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Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 1:3-7; 3:15-16; 4:6-8; 6:3
The two Epistles to Timothy were written while the church was in degradation. These two Epistles stress that we need to know how to conduct ourselves in the house of God. In 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul says, “If I delay, I write that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God.” Timothy needed a word from Paul regarding this matter at a time of the church’s degradation. Because there is a situation of confusion and division in the church today, we too need to know how to conduct ourselves in the church.
In this chapter we will focus on four important terms found in these two Epistles. First Timothy 1:4 mentions the first term, God’s economy. Then 3:15 uses the expression the pillar and base of the truth. Truth is the second important term in these two Epistles (2:4, 7; 4:3; 6:5; 2 Tim. 2:15, 18, 25; 3:7-8; 4:4). The third important term is godliness. First Timothy 3:16 says, “Great is the mystery of godliness.” In these two books the word godliness is used nine times (2:2; 3:16; 4:7-8; 6:3, 5-6, 11; 2 Tim. 3:5), and the word godly is used twice (1 Tim. 2:10; 2 Tim. 3:12). The fourth important term that we will consider is healthy teaching (1 Tim. 1:10; 2 Tim. 4:3) or healthy words (1 Tim. 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13).
First Timothy 1:3-11 reveals that there were different teachings in the church even in the first century while the apostle Paul was still on the earth. Paul and the other apostles who were one with him all taught one thing — God’s economy (v. 4). God’s economy was the teaching of the gospel (v. 11). The main teaching that was different from the teaching of God’s economy was the teaching of the law. Verse 7 mentions “teachers of the law.” The teaching of the law was not unscriptural; it was very scriptural, for the law was given by God through Moses and was taught for fifteen centuries by many Old Testament teachers. However, in the New Testament to teach the law is to teach something different from the teaching of the gospel, the teaching of God’s economy. Therefore, Paul said to Timothy in verse 3, “Even as I exhorted you, when I was going into Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things.”
There is a debate among Christian leaders today concerning the matter of different ministries. Some accuse us of not accepting others’ ministries. This is not true. We first need to learn what the ministry is according to the Word of God. Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.” Apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers are gifted persons with different functions. However, they do not have different ministries. The different functions are not different ministries, for verse 12 mentions “the work of the ministry.” These verses indicate that although there are different gifts and functions, there is only one work and one ministry. Thus, according to the New Testament, there is only one ministry; there are not many ministries. It is not scriptural to say, “You have your ministry, and I have my ministry.” In the early church the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers all had one ministry.
Second Corinthians 4:1 says, “Therefore having this ministry as we have been shown mercy, we do not lose heart.” In this verse the subject we is plural, but the object ministry is singular. All the apostles, including Peter, John, James, Paul, Barnabas, and Timothy, had one ministry. First Timothy 1:12 says, “I give thanks to Him who empowers me, Christ Jesus our Lord, that He has counted me faithful, appointing me to the ministry.” The Lord first appointed the twelve apostles to the ministry. Later, the Lord also appointed the apostle Paul to the ministry. Hence, our concept needs to be adjusted. No one should say that we do not accept others’ ministries. Actually, in the New Testament there is only one ministry. If I am serving the Lord properly, I am serving in the one ministry. Brother Nee also served in the one ministry.
There is one ministry, but this does not mean that all the gifted persons speak exactly the same thing. The principle is that there is one ministry with different aspects. This principle is illustrated by the writing of the four Gospels. Although Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote concerning the Lord’s life on the earth, they did not repeat one another’s writing. The writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were different from one another, but their ministry was one. In this sense they all spoke the same thing.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote biographies of the Lord Jesus from different angles. This was like taking photographs of a person from four different sides. Although each photograph shows something different, all of them show aspects of one person. The four Gospels present four aspects of one person, the Lord Jesus. However, the four writers still spoke the same thing. They spoke of Jesus Christ from different angles. Today in the New Testament economy we all need to speak the same thing, but this does not mean that what we speak is all from the same angle.
