The Economy of God

by Witness Lee

Excellent Book

Genres: Christian, Theology, God, Christianity, Church

216 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 12, 1961

About the author

Witness Lee (李常受, pinyin Lǐ Chángshòu) was a Chinese Christian preacher associated with the Local Churches movement and the founder of Living Stream Ministry. He was born in the city of Yantai, Shandong Province, China, in 1905, to a Southern Baptist family. He became a Christian in 1925 after hearing the preaching of Peace Wang and later became a close coworker of Watchman Nee. Witness Lee moved to Taiwan in 1949 as the Communists were advancing in mainland China. During the 1950s, his ministry extended throughout Southeast Asia and in 1962 Lee moved to the United States, relocating the base of his ministry to Southern California. He gave his last public conference in February 1997 at the age of 91. Many of Lee's spoken messages have been published in over 400 books and translated into more than fourteen different languages. Lee's major work is Life-study of the Bible, comprising over 25,000 pages of commentary on every book of the Bible from the perspective of the believers' enjoyment and experience of God's divine life in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Lee was also the chief editor of a new translation of the Bible entitled the Recovery Version.

Reviews

[Jessica Petree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best spiritual book that I have *ever* read. It gives the most clear picture I have seen of God's mission/purpose on earth, and what it means to walk with God in the Spirit practically. I highly recommend this book for as a must-read for every believer in Jesus. You won't regret it.

[Justin]

What is the book that I have with the most highlited pages, notes, stars, asteriks, and underlines? What is a book that has made it from the pages to my experience? It is this one. Simply put, it is the clearest and most easy to read book which unveils God's purpose that I've read.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book about money or blessing or prosperity. The book more on our spiritual home and how to manage it.
The author argue that God’s economy is to dispense Himself into our spirit as His abode and to take His residence in our spirit as a base to spread Himself through our whole being. In simple words, God’s economy is to work Himself into us, and in order to accomplish this He must do it in three Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

[Austin Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

God's economy.

I thought I knew it all. God's economy is simply God's plan to dispense Himself into man. This is what I knew. I knew God's economy in a very objective way, but I failed to realize the importance of God's economy in relation to my personal life with the Lord. Many people told me I had to read this as a young believer, but I didn't see the need. However, Brother Witness Lee depicts God's economy in not only in an objective sense but also in a subjective way, making it applicable to my life.

After reading this book, I just stopped, sitting in my chair and looking back at what I had just finished reading. Everything is for God's economy, and I do mean everything. All my experiences of Christ and my struggles in life didn't mean much because I was looking at my life through a microscope. I failed to step back from the microscope and look at the big picture. Everything God is doing in me is for His economy. I wish I had read this book earlier as my approach to my everyday life and my relationship with the Lord would have been entirely different. THe experiences of Christ is just not for me, me, me. It is for God to accomplish His eternal purpose.

As a young believer to other young believers, I believe The Economy of God by Witness LEe will give you a direction on the purpose of your life. Witness Lee brings in crucical pieces of our Christian life that we need to know objectively and subjectively so that we may become useful to the Lord and part of His eternal plan. A must-read.

[Stefan Misaras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Not like other books that talk about God and money. It is amazing to realize that the whole Bible speaks of one thing: God's economy, which is God's dispensing of Himself as the Father, the Son, and the Spirit into our being to make us the members of the Body of Christ, the church, consummating in the New Jerusalem. And God's economy has to do with our entire tripartite being. There's so much about this wonderful economy, that I have to read this book again and again - and I have to read the Bible more in the light of God's economy to be governed by this vision (Acts 26:19)!

[Robbie Dickinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my Christian life dramatically. After having many hit and miss experiences of Christ, I was helped to see God's purpose and plan, the way He created man and how we can contact and experience Him.

[Josh R · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic, showing the oikonomia of God is His household arrangement to dispense His riches (which is just Himself) into us His children in His household, the Church.

[Angie Schuller Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witness Lee. Imprisoned in China for his faith. My favorite theologian. This his best work. Poorly written (all his book are) BUT, content is king.

[Frank Fu · Rating 5 out of 5]

We need to read this book.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe in a divine and immensely wise and loving entity which has created the very fabric of our reality. I believe it is all around as well inside every existing being and maybe even inside inanimate matter. I have difficulties using the word God, as it carries age-old sediments of attributes which I deem misleading. As many other spiritual seekers, I prefer to say Source or Stream of Life.

