9在我初得救的时候，所有的牧师和传道人都喜欢用『公会』这辞。以后神兴起我们来定罪公会，于是牧师和传道人就停止使用这辞。虽然他们已经不再用『公会』一辞，但他们仍然持守著不同的名称。你有没有看见，每一个名称都是一个分裂？每一个公会，每一个称呼，都是一个分裂。不要说我们的名称是『地方召会。』我们没有名称。比方说，月亮并没有名字，月亮就是月亮。我们只该称月亮为『月亮。』有人说，美国的月亮比中国的亮。其实没有甚么美国的月亮或中国的月亮。你最多只能说在美国的月亮或在中国的月亮。那是一个月亮。只有那一个月亮。同样，召会就是召会，『地方召会』一辞不是我们的名称，不过是标出我们的性质而已。我们不是那些引起分裂并已分裂的所谓的召会。我们乃是在一个地方上的召会。因此，『地方召会』这辞是指我们的性质，并不是我们的名称。不要认为『地方召会』是一个名称。我们最多只能说，在某地方的召会，就如在洛杉矶的召会，在安那翰的召会等等。在宗族中没有王，宗族的头不是王。你的意见或发表有所不同，那时还没有王。你分割了地土，那时可能仍没有王。然而一旦你有了名称，成了邦国，那时就有了王，并且分裂了。原初的一是基于一位神，一个目标；而分裂是起因于许多不同的敬拜，甚至带著不同利益和目的，对不同对象的敬拜。至终宗族形成了，语言发表出来了，地土分割成为领土，并且形成了邦国，或者说公会；结果就是分裂。你查考基督教的历史，看见基督教的分裂正是这样。在一九三○年代，我讲了很多有关公会的事。有一次，我出外一段时间，回到了家乡，有些朋友邀我和一些与我相当熟的年长基督教领袖一起吃饭。我到了那里，就发现我这个三十岁刚出头的人，被一群老年人包围著，他们个个都在六十岁以上。其中有一位，领头对我说，『李先生，在过去几年中，你讲道定罪公会。我们想问你，你既然反对公会，为甚么自己又成立另一个公会？』他们以为他们已经把我击败了。我回答说，『我很高兴在这里和你们各位同聚，因为这是最好的时机，让我把这事全部解释明白。使徒保罗曾责备哥林多人，因为他们说，「我是属亚波罗的，」「我是属保罗的，」「我是属矶法的。」甚至有的说，「我是属基督的。」使徒保罗对这些在哥林多引起分裂的人，都加以责备。（林前一11～13。）现今你们说，你们是浸信会的、长老会的、或中华基督教会的。请你们从真诚的心告诉我，如果使徒保罗在这里，你们会蒙他称许么？』他们说，『不会，保罗当然不会称许我们。』他们很诚实。他们必须诚实，因为我已经把他们钉住了。然后我继续说，『你们既然同意，说「我是浸信会的人」或「我是长老会的人」是不对的，那么你们把我放在那里？你们是把我放在你们的长老会呢，还是放在你们的浸信会或中华基督教会？』他们说，『我们不把你放在任何一处。』然后我说，『但你们总得把我放在某个地方。我不该留在某个地方么？』他们都呆住了。于是我继续说，『靠著主的怜悯和恩典，我的确爱祂。因著我爱祂，我必须传福音给未信的人。很多人因著我的传扬得救了，我该把他们放在那里？我该把他们送到那个公会去？送到浸信会、长老会，还是中华基督教会？』他们无话可说，于是我说，『你们看见这情形么？现在你们知道，为甚么我一面传道反对分裂，另一面在你们看来，我好像又在形成另一个分裂。我们需要来在一起。我们与你们不一，是你们强迫的。你们若答应我，从明天起摘下你们的牌子，忘掉你们一切不同的名称，我就答应今晚和所有的弟兄们交通，立刻关掉我们的会所。那我们就能聚在一起，成为这城里的一个召会。这个好不好？』这时他们说，『不，我们不能这样作。』我下结论说，『既然你们不肯这样作，那么谁该对分裂负责？』从那天晚上以后，直到我离开中国大陆，他们再没有人来搅扰我了。他们在天上的法庭已经打输了官司。他们要保持他们那些引起分裂、公会的名称。有些人想说，『我们是中华基督教会，没有比这个更好的了。』另有些人说，『我们是第三代的长老会教友，我们怎能放弃这个名字？』还有些人说，『我们是浸信会教友。浸信会比长老会好得多。他们只有洒水，那是不对的，但我们是全浸的。』对于这些争论，我们都很熟悉。
9When I was saved, all the pastors and ministers were happy to use the word denomination. Then the Lord raised us up to condemn the denominations, and the pastors and ministers stopped using this term. Although they no longer used the term denomination, they still held on to the different names. Do you realize that every name is a division? Every denomination, every naming, is a division. Do not say that our name is “the local church.” We do not have a name. The moon, for example, has no name; it is just the moon. We should simply call the moon “moon.” Some people have said that the American moon is brighter than the Chinese moon. But there is no such thing as an American moon or a Chinese moon. The most you can say is the moon in America or the moon in China. It is one moon. There is only the one moon. Likewise, the church is simply the church. The term “local church” is not our name; it is the designation of our nature. We are not the divisive and divided so - called churches; we are the church in a locality. Thus the term “local church” denotes our nature; it is not our name. Do not consider “the local church” as a name. The most we can say is the church in a certain locality, such as the church in Los Angeles, the church in Anaheim, etc. There is no king in a family. The head of the family is not a king. When you differ in your opinion or expression, you still do not have a king. When you divide the land, there probably is still no king. However, once you become denominated and become a nation, you acquire a king and you are divided immediately. Originally, unity was based upon one God and one goal and division was caused by many different worships, even worships of different objects with different interests and purposes. Eventually families were formed, language was expressed, the land was divided into territories, and the nations, or we may say