02.39. The Seven Churches of Asia
The Seven Churches of Asia
Those who contend for the principle of independent Assemblies invariably refer to the messages to the seven Churches in Asia, as recorded in Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22, as ground for their action. They point out that the Lord addressed each Assembly individually and did not charge Ephesus with Pergamos’ faults and iniquity, or with Thyatira’s, or vice-versa. Therefore they conclude that we are not responsible for what goes on in other Assemblies, but that each Assembly is only responsible to Christ, its head, for its own affairs. Let us examine this teaching and see if it is according to all the truth of Scripture.
First of all, we may say that the book of Revelation does not teach Church order or lay down for us Assembly principles. This is not the purpose of this book. While we can certainly learn much profitable truth on Assembly lines from these first three chapters of Revelation, which really give the prophetic history of the professing Church, we must go to the book of Acts and the Epistles of Paul for full instructions as to the Church and its order and principles of conduct and action. These we have already considered in previous pages and have noted that no independency of action is taught anywhere or was practiced, but that unity and corporate responsibility and action is found therein.
Local Responsibility
It is, of course, definitely true that each Assembly is primarily responsible to Christ its head for what goes on in its midst. There is first of all the local responsibility of each Assembly to maintain the holiness of the Lord and Scriptural order in its own sphere of accountability. Therefore, it is only natural that we find the Lord addressing the seven Assemblies of Asia separately and pointing out to each one what He approved of among them and what was not according to His holiness or His desires. But the whole truth of the matter is that responsibility does not end with the local Assembly.
Collective Responsibility
There is a collective responsibility to maintain the truths of God’s Word as well as a local responsibility. This flows from our being members of the One Body of Christ. Assemblies are part of that One Body, therefore they cannot exist as so many local, independent bodies. They are local representations of the One Body of Christ on earth and the interests of the whole body should be the interests and concern of each Assembly.
Coming directly now to the messages to the seven Churches of Asia, we find that the Lord did not only hold each Assembly responsible for its internal condition, but that He also added at the close of each message, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Notice He did not say, "hear what the Spirit saith to you," or to "the Assembly," but "hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." This is plural and indicates collective responsibility and unity of Assemblies. Ephesus was not only to hear what the Lord had to say to her locally, but what the Spirit had to say to all the Churches of Asia. And so with each Church; they were to hear what the Spirit said to the other Churches as well as to themselves. They were not to be ignorant of each other’s condition or to be indifferent about it. Each was to know what the Spirit of God had to say about the wrong or evil in each Assembly and they had a corporate responsibility about it.
If the evil was not removed which the Lord pointed out as existing at Thyatira, could Smyrna or Philadelphia receive individuals from this Assembly or commend saints to it? Assuredly not, for to do so would be expressing fellowship and making a link with that which the Lord judged as evil. Association with evil defiles. "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" (1 Corinthians 5:6).
Overcomers Addressed In each message to the various Churches in Asia the overcomer. is addressed in connection with hearing what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. Such would heed the Spirit’s message and purge out the evil or else purge themselves from the evil. If the Assembly did not judge itself and purge out the evil, the separated overcomers would be the only ones that fellowship could be extended to in righteousness and holiness.
After the Lord removed the candlestick from Ephesus, as He said He would if they did not repent, could it be recognized as an Assembly and individuals received from it or commended to it? Surely not. Only the separated overcomers could be recognized and fellowshipped by the overcomers elsewhere. This would meet the Lord’s approval.
Thus we find nothing to support the idea of independent Assemblies in the messages to the seven Churches, but rather that the uniform teaching- of Scripture of the unity and collective responsibility of Assemblies is therein seen.