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We have seen that the believers experience the dispensing of the divine Trinity in serving and worshipping God. Now we need to see that they also experience this dispensing in working and laboring for the Lord.
The believers serve and worship God, and they work and labor for the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 16:10 Paul says of Timothy, “He is working the work of the Lord, even as I.” In 15:58 Paul says to the Corinthians, “Wherefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” The context of this verse is Paul’s dealing with the matter of resurrection (15:1-58). Disbelief in the truth of resurrection disappoints us concerning our future, thus discouraging us in the work for the Lord. Faith gives us a strong aspiration that we may abound in the work of the Lord with the expectation of pleasing the Lord in resurrection at His coming back.
The believers work and labor for the Lord by the Lord’s resurrection life and power. Because 1 Corinthians 15 deals thoroughly and absolutely with the matter of resurrection, Paul’s word in verse 58 implies resurrection life and resurrection power. Our work and labor for the Lord is not by our natural life and natural ability but by the Lord’s resurrection life and power.
First Corinthians 15:10 indicates how Paul worked and labored for the Lord by His resurrection life and power: “By the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace unto me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” Grace, mentioned three times in this verse, is actually the resurrected Christ becoming the life-giving Spirit (v. 45) to bring the processed God in resurrection into us to be our life and life supply that we may live in resurrection. Thus, grace is the Triune God becoming life and everything to us. It was by this grace that Saul of Tarsus, the foremost of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15-16), became the foremost apostle laboring more abundantly than all the other apostles. His ministry and living by this grace are an undeniable testimony to Christ’s resurrection.
“Not I, but the grace of God” equals “not I, but Christ” in Galatians 2:20. The grace that motivates the apostle and operates in him is not some matter or thing but a living person, the resurrected Christ, the embodiment of the Triune God becoming the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit, who dwells in him as his everything. By this grace Paul could be what he was and labor more abundantly than all the other apostles. Throughout the centuries, all the living servants of the Lord have had this resurrected Christ living in them. We can testify that He lives in us, enabling us to do what we could never do in ourselves.
In 1 Corinthians 15:58 Paul encourages us by saying that our “labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Our labor for the Lord in His resurrection life with His resurrection power will never be in vain, but will result in fulfilling God’s eternal purpose through preaching Christ to sinners, ministering life to the saints, and building up the church with the experiences of the processed Triune God as gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Cor. 3:12), and will be rewarded by the returning Lord in the day of the resurrection of the righteous (1 Cor. 3:14; Matt. 25:21, 23; Luke 14:14).
We need to realize that 1 Corinthians 15:58 speaks of something in resurrection and is closely related to resurrection. If we are in resurrection, this verse applies to us. But if we are not in resurrection, we may have the mistaken idea that this verse encourages us to strive and to be energetic. The fact that this verse is related to resurrection is indicated by the word “wherefore” at the beginning of the verse, a verse that refers to all that Paul has said in this chapter. Based upon what he has written in 15:1-57, Paul encourages the believers to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. According to the natural life, we can be shaken even by a small thing. How, then, can we be steadfast? We can be steadfast only by the resurrection life within us. Resurrection makes us steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Furthermore, it causes us to know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. Without resurrection, whatever we do is vain. But in resurrection our labor in the Lord is not vain. Therefore, resurrection is not only an encouragement; it also motivates us to the work of the Lord.
As they work and labor for the Lord, the believers preach Christ as the gospel to sinners by preaching the word. Acts 5:42 says that the apostles did not cease “bringing the good news of Jesus as the Christ,” that is, they did not cease preaching Christ as the gospel. Acts 8:4 tells us, “Those therefore who were scattered went about the land bringing the good news of the word.” It was sovereign of God that the scattering of the believers from Jerusalem to other localities through persecution should carry out the spreading of the gospel for the fulfillment of the Lord’s word in Acts 1:8. For the believers to bring good news of the word is to bring good news of the Lord Himself.
One of the scattered ones who went about bringing the good news of the word was Philip. Acts 8:5 says, “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.” Acts 8:12 says, Philip brought “good news concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.” These verses are a further indication that the believers should preach Christ as the gospel to sinners by preaching the word.
