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Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 3:8-9, 18; 5:21; Col. 3:10; 1 Cor. 1:30; 15:34; Rom. 8:2, 4; 14:17; Phil. 1:19; 3:9; Rev. 19:7-8; Eph. 4:24; Matt. 5:6, 10, 20
The ministry of the new covenant is a very great matter. It includes the entire New Testament of twenty-seven books. In foregoing messages we have seen from chapter three of 2 Corinthians that in the Old Testament age there was only one ministry, a ministry that was called in 2 Corinthians 3 the ministry of death and condemnation. Christians, however, often consider that in the Old Testament there were three different kinds of ministries: the ministry of the priesthood, the ministry of the kingship, and the ministry of the prophethood. Christians have this concept because the Old Testament speaks of three classes of people — the priests, the kings, and the prophets. Since these three kinds of people can be found in the Old Testament, many students and teachers of the Bible have thought that in the Old Testament there were three kinds of ministries.
Paul regarded the entire Old Testament as the law. In 1 Corinthians 14:21 he says, “In the law it is written, In other tongues and with other lips I will speak to this people, even so they will not listen to Me, says the Lord.” In this verse Paul quotes a portion from the book of Isaiah. Although Isaiah was a prophet, Paul refers to the book of Isaiah as the law. This indicates that the books of the prophets were also considered part of the law. Actually the entire Old Testament was regarded as the law. This is a proof that in Old Testament times there was a unique ministry. This was the ministry of the old covenant, the ministry of death and condemnation.
In the New Testament there is also a unique ministry. The twelve Apostles all had this unique ministry. After Judas betrayed the Lord and committed suicide, Peter stood up and said that Judas had been numbered with them and “had obtained part of this ministry” (Acts 1:17). Then they prayed for the Lord to show whom He had chosen to “take part of this ministry and apostleship” (v. 25). This indicates that the apostles all had one ministry. It was not a case of Peter having a ministry, John having another ministry, and James having yet another ministry. If that had been the situation, the twelve Apostles would have had twelve different ministries. No, they had one ministry, the unique ministry. Eventually, more apostles were raised up by the Lord. The most prominent of them was Paul. Paul and his co-workers also had the same ministry, the unique ministry of the new covenant. Therefore, in the New Testament there are many apostles, but there is only one ministry. This new covenant ministry is a ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness.
Throughout the centuries there have been only two ministries: the ministry of the old covenant and the ministry of the new covenant. However, among Christians today there are many different ministries. The reason Christians have been divided into groups and denominations is that they have invented many different kinds of ministries. Every denomination has its own ministry. The Episcopalians have an Episcopalian ministry, the Methodists have the Methodist ministry, and the Baptists, Presbyterians, and Pentecostals each have their ministries.
Today some who regard themselves as broad-minded want to embrace all the different kinds of ministries to prove that they are not narrow, sectarian, or divisive. They want to be all-inclusive and receive ministries from Catholicism, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Protestant denominations, and all the independent groups. This is in contrast to the new covenant ministry, which is unique. The new covenant ministry is unique in nature, essence, function, and purpose.
In what kind of ministry are we? In particular, what kind of ministry do you have? Certainly none of us would say that we are in the old covenant ministry of death and condemnation. Are you in the ministry of Catholicism? of Greek Orthodoxy? of one of the Protestant denominations?
Those who have the Baptist ministry will certainly emphasize baptism by immersion. Those in the Episcopalian ministry will surely be in favor of bishops. Likewise, those who have the Presbyterian ministry will be in favor of the administration of the presbytery. Those in these denominations practice such ministries. Furthermore, these denominations have been established to carry out such ministries. The Pentecostals also have their own kind of ministry, a ministry that emphasizes tongue-speaking, healing, and miracles. But none of these ministries is the unique ministry of the new covenant. Is the ministry of the new covenant a ministry of baptism by immersion? A ministry of bishops, presbytery, or tongue-speaking? Certainly the answer to these questions is no. The new covenant ministry is absolutely a ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness. This is the unique ministry in the New Testament.
When we say that the new covenant ministry is unique, we do not mean that it is the ministry of only one person. For example, it is slanderous to accuse me of saying that the unique ministry today is the ministry of Witness Lee. We do not say this, and we do not mean this. By the unique ministry, the new covenant ministry, we mean the ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness. Whoever ministers the Spirit and righteousness to others is one in the unique ministry, no matter who he may be. Peter, John, James, Paul, Timothy, Titus, Apollos — they all had the one ministry. The ministers are many, but the ministry is unique. As long as you minister the Spirit and righteousness to others, you are in this unique ministry.
A number of times I have been asked something like this: “Brother Lee, you say that the ministry is unique. This means that there is just one ministry. When you say that there is one ministry, that the ministry is unique, do you mean that your ministry is this unique ministry?” Some of those who question me like this may have the concept that I think of myself as someone like Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. I always answer this question by saying, “No, I definitely do not mean that my ministry is the unique ministry.”
