God’s speaking in the teaching of the New Testament was completed through Paul and John (Col. 1:25-26; Rev. 22:18-19). The word of God as the revealed mystery was completed by Paul’s writings. Colossians 1:25-26 says, “Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now has been manifested to His saints.” The entire New Testament was completed by John’s writings. Revelation 22:18-19 says, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.” No other book in the Bible says this. Only the last book of John declares that his writing is the completion of the entire New Testament revelation.
The entire teaching of the New Testament, the teaching of the apostles, is the unique, divine revelation of God’s New Testament economy. This revelation is concerning the mystery of God—Christ (Col. 2:2-3, 9), the mystery of Christ—the church (Eph. 3:3-11), and the great mystery—Christ and the church (Eph. 5:32). These three items comprise God’s New Testament economy. Items such as baptism by water, speaking in tongues, head covering, and foot-washing are not the focus of the economy of God. These items are in the Bible, but they are not the crucial parts of God’s economy. The crucial constituents of God’s economy are Christ as the mystery of God, the church as the mystery of Christ, and Christ and the church as the great mystery in the universe. The entire New Testament is a unique, divine revelation concerning mainly three persons or items: the Triune God, the all-inclusive Christ, and the church as the organism of the Triune God, the organic Body of Christ. These three are crucial, vital, and basic. Whether or not our speaking is according to the New Testament economy can be measured by its relationship to these three items.
The apostles’ teaching, the entire teaching of the New Testament, the unique, divine revelation of God’s New Testament economy, is the contents of the full gospel of God (Rom. 1:1-4). The gospel of God mentioned in Romans 1:1-4 is the full gospel of God, comprising not merely a part of the New Testament, but the entire New Testament.
The apostles’ teaching is the constitution of the Christian faith (Jude 3; 1 Tim. 1:19; 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7). The Christian faith refers to our belief. Our belief, our faith, our creed, is a great matter. It is the entire New Testament. Our creed is a long one. It starts from the beginning of Matthew and continues to the end of Revelation. This creed is our belief, and our belief is the Christian faith.
Any teaching different from this unique revelation is not allowed by the apostles (1 Tim. 1:3-4; 2 John 9-11). In 1 Timothy 1:3 Paul told Timothy, “Even as I urged you, when I was going into Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach differently.” The different teachings included things from the Old Testament, yet they were different from God’s New Testament economy, God’s New Testament dispensation. Such teachings were not allowed by the apostles. The apostles were strict in this matter. Second John 9-11 says, “Everyone who goes beyond and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God....If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not say to him, Rejoice! For he who says to him, Rejoice, shares in his evil works.” John warned us not to say anything to such a one, but to stay away from him. Some may feel that they are not able to be so strict. However, even one who claims to be a Christian but teaches differently from the apostles’ teaching, the New Testament teaching, the unique revelation of God’s New Testament economy, is an evildoer, and we should not greet him. To teach differently is not a small matter. It is a direct work of Satan.