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"