THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Acts of Apostles
Message Two—One Accord
Scripture Reading: Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24, 32; 5:12; 15:25; Rom. 15:5-6; 1 Cor. 1:10
I. In John 17 the Lord Jesus prayed for oneness, in Ephesians 2 He died to produce oneness, in John 20 He breathed the Spirit into us as the essence of oneness, and in Acts 1 we have the application of oneness.
II. The genuine one accord in the church is the practice of the oneness of the Body, which is the oneness of the Spirit—Eph. 4:3-6:
A. The practice of the genuine one accord in the church is the application of the oneness; when oneness is practiced, it becomes one accord—Acts 1:14; 2:46.
B. The landmark that divides the Gospels and the Acts is the one accord among the one hundred twenty—Acts 1:14:
1. They had become one in the Body, and in that oneness they continued steadfastly with one accord in prayer—Eph. 4:3-6; Acts 1:14.
2. When the apostles and the believers practiced the church life, they practiced it in one accord—2:46; 4:24, 32; 5:12; 15:25.
C. If we practice the principle of the Body, we will have the one accord, for the one accord is the Body—Rom. 12:4-5; 15:5-6; 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 20, 27; 1:10.
D. One accord is the master key to every blessing in the New Testament—Eph. 1:3; Psa. 133:
1. In order to receive God’s blessing we must practice the oneness by the one accord—v. 1.
2. The blessing of God can come only upon a situation of one accord, the practice of the oneness.
III. One accord refers to the harmony in our inner being, in our mind and will—Acts 1:14:
A. In Acts 1:14 the Greek word homothumadon, used for “one accord,” is strong and all-inclusive:
1. This word comes from homo, “same,” and thumos, “mind, will, purpose (soul, heart)” and denotes a harmony of feeling in one’s entire being.
2. We should be in the same mind and the same will with the same purpose around and within our soul and heart; this means that our entire being is involved.
3. For the one hundred twenty to be in one accord meant that their entire beings were one—v. 14.
B. In Matthew 18:19 the Greek word sumphoneo is used to signify the one accord:
1. This word means “to be in harmony, or accord” and refers to the harmonious sound of musical instruments or voices; the harmony of inward feeling among the believers is like a harmonious melody.
2. When we have one accord, we become a pleasing melody to God.
IV. The practice of the oneness—the one accord—is according to the apostles’ teaching—Acts 2:42, 46:
A. There was one accord among the believers, and those who were in one accord continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching—v. 42.
B. The apostles taught the same thing to all the saints in all the places and in all the churches; today we also must teach the same thing in all the churches in every country throughout the earth—1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17; 11:16; 14:34; Matt. 28:19-20.
C. The prohibition against sowing two kinds of seed in one’s vineyard may typify the prohibition against teaching differently in the church—Deut. 22:9; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; 6:3; cf. Luke 8:11.
V. In practicing the one accord, we need to be in one spirit with one soul—Phil. 1:27; 2:2, 5; 4:2:
A. We should be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion; this is to be one in our soul—1 Cor. 1:10; Phil. 1:27; 2:2, 5; 4:2.
B. To be in one accord is to be one in our whole being; this results in our being one in our outward speaking—Rom. 15:5-6:
1. To have one mind and one mouth means that we have only one Head—Christ; we should think with the mind of Christ and speak with the mouth of the Head—Col. 1:18a; Phil. 2:2, 5; 4:2.
2. Whenever we are in one accord, we speak with one mouth— Rom. 15:6.
3. With one accord and with one mouth mean that even though we are many and all are speaking, we all “speak the same thing”—1 Cor. 1:10.
VI. In order to be in one accord we need to have one heart and one way—Jer. 32:39; Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24:
A. The believers should have one heart—to love God, to seek God, to live God, and to be constituted with God so that we may be His expression—and one way—the Triune God Himself as the inner law of life with its divine capacity—Mark 12:30; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 3:16-17; Jer. 31:33-34; John 14:6a.