Acts and the Epistles each present different aspects of God’s economy. The Epistles of Paul, Peter, John, and Jude all speak the same thing. With the exception of some portions of James, which retain an Old Testament view and flavor, the Epistles speak of different aspects of one thing.
We need to study the Bible. Our concepts concerning the spiritual things are too natural. When we use the term the ministry, we mean the New Testament ministry, but many saints understand that the ministry means the ministry of Brother Lee. In the Lord’s recovery today there is not only my ministry but also Brother Watchman Nee’s ministry. These are not two ministries; they are one ministry and one speaking. In the New Testament age God has raised up many gifted persons with many gifts and functions, but they all belong to the same one ministry. This one ministry ministers Christ for the church. This is the ministry, the unique ministry. When we use the term the ministry, we do not mean a ministry that is only Brother Lee’s ministry. Brother Nee, the apostle Paul, and Martin Luther did not each have a different ministry. They all had one ministry. Martin Luther had a gift, Brother Nee had a gift, and I have a gift, just as Paul, Peter, John, and the other apostles all had different gifts. However, all the gifts constitute one ministry. Therefore, when we use the term the ministry, we mean the unique New Testament ministry, which includes all the apostles in the early church and all the servants used by the Lord since then. They all speak one thing. They do not minister the law or their own concepts, ideas, or opinions; rather, they all minister Christ for the church. Thus, when others speak to us of different ministries, we should point out that there is actually only one ministry.
Hebrews 1:1-2a says, “God, having spoken of old in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets, has at the last of these days spoken to us in the Son.” In the Old Testament God spoke in many portions and in many ways in the prophets, but in the New Testament He has not spoken to us in many apostles and prophets. In the New Testament God speaks in only one person, not in Paul and not in Watchman Nee but in the Son.
Verse 2 does not say that God spoke in the apostles; rather, it says that He spoke in the Son, for all the apostles are members of the Son. We too are members of the Son. The Son is the Head, and we are the members of His Body. The fact that Christ is one body with many members (1 Cor. 12:12) proves that in the New Testament age there is only one ministry. There is only one ministry because all those who speak are one in the Son (Gal. 3:27-28). When God spoke through Peter, He was actually speaking in His Son, for Peter had become a member of the Son. This is a strong proof that God has only one speaking in the New Testament. This is different from His speaking in the Old Testament. All the Old Testament writers were separate; they were not in the Son. Moses, David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah were not in the Son. However, in the New Testament age the twelve apostles, Paul, Barnabas, Luther, and Brother Nee have all been constituted into the Son. Therefore, today God speaks in the Son. That God speaks only in the Son does not mean that He speaks only in the individual man Jesus Christ. He speaks also in Peter, John, James, Paul, and others, for all these are constituted into the Son. Outwardly, we may see different brothers speaking, but inwardly, it is the Son who is speaking. There are many speakers but one speaking, and there are many gifts with many functions but one ministry.
To speak differently is not to speak different aspects of the same thing; it is to speak different categories of teaching. Apparently, there are four categories of teaching mentioned in 1 Timothy 1: God’s economy, the law, myths, and genealogies (vv. 4, 7). Actually, myths and genealogies are in the same category as the law. Those who taught the law taught it with related myths. The genealogies mentioned in verse 4 surely refer to the genealogies in the Old Testament. Thus, there are actually only two categories of teaching — one is the Old Testament things concerning the law, and the other is the New Testament gospel, which is Christ as life for the church. The second category is God’s economy, but the first is tradition and human opinion. The Old Testament things of the law are not aspects of God’s economy and are different from the apostles’ teaching. There were many different apostles, yet they all spoke one thing — Christ as life for the church.
There is a danger today that we would be attracted by someone who teaches different things. For many years I have spoken the same thing — that all the riches of the Triune God are embodied in Christ, that Christ today has become the life-giving Spirit, and that the life-giving Spirit dwells in our spirit so that the Triune God can dispense Himself into us. Some saints may be bored of hearing this. If an eloquent speaker comes along who can tell interesting stories and speak concerning deep spiritual matters, many saints, especially the young ones, may welcome such a speaker and even idolize him.
