The Way of Philadelphia vs. The Way of God’s Eternal Economy vs. The Way of Christ’s Shepherding of the Church

 

The Way of Philadelphia vs. The Way of God’s Eternal Economy vs. The Way of Christ’s Shepherding of the Church

—From Revelation 3, Psalm 23, and God’s Eternal Economy to the Way the Church Should Take Today

From a biblical and ministerial perspective, these three "ways" are not three separate paths, but rather the same divine economic way, expressed from three different angles: Philadelphia's way—speaking of the restored church's position and practice; God's eternal economic way—speaking of the center and goal of God's purpose in the universe; and Christ's way of shepherding the church—speaking of the way that the ascended Christ practices today through His heavenly ministry and the cooperation of His body.

Item	The Way of Philadelphia	The Way of God’s Eternal Economy	The Way of Christ’s Shepherding of the Church
Key Scriptures	Rev. 3:7–13	Eph. 1:9–11; 1 Tim. 1:4; Eph. 3:9–11	Psa. 23; John 10:11–16; 21:15–17; 1 Pet. 5:2–4
Central revelation	The church commended by the Lord: keeping His word, not denying His name, and living in brotherly love	God’s eternal purpose to dispense Himself in Christ through the Spirit into His chosen and redeemed people, producing the Body of Christ and consummating in the New Jerusalem	The ascended Christ continues His heavenly ministry of shepherding His sheep, coordinating with the apostles’ ministry for the building up of the Body of Christ
Nature of the “way”	The way of the church’s practice	The way of God’s economy	The way of life and shepherding
Source	Christ Himself—the One who has the key of David (Rev. 3:7)	The eternal intention and purpose of the Triune God	The ascended and glorified Christ carrying out His heavenly ministry
Central Person	Christ as the Head of the church	The Triune God, with Christ as the center of the divine economy	Christ as the good Shepherd, the great Shepherd, and the Shepherd of our souls
God’s purpose	To gain a group of those who love the Lord, keep His word, hold to His name, love one another, and bear His testimony	To work Himself into man, giving man the divine life and nature, producing the Body of Christ as God’s corporate expression	Through feeding, shepherding, perfecting, and building up, to cause the sheep to grow into the reality of Christ’s Body
Primary burden	“You have kept the word of My endurance” (Rev. 3:10); “Hold fast what you have” (Rev. 3:11)	The divine dispensing, mingling of God and man, building up of the Body of Christ, and fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose	Feeding, shepherding, perfecting, recovering, restoring, and building
In life	Loving the Lord, enjoying Him, and living in His word	Receiving, enjoying, and experiencing the Triune God as life	Shepherding others not merely by teaching, but by supplying Christ as life
In truth	Keeping the Lord’s word and holding to His name	Knowing and practicing the central revelation of God’s eternal economy	Feeding the sheep with truth so that they grow in life and truth
In the church	Recovering the normal church life and the fellowship of the Body	Producing and building up the Body of Christ	Causing the church to become God’s flock, nourished and built up in life
Relationship to Christ	Loving Christ, holding to Christ, and living Christ	Christ as the center, content, and reality of God’s eternal economy	Christ as the Shepherd, and also the life, supply, and pattern of shepherding
Relationship to the Spirit	Depending on the Spirit to keep the Lord’s word and live the church life	The Spirit as the consummation of the Triune God and the means of His dispensing and transmission	The Spirit operates within us so that we can shepherd others with Christ’s life
Psalm 23	Living the church life under the Lord’s shepherding	Enjoying the Triune God as everything: “Jehovah is my Shepherd”	Christ leads His sheep to green pastures and waters of rest—life supply and shepherding
Green pastures	Christ as rich life supply in the church	Christ as the abundance and enjoyment of life	Christ nourishes the sheep through shepherding
Waters of rest	Enjoying the Spirit in the fellowship of the church	Enjoying the Triune God as the water of life	Christ leads the sheep into the rest and satisfaction of life
“He restores my soul”	Being recovered from soulishness, naturalness, and spiritual coldness	The divine life as inward renewal and transformation	Shepherding restores those who are lost, wounded, weak, or discouraged