B. Divisions result from having a heart for something other than Christ and taking a way other than Christ—1 Cor. 1:13a; 2:2; Col. 2:8; Acts 15:35-40.
VII. For the Lord’s up-to-date move, all the churches need to be in one accord; we should all voice the same thing, trumpet the same thing, teach the same thing, and be the same in practice—Josh. 1:16-18; 6:1-16; Acts 2:42; 4:24, 32; 1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17; 11:16; 14:33b-34; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; 6:3.
Ministry Excerpts:
ONE ACCORD BEING THE MASTER KEY FOR UNLOCKING
ALL THE BLESSINGS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Meaning of One Accord
In Matthew 18:19 the Lord spoke concerning two or three agreeing on something in prayer. The word “agree” in this verse is not as strong as the word “one accord.” The word in Greek for one accord, homothumadon, is strong and all-inclusive. Homo means the same and thumos means mind, will, purpose (soul, heart). The Chinese version of the Bible translates this word into a Chinese word meaning the same mind and the same will. In Romans 15:6, the King James Version translates this word into “one mind.”
In the book of Acts the one hundred twenty prayed together in one mind, in the same mind, in the same will with the same purpose around and within the soul and the heart. Whenever we pray, we surely should exercise our spirit, but we also should be in the same mind and the same will with the same purpose around and within our soul and heart. This means that our entire being is involved. After the Lord’s ascension, the one hundred twenty became the kind of persons who were in one mind, in one will, with one purpose around their soul and heart. For them to be in one accord meant that their entire beings were one. No other book of the Bible uses the word for “one accord” as much as Acts.
The One Accord Being the Key and the Life Pulse of Prayer,
the Spirit and the Word
In Acts the three main factors for the spreading of the gospel as an impact were prayer, the Spirit, and the Word. According to the Bible and according to history these three items are the only way for the gospel to be prevailing. I spent much time to consider whether it is not beyond the teaching of the Scriptures for the church to use a church meeting hall and church personnel to open a school rather than to use our time to contact people one on one with prayer, the Spirit, and the Word, using every inch of the meeting hall in this way for the gospel. I stressed in the past that to use other ways besides prayer, the Word, and the Spirit to promote the gospel are gimmicks.
The one accord is the key and the life pulse of prayer, the Spirit, and the Word. You may pray much, seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and acquire a lot of knowledge from the Word, yet if you are short of the one accord you cannot see the blessing. I saw people who were desperate in praying, in getting the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and in receiving the Word, yet they were dissenting among themselves. There was no one accord.
The One Accord Bringing in the Morale and the Impact
From January 1, 1940 to December 31, 1942 I stayed in Chefoo, my hometown in mainland China. During that time, the Lord brought all the saints there into the one accord and there was a real revival with the real impact. In Shanghai, in Taiwan, and in Elden Hall in Los Angeles, I also saw the effectiveness of the one accord.
In the army the impact is the morale. What is the morale in the army? The one accord. This is why no commander of any army would allow any soldier to bring in any different thought. The soldiers all think the same thing, speak the same thing, stand for the same thing, and live for the same thing. …that in Chefoo from 1940 through 1942 the morale, the impact, was there…. The impact was really there. …Recently in Taiwan over one hundred thirty full-timers under our training were sent out. I told them something which I never told people since I came out of mainland China—to cast out demons and heal the sick. We do not promote these things, but when the morale is in us, these things will be among us as an impact. In the Acts are three items—prayer, the Spirit, and the Word, with one key—the one accord. (Elder’s Training, Book 07, ch. 1)
THE CORRECT ONE ACCORD OF THE CHURCH,
IS THE TRUE PRACTICE OF ONENESS OF THE BODY
Oneness in Nature and the Doctrinal Oneness
The verses listed above show us a oneness in seven aspects: teaching, practice, thinking, speaking, essence, appearance, and expression. These aspects are not a doctrinal oneness, but a oneness in our practice. There are another seven items concerning our oneness in doctrine: one God, one Lord, one Spirit, one church, one recovery, one testimony, and one work. The first three “ones” are the Triune God. Nearly all of us would agree with the seven aspects of oneness on the doctrinal side. If anyone would have a dissenting spirit, mind, or attitude concerning these seven aspects of the doctrinal oneness, it might be concerning the last one—the work. We may say that the work belongs either to doctrine or to practice. I like to classify the work on the doctrinal side because through my continuous observation I have discovered that few among us would dare to say that they are doing a work separate from the unique work for the Lord’s recovery. We all agree with this sevenfold oneness doctrinally concerning the one God, the one Lord, the one Spirit, the one church, the one recovery, and the one work.
