" (Ro 16; 1Co 16; Co 4; Phlm 1) fit into this perspective. However, when I read FTCL, a chapter devoted to these four cases answered all my questions. I am now fully persuaded and am practicing practical unity with all believers in my city today. I have never in my life so enjoyed the unity of all Christians as since I read these books.

I end this review with a recommendation of how to read these two books: It might be best to start, even before reading NCCL, with the chapter in FTCL on "The Content of the Church". This chapter shows that while we cannot accept anyone in the church who denies the divine and human person of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must accept everyone who believes in the Jesus of Scripture, regardless of doctrine or practice. (In this chapter, he is not very clear on how to deal with the controversial matter of baptism--pages 90 and 91 clarify this point.) With this view of how inclusive a local church can be, you should read NCCL, and then FTCL.