John 1:1-2 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Here we are told that the Son of God is the Word. Christ is God’s Word. Hence, the ministry of the word is the ministry of God’s Son. To serve the church with God’s word means to serve the church with God’s Son. A minister of God’s word dispenses God’s word. Just like the seven deacons in Acts 6 who served by dispensing food to the saints, a minister of the word is one who serves by dispensing the word to others. Yet this word is not merely words per se; this word is a person. This word is Christ Himself. For this reason, serving others with the word means to serve them with the Son of God. A minister serves the church by ministering God’s Son.
Some people can only serve others with biblical teachings. They cannot serve others with the Lord Jesus. They live in the realm of letters. They can only serve others with truths, doctrines, and teachings. Their service only goes this far. They cannot serve others with the Christ who is contained in the word. They cannot minister Christ to others. This is the problem with many people. God’s word is Christ. The Bible is not merely a book; it is not merely pages of writings from which men receive doctrines and teachings. If the book, the Bible, is separated from the person, Christ, the book is a dead thing. In one realm the Bible is a book; in another realm it is Christ Himself. If a person remains in the first realm, all he has is the book, and he cannot serve as a minister of God’s word. He can only minister doctrines, truths, and teachings to others; he cannot minister Christ to them. Only those who are in another realm can minister Christ to others.
Paul’s word is clear. He said, “So then we, from now on, know no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him so no longer” (2 Cor. 5:16). Today we do not know Christ according to the flesh; rather, we have to know Him according to the Spirit. In other words, we do not know Him as the Jesus of Nazareth who walked on the earth, that is, the historical Jesus. Today we know Him as the Christ in the Spirit. We have to remember that those who know Him as the historical man do not necessarily know Him at all. Many Jews thought that they knew the Lord. They said, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” (Matt. 13:55-56). They thought that they knew Him because they knew these things. But we know that they did not know Him.
John the Baptist was a man from God. Yet he confessed, saying, “He who is stronger than I comes after me, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you in water, but He Himself will baptize you in the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:7-8). To stoop down and untie someone’s sandal was a work of slaves at the time of the Romans. When the master came to the door, the slave would stoop down and untie his sandals. This was a very humiliating work. John knew that the One who was to come after him was far greater than he. Did he understand it? Yes, he did. Was he clear about it? Yes, he was. Yet he did not know that the Lord Jesus was this very One who was to come after him. He was not clear about this. As far as their fleshly relationship went, John was Jesus’ cousin. They had known each other since their youth. But he did not know that the Lord Jesus was the One who was to come after him. He said, “And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water, He said to me, He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding upon Him, this is He who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God” (John 1:33-34). On the day when the Lord Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and John recognized this Jesus, who had been his cousin for thirty years, as the Son of God. Prior to this time he was close to the Lord and very intimate with Him. Yet he did not know Him. It was the Spirit who opened his eyes to recognize such a One. A man could be with the Lord Jesus for thirty years on earth and yet still fail to know Him. During those thirty years, John the Baptist kept up his acquaintance with the Lord. Yet he only knew Him as his own cousin. He knew the historical Jesus, the Jesus from Nazareth, but he did not realize that this Jesus of Nazareth was God.
The Lord Jesus is God. At the time He walked on earth in disguise, men did not know Him. God was disguised among men, and men did not recognize Him as God. It takes God’s Spirit to open men’s eyes before they can recognize this Jesus as the Son of God and the Christ. The Bible, in a way, is like Jesus of Nazareth. Humanly speaking, it is a book. Perhaps it is a little more special than other books. But when God’s Spirit opens a man’s eyes, he will see that this is no ordinary book; it is God’s revelation. It reveals God’s Son. Just as Jesus of Nazareth is the living Son of God, this book is a revelation of the living Son of God. If we only see this book as a book, we do not know God’s Bible. Those who do not know God’s Son do not know Jesus. In the same way, those who do not know God’s Son do not know the Bible. Those who know Jesus know God’s Son. In the same way, those who know the Bible should know that the Lord Jesus is God’s Son. They should know the very Son of God spoken of in the Bible. This book—the Bible—reveals God’s Son; it reveals Christ. This is not an ordinary book.
When the Lord Jesus was walking on earth, His contemporaries had many things to say about Him. They criticized Him in many ways. Some said that He was Jeremiah; others said that He was one of the prophets. Some said this and some said that. But the Lord Jesus asked the disciples, “But you, who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” What did the Lord say? He said, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens.” Knowledge of the Lord Jesus does not come from flesh and blood, but from the revelation of the heavens. Following this, the Lord said, “Upon this rock I will build My church” (Matt. 16:15-18). Without such a revelation there is no church. This is the foundation of the church. The whole church is built upon this foundation. When a man recognizes that the historical Jesus is God’s Christ and Son, this seeing becomes the foundation upon which the church is built.
