Let me repeat: other than the mystery of the Body of Christ, which is composed of Jews and Gentiles, and which is depicted in Ephesians, the New Testament contains nothing new. Everything in the New Testament is a further development of the Old Testament. The basic principle to remember is that God’s light is contained in His Word. In order to learn to serve the Lord and be a minister of His word, we have to learn to know His Word. Not everyone who is familiar with the Bible can serve as a minister of the word, but those who are not familiar with the Bible will have less of a chance to become a minister of the word. We cannot be lazy in our knowledge of the Bible. In order to know the Bible, there is the need for spiritual familiarization. It is not enough just to memorize or read through the Bible. We must read it before the Lord. We need the light, and it must become a shining book to us. We have to study the words contained in this book in the presence of God, and we have to allow these previously spoken words to speak to us once again. If a man has never touched God’s word in the Bible, he can never touch God’s light. The present-day word is contained in the New Testament words, just as the New Testament words are contained in the Old Testament words. We have to realize that just as Paul and the other apostles derived their speakings from Moses and the prophets, we also derive our speaking from Paul and the apostles. We have to learn to receive a further word through receiving the apostles’ words.
All the revelations we have today represent further light upon previously spoken words. The first time God spoke, He spoke directly to men. Since that time, we receive further words through existing words; our words are built upon existing words. The basic principle today is to receive the word through the Word and to build words upon the words of the Bible. We do not receive God’s word independently or autonomously. If we do not receive our word from existing words, we are not qualified to be a minister of the word. We should go to God’s Word according to the pattern of the apostles, not according to the fashion of the scribes and Pharisees. We should all find light from the Word and produce more words from the Word. The first grain of wheat was created by God, but all subsequent grains are begotten. One grain begets many grains. From the one grain, many grains are produced, and many grains bring in many more grains. The first grain was from God; it was created. It was not preceded by anything; it was unprecedented. God’s word works according to the same principle. The first word was created by God; it was unprecedented. From this word more advancements were made and more words were spoken. The first word God spoke was unprecedented. Today this word in us has produced more words. Once we have the established word in us, more words are produced. Each generation finds the word becoming clearer and more abundant. Today we cannot expect God to create a grain from nothing and then to sow with such a grain. In the same way, we cannot expect God to create a word out of nothing. We can only receive words that are based on God’s established words; we can only receive light that is based upon existing light and revelation that is based upon existing revelation. This is the way of the ministers of the word today. If anyone goes beyond this limit, he is a heretic.
Brothers and sisters, do not allow anyone to lightly claim that he is an apostle or a prophet. If a man goes beyond the boundary of God’s established, spoken Word in his speaking, his speaking is heretical and devilish. If a man is not careful with his speaking, he will get into great trouble. Today light is contained in the previously received light, the word is contained in the Word, and revelation is contained in the past revelations. Anything that comes from the Bible is right; anything that does not come from the Bible, but from other sources, is wrong. All the speakings we have today come from past speakings. Today is not the day of creation. Today’s principle is the principle of begetting. Revelation begets revelation, light begets light, and word begets word. Today we are learning to speak step by step. Eventually, we hope that we will have the ministry of the word.