Why is it that there were divisions even from the time while the apostles, including Paul and John, were still here on this earth? Divisions began to take place from the last part of the first century and have continued to take place until the present century. There have been divisions after divisions, which have caused all kinds of confusion. What is the reason for all these divisions? They all came about simply because of different so-called ministries.
As those in the Lord’s recovery, we must ask ourselves what our realization is of the Lord’s ministry to carry out His economy. What is our view concerning the damages that have been brought in through the so-called different ministries? Today every denomination has its own ministry. To be a preacher in a certain denomination, it is necessary for you to be limited to a certain kind of ministry, limited in your teaching, in your preaching, in your doctrine, and even in your behavior. In every denomination, you need to be limited to the ministry of that particular denomination.
We need to be very clear that the foundation of all the denominations and the factor that produces each denomination are their different ministries. If all the Christians today would be willing for the Lord to take away their different ministries, they would all be one. The basic factor of all the divisions, their very root, is different ministries. Ministries that are different may be very sound, even very scriptural, but they are something Paul said was creeping in at the time of Galatians 2 (v. 4, lit.). This thing crept in as early as the time of Paul. Paul, Peter, and James were all there, and a ministry of another kind was trying to come in. In 1 Timothy 1 Paul charged Timothy to remain in Ephesus to take care of one thing: to charge certain ones not to teach differently, which means not to teach according to another ministry (vv. 3-4). At that time the different teaching was the teaching of the law. In Galatians 2 what was trying to creep in was the law.
At a later time, the heretical teaching of Gnosticism came in. Gnosticism was heresy, but you cannot say that to teach something of the Old Testament was heretical. At this point we need to consider that whole situation carefully. Paul was carrying out God’s New Testament ministry and his ministry followed Peter’s ministry, which was an immediate continuation of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Himself. In the four Gospels Jesus Christ carried out God’s ministry, and in the first part of Acts, Peter continued that ministry. Then in the second part of Acts, Paul’s ministry was a continuation of Peter’s to carry out God’s New Testament ministry. Nevertheless, when the Judaizing believers were strong in teaching the law, Peter became weak. Peter was afraid of those who came down from James (Gal. 2:11-12). This also indicates that James was a strong figure, a strong character, in tolerating the teaching of the law in the New Testament age.
Can you imagine Paul facing that problem? In Antioch Paul was facing the number one apostle, Peter, and he was facing representatives of the most influential apostle, James. It was not easy for Paul to face that situation. Two strong influences were there, the influence of Peter and the influence of James. Peter could have said to Paul, “Who are you, Saul of Tarsus? When I was speaking there in Jerusalem, you were still a young man opposing. Who do you think you are?”
In addition, Paul was facing the representatives of James, a godly man who prayed so much, day after day, that there are reports that his two knees were calloused. James was famous for his godly perfection and was very influential. He became even more influential than the great first apostle, Peter. Peter was afraid of his influence. In Antioch Peter was eating with the Gentiles peacefully. However, when some representatives came from James, Peter became a hypocrite and pretended that he had not eaten with the Gentiles. This indicates how strong James’ influence was.
Paul, as a younger apostle who had come later than Peter, was facing such a situation. Undoubtedly, it was hard for him. Nevertheless, for the sake of the truth, Paul did not tolerate that situation. He did not allow such a thing. He cut off the different ministries. He closed the door for the different ministries to creep in, and God honored what Paul did in that situation.
According to the New Testament and according to church history, from that time onward Peter did not play an important role in God’s New Testament economy, not as important as the role he played in the first twelve chapters of Acts. This is an important point. After not too long a time, in A.D. 70, God destroyed Jerusalem (Matt. 24:1-2), which was the base of Peter’s work and the base of James’ influence. He tore down the whole thing, leaving no stone upon another, destroying it. Not only was that a judgment on the rebellious Israel, but it was also the destruction of the base of Peter’s work and of James’ influence. After the destruction that took place in A.D. 70, however, Paul’s ministry and his influence remained. God did not allow different ministries and other influences.
We need to see this principle throughout the entire Christian era. All the troubles, divisions, and confusions came from the one source of the tolerance of different ministries. Many Christian teachers have known the peril of different ministries; nevertheless, they have tolerated them. There has been a tolerance of different ministries. In the Lord’s recovery, for the long run, we should not believe that this kind of creeping in of the different ministries would never take place. Rather, we must be on the alert. Such a peril is ahead of us. If we are not watchful, if we are careless, in one way or another the enemy would creepingly use some means, some ways, to bring in different ministries. Such a thing would end the Lord’s recovery.
One hundred fifty years ago the testimony of the Brethren was unique, and it was very strong. However, it was damaged by one thing: different teachings. They neglected Paul’s word to Timothy to charge certain ones in Ephesus not to teach differently (1 Tim. 1:3). The Brethren were very good in dividing the Word. Actually, this was their main teaching, according to 2 Timothy 2:15. Nevertheless, they neglected one crucial verse concerning God’s economy in Paul’s Epistles to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 1:4 the word economy, or dispensation (oikonomia), is strongly used, and Paul charged Timothy to take care of God’s economy.
All of us today need to be on the alert. We need to realize that Satan could use any one of us to bring in some other kind of teaching that may be scriptural. At Paul’s time it could not be considered heretical to teach the law according to the Old Testament. The law had been given by God and unveiled by God. If I had been there teaching Gnosticism, then I would have been a heretic. On the other hand, if I had been there teaching the law of Moses, no one could have said that my teaching was heretical. In fact, the law of Moses was scriptural. Nevertheless, such teaching would have been different from the teaching concerning God’s economy as it was presented by Paul. We need to be very careful because Satan is subtle. All of us need to be alert not only to watch over others but to watch over ourselves.
When I speak such words of warning to all the dear saints, I speak them even the more to myself. Many times I have seen something new that had to be considered very carefully in the light of the Lord’s up-to-date ministry. I need to consider very carefully whether or not each item is something of God’s ministry today. Each point must be measured according to God’s basic economy. How to measure every point, how to make a decision about every item, all depends upon God’s basic economy, which is to carry out the ministry of Christ for the producing of the church.
If we keep this one basic principle and one basic factor concerning God’s economy, we will be well protected. Nevertheless, each one of us needs to be on the alert not to watch over others but to take care of ourselves that we would not be used by the enemy to bring in different thoughts or different teachings that may seem to be scriptural.