LESSONS ON THE GOD-ORDAINED WAY

Lesson Twenty-seven

The Way to be Constituted with the Divine Truths

Scripture Reading:

Acts 8:30-31 And when Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, Do you really know the things that you are reading? And he said, How could I unless someone guides me? And he entreated Philip to come up and sit with him.

Eph. 6:17-18a And receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God. By means of all prayer and petition…

2 Tim 3:15-16 And that from a babe you have known the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.

1 Cor. 14:31 For you can all prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

1 Cor. 1: 10 Now I beseech you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion.

I. The divine revelation in the holy writings—the writings of the Holy Bible—2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21:

A. The origin of the Bible:

1. The Bible being God-breathed—2 Tim. 3:16.

2. The Bible being the speaking from God by men borne by the Holy Spirit—2 Pet. 1:21; 2 Samuel 23:2.

3. The Bible being God’s speaking in the Prophets and in the Son—Heb. 1:1-2.

B. Translation of the holy writings—Nehemiah 8:5-8.

C. The interpretation of the holy writings—Nehemiah 8:5-8; Acts 8:30-31.

II. The understanding of the holy writings—2 Tim. 3:15.

III. Being constituted with the truth to carry out the New Testament ministry—Col. 3:16；Deut. 6:4; 1 Tim. 2:4.

IV. The best way for God’s word to be constituted into the believers—pray-reading, studying, reciting, and prophesying (PSRP) —Eph. 6:17-18a; 2 Tim. 3:15-16; Col 3:16; 1 Cor. 14:31:

A. The practice of PSRP—pray-reading, studying, reciting, and prophesying.

B. Pray-reading––Eph 6:17:

1. Pray-reading cannot be done lightly.

2. Laying a good foundation through pray-reading.

C. Studying––2 Tim 3: 15-17.

D. Reciting––Col 3:16.

E. Prophesying––1Cor. 14: 3-4, 26, 31.

V. Conclusion－1 Cor. 1:10, Rom 15:6, 1 Tim 1:3-4:

A. The practice of PSRP was in the Bible already—Acts 8:30-35.

B. If we had practiced this, we would be able to prophesy on the Lord’s Day.

C. All of the members of Christ’s Body should be functioning members who speak for the Lord. This is why we need to practice PSRP.

D. Not only get these words into us but also repeat them like tape recorders—Acts 2: 42; Titus 1:9; 1 Cor. 1: 10; Rom. 15: 6; 1 Tim. 1: 3-4.

 

Excerpts from the Ministry:

THE DIVINE REVELATION IN THE HOLY WRITINGS—
THE WRITINGS OF THE HOLY BIBLE

The Origin of the Bible

The Bible Being God-breathed

The Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). This tells us that the Scripture did not come out of man’s thought, man’s mind, but rather, it is God’s breathing His thought and His word through His Spirit into and out of the writers. Hence, the Bible contains God’s elements and carries His flavor. As Christians, our greatest joy, or shall we say, our greatest blessing, is to be able to contact God and taste Him daily through the word of His breath. (Truth Lessons—Level One, Lesson One, p. 2)

The Bible Being the Speaking from God by Men Borne by the Holy Spirit

Since the Scripture is God’s breathing His word out from men through His Spirit, no word of the Scripture can be of man’s will; rather, men were borne by the Spirit and spoke out of God. The word, “men spoke from God, being borne by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21), has a twofold meaning: first, men were borne by the Spirit; second, men spoke from God. In the original Greek, being borne by the Holy Spirit means being carried along as a ship by the wind. The writers of the Bible received God’s inspiration, and they were under the power of the Holy Spirit, being borne and carried along by Him to speak out God’s word. Furthermore, when they spoke, they spoke from within God. It was the Spirit of God carrying men along to speak, and it was also men speaking from within God. In other words, it was God speaking His own word from within men through their mouths.

