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CHAPTER THREE

THE MYSTERIOUS ORGANISM
IN GOD'S NEW TESTAMENT ECONOMY

Scripture Reading: Ezek. 1:15-21; Eph. 1:22; Rev. 21:2, 11; 22:1; John 15:1; Eph. 4:4-6; Col. 1:27; Eph. 4:22-24, 30; 5:25b-27, 29; 4:11-16; Col. 3:3-4a; 1 Cor. 12:25-27; Rom. 8:2-13; 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:14-22; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rom. 15:16; John 21:15; 1 Pet. 2:2; Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 14:1, 3-5, 12, 24, 31; Col. 1:28-29

  1. The mysterious center in God's economy:
    1. The move of God's New Testament economy being like the turning of a big wheel—cf. Ezek. 1:15-21.
    2. This turning wheel in God's economy having the Body of Christ as its axis:
      1. All of God's move and work today being joined to and being for the Body of Christ—Eph. 1:22.
      2. The New Jerusalem as the ultimate consummation of God's work being the axis of God's move in the whole universe—Rev. 21:2, 11; 22:1.
  2. The Body of Christ as the axis of God's economy being the organism of the Triune God:
    1. Not being an organization manufactured by man, but an organism produced by the Triune God as life.
    2. The true vine, as a portrait of Christ, being an organism by which the Triune God accomplishes His eternal economy—John 15:1:
      1. A tree with life being organic and being able to produce fruit.
      2. A wooden table without life being organizational and being unable to produce fruit.
    3. This organism being the structure of the union and mingling of all the believers with the Triune God—Eph. 4:4-6:
      1. The Father being the person—v. 6:
        1. Over all—managing and caring.
        2. Through all—penetrating and joining.
        3. In all—dwelling and living.
      2. The Son being the element of life—v. 5:
        1. Through baptism the believers being cut off from the element of the old Adamic life.
        2. Through believing the believers being joined to the element of Christ's new life.
      3. The Spirit as the essence of life—v. 4:
        1. The Spirit of the life of Christ being the essence of the Body of Christ.
        2. The hope being the saturation of the Body of Christ with the splendor of this essence that the Body of Christ may enter into the glory of the life of Christ—Col. 1:27.
    4. The metamorphic change of this organism, the mingling of God and man—Eph. 4:22-24:
      1. Putting off the old man, which is being corrupted according to lust—v. 22.
      2. Putting on the new man, which was created according to God—v. 24.
      3. Through the renewing of the believers in the spirit of their mind—v. 23.
      4. Through the redemption by the saturating of the Holy Spirit of God as the seal—Eph. 4:30.
      5. Through the nourishing, sanctifying, and washing of Christ's word of life—Eph. 5:25b-27, 29:
        1. Nourishing affording the supply in life and providing at the same time the warm, tender, loving cherishing—v. 29.
        2. To be sanctified being to be separated to God and thus be transformed—v. 26a.
        3. Washing removing the spots and wrinkles in order that the divine organism may become holy and glorious—v. 26b-27.
    5. The growth of this divine organism and the organic building up of the organism by itself—Eph. 4:11-16:
      1. The gifted ones in this organism perfecting others to be like them to do the work of ministry for the organic building up of the Body of Christ—vv. 11-12.
      2. The growth of this organism in the divine life equaling the organic building up of the organism by itself in the divine life—vv. 13b-16:
        1. Holding to truth in love and growing up into the Head, Christ, in all things—vv. 13b, 15.
        2. Out from the Head, all the Body, being fitted together through every joint of the supply and being knit together through the operation in measure of each one part, growing gradually unto the organic building up of itself in love—v. 16.
    6. The living of this organism:
      1. Being the corporate and organic living of the Body of Christ—Rom. 12:5:
        1. All the members living together by taking Christ as life—Col. 3:3-4a.
        2. All the members caring for one another—1 Cor. 12:25-27.
      2. Being an organic living produced by the union and mingling of the Triune God with the tripartite man—Rom. 8:2-13:
        1. By the law of the Spirit of life—v. 2.
        2. First, by being made alive in the spirit by the Spirit of Christ—vv. 9-10.
        3. Next, by being made alive in the mind of the soul by the spreading of the Spirit of God—v. 6b.
        4. Finally, by being made alive in the mortal body by the indwelling Spirit of God—v. 11.
        5. Setting the mind on the Spirit—v. 6b.
        6. Walking only according to the Spirit—v. 4b.
        7. By putting to death the practices of the body by the indwelling Spirit of God—vv. 11, 13.
    7. The service of this organism:
      1. Being the corporate organic service of the Body of Christ—Rom. 12:4-8:
        1. Every member being necessary—1 Cor. 12:14-22.
        2. Every member functioning organically according to the operation in measure of each one part—Eph. 4:16b.
      2. Being the organic service of the New Testament priesthood of the gospel—1 Pet. 2:5, 9:
        1. Preaching the gospel to save sinners and offering them as sacrifices to God—Rom. 15:16.
        2. Nourishing the believers and helping them to grow so that they can offer themselves as living sacrifices to God—John 21:15; 1 Pet. 2:2; Rom. 12:1.
        3. Perfecting the saints that they may do the work of ministry unto the organic building up of the Body of Christ—Eph. 4:11-16.
        4. Leading the saints to prophesy, to speak for God, for the organic building up of the church—1 Cor. 14:1, 3-5, 12, 24, 31.
        5. Laboring and struggling in all wisdom to present to God every saint full-grown in Christ—Col. 1:28-29.

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The Mysteries in God's New Testament Economy   pg 25