In this message we shall consider the truth concerning the ministry in the New Testament economy.
In the eyes of the Lord there is just one ministry in the New Testament age. Speaking of the need of a replacement for Judas, Peter said that Judas “was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry” (Acts 1:17). The twelve Apostles were all in “this ministry.” This indicates that there is one unique ministry in the New Testament. Years ago, I did not see this. But because of the controversy regarding receiving the ministry of others, I have spent time to study the pure Word regarding this matter. My eyes have been opened to see that the twelve Apostles were all in “this ministry.” Therefore, when the Apostles prayed about a replacement for Judas, they asked the Lord to show them whom He had chosen to “take part of this ministry” (Acts 1:25).
Some may argue that “this ministry” is limited to the twelve Apostles. But Ephesians 4:11 and 12 say, “And he gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some shepherds and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of the ministry, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Gk.). Verse 11 is related to the whole period of time from the Apostles until the Lord’s second coming. In God’s New Testament economy there are many apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers. Throughout the centuries, there have been thousands of them. Nevertheless, all of them have been given for the perfecting of the saints to the work of the ministry. Notice that verse 12 does not say “the work of the ministries,” but says “the work of the ministry.” Although there are thousands of gifted persons, all are for the work of the one ministry.
During the New Testament age, God’s unique intention is to build up the Body. God created the universe, formed man, and accomplished redemption all for this. For this one purpose, God has one ministry. God does not have two operations in this New Testament age; He has one operation with one ministry.
The ministry in the New Testament economy is a corporate ministry, a ministry that includes thousands of gifted people. Therefore, in 2 Corinthians 4:1 Paul said, “We have this ministry.” Paul did not say, “I have this ministry,” nor, “We have these ministries”; he said, “We have this ministry.” Paul, his co-workers, and the other apostles all had this ministry, the one ministry in the New Testament.
In 2 Corinthians 3:6 Paul says that God “made us able ministers of the new testament.” The ministry is the service; all the ministers are the serving ones carrying out this service. The many ministers do not have many services, but one service, one ministry.
I like Paul’s word in 1 Timothy 1:12: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” In this verse Paul does not say, “He put me into my ministry”; he says that the Lord put him into the one unique, corporate New Testament ministry. We all need to praise the Lord that by His mercy and grace He has put us into the corporate ministry that builds up the Body of Christ.
Although these verses reveal that the ministry in the New Testament is corporate, certain other verses seem to indicate that the ministry is personal. In Acts 20:24 Paul says, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” This verse refers to Paul’s personal ministry because Paul speaks of the ministry which he had received of the Lord. Hence, the ministry in this verse is the personal ministry.
Acts 21:19, definitely and clearly refers to Paul’s personal ministry: “And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.” Other verses that seem to refer to personal ministry are 2 Timothy 4:5 and Colossians 4:17. In 2 Timothy 4:5 Paul charged Timothy, “Fulfill thy ministry” (Gk.), apparently encouraging him to fulfill his personal ministry. Colossians 4:17 says, “And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it.” This evidently points to Archippus’ personal ministry.
In considering the verses that speak of personal ministry, we need to realize that all the believers are members of the one Body. As a whole, the Body has one corporate ministry, not many ministries. Although there are many functions in the Body, the ministry in the Body is one. For example, when I speak, my whole body speaks: my eyes, nose, ears, arms, fingers, legs, and feet are all involved. Therefore, my speaking is my body’s ministry. This ministry is corporate. However, each part of my body also has its own ministry. The mouth speaks, the hands make gestures, and the feet render support. But when the ministries of all the members are added together, they total the unique ministry of the body. This example indicates that the many ministries of the members of the Body are not separate ministries but part of one corporate ministry.
The New Testament ministry is uniquely one and corporate. But because this ministry is the service of the Body of Christ and because the Body has many members, every member has its own ministry. Thus, according to the members, there are many ministries; however, according to the Body as a whole, there is just one ministry. Your ministry should not be separate from the corporate ministry. The Body has a corporate ministry, and all the members of the Body have their individual ministries. As we have seen, all the ministries of the members added together equal the corporate ministry.