Some people lament, saying, “I was born two thousand years too late. If I had been born two thousand years earlier, I could have gone to Jerusalem and could have seen the Lord Jesus face to face. The Jews did not believe Jesus was the Son of God, but I would have believed.” But even if these ones had been able to live, walk, and work together with the Lord Jesus every day, they still would not have known Him. They would have known the man Jesus only; they would not have known who He is. When the Lord was on earth, men conjectured much about Him. They realized that He was quite special, that He was different from other men. But they did not know Him. Peter, however, was a man who did not have to guess about Him. He saw Him and he knew Him. How did he know Him? First God shone His light on him and showed him that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God. Without God’s revelation, a man can follow the Lord everywhere and still not see. Even if a man followed the Lord to Caesarea Philippi, he still would not know who He is. A man can be with the Lord every day and still not know Him. He is not known through outward acquaintance but through revelation. The knowledge of the Lord Jesus is something that comes from revelation, not from acquaintance. If you do not have revelation, you may live with Him for ten years without knowing who He is. You will only know Him as the Christ and the Son of God when you have God’s revelation, when He speaks within you, and when He unveils your inner eyes. Your outward acquaintance of Him is not a true knowledge of Him.
The same thing can be said of the Bible. God’s Word is a person, and God’s word is also a book. God’s Word is Jesus of Nazareth, and His word is also the Bible. We need God to open our eyes before we can recognize Jesus of Nazareth as being the Word of God and the Son of God. In the same way, God has to open our eyes before we will recognize the Bible as being the word of God and a revelation of His Son. Those who were acquainted with the Lord Jesus and who lived with Him for many years did not know Him. In the same way, those who are acquainted with the Bible and who have read and studied it for many years do not necessarily know the Bible. There is the need of God’s revelation. Only that which God reveals to us through revelation is living.
The story of the healing of the woman with a flow of blood in Mark 5 shows us that many people were pressing upon the Lord Jesus, but no one touched Him. Among them all, only the woman with the flow of blood touched the garment of the Lord. She thought that if she could only touch the Lord’s garment, she would be healed. She had faith, and she was sensitive. She came to touch the Lord. As soon as she touched Him, she was healed. The Lord immediately asked, “Who touched My garments?” When the disciples heard this, they said, “You see the crowd pressing upon You and You say, Who touched Me?” (vv. 30-31). The disciples complained about the crowd that was pressing upon Him all around and wondered how the Lord could even ask who was touching Him. Yet as soon as someone touched the Lord, He knew it, and He could feel it. Many people pressed upon Him, but nothing happened to them. But the one who touched Him experienced an immediate change. Today, even if the Lord were to stand right next to you, He would do you no good if you were only pressing upon Him. Jesus of Nazareth is not known by pressing. Those who pressed against Him did not know Him. Only the one who had faith and discernment touched His garment and knew who He was. This man was Jesus of Nazareth, yet He was also the Son of God. Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. Many people pressed upon Jesus of Nazareth, but they did not touch the Son of God. Many people touch the outward Jesus, but they do not touch the Son of God.
The same principle can be applied to our reading of the Bible. Many people are pressing upon the Bible, but few touch the Son of God. You can touch God’s Son through Jesus of Nazareth. You can also touch God’s Son through the Bible. The problem with many people is that they only see the Bible; they have not touched the Son of God. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, men knew Him according to two different realms. In one realm men heard His voice and observed His movements but did not know Him at all. In another realm one person touched His garment and was healed. Many people saw Him, but only one knew that God was with this Jesus of Nazareth. I am afraid that when we introduce Jesus of Nazareth to others, we are merely introducing them to the Jesus of Nazareth who was in the flesh. In the same way, I am afraid that when we introduce the Bible to others, we are merely presenting a book to them. We should remember that those who pressed upon Jesus of Nazareth did not receive any benefit from Him. Many sick ones were not healed even though they pressed upon Him. Likewise, those who are pressing upon the Bible do not receive anything from this book. They receive nothing, just as the pressing crowd received nothing from Jesus of Nazareth. But some receive the light within, and they touch the Son of God within the book. The word that the Lord speaks to us is spirit and life. As soon as we touch this, we touch the ministry of the word. What we present to men should not be just a simple book. In presenting the book, we should also present the Son of God to them. A minister of the word is one who, while serving others with the word of God, also serves them with the Son of God. We serve men with Christ. Only as we present men with Christ can we serve as a minister of the word.