The Practical Oneness
The Bible tells us we need to be one in teaching, practice, speaking, and even thinking. Some may feel that this is too much and that this is the controlling of people’s thinking. They may feel that this is not workable in such a democratic age…. None of us should follow the recovery blindly, foolishly, or ignorantly. We need a sober consideration of the truth in the Bible.
The last three items we need to be one in practically are related to the golden lampstands in Revelation 1:11-12. The seven lampstands do not have more than one essence and one substance. The pure gold is the unique substance of the lampstands. Within one substance there can only be one essence. All the lampstands should furthermore be one in appearance. …The lampstands all have one substance, which is gold, and they all have one form, one shape.
My burden is to look into the real situation in the Lord’s recovery regarding the practices. We have to study this. We are not carrying out the Lord’s recovery in a way to blind people’s eyes. We are doing our best to open everyone’s eyes. I have been kept in the recovery for over half a century with much consideration and observance. If you believe the Bible, you have to admit that we should be one in teaching, practice, thinking, speaking, essence, appearance, and expression. …God not only cares for the essential and substantial reality of the lampstand but also for its shape, its form. It has to be in the shape of a lamp; otherwise, it cannot be called the lampstand. The recovery must have a proper appearance; otherwise, it is not the recovery.
I want to have a thorough fellowship with you concerning what I have seen in the recovery. Many of you can testify that the recovery I brought to the United States was altogether one in teaching, in practice, in thinking, in speaking, in essence, in appearance, and in expression. Although we are not promoting a so-called catholic church, the denotation, connotation, and significance of the word “catholic” is altogether proper. The word catholic, however, was damaged and applied wrongly. We are not promoting anything of that kind of apostate Catholic church, but we are here carrying out the Lord’s recovery of the proper church life. According to our over sixty years of study, the proper church life has to be one in teaching, practice, thinking, speaking, essence, appearance, and expression. You may proclaim that what you do and what you stand for is the recovery, but the way of your thinking, speaking, practice, appearance, and expression annuls your declaration. It does not confirm your declaration. The recovery does not bear more than one expression. What do people see, taste, and smell when they come to your locality? (Elder’s Training, Book 07, ch. 3)
LEARN TO BE OF ONE SPIRIT AND OF ONE SOUL
The one accord revealed in the New Testament is a great matter. This is why Paul indicated to the saints in Rome that they had to take care of being in one accord (Rom. 15:5-6). There were many troubles in the church in Corinth, and the real factor of all these troubles was dissension. Some said that they were of Paul and appreciated him. Others said that they were of Apollos and probably appreciated his way to teach the Bible. Still others appreciated Peter (1 Cor. 1:12). This is disaccord, dissension. Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians has more problems in it than any other of his Epistles. There are at least ten problems in 1 Corinthians which all came out of the same source of disaccord, having different opinions and not speaking the same thing (1 Cor. 1:10).
