The Building of the Universe vs. the Building of the Locality

 

The Building of the Universe vs. the Building of the Locality 

Based on a summary (not a quotation) of *Life-Study of Ephesians* and its related burdens. The universal church is God's eternal goal, but it must be practically manifested through the local churches. They are not two separate building processes, but different levels of the same building. The building of the universe is the overall blueprint, while the building of the locality is its concrete implementation. Ephesians focuses on the universal aspect (the body of Christ, the house of God, the temple), while 1 Corinthians and Revelation discuss it more from a local perspective. 

Item	The Universal Building	The Local Building	Analogy	Example
Scope	All believers of all ages, the one Body of Christ	The believers in one city, the expression of the universal church in that locality	The universal church is like the whole ocean; the local church is like a cup of water drawn from it. The substance is the same, but the cup is something people can see and drink.	1 Cor. 1:2 speaks of "the church of God which is in Corinth." The believers in Corinth were the whole church expressed in one city.
Nature	A divine, spiritual, mysterious, and universal reality	The practice of the same reality, visible and tangible	Like a building blueprint and the house built according to it: the blueprint is the whole picture, the house is its realization.	Eph. 2:19-22 describes the whole picture of God's household and temple; Revelation 2 and 3 show the actual condition of the churches in particular cities.
Main Scriptures	Eph. 2:19-22; 4:12, 16; Matt. 16:18	1 Cor. 3:9-17; Rev. 1:11, 20; Eph. 2:22 ("you also")	The former is like an overview map; the latter is like street views of individual cities.	The phrase "you also" in Eph. 2:22 brings the universal description down to the actual believers who received the letter.
Foundation and Cornerstone	The apostles and prophets as the foundation, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone	The same foundation; Paul, as a wise master builder, laid the foundation locally, and others built upon it	Like a building whose foundation plan is uniform, while each construction site has its own foreman.	1 Cor. 3:10: Paul laid the foundation in Corinth, and others built upon it.
Way of Building	Christ builds up the members through the gifts given to the Body	Local saints are built together through the supply of life and mutual coordination	Like the human body: the head issues commands (universal), while the hands and feet coordinate in daily life (local).	Acts 13:1: in the church in Antioch there were prophets and teachers who coordinated and ministered, and then sent others out.
Material	The constituting of the divine nature into man: gold, silver, precious stones	The same materials; wood, grass, and stubble will be burned up	Like constructing a house: reinforced concrete lasts, while cardboard and thatch vanish in one fire.	1 Cor. 3:12-15: the work is tested by fire; some remains, some is burned.
Administration and Standing	Christ as the Head; comprehensive in scope	A local standing and administration, with one church in one locality	Like a nation and its city governments: the nation is the whole, but the business is carried out in each city.	Acts 14:23: Paul appointed elders in every church; Gal. 1:2 speaks of "the churches of Galatia," each city having its own church.
Why Needed: Practice	Without a place of realization, it easily stays at the level of doctrine and concept	Believers truly meet and coordinate in specific persons, times, and places	Like having a "concept of family" but no real home: nowhere to eat, talk, or support one another.	A believer who only says "I belong to the universal church" but has no real contact with saints in any locality has no place to practice.
Why Needed: Testimony	The full scope of God's eternal purpose	Christ shows His testimony to the people of each city through the local churches	Like lampstands: lamps are lit one by one and cannot exist only as a concept of "light."	The seven golden lampstands in Revelation, one in each city, with Christ walking among them (Rev. 1:12-13, 20).
Why Needed: Oneness and Governance	Christ is the Head of the Body	The locality is the boundary, avoiding denominations and division, so that believers are led and cared for on the same ground	Like a city with one municipal government rather than several competing ones.	1 Cor. 1:10-13: the Corinthian believers divided into factions, and Paul rebuked this division.
Why Needed: Growth in Life	The goal is the fullness of the Body of Christ	Believers actually experience the supply and growth of life through daily coordination in a locality	Like a plant: it needs the whole environment of soil, water, and sunlight, but also a specific field to take root in.	Imagine a new believer: with a group of believers in the same city who accompany, care for, and supply him, his growth will be more real than if he were alone.
Relationship to the Other	The ultimate goal that the local building aims to reach	The reality and expression of the universal building, and a component of it	Like a diamond and its facets: the whole is one, and each facet reflects the same light.	The seven lampstands in Revelation, taken together, fully show Christ's move in the church.

  

Simply put, the building of the universe is the goal and the overall picture, while the building of the locality is the actual path and concrete manifestation towards that goal.

 

*Please refer to *Life-Study of Ephesians*, Chapter 88, "The Building of the Universe and the Building of the Locality"