To know the truth is not easy. Sometimes we think that we know it when we actually do not. A good Bible teacher may come along who does not teach from the Old Testament but teaches from the New Testament. He may teach foot-washing according to John 13. Foot-washing is not an Old Testament teaching but a New Testament teaching. Such a brother may rebuke all the churches in the Lord’s recovery, saying, “Brothers, God has given me a burden to tell you one thing — that the local churches have neglected foot-washing. In John 13 the Lord Jesus set an example for us and charged us to wash one another’s feet. How poor all the churches in the Lord’s recovery are, for the saints never wash one another’s feet.” We need to discern such speaking.
Some things in the New Testament are not part of God’s economy. First Timothy 1:4 indicates that teachings other than God’s economy produce questionings. Therefore, we know that foot-washing is not part of God’s economy, because teaching it will immediately produce questionings. First, the saints will ask how to wash one another’s feet. They will wonder if brothers should wash only other brothers’ feet and sisters other sisters’ feet. There will be disagreement on this issue. Another question will be where to wash one another’s feet — publicly or privately? Different teachings, such as foot-washing, always produce questionings.
Once questionings come in, confusion and division will quickly follow. Therefore, a person who teaches differently only creates trouble. He may present a New Testament teaching, yet he will open the door for questions. By speaking only once concerning a different teaching, he will open the door for all the saints to begin to talk about the matter. They may forget to pray and contact the Lord and may instead spend their time talking to one another on the phone concerning the teaching of foot-washing. Some may say, “Foot-washing is a wonderful teaching. This brother is full of love. Brother Lee does not have much love.” Such teachings open the door for many opinions to come in. Some may say, “Foot-washing is not necessary.” Others may say, “Foot-washing is surely good. Everyone should try it at least once. If the sisters wash the other sisters’ feet just once, they will be humbled and will open themselves to the other sisters. I have tried this — it is marvelous, full of loving affection. Let us all try it. If we wash one another’s feet, our hearts will open to one another.” There may be additional questions regarding the way to practice foot-washing. Everyone will have different opinions. This proves that some things even in the New Testament do not belong to God’s economy. To refrain from practicing foot-washing does not damage God’s economy.
Whenever someone presents a particular teaching among us, even one based on the New Testament, we need to ask, “Does this belong to God’s economy? Does this minister Christ to the saints?” We may realize that, rather than ministering Christ, it produces questions and opens the door for different opinions. The ministry in God’s New Testament economy speaks only of Christ for the church and ministers Christ as life to the church. We should not discuss anything that produces questions. Discussing whether it is proper to use wine or grape juice at the Lord’s table, for example, does not minister life to anyone, but it causes much disputation. We need to learn to avoid bringing up anything that will stir up different opinions. Ministering Christ as life for the church and to the church will never cause any opinions to rise up. Therefore, we must all learn to speak the same thing, that is, Christ as life for the church. We should not speak anything different from God’s economy.
Now we must see what God’s economy is. The word economy in 1 Timothy 1:4 denotes an arrangement or an administration for dispensing. God’s economy is God’s arrangement, God’s administration, to dispense Himself into His chosen people. When we drink a certain beverage, it is dispensed into us and eventually becomes a part of our being. This illustrates how God dispenses Himself into all His chosen people so that He may become their very being. This dispensing is what is meant by the word economy. The New Testament ministry, the ministry, always ministers God’s economy, which is God dispensing Himself into His believers to be their life, nature, and being to produce the church, the Body of Christ.
We must speak concerning only this one thing. We should avoid speaking about anything that distracts God’s people from His economy. For this reason, we need to be careful not to bring in any kind of concept. In recent years there have been many “flows” among us. A different flow comes from every different concept. Thus, in order to avoid trouble and confusion, we should not use the word flow in this way. These different “flows” are simply concepts that stir up many opinions. There are many different concepts, but there is only one economy of God. We should speak only of God’s economy.