In Corinthians Paul did not use the word one accord, but he did stress speaking the same thing. For one person to say that he is of Paul and another to say that he is of Apollos indicates that they are not speaking the same thing. We all have to say, “I am of Christ.” To say “I am of Paul” or “I am of Apollos” is just like Peter on the mount of transfiguration saying that he would make three tabernacles—one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for Jesus. Then a voice came out of the cloud which overshadowed them: “This is My Son, the Beloved. Hear Him! And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them, except Jesus only” (Mark 9:7-8). We all need to speak the same thing. Why should Paul, Apollos, and Cephas be mentioned? This is why Paul asked the Corinthians, “Has Christ been divided?” (1 Cor. 1:13). In Paul’s second Epistle to the church in Corinth he also charged them to “think the same thing” (2 Cor. 13:11). In his letter to the Philippians Paul likewise charged the saints to think the same thing (2:2; 4:2). (Elder’s Training, Book 07, ch. 1)
THE PROPER PRACTICE OF “ONE ACCORD” AMONG THE CHURCHES
The points listed above are not my teaching but the teaching of the Bible in the New Testament, the teaching of God’s New Testament economy. My fellowship with you all is constituted with four things: 1) a lifelong study of the Bible for over sixty-one years; 2) a lifelong study of the biographies of spiritual giants that the Lord has raised up through all the centuries; 3) the history of the church including the raising up and the founders of different denominations, including the Orthodox church, the Catholic church, the Protestant— the state churches, private churches and the free groups; 4) my observation of the situation in the Lord’s recovery, in which I have been for over fifty-four years. (Elders’ Training, Book 07, ch. 4)
WORD OF LOVE AND WARNING
This is my word of love, my word of warning. As those who are taking care of the churches and participating in the recovery, you have to realize the recovery of the genuine church life is altogether, absolutely, wholly, and ultimately one in teaching, in practice, in thinking, in speaking, in essence, in appearance, and in expression. (Elders’ Training, Book 07, ch. 3)
THE CRUCIAL NEED TODAY—THE RECOVERY OF THE ONE ACCORD
If you are going to do something to follow what the Lord has been doing and is still doing in Taiwan, the first thing you must do is to recover the one accord. Before this is recovered, do not do anything else. Without the one accord you are altogether not qualified to do anything in the Lord’s new start of His new move. The Lord’s church, His Body, His testimony, has been altogether cut into pieces by the Christians through the centuries not being in one accord. Many know the Lord and know the Bible to some extent, but they would not be in one accord. Where is the one accord? It is hard to see such a thing in Christian history, so the Lord has suffered.
Today we are in the Lord’s recovery and especially we are in His new move, His up-to-date move. We must see that the crucial need today is the recovery of this one accord. If this is not among us, we are through.
We must realize that the practices in the Lord’s recovery are not matters for others to copy. You must have the life. To do anything you need the life. You have to see what the landmark was of the one hundred twenty in the book of Acts. The landmark that divides the Gospels and the Acts was not the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The landmark was the one accord of the one hundred twenty. If you want to experience the baptism in the Spirit, you must have the one accord. If all the members of a local church have the one accord, the baptism in the Spirit will be there. If you really want to practice the proper way to preach the gospel, you need the one accord. Without this key, no door can be opened. The one accord is the “master key to all the rooms,” the master key to every blessing in the New Testament. This is why Paul told Euodias and Syntyche that they needed this one accord (Phil. 4:2). Paul knew that these sisters loved the Lord, but that they had lost the one accord.
What we need is to recover this one accord. If we mean business to go along with the Lord’s present day move, we need this one accord. Who is right does not mean anything; we need this one accord. We need to have the same mind and the same will for the same purpose with the same soul and the same heart. Philippians tells us that this matter starts from our spirit (1:27), yet we must realize we are not persons of spirit only. We are persons also of the mind, will, purpose, soul, and heart. For us to be in the same one spirit with the same one soul, one mind, and one will is to have the one accord, which is the key to all the New Testament blessings and bequests. Otherwise, we will repeat the pitiful history of Christianity by being another group of Christians repeating the same kind of disaccord. (Elders Training, Book 07, ch. 1)