Second Samuel 23:2 says, “The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.” This word was spoken by David. He told us that the words he spoke were the speaking of the Spirit of God through him, and that it was God’s word that was in his tongue. Not only the Holy Spirit spoke through him, but also God’s word was in his tongue and was spoken from his mouth. This is the Bible. (Truth Lessons—Level One, Lesson One, p. 3)

The Bible Being God’s Speaking in the Prophets and in the Son

The Old Testament is God’s speaking in the prophets; the New Testament is God’s speaking in the Son, our Lord Jesus (Heb. 1:1-2). Hence, whether it is the speaking of the prophets in the Old Testament or the speaking of the Lord Jesus in the New Testament, both are God’s speaking and both are of God. (Truth Lessons—Level One, Lesson One, p. 3)

The Translation of the Holy Writings

In order to have the divine truths, there needs to be the translation of the holy writings. God has spoken in Hebrew and Greek, but what He has spoken needs to be properly translated. Even the Old Testament used by the Lord Jesus in His speaking to the people was not in the original language, but was a Greek translation, the Septuagint version. This version was a translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, completed about three hundred years before Christ was born. It was translated by seventy Jewish scholars, and the Lord Jesus and early apostles quoted from it a number of times. The translation of the holy writings is a great thing. Without the translation of the Bible into many languages, most people would not be able to read it. (The World Situation and the Direction of the Lord’s Move, Chapter 2, pp. 24-25)

The Interpretation of the Holy Writings

In addition to the translation of the holy writings, there needs to be the interpretation of the holy writings (Acts 8:27-37; Heb. 5:11-12; 9:1-10, especially v. 5; 2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Pet. 3:15-16). For example, who can explain what it means in Daniel 11:32 for the people who know their God to show strength and to take action? This word refers to the Jewish heroes, who were known as the Maccabees. They defeated Antiochus Epiphanes, who was the first type of the coming Antichrist. The word in Daniel 11:32 was spoken to the Maccabees, encouraging them to defeat Antiochus, to show strength and take action. There is a story in Acts 8 of Philip’s encounter with an Ethiopian eunuch which illustrates the need of the interpretation of the Word. This eunuch had come to worship in Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia. He was reading Isaiah 53 when Philip approached his chariot. When Philip heard him reading, he asked, “Do you really know what you are reading?” (v. 30). Then the eunuch said, “How can I unless someone guides me?” (v. 31). To some, Isaiah 53 may be easy to understand, but to that eunuch it was difficult. This shows that without the interpretation and exposition of the Bible, people cannot understand it.

Some have said that they do not need the Life-studies and that they just read the pure Bible. But if people merely read the Bible without the proper exposition of the Bible, they will not be able to understand it in many portions. Paul said in Hebrews that he had much to say concerning Melchesidec as a type of Christ, but that this was hard to explain because the Hebrews had become dull of hearing. He told the Hebrews that they should have been teachers by that time, but they were still babes in understanding the holy Word (5:10-13).

In Hebrews 9, Paul speaks of the first tabernacle, the Holy Place, and the second tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, as symbols of two covenants. The first tabernacle, the Holy Place, signifies the old covenant as a type (vv. 1-2, 6, 8-10), and the second tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, signifies the new covenant as a reality (vv. 3-5, 7-8, 10-12). In verse 9 Paul said that the first tabernacle mentioned in verse 8 was a figure, a type, for the present time, which is the New Testament age. The first tabernacle, the Holy Place, was a symbol of the old covenant and, at the same time, it was also a type of the New Testament age. Without Paul’s guidance, how could we understand that the first tabernacle typifies the New Testament age? Even today not many people realize that the first tabernacle is a type of the New Testament age. (For more help concerning this truth, see message thirty-nine of the Life-study of Hebrews)

There is a great amount of truth in the Lord’s recovery today. We have published Life-study messages on the entire twenty-seven books of the New Testament. This was completed by our having two annual trainings from 1974 to 1986. The Life-studies do not replace the Bible. Rather, they open the Bible, expound the Bible, and release the unsearchable riches in the Bible.