In 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul says that the church is the pillar and base of the truth. He does not say that the apostles or the great teachers are the pillar and base of the truth. The church is composed of all the believers in Christ. The problem is that not all the believers know the truth. I am concerned that even in the Lord’s recovery not all the saints know the truth. I believe that without reading the previous chapter in this book, most saints would not have a clear vision concerning the headship of Christ. This indicates that they do not know the truth. Because most Christians do not know the truth concerning the headship of Christ, every part of Christianity is an insult to the headship of Christ. Both the Catholic Church and the Protestant churches reject the headship of Christ. In his article “The Waning Authority of Christ in the Churches,” A. W. Tozer asks, “What foreign mission board actually seeks to follow the guidance of the Lord?” Tozer concludes that although many are working for Christ, the headship of Christ is entirely set aside and denied in all of Christianity. This regrettable situation exists because Christians do not know the truth.
Because many brothers and sisters in the Lord’s recovery do not know the truth, things have happened in recent years that were very much contrary to the truth. Some things that have happened among us violated the truth to the uttermost. For instance, there is an undercurrent to organize all the churches together — not only the churches in the United States but also all the churches in the Lord’s recovery throughout the whole earth. International coordination is a term that has been used in the attempt to bring the elders of all the churches in the Lord’s recovery into one coordination. It seems wonderful to have such a oneness, but this kind of coordination will subtly lead to hierarchy. The brother who formed this coordination surely will eventually become a head, insulting the headship of Christ. Moreover, by producing distracting questionings, this kind of coordination robs the saints of their moment-by-moment contact with the Lord in prayer. Such serious consequences reveal why it is crucial that all the saints know the truth.
As we saw in the previous chapter, if a younger brother comes to us for fellowship, we need to be careful not to insult the headship of Christ. If we tell the brother what to do, we become the lord. We may have a good intention and a good heart to help the brother, but our good intention insults the headship of Christ. We need to honor the headship of Christ and respect Christ as the unique Lord by telling the brother, “Brother, I dare not tell you what you need to do, even if I know, because I am not your lord. Your Lord, who is my Lord and the Lord of all of us, is the Lord Jesus Christ. I can pray with you and help you to pray, but you need to ask the Lord concerning this matter.” There is a great difference between giving an answer and leading someone to seek the Lord. To give an answer is to assume that we have the lordship and the position to tell people what to do. Some brothers may defend themselves in this matter, saying, “I do not have the intention to be the lord. My heart is good. I am simply teaching the younger brothers.” We should not trust in our good heart. Regardless of whether our heart is good, we insult the headship of Christ if we act in this way. If someone is careless and accidentally injures another person, that person will be held responsible regardless of his or her intention or heart toward the injured person. A “good heart” does much damage in the church life. The church is not a matter of our good heart; it is a matter of the truth. We all need to know the truth.
We need to see the difference between doctrines and the truth. Regrettably, most Christians consider doctrines to be the truth. However, the truth is the reality, and doctrines are only teachings. In the whole universe nothing is real but God. God is the reality. Anything that is God, of God, by God, or related to God is a reality. Doctrines are mere teachings; they are not the truth.
The Brethren teachers studied many doctrines concerning the Lord’s table. They studied how often to have the Lord’s table, who is qualified to participate in the Lord’s table, and how to serve the bread and the cup. These matters are all doctrines. They are not the truth in the Lord’s table. The truth in the Lord’s table is the Head and the Body, with the death and resurrection of the Head. When we come to the table, we see the wine separated from the bread, which displays the death of Christ by symbolizing the separation of the blood and the body of Christ in His death. We see also that the bread is a loaf composed of fine flour made from many grains of wheat, which displays Christ’s Body in resurrection. At the table we can see the Body (1 Cor. 10:17), and through the Body we can see the Head. Thus, the Head and the Body, with the death and resurrection of the Head, are the truth in the Lord’s table.
