VII. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
A. Concerning Christ and His Ministry
Concerning Christ and His ministry, the New Testament reveals that there were both the divine economy and the satanic chaos.
1. The Divine Economy
with Christ as the God-man
The divine economy, the ministry of Christ, and the New Testament go together. If there were no divine economy, there would have been no ministry of Christ and no New Testament.
a. Christ as the Embodiment of the Triune God
Becoming Incarnated to Be a God-man
In the divine economy Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God became incarnated to be a God-man (John 1:1, 14; Luke 1:26-38; Matt. 1:18-23). We all need to see this marvelous fact and praise the Lord for it.
b. John the Baptist Coming Out
to Testify concerning Christ
John the Baptist came out to testify concerning Christ (Matt. 3:1-12; John 1:6-8, 15, 19-36). In relation to Christ, John was a helper.
c. The Seekers of Messiah
Coming to Christ and Following Him
We have pointed out that many of the godly people were expecting the coming of the Messiah. According to the New Testament, the seekers of Messiah came to Christ and followed Him (John 1:37-49; Matt. 4:17-24; John 3:1-15). This also was a matter pertaining to the divine economy.
d. Christ Teaching the Kingdom,
Proclaiming the Gospel,
and Healing All Kinds of Diseases
In His ministry Christ taught the kingdom, proclaimed the gospel, and healed all kinds of diseases, attracting a great crowd to follow Him (Matt. 4:23-25). This teaching, proclaiming, and healing were all aspects of the divine economy.
e. Christ Revealing to His Followers
the Kingdom of the Heavens,
the Mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens,
Christ and the Church,
the Consummation of This Age
and the Second Coming of Christ,
and the Mystery of the Divine Trinity
in Union with the Believers of Christ
To His followers Christ revealed many wonderful things. In Matthew 5—7 He revealed the kingdom of the heavens; in Matthew 13, the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens; in Matthew 16:13-19, Christ and the church; in Matthew 24—25, the consummation of this age and the second coming of Christ; and in John 14—17, the mystery of the Divine Trinity in union with the believers of Christ. Thus, Christ enabled His followers to see many heavenly mysteries, even to see the mystery of the organic union of the believers with the Triune God.
(The Satanic Chaos in the Old Creation and the Divine Economy for the New Creation, Chapter 2, by Witness Lee)