Recently, I was having a time with the Lord in the morning with the help of the publication we have entitled The Holy Word for Morning Revival. I was praying over Ephesians 6:23, which says, “Peace to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” I was asking myself what peace and love with faith meant. I forgot that I had written a note on this verse in the Recovery Version, so I read it. The note points out that faith is to receive Christ (John 1:12) and love is to enjoy Christ (14:23). Then it says, “Here it is not faith and love, nor love and faith, but love with faith, because this is the conclusion of the book on the church, which needs to enjoy Christ in love with faith, which works through love (Gal. 5:6). Thus peace will also be her portion.” I received much help from reading this note on Ephesians 6:23. This shows that we need the interpretation and the exposition of the Word. (The World Situation and the Direction of the Lord’s Move, Chapter 2, pp. 25-27)

THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE HOLY WRITINGS

Since the holy writings have been translated and interpreted, we need the understanding of the holy writings. Hence, the learning of the divine truths by studying the translated and interpreted holy writings is necessary (2 Tim. 3:15). We need to pray, “Lord, open my ears so I can hear, and open my eyes so I can see.” Paul prayed in Ephesians 1 that the Lord would grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation (v. 17). A line in Hymns, #1255 says, “When we exercise our spirit our vision is so clear.” In order to have the proper understanding of the translated and interpreted holy writings, we need to exercise our spirit. We need to contact God, praying to Him and humbling ourselves by saying, “Lord, I know nothing. I need You.” I can testify that when I come to the Word in this way, the light is there and I understand it.

Many saints have purchased a complete set of the Life-studies of the New Testament. But some leave them on their bookshelf and do not get into them. We need to learn the divine truths by studying the interpreted holy writings. In these days the Lord needs some to go to Europe and Russia. Europe and Russia are suffering from a famine of the divine truths. If we mean business for the Lord’s recovery, we must study all the books we have published. In addition to the Life-studies of the New Testament, we have also published Life-studies on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Isaiah. Many of us can testify that after these books were expounded, they became new to us. We must learn the truths in these books by studying their proper interpretation. (The World Situation and the Direction of the Lord’s Move, Chapter 2, pp. 25-27)

BEING CONSTITUTED WITH THE TRUTH TO
CARRY OUT THE NEW TESTAMENT MINISTRY

Our constitution should not be something gilded. It must be something inwrought into our being. The Great Babylon is gilded with gold (Rev. 17:4), but the lampstand is golden by its intrinsic essence. It is golden intrinsically, basically, and essentially. With many of us, our being golden is somewhat by gilding. Something that is gilded with gold cannot pass the test of “scratching.” A little scratch exposes the real nature of the thing. If we are really gold, “scratching” will expose that we are gold. Even if someone were to “break us up” and “grind us into powder,” it would show that we are not only golden but gold. If our intrinsic nature is golden, this can stand any kind of test. The Lord’s recovery does not treasure any gilded thing. We treasure the basic things, the intrinsic things, the essential things.

Please do not think that I am encouraging you charging you to learn the Life-studies.

Merely to learn the messages does not mean much. We must take in the Word and let the Word be organically assimilated into our entire being. Then when you speak and when you give messages in the principle of the teachings conveyed in the Life-study messages, you will not merely speak from the printed page. You will speak out of your “fiber.” Then your speaking will stir up much interest and the impact will be there. This is not eloquence.