The Brethren also learned many doctrines concerning baptism. They studied who should baptize others, who should be baptized, and when, where, in what kind of water, in what name, and how many times they should be baptized. They also studied whether one should be baptized by immersion or by sprinkling and whether someone should go backward, forward, or straight down into the water. All these matters are surely doctrines. We are not here for doctrines; we are here for the truth. The truth in baptism is the death and resurrection of Christ. Romans 6:3-4 says, “Are you ignorant that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? We have been buried therefore with Him through baptism into His death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in newness of life.” We need to see the truth of the death of Christ and the truth of the resurrection of Christ in baptism.
There are many doctrines in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, but within the doctrines there is the truth, the reality. Those who lack vision and are shallow can see only the doctrines; it is difficult for them to see the truth. We need to know the truth. The need for a church to have a specific number of elders is a doctrine. We need to see the truth concerning why the eldership is plural. The plurality of the eldership indicates that among God’s people today there is no official, permanent, or organizational leadership because in the New Testament the headship of Christ has been fully completed. God recognizes only one Head, that is, Christ. This is the truth that we need to know concerning the plurality of the eldership.
The church is the pillar and base of the truth, not the pillar and base of doctrine. Therefore, in order for the church to be strong and healthy, all the saints must know the truth. The saints, as a corporate Body, must bear the truth, not doctrine. Doctrines confuse people and bring in divisive opinions. Truth never divides people but always builds people together. Hence, the way to conduct ourselves in the church in a time of degradation is to know the truth and to bear the truth.
If we know the truth, we will not care for doctrines such as whether wine or grape juice should be served at the Lord’s table. At the Lord’s table we should care only for the truth of the death and resurrection of Christ and the Body of Christ. The one loaf shows the one Body, and the truth of the one Body kills all divisive thoughts. If we have seen the truth of the one loaf, which signifies the one Body, we will never dare to make any division. However, if we dispute concerning the doctrine of what kind of bread to use, the more we dispute, the more we will be divided. If we argue about doctrines and neglect the truth, there will be no oneness but only divisions.
We should not care for the outward form of baptism. Rather, we should care for the reality of the death of Christ. We need to see that we have been baptized into the reality of the death of Christ. We should not care for the kind of water that should be used for baptism. This is merely a doctrine. We should care only for the truth. Doctrines cause confusion and divide, but truth unites and builds up. Whenever we touch the truth, there will be no confusion or division. Whenever we pay attention to doctrines, however, we will surely cause trouble. If we know and bear the truth, we will never be carried about by winds of teaching (Eph. 4:14).
If we know the truth, we will not care for the outward form of baptism. When we baptize new believers, we need to put them into the death of Christ, not merely into a certain kind of water. We should not care for the doctrine of what kind of water should be used; we should care only for the truth. If we care for the doctrines concerning baptism and neglect the truth, there will be no exercise of the spirit, no prayer, and no exercise of faith. We will do things merely according to dead letters (2 Cor. 3:6). This is the doctrinal way to practice baptism. On the other hand, if we care for the truth, we will realize that we need to pray and exercise our spirit when we baptize someone. We will say to the one whom we are baptizing, “Brother, I am going to put you into the death of Christ. Therefore, we need to pray.” Then we will say to all the saints, “This new believer needs to be baptized into the death of Christ, and we need to pray to make this experience real. I need to exercise my faith, and you all need to pray to strengthen my spirit. In this way we can all baptize him into the death of Christ.” Speaking in this way makes a difference; it strengthens our faith, stirs up our spirit, helps bring others into life, and never causes any division. However, if we care for doctrines, even in one small matter, we will immediately be divided.
