LESSON THIRTEEN
THE MINISTRY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

Acts 1:17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his portion of this ministry.

Eph. 4:11 And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers,

12 For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.

THE MINISTRY OF THE NEW TESTAMENTBEING
UNIQUELY ONE UNIVERSALLY

In the entire universe there have been only two ministries. In 2 Corinthians 3 the ministry of the old covenant is referred to as “the ministry of death” and “the ministry of condemnation” (vv. 7, 9). The ministry of the old covenant did only two things: it condemned people and put people to death. But the new covenant and the new ministry based on the new covenant is a ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness, that is, of justification (vv. 8, 9).

The work of the New Testament ministry is to accomplish God’s New Testament economy concerning the church (Eph. 3:9-10) in the building up of the Body of Christ. Ephesians 4:12 says that all the saints need to be perfected “unto the work of the ministry.” This means that hundreds and even thousands of saints can be perfected unto the work of the ministry. In this verse the term the ministry is used. No doubt this refers to the unique ministry of the New Testament to carry out God’s eternal purpose, which is contained in the new covenant. God’s new covenant contains God’s economy. To carry out this economy requires much work, and that work is the ministry. In Ephesians 4:12 the phrase unto the building up of the Body of Christ appears in apposition to unto the work of the ministry. This indicates clearly that to do the work of the ministry is to build up the Body of Christ.

ALL THE MINISTERS HAVING THEIR OWN PORTION OF THE MINISTRY

The unique ministry of the New Testament comprises all the works (ministries) of all the apostles, the ministers of the new covenant. In 2 Corinthians 3 the plural ministers is used clearly in verse 6, and the singular ministry is used in verses 8 and 9. Then, in the first verse of chapter four Paul said, “Therefore having this ministry as we have been shown mercy, we do not lose heart.” Here Paul used the plural pronoun we. He did not say that he (singular) had this ministry; rather, he said that we (plural) have this ministry (singular). We here includes not only Paul but all the New Testament ministers. All this indicates that there is one new covenant ministry of many new covenant ministers.

In 2 Timothy 4:5 Paul charged Timothy to fully accomplish his ministry. In this verse Paul spoke of Timothy’s ministry, referring to an individual’s ministry. This was Timothy’s personal ministry, but this personal ministry was a part of the corporate ministry, “this ministry,” the unique ministry of the New Testament. The ministry in 2 Corinthians 4:1 is the corporate ministry of all the New Testament ministers. In this corporate ministry Paul had his portion, Peter had his portion, and Timothy had his portion. All the ministers have their own portion of the ministry. When we add all the portions together, we have “this ministry,” which is the New Testament ministry. (The Ministry of the New Testament and the Teaching and Fellowship of the Apostles, ch. 1)

DIVISIONS COMING OUT OF DIFFERENT MINISTRIES

I am burdened to stress this point of the oneness of the ministry. The most damaging thing among the Christians is the divisions and the confusions. Moreover, all the divisions and confusions came out of one source, and that source is the different ministries.

When I speak such words of warning to all the dear saints, I speak them even the more to myself. Many times I have seen something new that had to be considered very carefully in the light of the Lord’s up-to-date ministry. I need to consider very carefully whether or not each item is something of God’s ministry today. Each point must be measured according to God’s basic economy. How to measure every point, how to make a decision about every item, all depends upon God’s basic economy, which is to carry out the ministry of Christ for the producing of the church.

If we keep this one basic principle and one basic factor concerning God’s economy, we will be well protected. Nevertheless, each one of us needs to be on the alert not to watch over others but to take care of ourselves that we would not be used by the enemy to bring in different thoughts or different teachings that may seem to be scriptural. (Elders’ Training, Book 01: The Ministry of the New Testament, ch. 1)

THE GOAL OF THE MINISTRY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT—BUILDING UP
BODY FOR CHRIST WHICH CONSUMMATES THE NEW JERUSALEM

The New Jerusalem as the goal of God’s economy is the universal incorporation of the consummated God with His regenerated believers. God in His Divine Trinity is an incorporation, mutually coinhering and working together as one (John 14:10-11). Furthermore, Christ is in the Father, we are in Christ, and Christ is in us (v. 20). The conclusion and totality of these three ins is the Spirit of reality, who is Christ Himself, to be the reality within us (v. 17). The Spirit of reality came not only to be with us but also to be in us. Our being in God the Son and God the Son being in us and also in the Father reveal an incorporation. This incorporation is first the Body of Christ and then the New Jerusalem. God’s economy is to have a Body for Christ which consummates the New Jerusalem—the enlarged, universal incorporation of the consummated God with the regenerated believers. (Crystallization-Study of the Humanity of Christ, ch. 6)

References: The Ministry of the New Testament and the Teaching and Fellowship of the Apostles, ch. 1; Elders’ Training, Book 01: The Ministry of the New Testament, ch. 1; Crystallization-Study of the Humanity of Christ, ch. 6