Some parts of the Bible are subject texts, while others are explanatory words; some are primary in importance, while others are ancillary in function. Some are like the trunk of a tree, while others are like the branches of the tree. We should not follow the branches and lose sight of the trunk. Of course, we should not pay attention just to the trunk and forget about the branches. We should find out what the Holy Spirit is saying in a passage, how He is saying it, how many things are spoken of, and how many words He has used to achieve His goal. Our mind should follow these things step by step. We have to catch up with the mind of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has a subject to His speaking, and He also has words explaining the subject. When we are halfway through our speaking, we may digress from the subject with a word of explanation. These are “branches.” Branches do not grow all the way to the top of the sky. Likewise, the Spirit can digress from His subject with a word of explanation for five or ten verses, but He always comes back to the “trunk.” We must not dwell on the explanations all the time; we must follow the Holy Spirit and turn back to the subject. Many of the Epistles are structured in such a way that explanatory words are interwoven into subject passages. We must differentiate between the “trunk” and the “branches” before we can understand what we are reading. We cannot rush through in our reading. When the Holy Spirit makes a detour, we have to make the same detour. When the Holy Spirit turns back to the subject, we also have to turn back to the subject. We have to be very tender and very careful to not put any trust in ourselves or have any assurance in our flesh. This is the way to catch up with the thoughts of the Holy Spirit.
There are “trunks” and “branches” in the words of the Bible. Yet these “trunks” and “branches” are linked together to form one unified whole. For example, in writing the book of Romans, Paul’s intention was not only to give us 3:23, 6:23, or 8:1. The whole book conveys one unified thought; it is one complete entity. There is no fragmentation whatsoever. We must not take a few verses out of context and just expound them. It is all right for us to borrow a verse, but we have to differentiate clearly between borrowing a verse and making an exegesis of the verse. Even when we borrow the verse for some other use, we have to understand the context of the verse. Otherwise, we fall into the error of taking things out of context.
If our mind is trained, it will be strong enough to sustain the light. Light comes in a flash, and it has to be captured and sustained. If our mind is not trained to join itself to the mind of the Holy Spirit, we will not have enough thoughts to capture and sustain the light when it comes to us in the form of a revelation. This is the reason our mind has to be trained; it has to be altogether objective and responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has His own way of expression. For example, Romans 1 and 2 speak of man’s sin. Chapter three speaks of redemption, chapter four of faith, chapter five of the sinner, chapter six of the death of the sinner, chapter seven of two laws, and chapter eight of the Holy Spirit. Chapters nine to eleven give some examples. Chapter twelve speaks of the Christian and the church, and finally, chapters thirteen to sixteen speak of the walk and conduct of a saved person. In reading this book, we have to understand the intention of the Holy Spirit at the time He spoke these words. In every section the Spirit had some main thoughts. First, He spoke about man’s sin and then about the solution of sin and the accomplishment of God’s righteousness. Then He went on to speak of faith and of the obstacle to faith-human work. But there is more to man’s problem than his sin; there is the problem of his person. Therefore, in chapter six the Spirit spoke of the crucifixion of the sinner (the old man). The solution to man’s sin lies in his faith in the Lord’s death for him, whereas the solution to the man himself lies in his faith in his death with the Lord. In chapters nine through eleven, the nation of Israel is used as an illustration of God’s grace and faith. Chapter twelve then covers the condition of a consecrated Christian. From chapter one through chapter sixteen, we can identify the “trunks” clearly. Paul was very clear in expressing his feelings through these points. There are also the “branches”; we find some of them even in the very first section. In covering the subject of man’s sin, the Holy Spirit digresses to speak of the Gentiles and then the Jews, and then He turns back to the main thought. In reading the Bible, we have to follow the thought of the Holy Spirit closely.
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