In 2 Timothy 4:2a Paul gives a charge to Timothy: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season.” The word Timothy was to preach included what he had learned both of Paul and of the Old Testament (2 Tim. 3:14-15). Timothy was not merely to teach a word about salvation from hell to heaven. He was to speak a completing word regarding God’s revelation concerning Christ and the church. Such a healthy word is the truth, the reality of the contents of God’s New Testament economy. Timothy was charged to be ready to preach this word in season and out of season. To preach in season and out of season means to preach whether the situation is opportune or inopportune, whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether you are welcome or unwelcome.
In Mark 16:17 and 18 we see that those who work and labor for the Lord should cast out the demons in the Lord’s name and heal the sick by laying their hands on them. We should not think that because we are not in favor of the Pentecostal movement we do not care for the casting out of demons and for the healing of the sick. On the contrary, we should care for these things, but we should not practice them as particular items in our work. The particular items of our work are Christ and the church with the Spirit and the divine life. Nevertheless, as we preach the gospel in certain places, we shall encounter cases of demon possession. It is our duty to cast out the demons, to drive away the devilish power. There is no need for us to be asked to cast out a demon. Immediately, without being asked, we should fulfill our duty to cast out demons. However, when we meet those who are sick, we should wait to be asked before we lay hands on them for healing. If a sick person asks us to heal him by the laying on of hands in the name of the Lord and prayer, we should do this, leaving the matter of healing to the Lord. Quite often we shall see the healing. Sometimes, however, we shall not see the healing. Therefore, we should leave the matter of the actual healing to the Lord. Furthermore, we should be reminded not to allow the two items of casting out demons and healing the sick to surpass the main items of the gospel, which are Christ and the church.
Now we come to the very important matter of ministering Christ as life to the saints with the nourishing words of the New Testament faith. In 1 Timothy 4:6 Paul says, “Laying these things before the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, being nourished with the words of the faith and of the good teaching which you have closely followed.” A minister of Christ does not mainly denote a minister who belongs to Christ but a person who ministers Christ to others. A minister of Christ is one who serves others with Christ, ministering Christ as Savior, life, life supply, and every positive thing. He differs from the teacher of law and of other things (3, 1 Tim. 1:7).
Today there are a great many ministers who belong to Christ, but very few of them minister Christ to others. To be a minister of Christ does not primarily mean to preach Christ, teach Christ, or tell others about Christ. The main significance of this term is ministering Christ to others.
Paul’s use of the expression “being nourished” indicates that his concept is that of supplying life to others. It is significant that in 4:6 Paul does not say “being taught” but “being nourished.” If we would minister Christ to others, we ourselves must first be nourished. Being nourished with Christ, we shall have Christ as food, as life supply, to minister to others. The words “being nourished,” therefore, give us the ground to say that a good minister of Christ does not merely teach others about Christ but ministers Christ into others as food. Others should be able to testify of us that we have nourished them with Christ.
Being nourished, a matter of life, is for growth. This differs from being merely taught, which is a matter of knowledge. As we minister to others, we need to exercise our spirit not just to pass on knowledge, but, while giving forth a certain kind of knowledge, to supply something nourishing to them. Our desire should be to minister the riches of Christ as food that the saints may be nourished.
If you have a heart to care for others in the Lord’s recovery, you should not give them mere teaching. Whenever you fellowship with others concerning Christ, you may give them some knowledge. But while you are teaching them, you need to exercise your spirit to minister spiritual food that they may be nourished. If you do this, you will be a good minister of Christ.
With Paul and Timothy we see an excellent pattern. Before Timothy could minister to others, he first had to feed on the words of the faith himself. He had to digest them, assimilate them, and allow them to saturate his inner being. Then he would be able to lay these things before the brothers. Today we should follow Timothy’s example and lay before the saints the things with which we have been nourished by the Lord through the ministry. How wonderful the church life would be if we all did this!
