THE NEED FOR A MENDING MINISTRY

After the time of Paul, whose writings were finished about A.D. 66, differing teachings crept in to damage the church. In the quarter century after the death of Paul, Satan insidiously brought in false teachings regarding both the Person of Christ and the church. Heresies came in, claiming that Christ was not God, was not the Son of God, and even that He did not come in the flesh.

To counter these heresies, the Apostle John around A.D. 90 began writing his books. One was a Gospel, three were Epistles, and the last was Revelation. As we study these writings, we shall see that John was mending what was damaged. Paul completed the revelation in the Bible, but before too long it was damaged. Thus, after the completing ministry, there needed to be a mending ministry. With these two ministries the Bible is concluded. Notice that with John’s writings the Gospels are concluded; the Gospel of John was the last to be written. Then his three Epistles are the conclusion of the Epistles. Finally his Revelation brings to an end the New Testament and even the whole Bible.

Without the ministries of Paul and John then, the Bible has no conclusion. Their main goal, furthermore, is to reveal Christ’s heavenly ministry. In their writings we can see what Christ is now doing in the heavens. Yes, they sometimes refer to Christ’s earthly ministry, but primarily they are concerned with the carrying out of His heavenly ministry.

If my jacket gets torn, it needs to be mended. The part that is repaired will be even stronger than the original fabric. So it was with the writings of John. Paul wrote strongly of the church as the Body of Christ. John, however, was even stronger. He described the churches as lampstands which would eventually consummate in the New Jerusalem. How much stronger is the city than the Body!

With this message we shall begin a series on the mending ministry of John.

This book is composed of messages given by Brother Witness Lee in three conferences given in the spring of 1980. Chapters one through five were given in Copenhagen, Denmark in April 1980. Chapters six through eleven were given in Seattle, Washington in May 1980. Chapters twelve through seventeen were given in New York City, New York in April 1980.

CONTENTS

1. God Incarnated to be Our Redeemer and Our Life
2. Christ, as the Embodiment of the Father, Becoming the Indwelling Spirit Through Death and Resurrection
3. Christ and the Believers Becoming One Organism
4. Oneness In and With the Triune God
5. The Issue of Life—The Church
6. Life Being a Person for Us to Live
7. The Fellowship of Life
8. Our Mutual Abiding with God
9. The Reaching of the Anointing
10. Our Spirit Born of God and the Seed of God in it
11. Ministering Life to the Sinning One
12. Christ's Heavenly Ministry in God's Administration
13. Christ's Heavenly Priesthood Ministered to the Churches for the Producing of Overcomers (1)
14. Christ's Heavenly Priesthood Ministered to the Churches for the Producing of Overcomers (2)
15. Christ's Heavenly Administration in God's Universal Government
16. Christ's Heavenly Ministry in Sustaining the Overcoming of the Saints
17. Christ's Eternal Ministry in Supplying the New Jerusalem