“He guides me in the paths of righteousness”	Walking in the Lord’s way in the church life	Living according to God’s eternal economy	The Shepherd personally guides the sheep rather than merely giving regulations
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”	Philadelphia does not mean the absence of trials; it means holding fast to the Lord through trials	Passing through death and resurrection so that the divine life may be manifested	The Shepherd remains with the sheep: “For You are with me”
Rod and staff	The Lord’s governmental care keeps the church on the proper way	God’s administration and life supply operate together	Christ protects, governs, and cares for His flock
“You prepare a table before me”	Enjoying Christ and bearing His testimony even in the presence of opposition	Enjoying the riches of Christ in the presence of the enemy	Shepherding does not merely solve problems; it brings people into the enjoyment of Christ
“You anoint my head with oil”	The anointing of the Spirit enables the church to live under the Lord’s anointing	The Triune God as the processed anointing, dispensing Himself into man	Shepherding must be carried out in the anointing of the Spirit, not in natural zeal
“My cup runs over”	The church life becomes an expression of the fullness of Christ	The divine life overflows from within	Those who are shepherded become shepherds of others
“Goodness and lovingkindness shall follow me”	Living in the grace and lovingkindness of God	Living the God-man life under divine grace	Experiencing the Lord’s shepherding and becoming channels of His shepherding
“I will dwell in the house of Jehovah forever”	Being built into God’s dwelling place	The New Jerusalem as the ultimate consummation of God’s eternal economy	The Lamb-God eternally shepherds His people to the springs of waters of life (Rev. 7:17)
Most important practice	Keeping the Lord’s word, holding to His name, loving the brothers, being in one accord, and living in the Body	Calling on the Lord, praying, reading the Word, enjoying Christ, living in the spirit, and experiencing the divine dispensing	Contacting people, feeding, shepherding, perfecting, recovering, and bringing people into the church life
View of “work”	Not outward activity as the primary emphasis, but faithfulness to the Lord’s testimony	God’s work is primarily God working Himself into man; outward work should be the issue of life	Shepherding is not human organization but the outflow of Christ’s life
Foundation of shepherding	Loving the Lord, loving the brothers, and loving one another	The divine life and the Body of Christ	Christ’s love for the sheep and His laying down His life for them (John 10:11)
Model of shepherding	The brothers and sisters shepherding and supporting one another in Philadelphia	The divine life flowing from God through the members of the Body	Christ the Great Shepherd → apostles’ ministry → elders and serving ones → all the members → mutual shepherding
Direction of shepherding	Toward the brothers and sisters	Toward the Body of Christ and God’s eternal purpose	“Feed My lambs” and “Shepherd My sheep” (John 21:15–17)
Result of shepherding	The church is preserved in the Lord’s name and word	The Body of Christ is built up as God’s corporate expression	The sheep mature, shepherd one another, and the Body is built up
Ultimate goal	To bear the Lord’s testimony and become pillars in the temple of God (Rev. 3:12)	The New Jerusalem—the consummation of the Triune God and His redeemed people	The Lamb-God eternally shepherds His people to the springs of the water of life (Rev. 7:17)
Relationship to the New Jerusalem	“A pillar in the temple of My God”—built up and never going out	The New Jerusalem as the ultimate consummation of God’s eternal economy	The supply of the tree of life and water of life continues in eternity
One-sentence summary	Return to the church life according to the Lord’s desire	Enter into the God-man life and the reality of the Body of Christ according to God’s eternal economy	Allow Christ to shepherd His sheep through us

The Essential Relationship among the Three Ways

These three “ways” should not be understood as three separate spiritual routes. Rather, they can be viewed as three aspects of the same divine way, seen from three different angles:

The Way of Philadelphia — the churchly way of practice;
The Way of God’s Eternal Economy — the divine way of God’s purpose and goal;
The Way of Christ’s Shepherding — the way Christ today carries out His heavenly ministry through His Body.

