Ⅴ
We need to be constituted with and spread the highest truth of God’s eternal economy by using the Life-studies and the Recovery Version with the footnotes; they are for life ministering, for truth releasing, and for opening up the books of the Bible—Job 10:13; cf. Eph. 3:9:
A
The Lord’s recovery is the recovery of the light of the truth; the most urgent need on the earth today is the truth of this age:
１
The Life-studies with the Recovery Version and all the footnotes are the most prevailing key to open up the Bible to us; they are not to replace the Bible but to bring people into the Bible—Acts 8:26-39.
２
We must consider the text of the Recovery Version with the footnotes and the Life-studies as a textbook for prayerful studying; if we merely read them in a light way, we will only receive some temporary nourishment and inspiration; however, when what we read becomes the truth in our enlightened memory, it becomes a constant and eternal nourishment to us—Psa. 119:130.
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The intention and goal of the Life-study messages are to “open up the mine” of the truth of the Bible for us to dig out the treasures; “I have published many things that need your spending years to get into”—The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1984, vol. 2, “Elders’ Training, Book 3: The Way to Carry Out the Vision,” p. 316.
B
Today we must bear the responsibility for spreading the translated, interpreted, and understood divine truths for the Lord’s recovery:
１
The proper understanding of the Bible has been collected in our writings in order for us to study, learn, and spread the divine truths; the Recovery Version and the accompanying footnotes are the “crystallization” of the understanding of the divine revelation which the saints everywhere have attained to in the past two thousand years.
２
The Lord has given us these precious truths for us to spread them not only to Christians but even to the unbelievers; what the Lord needs today is for thousands of His dear saints who love Him, who live to Him, and who know nothing but His recovery to take one way to spread the same truths to make them the faithful and prudent slaves to serve food to the Lord’s people at the proper time; then we will fulfill the commission of the Lord’s recovery—2 Cor. 5:14-15; Matt. 24:45.
３
The increase of the church depends on the spread of the truth; only the truth can subdue and gain people; from now on we all should spend time to learn the truth of God’s eternal economy and minister Christ to others for the multiplication and spread of the church—Acts 6:7; 12:24; 19:20.
Morning Nourishment
Psa. 119:130 The opening of Your words gives light, imparting understanding to the simple.Eph. 3:9 And to enlighten all that they may see what the economy of the mystery is, which throughout the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things.
I have made an attempt to open every book of the New Testament to you, but I have left the further digging to you. I have only “opened up the mine,” but I have not dug that much….I picked up the burden to write the expository footnotes for the Recovery Version in order to open each book of the New Testament to the seeking saints. I believe that the Lord will continue this digging work either through you or through some others. After a period of time I believe that many of you will be “good diggers.” The intention and the goal of our publishing the Life-study messages is to open up the mine for you to go in and dig. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 2, “Elders’ Training, Book 3: The Way to Carry Out the Vision,” pp. 311-312)
Today’s Reading
If we continue to take our old way, I am afraid that after another ten years we will be in the same condition. We are just giving people a little injection to help them grow in life mainly by inspiration, but no solid truth has been constituted into their being that can remain in their memory and that can be presented to others in a proper doctrinal way. By taking the way that we have taken, we have lost the nature of the testimony of Jesus, which must be a constitution of the proper truth that produces a proper daily living. If the saints are not properly constituted with the truth, they cannot live a proper life. If they live only by inspiration and not by the constitution of the truth, I do not trust in that kind of living to be a testimony of the Lord.We must educate our spiritual children. We should not only help them grow in life but should also help them to be educated and built up in the proper knowledge of the truth…. If all the saints could go through the entire New Testament and the Life-studies with the Recovery Version and the footnotes in five years, I would worship the Lord. This would be wonderful.
The elders have to endeavor to get into the truth. Do not excuse yourself by saying that you are too old. Even at the age of eighty I spend a certain time every day in the Word. If I can make it, so can you. It all depends upon whether or not we have the heart…. All of us elder brothers need to get ourselves saturated, soaked, and constituted with this basic knowledge of God’s Word. I must testify that I love God’s Word. God is Spirit, and God is life. The Spirit is in the Word, and the Word is life.
I propose that you study the Bible with an opener, with a help. All of us who have some experience with the Life-study messages know that they may be considered as the best help. They are the most availing and prevailing key to open up the New Testament to all of us. We must remember that at the beginning of any endeavor we always feel awkward and not so successful. However,… if we keep endeavoring to get into the truth, I believe the result that will issue will be very promising.
We should encourage the saints to have a private time in the Lord’s Word and… do this as a proper rule of their daily life. Regardless of how busy or how tired we are, we can reserve thirty minutes a day for a time with the Lord in the Word…. If there is the will, there is the way. To save half an hour among twenty-four hours is not a hard thing. If the saints could practice spending one hour or more in the Lord’s Word, this would be wonderful, but at least we should encourage them to give half an hour to the Lord every day….We all can realize what a blessing this will be, and I believe that this will make the Lord very pleased. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 2, “Elders’ Training, Book 3: The Way to Carry Out the Vision,” pp. 356-359)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1984, vol. 2, “Elders’ Training, Book 3: The Way to Carry Out the Vision,” chs. 9-13; Life-study of Ezra, msg. 5; Life-study of Nehemiah, msgs. 3, 5