徒八1 就在那日，在耶路撒冷的召会大遭逼迫，除了使徒以外，门徒都分散在犹太和撒玛利亚各地。

　　林前一10 弟兄们，我借我们主耶稣基督的名，恳求你们都说一样的话，你们中间也不可有分裂，只要在一样的心思和一样的意见里，彼此和谐。

　　Acts 8:1 …And there occurred in that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and all were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

　　1Cor. 1:10 Now I beseech you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion.

　　首先，召会作基督宇宙的身体，乃是神宇宙的家，也是神的国（弗一23，提前三15～16，太十六18～19）。基督的身体、神的家、神的国，三者就是一个；基督的身体就是神的家，神的家就是神的国。

　　First, the church as the universal Body of Christ is the universal house of God and also the kingdom of God (Eph. 1:23; 1 Tim. 3:15-16; Matt. 16:18-19). These three—the Body of Christ, the house of God, and the kingdom of God—are just one. The Body of Christ is the house of God, and the house of God is the kingdom of God.

　　这个基督宇宙的身体就是神的家，就是神的国，出现在各城，成为各城的地方召会。圣经给我们看见，一城只限一会，为保守合一，而免分裂（徒八1，十三1，启一4，11）。申命记十二章五至十八节清楚告诉我们，以色列人到了美地，不能随便选择一个敬拜的地方，必须到神所选立为祂名的地方，也就是神要建造祂居所的地方。…在旧约里神选择了耶路撒冷，因此，以色列十二支派，虽然分散在全以色列地，但男丁每年还必须三次上耶路撒冷，在那里敬拜神；没有人敢在耶路撒冷之外，另立敬拜中心。…今天神所要的召会实行，原则也是一样，就是一城只限一会，以保守合一。一个人不能因为他在某地召会不满意，就和几个较亲近的弟兄，在另一条街开始另一个聚会。基督教因着不受一地一会的限制，就造成今天紊乱分裂的情形。

　　The universal Body of Christ is the house of God, that is, the kingdom of God, appearing in various cities as local churches. The Bible shows us that one city should have only one church for the sake of keeping the oneness and preventing division (Acts 8:1; 13:1; Rev. 1:4, 11). Deuteronomy 12:5-18 clearly tells us that when the Israelites arrived in the good land, they could not choose a place of worship as they liked. They needed to go to the place where God had placed His name, which was the place where God would build His dwelling place… In the Old Testament God chose Jerusalem. Hence, although the twelve tribes of Israel were scattered throughout the land of Israel, all their males had to go up to Jerusalem three times a year to worship God there. No one dared to set up another worship center besides Jerusalem… Today the practice of the church that God desires is the same as this in principle, that is, one city having only one church for the keeping of the oneness. One cannot say that he is not satisfied with the church in a certain locality and then start another meeting on the next street with a few of his more intimate brothers. Because Christianity is not willing to be restricted by one city having only one church, today's situation has become confused and divided.

　　各地的地方召会虽因地理而分散，却不可因任何道理或事故而分开（林前一10～13）。有的人主张地方召会应当自治，召会彼此之间是独立的；但是我要说，自治乃是最大的分裂。就如美国只有一个中央政府，一个国防，一个外交，一个邮政，一个币制，一个通行全国的高速公路系统。各州若都发行自己的钞票，全美国要发行五十种钞票，市场就大乱了。高速公路也是这样，全美国只有一个系统。若是各州的公路不能相通，全国的交通就要被扼杀。美国乃因有这许多的一，才能如此强大（三一神终极完成之灵与信徒重生之灵联结的果效，八九至九一页）。

　　地方召会在事务上是自治的，但在为着基督的见证上并在那灵的交通上不是自治的。为着基督的见证和那灵的交通不该只是地方性的，也该是宇宙性的。在这样的事上，所有地方召会在性质和功用上是相同的（关于主的恢复和我们当前的需要，四四页）。

　　The local churches in the various localities are scattered in different places by geography, yet they are not divided by any doctrine or matter (1 Cor. 1:10-13). Some people suggest that the local churches should be autonomous and that the churches should be independent. However, I must say that to be autonomous is the biggest division. The United States of America has only one federal government, one national defense, one diplomacy, one postal service, one monetary system, and one highway system that connects the whole country. If each state issued its own currency, the entire United States would have to issue fifty kinds of notes, and the market would be in turmoil. It is the same regarding the highways. The entire country has only one highway system. If the highways in each state could not be connected, then the transportation in the entire country would be choked. It is because of all these onenesses that the United States of America has become so strong and so great. (The Issue of the Union of the Consummated Spirit of the Triune God and the Regenerated Spirit of the Believers)

　　The local churches are autonomous in business affairs, but not in the testimony for Christ and in the fellowship of the Spirit. The testimony for Christ and the fellowship of the Spirit should be not only local but also universal. In such matters all the local churches are identical in nature and in function. (1993 Blending Conference Messages concerning the Lord's Recovery and Our Present Need)