Eloquence means nothing. You must become constituted with the New Testament ministry. (Elders’ Training, Book 3, pp. 52-53)

Because we are short of the adequate knowledge the truth, we are influenced by “good things.” An adequate knowledge of the truth can preserve us. Throughout church history, Christendom has picked up many things which are not in accordance with the truth of the divine revelation. Once the adequate knowledge of the truth came in, many of these things were dropped and “mopped away.” Up until Luther’s time, the Catholic Church had picked up much “dirt” of pagan practices and unscriptural doctrines. Then Luther stood up to put out one basic truth––justification by faith. This truth swept away a lot of dirt. The Catholic Church became “dirty” because of the lack of knowledge of the truth. If I discover any dirt, it is my responsibility to sweep it away with the truth. Many of us have an inadequate knowledge of the Lord’s recovery. This means you are short of protection and you miss the safeguard. We must clean up the dirt, not by human doing, but by presenting the truth. Once the saints see the truth, they know where they are, and they know what the Lord’s recovery is. (Elders’ Training, Book 3, pp. 85-86)

THE BEST WAY FOR GOD’S WORD TO BE CONSTITUTED INTO THE BELIEVERS—PRAY-READING, STUDYING, RECITING, AND PROPHESYING (PSRP)

The Practice of Pray-Reading, Studying, Reciting, and Prophesying

The Bible was first written, then translated, and finally interpreted and explained. According to our old way, many of us have been listening to messages interpreting the Bible for years, but when we go to contact people, we still do not know what to say. This is why I have shared that we need to follow the pattern of the saints in Taiwan to practice PSRP—pray-reading, studying, reciting, and prophesying. All of this requires time. Pray-reading cannot be done lightly. Then we need to study the truths word by word, term by term, and phrase by phrase. For instance, John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then verse 14 says that the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, full of grace and reality. Many read these verses without understanding them. This is why we need the word to be interpreted to us. (The Vital Groups, p. 141)

In order to get into the details of the outlines we have released on Christ in His three stages, I would like to recommend the practice of the saints in Taipei. They come together in small groups to pray-read the outline. After pray-reading they study it. Then they learn to recite the entire outline, word by word. Then they prophesy. We may feel that we cannot do this, but if there is a will, there is a way. This practice of pray-reading, studying, reciting, and prophesying has become the best way for the saints in Taipei to digest all these new outlines. After they practice this, they are fully nourished, and they can go to nourish others. (The Vital Groups, pp. 125-126)

The content of one outline concerning Christ in one of His stages is like ten meals. We should nourish people with a meal. Each member of the vital groups should present a meal to people for their nourishment. It is hard to see a group among us today which is really vital. Our groups are not vital because we are not nourished. If we want to enter into the intrinsic significance of the Bible, we need to digest these outlines we have released to enable us to nourish others with the unsearchable riches of Christ in His full ministry in three stages. (The Vital Groups, p. 126)

Revelation 2 speaks of the teaching of Balaam (v.14), the teaching of the Nicolaitans (v.15), the teaching by Jezebel (v.20), and the teaching of the deep things of Satan (v.24). In today’s Christianity, there are many different teachings, but we should have only one teaching, the New Testament teaching, which is called the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). The unique teaching in the New Testament is the teaching of the apostles concerning God’s eternal economy to produce the church for the Body that consummates the New Jerusalem. When we pursue Christ and build up the church according to the apostles’ teaching, the New Testament ministry, we will be under the Lord’s blessing. We may say that it is difficult to gain Caucasians, but in the place mentioned above, at least half of the saints have faithfully practiced door-knocking for the past ten years, and the new ones they have gained have been mostly Caucasians. The contents of the above testimony are according to what I have been teaching for the past ten years. This testimony confirms that the God-ordained Way to practice and build up the church life according to the New Testament ministry really works. (The Vital Groups, pp. 138-139)

Pray-reading

The words of the Bible are the breathing out of God, but when you turn them into prayer, they become your breathing in. Every word of the entire Scripture is the breathing out of God. How can you receive into you what God has breathed out? It is by praying the words of the Scriptures. Once you turn the words of the Bible into prayer, God’s breathing out becomes your breathing in. What you breathe in is spirit and life. Therefore, the Lord said that the words which He has spoken to us are spirit and life. When the Lord’s words are spirit to us, they are also life.