Others may go on to ask if we accept all ministries. The answer is that we do not accept all different kinds of ministries. Then some may say, “On the one hand, you say that your ministry is not the unique ministry. On the other hand, you do not accept all ministries. What, then, do you practice regarding the ministry?” Because those who ask this question may be short of knowledge and may also be under the drugging effect of traditional concepts, it is not easy to explain the matter to them. I may say to myself, “I simply am what I am. But you have been drugged and cannot understand what the New Testament says concerning the ministry.” The ministry of the new covenant is unique; it is the ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness. Although we do not accept all different kinds of ministries, we do accept the ministry of anyone who truly ministers the Spirit and righteousness.
What I am speaking in this message concerning the ministry is something new and also something old. It is old because it was in existence nearly two thousand years ago. On the other hand, it is something new because it is a matter which has been lost and recovered. We thank the Lord that He has recovered the truth concerning the ministry. We thank Him for showing us from 2 Corinthians 3 that in the Bible there are two ministries: the old covenant ministry — the ministry of death and condemnation; and the new covenant ministry — the ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness.
As a Christian, or as one who regards himself as having a certain kind of ministry, what kind of ministry do you have? If you are not in the ministry of the new covenant, that is, in the ministry which ministers Christ as the life-giving Spirit and as righteousness to others, then you must tell us what kind of ministry you have. In what ministry are you? If you are not in the ministry of the Spirit and righteousness and not in the ministry of death and condemnation, in what ministry are you? Some may say that they have the ministry of gospel preaching. This answer is not adequate. You should be able to say that your ministry of gospel preaching is a part of the unique new covenant ministry in which you minister Christ to others as the Spirit and righteousness. It is better not to say that we have the ministry of gospel preaching. Rather, we should say that our preaching of the gospel is part of the unique new covenant ministry.
Some Christians view the ministry of the Spirit primarily as a ministry of the Spirit as power. They expect that when they speak in the power of the Spirit, a large number of people will be gained for the Lord. But the ministry of the Spirit in 2 Corinthians 3 is a ministry of the Spirit as life and life supply. My ground for saying this is found in verse 6, where Paul says that God “made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Here Paul does not say that the Spirit gives power, performs miracles, or imparts gifts. He declares that the Spirit gives life. Elsewhere in this chapter the Spirit is also related to life, not to power, gifts, or miracles.
This understanding of the Spirit as the life supply is confirmed by Paul’s word in Philippians 1:19: “For I know that for me this shall turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” In this verse Paul does not speak of the bountiful power or the bountiful ability. Rather, he speaks of the bountiful supply of the Spirit.
I emphasize this point because many Christians have a mistaken concept of the Spirit and think of the Spirit mainly as a source of power, ability, or impact. For example, some groups stress the matter of what is called being “slain in the Spirit.” One woman was especially well known in this matter. Is that the Spirit as the life supply? Certainly not.
Not long after I began to minister in this country in 1962, I was invited to speak to a Christian group in San Diego. Some of the people there encouraged me to go to a certain place in Texas where many miraculous things were supposedly happening. The claim was made that, in a miraculous way, someone’s teeth had been filled with gold and that others attending the meeting even smelled the gold. However, when I questioned them, they were not able to confirm that report. Furthermore, I told them that if such a thing actually happened, it would be reported in the newspapers. I went on to say that if our God wanted to fill our teeth, why would He simply not recover them in a proper way instead of using gold? Our God certainly would never heal someone’s teeth by filling them with gold. Do not listen to such false reports.
In 2 Corinthians Paul does not speak of gifts or miracles, but he does say that the Spirit gives life. In 1 Corinthians Paul mentions tongue-speaking, for example, with the intention of limiting this practice in the church meetings. But in 2 Corinthians he does not say a word about speaking in tongues. The emphasis in this book is on the Spirit as the life supply. The ministry of the new covenant is a matter of the Spirit as the supply inwardly and of righteousness as God’s expression outwardly.
In 2 Corinthians 3:8 Paul speaks of the ministry of the Spirit, and in verse 9, of the ministry of righteousness. We may understand what the ministry of the Spirit is, but what is the ministry of righteousness? Do you know what Paul means by this? Years ago, I could not understand what Paul meant by the ministry of righteousness. I thought that by the ministry of righteousness he meant the ministry of justification, since in this chapter there seems to be a comparison between condemnation and justification, which is the opposite of condemnation. But instead of justification, Paul here speaks of righteousness. If he had said that the new covenant ministry was a ministry of justification, it would be easy to understand his meaning. We would immediately see that the ministry of the law was to condemn: that is the ministry of condemnation. But the new covenant ministry is to justify people: this is the ministry of justification. Since Paul in 2 Corinthians 3 says that the new covenant ministry is a ministry of righteousness, not a ministry of justification, we must try to understand his meaning. To be sure, it is a very significant matter that the ministry of the new covenant is a ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness.
If we would understand what the ministry of righteousness is, we must first have a proper understanding of righteousness. Righteousness is a matter of being right. When we have the Spirit living, moving, and acting within us in a way that is real and substantial, we are automatically right with God, with others, and with ourselves. This understanding of righteousness is correct, but it is not adequate. Hence, we must go on to see something further regarding righteousness.
