Second, after picking up the crucial points, we must put these points together. In order to have a “bird’s-eye view” over a message, a chapter, or over a portion of the Word, we must learn how to put the points together to make a section. For example, there may be twenty-five points in a certain chapter of the Bible, but you must learn how to section this chapter. This chapter may not be a single section, but it may be composed of five sections. Not knowing how to section a chapter is like writing without punctuation, without spaces between sentences, and even the more without spaces between words. If there is no space between words and sentences, it is hard to understand what is being said. In the ancient Greek manuscripts of the Bible there is no space between words and sentences and even no punctuation. The scholars who put out the modern form of the manuscripts spent much time to decipher the word, sentence, and paragraph divisions. There is still some argument as to whether some words go at the end of a sentence or at the beginning of another sentence. In the same way, if we do not know how to section a chapter, we cannot know or understand it. This is like writing a long sentence without any space in between the words.
Many of us who read the Bible and the Life-studies pick up some points but we do not relate any of these points to other points. You may have the realization that the first seven points of a chapter are the components of one section. Sectioning a chapter in this way gives you a clear view, a bird’s-eye view, of the entire chapter. Then this bird’s-eye view gives you more light through the points you have picked up. First you pick up the main points and after sectioning these points you have a bird’s-eye view. When you look at all the sections, this will increase your light and increase your vision. This makes the entire chapter more meaningful. This is not an easy task. This requires you to become conversed with all the verses and crucial points. To section a book or to paragraph a chapter requires that you have a basic, governing, ruling, controlling, and directing knowledge of the entire Bible. Otherwise, your sections and your paragraphs will be according to your natural understanding. It may be quite possible that your section is against the principle of the writing of the holy Word. This is why I do not encourage the young ones among us to go to so many other books. A number of expositions do not give the proper sections of the books. Their sectioning is even somewhat against the principle of the writing of the holy Word. As a result of taking this sectioning, you can be misled.
In our studying of the Recovery Version there are three subsidiary items to the text itself: the outlines, the notes, and the cross-references. The notes are very crucial, but I doubt that many of you realize that some of the outlines are more crucial than the notes. I would not say that the cross-references are crucial. I would only say that they are helpful. First, in reading the Recovery Version you must learn of the outline. The outline is the first crucial item. I could write a note on any verse of the Bible within one day, but I cannot finish the writing of the outline of a book like Romans within one day. When you outline the book of Romans, its entire sixteen chapters must be in front of you. You must have a full understanding of its contents and every crucial point should have been impressed into your understanding. Then you will be able to make very good sections for an outline. Please do not excuse yourselves by saying that you are not scholars or experts. I am speaking to all of you who are elders, who are taking the lead in the church meetings, and who are taking the lead of certain groups. You must equip yourself with the holy Word. I was told when I was young that when some were asked to give a sermon they would use the Scofield Reference Bible. They would pick a word such as “sanctified” and use the chain reference to trace this word’s usage in the Bible. They used this chain reference to make a sermon. This never enlightens or nourishes people. We must be equipped with the holy Word.
To become rich, we need to pick up the points, we need to have a bird’s-eye view of a chapter or of a section, and we also need a bird’s-eye view of the entire book. Finally, we need an ultimate practice—to have a bird’s-eye view of the sixty-six books of the Bible. Then the entire Bible means something to you. We need to progress from the single items of the truth to knowing the outline of a section or of a chapter. From this we need to see the outline or the bird’s-eye view of an entire book. Finally, from the outline of a book we must have a bird’s-eye view of the entire sixty-six books of the Bible. When you reach this point, a good foundation will have been laid with all the basic principles to govern, to direct, and to rule your interpretation of any word, any verse, any chapter, or any book of the Bible. You are not only safeguarded but also very much enriched.
You may say that this is hard, but I do not think so. This, however, takes time. You should not read the Bible and the Life-studies in the old way. Whenever you pick up the Bible or the Life-study of any book of the Bible, you must read them in this way. You must pick up the single, crucial points and have an outline of a certain chapter or a certain section. Then you must progress to have an outline of the entire book. After finishing a book you should not go ahead. You must go back to make an outline of this book. Try to do this. This is the basic way for you to carry out the ministry. If you do not have such a basic way, it will be hard for you to speak. Even to learn a language you must learn the alphabet, the spelling of certain words, and then you must learn more words. Then you must learn how to compose a single sentence and progress further to composing a paragraph with five sentences. You must learn the grammar of the language and more vocabulary. Gradually, this kind of knowledge will be constituted into your being. Then you will speak and write the language spontaneously and fluently. You have the capital to do it. Some Chinese immigrants who come to the United States speak with broken English. Instead of saying, “One dollar and twenty-five cents,” they may say, “One dollar two-five cents.” Many of today’s Christians read the Bible in the same principle. They read by using the spiritual, broken language. They do not have the basic knowledge of the spiritual language since they never were educated this way. This is why I want to present to you the proper way of how to carry out the ministry. The truths must be constituted into your being. Then you can carry out the ministry.
Even in the playing of basketball, the players must practice what the coach teaches them until this practice gets into their being. Then without any intention and without any thought they can execute the plays and the moves out of their very being. Then they will win the game. After much practice, they have the inner sense of what to do and of how to handle the ball. Please do not say that to study the Bible in this way is not easy. Many of us have been in the Lord’s recovery for at least fifteen years, but we did not get much of the proper help. This is one of the reasons why we called this urgent gathering. I believe that through our fellowship some help may be rendered to you. If you would pick up this fellowship and go back to practice every day, you will see the difference after only half a year.