Thank the Lord many of our older brothers and sisters love the Bible, which I also love. In my fifty-eight years’ experience of reading the Bible I have learned a secret; that is, the most profitable way of reading the Bible is to pray-read. If you simply read in an ordinary way, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” this may be profitable, yet it is merely a revelation to let you know that the heavens and the earth were created by God, that is, to let you know their origin. However, this is only knowledge; you have not gained any supply and nourishment from it. In Matthew 4 the Lord Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God” (v. 4). Every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God is the Scriptures. In Matthew 4 the Lord Jesus dealt with the three temptations of the devil by quoting the words of the Scriptures. The Lord said, “Every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God,” referring to the Holy Scriptures. From the first verse to the last verse of the sixty-six books of the Bible, every word is a word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. This corresponds with 2 Timothy 3:16, which says that “all Scripture is God-breathed.” The words that proceed out through the mouth of God are God’s breathing out. It is not enough for us just to read and to understand what God breathed out, because then it would be mere knowledge, revelation, and doctrine. Although these are profitable to us in saving us from being ignorant, we still cannot gain the nourishment. How can we gain the nourishment from the words of the Scriptures? It is by turning these words into prayer. This is pray-reading, which is different from mere reading. (A Living of Mutual Abiding with the Lord in Spirit, pp. 78-79)

Pray-reading Cannot Be Done Lightly

The Bible was first written, then translated, and finally interpreted and explained. According to our old way, many of us have been listening to messages interpreting the Bible for years, but when we go to contact people, we still do not know what to say. This is why I have shared that we need to follow the pattern of the saints in Taiwan to practice PSRP – pray-reading, studying, reciting, and prophesying. All of this requires time. Pray-reading cannot be done lightly. Then we need to study the truths word by word, term by term, and phrase by phrase. For instance, John1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then verse 14 says that the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, full of grace and reality. Many read these verses without understanding then. This is why we need the word to be interpreted to us. (The Vital Groups, p. 141)

Laying a Good Foundation through Pray-reading

Our study equips us to interpret the Word to others. By my study of the Word throughout the years, I saw that grace is God gained and enjoyed by us, and reality is God realized by us. We have to gain Him, receive Him, and enjoy Him as grace. Then we have to realize Him as the reality. Although points like this have been made clear in our Life-study of the Bible, we may not pay attention to them to study them. In order to be constituted with the truth, we need to pray-read and then study. Pray-reading verses such as John 1:1 and 14 lays a good foundation. (The Vital Groups, p. 142)

Studying

Then we can study the crucial points of these verses with the help of the life-studies. With this help we can find out what grace and reality are. We have to study the truths word by word, term by term, and phrase by phrase. Spontaneously, we will be able to recite what we have pray-read and studied. In addition to our personal study, we also need to study with others. This kind of study cannot be carried out in big meetings. It can be carried out mutually in vital group meetings of six to not more than ten saints. (The Vital Groups, p. 142)

Reciting

We have inherited much from the foregoing interpretations of the Word and have had a life-study of the entire Bible. Then the Lord has taken us further to have a crystallization-study. In this study I have to spend time not merely to present messages as I did with the life-study, but to present outlines. We have to pray-read, study, recite, and prophesy with the points of these outlines. If we are equipped to recite the outlines, we will spontaneously know how to prophesy. The second point of outline one of the recent [1996] Thanksgiving conference says, “His [Christ’s] humanity through His incarnation became a shell to conceal the glory of His divinity.” In the beginning was the Word, who is God, this Word became flesh, and this flesh was a shell to conceal the glory of Christ’s divinity. This is why the first banner of the conference says, “The glory of Christ’s divinity was concealed in Him as in a grain of wheat.” The shell of the grain of wheat conceals the grain’s life and riches. If we prophesy with points like these, those whom we contact will want to hear what we say. This new way of pray-reading, studying, reciting, and prophesying—PSRP—has been passed on to many places. What I am speaking here is a kind of instruction to all the churches. My new way is PSRP. This is the way for us to cook and to eat the riches which have been released in these recent years. (The Vital Groups, p. 142)

