The Purpose of the Vital Groups (1)
In this chapter we want to see the purpose of the vital groups in their intrinsic significance. The purpose of the vital groups is to live two kinds of lives: the kingdom life and the church life. We must repent and admit that we have defects in these two kinds of lives. Even though we may have been in the recovery for years, we have not seen that the vital groups are for living the kingdom life and the church life.
The scriptural base for our teaching concerning the practice of the vital group meetings is in Matthew 18:15-22 and 2 Timothy 2:22. Matthew 18:15-22 teaches us how to have small groups in the kingdom life. Then 2 Timothy 2:22 teaches us how to have a church life in the degradation of the church.
We need to read and consider prayerfully the Lord’s speaking in Matthew 18:15-22, which reveals how we can live the kingdom life. Verses 15 through 17 say, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to hear the church also, let him be to you just like the Gentile and the tax collector.” If this sinning one would not listen even to the church, what should we do? The text says that we should let him be to us like the Gentile and the tax collector, that is, like an unsaved person who is outside the fellowship of the church.
Verse 18 then says, “Truly I say to you, Whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” We have to see the connection between verses 17 and 18. Verse 17 is so low, saying that we should let the sinning one who will not listen to the church be to us like a Gentile and a tax collector. But verse 18 says that we should touch heaven by our binding and releasing prayer. This is the prayer of the vital group. Verse 19 says, “Again, truly I say to you that if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens.” This is the practice of a vital group of two or three in harmony touching the very God in heaven. These are the two or three mentioned in verse 16: “But if he does not hear you, take with you one or two more…” These are the members of a vital group. (The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups”, ch. 1, pp. 59-62)
The church in Zamboanga 