I am deeply burdened by the fact that many who love the Lord Jesus and seek Him have been deceived and frustrated. We must find a way to share with them the spiritual riches the Lord has provided us. Many who truly love the Lord are starving. We must take up the burden to supply them with food. We all need to be good ministers of Christ, serving others with His riches. Let us first be nourished ourselves and then minister this nourishment to all the people of God.
In 4:6 Paul specifically speaks of “being nourished with the words of the faith and of the good teaching.” The words of the faith are the words of the full gospel concerning God’s New Testament economy. The words of the good teaching are the sweet words that contain and convey the riches of Christ to nourish, edify, and strengthen His believers. Actually, the words of the faith and the words of the good teaching refer to the same thing. If we would teach others, we ourselves must follow these words closely. Following them closely and being nourished with them, we shall then be able to feed others. For example, if a mother does not know how to nourish herself properly, she will not know how to feed healthy food to her children. Through her own experience of being nourished, she will know what food is best for her children. This is especially true of a nursing mother. The nourishing food she eats and digests will then become the milk with which she nourishes her baby. This illustrates the fact that as good ministers of Christ, we must first be nourished ourselves with the words of the faith and of the good teaching which we have closely followed, and then we shall be able to nourish others by ministering Christ as life to them.
Through their experience of the dispensing of the divine Trinity, the believers may also shepherd the saints as the flock of God according to God, that is, according to God’s nature, desire, way, and glory. In Acts 20:28 Paul says to the elders in Ephesus, “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He obtained through His own blood.” The main responsibility of the elders as overseers is not to rule over the flock but to shepherd the flock, to take all-inclusive tender care of the flock, the church of God. Shepherding the flock of God requires suffering for the Body of Christ as Christ did (Col. 1:24). This kind of shepherding with suffering will be rewarded with the unfading crown of glory (1 Pet. 5:4).
First Peter 5:2a says, “Shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not by way of compulsion, but willingly, according to God.” To shepherd according to God means according to God’s nature, desire, way, and glory, not according to man’s preference, interest, and purpose. The elders should not shepherd the flock according to their opinion, concepts, or likes or dislikes. Instead, they should shepherd according to God’s choice, desire, intention, and preference. The elders must shepherd the saints as the flock of God altogether according to God’s thought, feeling, will, and choice. They must shepherd according to God’s likes and dislikes.
The believers build up the church with the experiences of the processed Triune God as gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Cor. 14:4, 12; 3:12). In 1 Corinthians 3:12 Paul speaks of building “on the foundation gold, silver, precious stones.” Gold signifies the nature of the Father with all its attributes; silver, the redeeming and life-secreting Christ with all the virtues and attributes of His person and work; and precious stones, the transforming work of the Spirit with all its attributes. These precious materials are the products of our experience of the dispensing of the processed Triune God.
It is significant that Paul mentions only three categories of precious materials — gold, silver, and precious stones — for these correspond to the three of the divine Trinity. Gold, the first of the precious materials mentioned by Paul, refers to the first of the Trinity, God the Father. Gold signifies neither redemption nor transformation; instead, as a precious element, it signifies something that does not change or become corrupt in nature. Hence, gold, which always remains the same, signifies the nature of God the Father. Silver signifies the redemption accomplished by Christ the Son, the second of the Trinity. Therefore, the silver in 3:12 refers to the redemption of Christ. The precious stones are related to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Every precious stone is a transformed substance. Thus, precious stones indicate transformation. According to 2 Corinthians 3:18, we are transformed by the Lord Spirit. This reveals clearly that transformation is the work of the Spirit. Therefore, the third item of the precious materials mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:12 refers to the third of the Trinity, the Spirit. We need to experience the processed Triune God as these precious materials. Then we shall be able to build the church.
The reason there is so little building among Christians today is that few believers experience the dispensing of the processed Triune God in the way of being transformed and conformed. Because the believers do not care for this experience, they are not able to build up the church. Instead of building the church, they organize denominations and groups. Although a good number of believers are in the denominations and are actually members of the church, those members have been usurped and misused to form an organization. Therefore, we need to discern the difference between the denominations, which include brothers and sisters in the Lord, and the church. Because the denominations are organizations, they are a substitute for the real church. In the Lord’s recovery we are not building up any kind of organization. We are building an organism — the Body of Christ — by being constituted of the Triune God, experiencing Him as gold, silver, and precious stones.