In 1 Corinthians 15:34 Paul says, “Become sober righteously and do not sin, for some are ignorant of God.” In this verse, to become sober is to awake to soberness from a drunken stupor. It is to cease, righteously, to be drunken. Anyone who is spiritually asleep is not right with God, with others, with himself, or with the church. The context of this verse is Paul’s word concerning resurrection. To say there is no resurrection offends God and man, and it is a sin. Hence, the apostle advised the misled Corinthians to awake soberly from this sin to be right with God and man. They were drunken unrighteously in a stupor of the no-resurrection heresy. They needed to cease being in that stupor.
To take in the heretical thought that there is no resurrection is to allow one’s self to be drugged, to be put into a drugged condition. This is also to be asleep. Those who are in such a drugged stupor talk in a nonsensical way with respect to resurrection. As a result, they are not right with God, with the church, or with themselves. Rather, they offend God, the church, and even others in their family. Those who are drugged often cause trouble without realizing it. Therefore, Paul charges the Corinthians to wake up, to become sober righteously.
What does it mean to become sober righteously? It means to become sober in such a way that we are right with God, with others, and with ourselves. A believer who is sober righteously will be right with his wife, with his children, with his neighbors, with all the saints, with the church, and also with himself. Those who are not right in all these ways are in a stupor.
If we did not have the new covenant ministry, we would not have the Spirit, and we would not have righteousness. Before you came into the church life and received the ministry in the Lord’s recovery, how much did you experience of the Spirit as the life supply in you? Of course, as a saved person you had the Spirit dwelling in you. But probably you did not have much consciousness that the Spirit was living, active, real, and substantial in you. Many of us can testify that after coming into the church life, we began to realize that there is something within us that is living, real, and substantial. This is the Spirit within us working and making us joyful, peaceful, and restful. This is the Spirit of life ministered into us as the life supply by the ministry in the Lord’s recovery.
Before you experienced the Spirit in this way, it may have been very easy for you to argue with your wife or husband. But if you experience the Spirit as your life supply, something within restrains you when you want to argue. For example, a sister may be tempted to blame her husband, but deep within she realizes that she should go into her room and pray. This experience comes from the Spirit as the life supply that is ministered into us through the new covenant ministry.
Perhaps in a church meeting not a word is spoken concerning the Spirit as the life supply. You may have no consciousness of the Spirit being ministered into you. But although nothing is said concerning this, it is nevertheless a fact that in the meeting the Spirit is ministered to you. There is a ministry in the recovery which inscribes the processed Triune God as the life-giving Spirit into our being.
Often in the meetings of the church we receive the supply of the Spirit without being conscious of this fact. I can testify that many times I have returned home after a meeting feeling somewhat unhappy. It seemed that I was angry with everyone and everything. Nevertheless, something within me was moving and living. This is the life-giving Spirit I experienced in the meeting. Even when we are angry or unhappy, this Spirit operates within us. If we turn to the Lord and say, “Lord,” our unhappiness or our anger will be swallowed up. This comes from the life-giving Spirit who has been ministered into us without our being conscious of it.
Because I receive the supply of the life-giving Spirit in the church meetings, I very rarely miss a meeting. It does not matter to me who speaks in a particular meeting. My only desire is to be in the meeting and to receive the supply. In particular, I enjoy the prayer meeting of the church in Anaheim. During that meeting I am infused and saturated with the Spirit. Afterward, it seems that everything is golden and that within me the tree of life is growing and the river of life is flowing. Although there is no message and even no word of encouragement, the life-giving Spirit is ministered into my being. Many among us can testify of this experience.
As a result of experiencing the Spirit living and working within us, we become righteous. Spontaneously our inner being is transparent, crystal clear, and we know the heart of God. Immediately, without effort, we know the mind of the Lord and have a clear understanding concerning His will and work. Then what we do is according to the Lord’s mind and will. This is righteousness.
Many Christians have the concept that when we do something wrong, we are not right with God. This concept of righteousness is too superficial. Even when we do not do anything wrong we still may not be right with God, for our being may not be in the mind and will of the Lord. Apparently we are not wrong in any way; however, our entire being may be far short of being right with God. We may not be according to the Lord’s mind, and what we are doing may not be His will. As long as we are not doing God’s will, we are not right. Instead we are wasting our lives and everything the Lord has given us.
Suppose a young person at school does not do anything wrong. But he does not study properly. Furthermore, when he sits in class, he is absent-minded. Even though he may not do anything wrong, he is more wrong than other students. Outwardly he may not be wrong, but inwardly his whole being is wrong. In the same principle, outwardly many saints are not wrong in anything. Actually, their being is not in the will of the Lord. This understanding of being right with God is not merely according to doctrine, but even the more, it is according to experience.
If you are infused and saturated by the life-giving Spirit, your inner being will become transparent. Then you will know what is in the Lord’s mind. You will also understand what the will of the Lord is. Spontaneously, you will be in His will and do His will. As a result, you become right with Him. Moreover, you will realize how you should act toward others and even how you should deal with your material possessions. Then you will become a righteous person, one who is right in small things as well as in great things, one who is right with God, with others, and with himself. This is a person who expresses God, for his righteousness is the image of God, God expressed.
