The church is the eternal purpose of God and the goal of God’s work in time. Therefore, we must know the church in order to understand God’s plan and work in the universe. The church has a content and function in reality, and it also has an outward appearance and ground in practicality. These two aspects, one inward and the other outward, match each other and are indispensable. According to its content in reality, the church is a mystery that requires a heavenly revelation from God. However, due to the church’s degradation in the last two thousand years, the outward expression of the church in practicality has been changed beyond recognition. As a result, people either are ignorant of or filled with misunderstanding concerning the church. Thus, there is a great need for spiritual insight.

During a conference in Taipei in 1957, Witness Lee released numerous messages concerning the testimony and the ground of the church to explain the inward and outward aspects of the church in great detail. Although more than a decade passed before their publication in 1971, these messages are a precious, comprehensive, and systematic guide to those who have a heart to know the church. May Christ, the Head of the church, bless this book and lead His people all over the earth to recover the testimony and the ground of the church to hasten His return!

CONTENTS

1. Introduction

Section One: The Testimony of the Church

1. Chapter One: God’s Eternal Desire—to Express Himself in the Son
2. Chapter Two: The Church’s Function—to Express Christ and to Testify of Christ
3. Chapter Three: The Production, Existence, Relationship, and Issue of the Testimony of the Church
4. Chapter Four: The Importance of the Building of the Church for the Testimony of the Church
5. Chapter Five: The Nature of the Testimony of the Church

Section Two: The Ground of the Church

1. Chapter One: The Oneness of the Church
2. Chapter Two: The Fellowship of the Church
3. Chapter Three: The Ground of the Church
4. Chapter Four: The Matter of Sects
5. Chapter Five: The Relationship between the Universal Church and the Local Church
6. Chapter Six: The Relationship between Local Churches

Section Three: The Degradation and the Recovery of the Church

1. Chapter One: The Original Condition of the Church
2. Chapter Two: The Degradation of the Church
3. Chapter Three: The Recovery of the Church