Thus:

The Way of Philadelphia
↓
Recovering the normal church life
↓
Entering into the central vision of God’s eternal economy
↓
Enjoying the Triune God as life
↓
Living the God-man life
↓
Cooperating with Christ in His heavenly ministry to shepherd people
↓
Causing all the members to grow in life
↓
Building up the Body of Christ
↓
Attaining the high peak of the divine revelation
↓
The New Jerusalem 

This means that the three ways are not three competing routes:

Philadelphia is the “church way”;
God’s eternal economy is the “divine way”;
Christ’s shepherding is the “way of practical ministry” by which Christ carries out this divine economy through His Body.

1.      The Way of Philadelphia: Recovering the Church Life Desired by the Lord

2.       

A crucial characteristic of the church in Philadelphia is:

“Because you have kept the word of My endurance, I also will keep you out of the hour of trial” (Rev. 3:10).

The emphasis is not on outward greatness, organization, or human ability, but on:

Keeping the Lord’s word → holding to the Lord’s name → not denying the Lord → loving the brothers → being faithful to the end.

Therefore, the Way of Philadelphia is first of all a way of returning to Christ Himself, returning to the Lord’s word, and returning to the fellowship of the Body.

Its destination is especially significant:

“He who overcomes, him I will make a pillar in the temple of My God” (Rev. 3:12).

Thus, the Way of Philadelphia is closely related to the matter of being a pillar. A pillar is not an isolated spiritual giant; it is a person built into God’s building. He does not stand for himself but stands for God’s building.

2. The Way of God’s Eternal Economy: God Working Himself into Man

The center of God’s eternal economy is not merely to produce more Christians, nor is it merely to bring people to heaven. Rather, it is:

God dispensing Himself into His chosen and redeemed people so that they may receive the divine life and nature, become the Body of Christ, and be God’s corporate expression.

This is consistent with the central line of ministry concerning God’s economy: divine life is central to God’s economy, Christ becomes the believers’ life, and the Body of Christ is produced and built up.

Therefore, God’s eternal economy can be condensed as:

God → dispenses Himself → man receives the divine life → God-man living → Body of Christ → God’s corporate expression → New Jerusalem

This also explains why the God-man life is not merely an ethical requirement outside God’s eternal economy. It is the result of the divine dispensing of God into man.

3. The Way of Christ’s Shepherding of the Church: Christ Continues to Shepherd from the Heavens

This is the crucial connecting point among the three ways.

After His resurrection, the Lord Jesus said to Peter: “Feed My lambs.” “Shepherd My sheep.”—John 21:15–17

Hebrews 13:20 calls Him “the great Shepherd of the sheep,” while 1 Peter 5:4 calls Him “the Chief Shepherd.”

Therefore, the Lord’s shepherding did not cease when He ascended.

After His ascension, Christ continues to shepherd His church in His heavenly ministry.

A particular burden is placed on the coordination between Christ’s heavenly ministry and the apostles’ ministry, caring for God’s flock for the building up of the Body of Christ.

Thus:

Christ shepherds from the heavens → we cooperate with Him on earth → the whole church shepherds one another → the Body of Christ is built up.

This is the Way of Christ’s Shepherding of the Church.

4. Psalm 23 as a “Life-Experience Map” of the Three Ways

The statement you supplied is particularly significant:

“The Way of Philadelphia is the way of God’s eternal economy revealed in Psalm 23; it is also the way of Christ’s heavenly ministry in shepherding the church, in order that, in His Divine Trinity, He may dispense Himself into us so that we may live the God-man life and attain the high peak of the divine revelation.”

When Psalm 23 is opened up in its spiritual significance, it presents a complete progression of life:

Psalm 23	Spiritual Reality	Relationship to the Three Ways
“Jehovah is my Shepherd”	The Triune God Himself is our supply	God’s eternal economy
“I will lack nothing”	Enjoying Christ as everything	Divine life
Green pastures	Christ as food and life supply	Shepherding
Waters of rest	The Spirit as the water of life	Divine dispensing
“He restores my soul”	The soul is restored	Shepherding
“He guides me in the paths of righteousness”	Living in God’s will and administration	Way of Philadelphia
Valley of the shadow of death	Passing through death and resurrection	God-man living
“You are with me”	The Lord Himself as our presence	Christ’s shepherding
Rod and staff	The Lord’s government and protection	Divine administration
“You prepare a table before me”	Enjoying the riches of Christ	God’s eternal economy
“You anoint my head with oil”	The anointing of the Spirit	Divine dispensing
“My cup runs over”	The overflowing of life becomes supply to others	Shepherding others
Goodness and lovingkindness	Living under God’s grace and lovingkindness	God-man living
Dwelling in Jehovah’s house forever	Being built into God’s dwelling place	Philadelphia → New Jerusalem

Therefore, within this integrated ministry perspective, Psalm 23 can be viewed not merely as a psalm of comfort, but also as a life-experience map: being shepherded → enjoying life → living the God-man life → entering into the building.