the denominations, were formed. The result was division. If you look into the history of Christianity, you will see that it was divided in precisely this way. During the 1930’sI spoke a great deal on this matter of denominations. One day, upon returning to my hometown after a period of absence, some friends invited me to feast with a number of older Christian leaders who knew me quite well. When I went there, I discovered that I, a man of a little over thirty years of age, was surrounded by a group of old men, each one being more than sixty years of age. One of them, taking the lead to speak to me, said, “Mr. Lee, in the past years in your preaching you have condemned the denominations. We wish to ask you why, since you have been preaching against the denominations, you yourself have formed another denomination?” They thought that they had already defeated me. I replied, “I am glad to be here with you all, for this is the best time for me to clear up this whole matter. The Apostle Paul rebuked the Corinthians for saying, ‘I am of Apollos,’ ‘I am of Paul,’ and ‘I am of Cephas.’ Some even said, ‘I am of Christ.’ The Apostle Paul rebuked all of those divisive persons at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:11-13). You all say that you are either Baptist, Presbyterian, or the Chinese Independent. Tell me from your sincere heart, if the Apostle Paul were here, would you be approved by the Apostle Paul?” They said, “No. Of course, Paul would never approve us.” They were honest. They had to be honest because I had pinned them down already. Then I continued, “Since you agree that it is not right to say, ‘I am Baptist’ or ‘I am Presbyterian,’ then where do you put me? Will you put me in your Presbyterian denomination, or in your Baptist or Chinese Independent?” They said, “We don’t put you anywhere.” Then I said, “But you have to put me somewhere. Shouldn’t I stay somewhere?” They were shocked. Then I proceeded, “By the Lord’s mercy and grace, I surely love Him. Since I love Him, I must preach the gospel to the unbelievers. Many have been saved through my preaching. Where shall I put them? To which denomination shall I send them—to the Baptist, Presbyterian, the Chinese Independent?” They had nothing to say. Then I said, “Do you see the situation? Now do you see why on the one hand I preach against divisions and why on the other hand, it seems to you that I form another division? We need to come together. We are not one with you because you force us into not being one with you. Now if you promise me that from tomorrow you will take down all of your signs and forget about all your different names, then I promise you that I will have fellowship with all the brothers tonight and that we will close our meeting hall immediately. Then we can come together as one church in this city. How about this?” At this point, they said, “No, we can’t do this.” I concluded, “Since you will not do this, then who is responsible for the divisions?” After that night until the day I left mainland China, none of them bothered me again. They had lost the case in the heavenly court. They wanted to keep their divisive, denominational names. Some wanted to say, “We are the Chinese Independent. Nothing is better than this.” Others would say, “We are third generation Presbyterians. How can we renounce this name?” Still others wanted to say, “We are Baptists. The Baptists are much better than Presbyterians. They only have sprinkling, which is not right, but we have immersion.” We are all familiar with this kind of fighting.