Prophesying

We should prophesy with what we can recite; what we can recite is what we have studied; and what we have studied is what we have pray-read. If we do not pray-read, study, or recite, we cannot prophesy. I have encouraged people to prophesy in the Lord’s Day meeting, but they still claim that they do not know what to say. Now we have a new way. If we pray-read, study, and recite the points of the outlines released in our crystallization-study of the Word, we will surely prophesy. Who cannot prophesy? Those who do not pray-read the outline, who do not study the outline, and who do not recite the outline. If we practice PSR (pray-reading, studying, and reciting) each day, from Monday through Saturday, we will surely prophesy in the Lord’s Day meeting of the church.

I studied Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. Verses 32 through 35 say, “Now the passage of Scripture which he [the eunuch] was reading was this: ‘As a sheep He was led to slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so He does not open His mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away. Who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken away from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip and said, I beseech you, Concerning whom does the prophet say this? Concerning himself or concerning someone else? And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he announced Jesus as the gospel to him.” This was Philip’s preaching of the gospel.

CONCLUSION

The Practice of PSRP Was in the Bible Already

This account in Acts 8 shows that the practice of PSRP is not our new way. It was in the Bible already, in Acts 8. The way Philip answered the eunuch and preached Christ to him as the gospel surely indicates that Philip had studied that portion of Isaiah 53, which the eunuch quoted to him, and that he had remembered that portion so that he could preach Christ as the gospel as a kind of prophesying. If he were not familiar with that portion of the holy Word, how could he have preached Christ as the gospel according to that portion? His preaching was a real prophesying of the holy Word with which he had become familiar. (The Vital Groups, pp. 143-144)

If We Had Practiced This, We Would Be Able to Prophesy on the Lord’s Day

If anyone comes to the Lord’s Day morning meeting without being prepared to prophesy, this indicates he was lazy for the whole week. Throughout the week, he did not pray-read, study, or recite. If he had practiced this, he would be able to prophesy on the Lord’s Day. After reading the fellowship in this message, we may feel that the standard in the church is too high. In a sense, this is true because we are in the Lord’s recovery. We do not want to remain in degraded Christianity. Those in Catholicism are required only to attend mass. They do not have to function. Those in Protestantism mostly listen to sermons. They are not required to speak for the Lord in their meetings. The Lord’s recovery is different. (The Vital Groups, p. 144)

All of the Members of Christ’s Body Should Be Functioning Members
Who Speak for the Lord. This Is Why We Need to Practice PSRP

All of the members of Christ’s Body should be functioning members who speak for the Lord. This is why we need to practice PSRP. We have to pray-read, study, and recite the points we have studied. Then spontaneously our pray-reading, studying, and reciting will become our prophesying. (The Vital Groups, p. 144)

Not Only Get These Words into Us but Also Repeat Them Like Tape Recorders

Brothers and sisters, I hope that you not only get these words into you but also repeat them like tape recorders. I often pray for you at my home. I have been a slave of the Lord speaking for Him for over sixty years. I am like a tape recorder speaking for the Lord again and again. I truly hope that when I speak, others will be tape recorders. This is my prayer. The Lord answered my prayer, saying, “With men it is impossible, but with Me everything is possible. With all these believers who are under your leading, I can make every one of them such a tape recorder.” I hope that all the brothers and sisters can enter into such a word, be constituted with such a word, and clearly speak such a word. (The Experience of God’s Organic Salvation Equaling Reigning in Christ’s Life, p. 52)

References: Truth Lessons—Level One, Vol. 1, Lesson One; The World Situation and the Direction of the Lord’s Move, Chapter 2; Elders’ Training, Book 3, The Way to Carry Out the Vision, Chapter 5, 8; The Vital Groups, Chapter 13, 15, 16; A Living of Mutual Abiding with the Lord, Chapter Six; The Experience of God’s Organic Salvation Equaling Reigning in Christ’s Life, Message 4.