In the previous chapter we saw the actual condition among Christians in relation to the pursuit of the truth. We will continue to speak concerning the truth in this chapter. The Lord’s recovery is a recovery of the truth. We were founded on the truth, and for the past sixty years we have continued our existence by the truth. This is the situation in the Far East and in the West. By the Lord’s grace we can say that on all five continents the Lord’s recovery is strong and rich in the truth. The Lord’s recovery is full of light. Whenever I open the Bible and begin to write, light comes. Some may say that the books of the Bible are sufficiently explained in the Life-study messages. However, what I wrote is but a small portion; I wrote according to the actual need of the saints and according to their ability to receive. The Lord continues to give us light, and I worship Him for this.
It is a great thing for the Lord’s word to come to us and for His light to shine on us. By the Lord’s mercy we have been able to convey His revelation in spoken and printed words. Our position, authority, and power lie entirely in the truth. If the truth were taken away from the Lord’s recovery, there would be nothing left. We do not have organization or methods, and we cannot rely on organization or methods. The truth is the solid rock on which we stand. Paul says, “The house of God...is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). The church is the pillar and base of the truth. If a pillar and base are not upholding something, they are not functioning. What the church upholds is the truth.
We were founded on the truth, we began our work with the truth, and we exist by the truth. The truth is our stand, our position, our authority, and our power. On the one hand, all the brothers and sisters respect, treasure, and appreciate the truth, but on the other hand, we must confess that not many in the Lord’s recovery actually pay the price to enter into the truth. Toward the end of last year, as I considered the situation in the Far East and in the West, I realized that there was a crisis among us: The co-workers did not pay sufficient attention to the truth; they did not enter into the truth. As a result, they were unconsciously manifesting signs of deviation.
This is the reason that I called an urgent meeting in February of this year for all the elders and co-workers in the recovery. Even though I was busy with many matters, I set aside two weeks to meet with the brothers. During that time I followed the Lord’s leading and released a strong word. The brothers admitted that those messages saved us from an impending crisis. We addressed being constituted with the truth, the need for the truth, and how to focus on the truth. All the messages are printed in the books of the Elders’ Training for the brothers and sisters to read and learn. (See Elders’ Training, Books 1—4.)
Concerning the burden to enter into the truth, I said that even though we appreciate and respect the truth, the saints and even the elders lack the practical application of the truth. We can be compared to students who study and pass examinations but who do not know how to teach others. It is one thing to learn mathematics and pass a test, but it is another to teach mathematics. The Lord’s recovery needs those who are able to teach the truth. This is according to the Bible, which says that we should come to the full knowledge of the truth and that we should teach others the truth (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:2). When Paul wrote the Epistles to Timothy, he paid much attention to this matter. Paul said that the elders who take the lead well should be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and teaching (1 Tim. 5:17).
Being an elder is more than being a shepherd who cares for the saints. According to Ephesians 4:11, shepherds are teachers. The Lord gave four categories of gifted persons to the church. He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers. Based on the grammatical structure of verse 11, shepherds and teachers refers to the same group of gifts. If we want to be shepherds, we need to learn to teach. If we do not know how to teach, how can we shepherd others? Therefore, shepherds need to be able to teach. It is regrettable that we are satisfied if the elders in the churches are only able to manage business affairs. The elders surely need to know how to manage business affairs; otherwise, the church will be chaotic. However, the church does not have only business affairs. The business affairs in the church are for God’s economy. They are for accomplishing God’s eternal purpose and fulfilling His heart’s desire, which is Christ as the mystery of God and the church as the mystery of Christ. This cannot be accomplished merely by managing business affairs. It requires the elders who take the lead to teach the saints the truth.
The Bible does not emphasize spiritual education in schools; it emphasizes the homes. This refers mainly to the education rendered by mothers. We always refer to the elders as fathers, but they should be mothers, not fathers. The strength of a family depends thirty percent on the father and seventy percent on the mother. If a mother is weak, the family will be weak even if the father is strong. A strong mother does not only have a strong will; she also has strong character, integrity, and morality. She should also be strong in knowledge. She should be able to teach her children at home, whether the subject is mathematics, geography, or natural sciences. In this modern age a good mother must receive higher education; otherwise, her children will not receive help with their homework. We must be mothers who lovingly and patiently care for our children. We change their diapers, feed them, cook for them, wash their clothes, and teach them. These preparations are for them to become useful.
Whether a person becomes useful depends on the education that he receives. A person’s education should be comprehensive. A mother cannot say that she cannot teach Chinese because she is an expert in mathematics. A competent mother should be able to teach mathematics, geography, English, Chinese literature, and even how to use the computer. Then her children will be useful. This also applies to education in the church.
Establishing a seminary to train students is not God’s way. The prophets in the Old Testament may have had disciples, but in the New Testament the apostles did not have disciples. In the New Testament the church is a restaurant, a hospital, and a home that is filled with teaching. Hence, the primary function of the elders is to teach the saints. The atmosphere among us needs to change. The elders in the churches need to enter into the truth and be good mothers who teach the saints in the local churches. Then every church will be a “scholarly family,” and the brothers and sisters will spontaneously pursue the truth and progress in the truth.