5. The Inner Center of the Three Ways

The three can be condensed into three prayers:

① The Way of Philadelphia

“Lord, I want to keep Your word and Your name and live in the church life according to Your desire.”

② The Way of God’s Eternal Economy

“Lord, dispense more of Yourself into me so that I may become Your expression.”

③ The Way of Christ’s Shepherding

“Lord, cause me to be shepherded in Your shepherding and make me a vessel through which You shepherd others.”

Therefore, the issue is not:  “I should do more work.”

Rather:

Christ → dispenses life → transforms us → we live Christ → shepherd others → build up the Body.

The quality of our work is therefore related to the outflow of divine life, not merely to the amount of outward activity.

6. The Most Crucial Threefold Integration

The entire subject can finally be summarized by this formula:

The Way of Philadelphia = the proper church life

↓

The Way of God’s Eternal Economy = the dispensing of the divine life and the God-man living

↓

The Way of Christ’s Shepherding of the Church = Christ’s heavenly ministry carried out through the members of His Body

↓

The Body of Christ

↓

God’s corporate expression

↓

The New Jerusalem

 

In other words:

Philadelphia gives us the “position and practice.”

God’s eternal economy gives us the “vision and goal.”

Christ’s shepherding gives us the “means and practical way of life.”

Together they become:

In the church life of Philadelphia, we receive and enjoy the divine dispensing of the Triune God, live the God-man life, cooperate with Christ in His heavenly ministry, shepherd one another, build up the Body of Christ, and ultimately reach the high peak of the divine revelation and the consummation of God’s eternal economy in the New Jerusalem.

The Important Spiritual Line

Seeing the vision
→ Taking the Way of Philadelphia
→ Enjoying the Triune God
→ Living the God-man life
→ Entering into Christ’s heavenly shepherding
→ Shepherding one another
→ Building up the Body of Christ
→ Becoming God’s corporate expression
→ The New Jerusalem

The Four Most Important Transitions

1. From outward religion → to the reality of the church life

2. From merely knowing about God → to receiving and enjoying the Triune God

3. From being individually shepherded → to participating in Christ’s shepherding of others

4. From individual spiritual growth → to the building up of the Body of Christ 

One Balanced View 

We should not emphasize Philadelphia while neglecting God’s eternal economy; we should not emphasize God’s eternal economy while neglecting practical shepherding; and we should not emphasize shepherding merely as an outward work while neglecting the divine life.

Rather:

The church life must be according to Philadelphia, the vision must be according to God’s eternal economy, and the practical living must be according to Christ’s heavenly shepherding.

Final Conclusion

The Way of Philadelphia, the Way of God’s Eternal Economy, and the Way of Christ’s Shepherding of the Church are three aspects of one divine way: the church keeps the Lord’s word and holds His name, the Triune God dispenses Himself into His people, Christ carries out His heavenly shepherding through His Body, the saints live the God-man life and shepherd one another, the Body of Christ is built up, and God’s eternal purpose reaches its consummation in the New Jerusalem.

One-Sentence Prophecy Summary

“The Way of Philadelphia is the way of the church life in the Lord’s recovery; the Way of God’s Eternal Economy is the way of the Triune God dispensing Himself into man and producing the Body of Christ; and the Way of Christ’s Shepherding is the way of the ascended Christ, in His heavenly ministry and through the members of His Body, shepherding the church so that we may live the God-man life, build up the Body of Christ, and reach the high peak of the divine revelation.”

 

*Please refer to the April 2026 Summer Training General Topic: Believers, Chapter Nine: Pillars and the Glowing Body.