Whenever I read parts of the Old or New Testament, I feel totally at a loss, it doesn’t resonate with me at all. I especially do not buy the descriptions of Jesus’ behaviour in the Bible, the ones where he speaks hatefully about certain groups of people.

Reading “The Economy of God” helped me to understand a bit better how a rather new community of non-conventional Christians (who critique the institution of the Church as obstructive to coming closer to the Stream of Life) understand the essence of the Holy Word.

The essence turns out to be madly simple - of course - that I find it incomprehensible why oh why they would still want to read such an extensive and complicated book as the Bible? It appears to be quite superfluous to me to put so much fluff onto the table and hide in it the tiny, precious and nutritious seeds that we need to take into our own hearts to let them sprout there! Is it on purpose and a methodology? Is the process of discerning between the fluff and the seed an instrumental part of the awakening?

The writing style of “The Economy of God” is immensely repetitive, but the repetitions are not like exact copies of each other but rather in-numerous tiny variations and rearrangements which show how the nuances shift around just by changing the grammar ever so slightly. From a linguist point of view that is quite fascinating to experience, especially if read in German (my native language).

Interesting read but I disagree with a lot of points which appear too rigid or dogmatic to me.

[Randall Hartman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only made it through the first three introductory chapters before I decided the wisest course of action would be to put this book down. In these few foundational pages, I was disconcerted by quibbling over Bible translations, inappropriate use of scripture, a disdain for doctrine (which is really just truth about God and His work), and unsupported, simply weird assertions.

These early chapters seem like the beginning of some complex, secret formula, a concocted system whereby only those with the right (and secret) method can connect with God. I can sense that, at best, this will not be a helpful book, and in fact it may be confusing, dangerous, and harmful.

[Sarah DeCicco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all his books. Although at times you have to focus on what he is trying to get across, once you understand it is such a beautiful feeling.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life changing. Every believer should read this book. Why was I not taught these basic truths growing up in church?

[Meghan heineken · Rating 2 out of 5]

i dnf this book i got to chapter 4 and found it was kinda boring

[Mags · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not the most exciting read, but it sets an excellent foundation for your spiritual growth! Highly recommend if you're new to Brother Lee's books.

[NIGEL PEARCE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helps us see how the Divine works in us and through us !

[Selly]

God has a great purpose of creating us.

[Khurram Shad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amen

[Jocelyn Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

A must read for sure. Eye opening to say the least. Lots to consider and pray about it! Definitely worth checking out!

[Reese Walling]

This book laid out all the major aspects of God's economy (plan or dispensation), and gave the reader a clear understanding of what God is trying to do and what His goal is. For those who have ever thought that there must be more to this whole Christianity thing besides just redemption and heaven, this is the book for you. God has created man with a spirit, soul, and body (1 Thes. 5:23), and discerning the three and how God interacts with them is crucial for those who desire to genuinely experience God and know Christ in the way that Paul desired (Pp. 3:8-10). "God's Economy" is the only thing that should be taught, and is the only way to truly understand the entirety of the scriptures (1 Tim. 1:4; Eph. 3:9; 1:10). I hope all seeking Christians choose to buy, read, and read this book again.

[Liangzhen Dai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last week, I finished the Chapter 5. I got touch by this :"the basic teaching of the whole scriptures is simply this, God is the very content, and we are the containers made to receive this content. We must contain God and be filled with God. God's economy is to work Himself into us by means of His three Persons. There is need of the three Persons of the Godhead, for without these three Persons. The Enjoyment from Ch5

[Heloisa Heng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended. First we must understand 3 parts of human especially the deepest part - spirit, this ‘organ’ is very real very important and within every person, but most people don’t know what to do with it.
Second, understand God, how is it possible for God to interact with His creation - human, and what is His plan? His intention? This definitely bring us into understand of human existence from our creator’s point of view

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two elements distracted Christians Judaism and Gnosticism. God's economy is his plan to dispense himself into humanity. The word of God is sharper than a two edged sword. The best preacher find the key to unlock the heart. Everyday should be devoted to worshipping God.

[Jeremiah Blanco · Rating 5 out of 5]

a

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best explanation ever received on Body, Soul and Spirit, or should I say Spirit, Soul and Body ;)

[IC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great to read to example more of God and the Bible.

Thanks to my dad for giving this to me to read.