The believers work and labor for the Lord also with prayer and fasting. Sometimes we must fast in order to deal with the power of darkness by casting out certain demons that insist on remaining. In Matthew 17:21 the Lord Jesus told the disciples, “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” To deal with the power of darkness there is the need of the exercise of the authority of the heavenly King. We can exercise this authority only through prayer and fasting. As the heavenly King, the Lord Jesus has such authority, but we need to pray, even with fasting, to execute the Lord’s authority.
Concerning prayer, Acts 1:14 says, “These all were persevering with one accord in prayer.” The disciples were burdened to pray perseveringly with one accord. God needs His chosen people to pray regarding what He has promised to do in His New Testament economy. As God in heaven He needs men on earth to cooperate with Him for the carrying out of His plan.
Acts 6:4 says, “We will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.” To pray is not only to entreat the Lord to do things for His move; it is also to cause our spirit to be exercised and strengthened. Hence, prayer should precede the word. Without such prayer, the ministry may not be enlivened and empowered.
In Acts 13:2 we see that the prophets and teachers in Antioch “were ministering to the Lord and fasting.” These prophets and teachers were not conferring with men and organizing; rather, they were ministering to the Lord and fasting. They were ministering to the Lord directly. This means that, spiritually speaking, they were not at the altar in the outer court but were at the incense altar in the Holy Place. In the Old Testament the priests ministered at two places. When they served the people, they ministered at the altar in the outer court, offering sacrifices to God for the people. But when they served the Lord directly, they were at another place — at the altar in the Holy Place burning incense. The prophets and teachers in Antioch were at the incense altar at the Holy Place, ministering directly to the Lord through their prayers.
The believers who work and labor for the Lord will be rewarded by the returning Lord in the day of the resurrection of the righteous. This reward is fully related to the kingdom. To be rewarded actually is to be given a rich entrance into the kingdom. Those who are rewarded with this rich entrance will enter into the kingdom and into the joy of the Lord, and as they enjoy eternal life in the coming age they will reign as co-kings with Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 3:14 Paul says, “If anyone’s work which he has built upon it shall remain, he shall receive a reward.” The work that remains must be that of gold, silver, and precious stones, the product of faithful ministers of Christ. Such a work will be rewarded by the coming and judging Lord. Reward is based on the believer’s work after being saved. It differs from salvation, which is based on faith in the Lord and His redemptive work.
In Matthew 24:45-47 the Lord Jesus says, “Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the appointed time? Blessed is that slave whom his master when he comes shall find so doing. Truly I say to you, that he will set him over all his possessions.” Faithfulness is toward the Lord, whereas prudence is toward the believers. The household spoken of in verse 45 refers to the believers (Eph. 2:19), who are the church (1 Tim. 3:15). To give them food is to minister the Word of God with Christ as the life supply to the believers in the church. To be blessed in these verses is to be rewarded with ruling authority in the manifestation of the kingdom. The faithful slave of the Lord will be set over all His possessions as a reward in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens.
Another verse that speaks of the believers’ reward is Matthew 25:21: “His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things; enter into the joy of your lord.” The same word is found in verse 23. “A few things” signifies the Lord’s work in this age; “over,” the ruling authority in the coming kingdom; “many things,” the responsibilities in the coming kingdom, and “the joy of your lord,” the enjoyment of the Lord in the coming kingdom. This enjoyment is the inward satisfaction, not the outward position. To participate in the Lord’s joy is the greatest reward, better than the glory and position in the kingdom.
In Luke 14:14 the Lord Jesus speaks of being rewarded in the resurrection of the righteous: “You will be blessed, because they do not have anything with which to repay you; for it will be repaid to you in the resurrection of the righteous.” The resurrection of the righteous is the resurrection of life (John 5:29; Rev. 20:4-6), when God will reward the saints (Rev. 11:18) at the Lord’s return (1 Cor. 4:5).