First Timothy 3:16 says, “Great is the mystery of godliness: He who was manifested in the flesh, / Justified in the Spirit, / Seen by angels, / Preached among the nations, / Believed on in the world, / Taken up in glory.” Most Christian teachers mistakenly think that this verse refers only to Christ. However, Christ’s ascension, His being taken up in glory, preceded His being preached among the nations and believed on in the world. Therefore, since “taken up in glory” is the last item in this verse, it must refer not only to the ascension of Christ but also to the rapture of the church. This is a strong proof that this verse refers not only to Christ but also to the church. Yes, Christ is the manifestation of God in the flesh, but today the church is also the manifestation of God in the flesh. We are still in the flesh, but when we meet together in the spirit, God is manifested among us. The manifestation of God in the flesh is godliness. Godliness is simply God manifested in us.
We must take care of godliness, especially in a time of the church’s degradation. Various differing concepts have recently crept into some churches in the Lord’s recovery. The saints in certain localities argue about attending movies and sporting events. Some of the disputing ones say, “If you say, ‘Do not go to movies or sporting events,’ you are legal. If you say, ‘You must come to the Sunday morning meeting,’ you are religious.” They claim that they are liberated from all legalities and bondage. If the Spirit inspires them, they go to the meeting; if not, they do not go. If we try to argue with them, we will fall into their snare and be clouded because they are skillful in arguing.
I will give a simple illustration that will put those who argue in this way to shame. Suppose on Sunday morning I do not feel inspired by God to go to the meeting, and I decide to play basketball instead. If a brother sees me, he will not see godliness. We should not care for what is right or wrong, legal or illegal, religious or unreligious. We should care only for godliness. By playing basketball only once on a Sunday morning, I would lose any power to speak the word of God. If I come to speak to the saints Sunday evening after playing basketball Sunday morning, my speaking will be without impact. All the saints will wonder, “Is this a man of God?” I will give another illustration. If the saints see me entering a movie theater, they will not be edified, regardless of the kind of movie it is. Therefore, this is not godliness. We should care not for any opinions or concepts but only for godliness, God manifested in the flesh.
Some saints have said, “To drink alcohol is all right. Do not be so legal. You need to be liberated from legalities and drink. We do not drink strong drinks; we drink only beer. Let us all go to a bar and drink beer.” Some even say, “We enjoy a happy church life by drinking beer together.” This illustrates that we must not exercise our mentality to consider whether things are legal, illegal, liberated, or bound. If we exercise our mind, we will become lost in a forest. We simply need to consider whether doing something is godliness, the manifestation of God in the flesh. If we discern matters in this way, we will immediately be clear that we should not go to a bar, play basketball on Sunday morning, or go to a movie theater. It does not matter if we say, “I am not going to see evil movies; I am going to see the best educational movies.” Using the label of “educational” does not mean much. As long as we enter a theater, people will have a bad impression of us. We need to avoid even the appearance of evil. Even if we are going to see a movie about Jesus, simply going to a theater has the appearance of evil. We are here for the manifestation of God in the flesh, that is, for godliness. I would not do anything or go to any place that gives people an impression that is not the manifestation of God in the flesh.
Finally, the Epistles to Timothy mention healthy words and healthy teaching four times (1 Tim. 1:10; 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13; 4:3). In the church life we must discern whether the speaking is healthy or killing, damaging, or poisoning. If we practice this, we will not be misled by eloquence or by enticing words. Regardless of how eloquent the speaking is or how enticing the words are, if the teaching and the words are not healthy, we must reject them. If the words and teaching are healthy, they will minister life to our being. We may not have much knowledge, but we all have a taste. We know what is sweet and what is bitter. We must take care of the healthy words and healthy teaching. We should not measure or discern any speaking according to eloquence. We may easily be deceived by eloquent words (Rom. 16:18; 1 Cor. 2:4; Col. 2:4). We should care not for eloquence but for healthiness. We must always ask ourselves, “Is this word healthy?” We should take in only healthy words and healthy teaching.
In summary, the Epistles to Timothy reveal that we need to take care of four major items — God’s economy, the truth, godliness, and healthy words and healthy teaching. We should not care for different teachings, doctrines, disputations, arguments, concepts, or eloquence. If we care for these things, we will be misled. Rather, we need to simply take care of the four basic, solid items of God’s economy, the truth, godliness, and healthy words and healthy teaching.
