Although this matter is so crucial in the Bible, many Christians today do not pay attention to it because they are preoccupied by ethical, cultural, religious, and philosophical concepts. When they come to the Bible, they are impressed with admonitions such as the command for children to honor their parents, for husbands to love their wives, and for wives to submit to their husbands. Some Christian husbands appreciate the Bible because it teaches a wife to submit to her husband. Likewise, Christian wives may appreciate the Bible because it requires a husband to love his wife. Those who are occupied with ethics and religion will pay attention to those matters in the Bible which they regard as ethical or religious. However, they do not see the basic revelation in the Scriptures.
Suppose that a Chinese hears the preaching of the gospel and believes in Christ. In his reading of the Bible, he may pay special attention to those portions of the Word which seem to be concerned with ethics. He may have very little understanding of Genesis 1:26, a verse which says that God created man in His own image, but he may devour the book of Proverbs, appreciating all its ethical teachings. Likewise, he may appreciate Paul’s words concerning the behavior of husbands and wives, for these sound much like the teachings of Confucius. He may praise the Lord’s salvation because it helps him to be ethical and moral. We may say that in his daily life he is a “Confucius Christian,” a believer who regards the teachings of the Bible as if they were the same as the ethical teachings of Confucius.
A believer with a different cultural background may appreciate the Bible because it teaches us not to make a display of ourselves. He may pay attention to those matters in the Word which seem to be in line with his national characteristics and cultural background. Thus, living Christ is replaced by ethics and culture.
When we come to the Bible, we should forget about ethics, culture, and different kinds of national characteristics. With an unveiled face and an inner being that is not preoccupied with anything, we should pray-read the Word. In doing this, we shall receive not only revelation, but also nourishment.
In 1 Timothy 4:6 Paul speaks of nourishment: “Being nourished with the words of the faith and of the good teaching which you have closely followed.” Nourishment is related to life. All the words in the Bible are words of life, words that are nourishing and healthy. Paul even uses the expression “healthy teaching” (1 Tim. 1:10; Titus 1:9), referring to teaching that nourishes us and makes us healthy. It is important that we all receive nourishment from the Word of God.
If we would be nourished by the Word, we must be free from all preoccupying concepts. We need to lay aside the veils of culture, domestic logic, and national philosophy. We need to read the Word of God without wearing any kind of colored glasses, that is, without any preoccupying concepts. Then we shall receive both nourishment and revelation.
Often after people are saved, they make up their minds to improve themselves. They may say, “I used to be godless and evil. I mistreated my parents, my brothers and sisters, and my children. From now on I will pray that almighty God will help me to be kind to everyone. I make up my mind never to lose my temper again. Instead, I shall be loving.” I believe that virtually every Christian has made a decision like this. However, for believers to make such decisions is not the right way. From experience I have learned that there is no need for us to make up our minds to be good, or to pray that God will help us to improve. What we need is to come to the living Word and receive nourishment.
The Bible reveals that the fullness of the Godhead is embodied in Christ. This means that all the riches of what God has and of what He is are embodied in Christ. Having passed through the process of incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection, Christ is now the all-inclusive Spirit with the bountiful supply. The bountiful supply of the Spirit in 1:19 is nothing less than the riches of Christ in Ephesians 3:8. Paul testifies that he was given grace to preach the gospel of the unsearchable riches of Christ. With respect to Christ, there are the unsearchable riches, but with respect to the Spirit, there is the bountiful supply. I repeat, the bountiful supply of the Spirit is the unsearchable riches of Christ. Both the riches and the supply are embodied in the Word, in the Bible. If we would touch the unsearchable riches of Christ and partake of the bountiful supply of the Spirit, we must come to the Bible.
God’s intention is to impart Himself to us and work Himself into us. He does this by means of the Spirit as the “antenna” and the Bible as the “ground wire.” By these means, the heavenly riches are transmitted into us. On our part, we need to turn away from trying to do good and away from taking the Bible merely as a book of ethics and instead come to the Word for nourishment. We should not simply read the Bible and study it; we also need to pray-read it.