Some people only know the historical Jesus. They do not know the Son of God at all. When many people read the Bible, they only see the historical Jesus; they have never touched the Son of God within the Bible. The Bible is not merely a book, inasmuch as Jesus was not merely a man. Within the Bible we find Christ. If a man only touches the book without touching the Son of God, he does not have the ministry of the word.
In Luke 24:13-31 the Lord Jesus met two disciples on the way to Emmaus, and He walked with them. While they journeyed, the Lord asked them questions and they answered, or they asked and the Lord answered. The conversation was not short, and the Lord expounded the Scripture to them. When they were near Emmaus, they constrained Him, saying, “Stay with us, because it is near evening and the day is already gone by” (v. 29). The Lord went in and stayed with them. They even invited the Lord to their meal. During this long conversation, they did not recognize the Lord Jesus. Only when the Lord took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them were their eyes opened. Then they recognized the Lord. This shows us that even when a man walks with the Lord side by side, he still may not know who He is. Even when he talks with the Lord, he can still be ignorant of who He is.
Brothers and sisters, even if the Lord were to speak to us, we still might not know who He is. Even if He were to stay with us, we still might not know who He is. We should know something about the Lord that is far deeper than the knowledge we can gain from staying with Him, walking with Him, or talking to Him. We will only know who He is when He opens our eyes. Walking with Him, talking with Him, and having Him expound the Scripture to us are not enough to guarantee that we will know Him. We must realize that genuine knowledge of the Lord is deeper than these things. We may lament in our heart that we were not with Him when He walked on the earth, but we should realize that even if we had been with Him, we would not have known Him any more than we would today. Today, one of the least or weakest of brothers knows the Lord Jesus as much as Peter. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, the twelve disciples knew Him but not in a way that was greater than the weakest among us can know Him today. We should not think that we will know Him just by staying with Him for a few years. We have to realize that the Lord the disciples knew in their spirit is no different from the Lord we know in our spirit today.
The fundamental question is what constitutes real knowledge of the Lord. Real knowledge of Him does not come from the outside. We need God’s revelation before we can know the Lord. The Lord has to open our eyes and show us something before we can know Him. The Lord has to open our eyes. This is what being a minister of the word is all about. A man may spend much time studying. He may recite all the verses in the Bible and may be clear about all the doctrines in the Scripture. He may answer every question quickly, but it is possible that he does not know God’s Son at all. One day when God opens his eyes, he will see the Son of God. When God opens our eyes, we see Jesus of Nazareth and we see Christ. In the same way, when God opens our eyes, we see the Bible and the Son of God revealed in the Bible.
This is not to say that the work of the Lord Jesus on earth was not important. We are saying that a man has to believe that Jesus is the Christ before he can be begotten of God. If a man believes that He is the Son of God, he is begotten of God. We not only must see that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, but we must see the Bible. One cannot take away Jesus of Nazareth and still have the Son of God or Christ. Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God; He is the Christ. In the same way, one cannot take away the Old Testament or the New Testament and say that he knows Christ. He cannot take away the Bible and say that he knows the Son of God. Through the Bible, God gives us the knowledge of the Son of God. If we do not have revelation, we may read the book but only have knowledge of doctrines; we will not know the Christ contained in the book. This is a very fundamental issue. We can understand everything about this book and yet have not seen Christ at all. It is possible for us to touch this book without ever touching Christ.
What makes Christianity so complicated is the fact that there are two different realms. If all the outward things were taken away and only inward things were left, the situation would be much simpler: Those who have it would clearly have it, and those who do not have it would clearly not have it. But the problem is that there is a realm of “pressing” and there is also a realm of “touching.” Some are pressing, while others are touching. The two are completely different. Pressing upon Jesus is absolutely different from touching Him. Can we see the difference between these two? There are two different realms. The pressing ones are in one realm, and the touching ones are in another realm. Those who are in the pressing realm experience nothing, while those in the touching realm are healed of all their sicknesses and relieved of all their problems. In one realm there are intellectual ones who can understand the Bible, the doctrines, and the truth. But in the other realm, one encounters light, revelation, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Brothers, do we see this? There are two different realms. In one realm there are the teachers of letters. In the other realm there are the ministers of God’s word. We can only preach what we know. God has to bring us to a point where we touch the inner realm. We cannot know the Lord Jesus in the realm of “pressing”; we cannot know the Bible in that realm either. We must get into the realm of “touching” before we can be useful. Only in that realm do we find God’s speaking. Only that realm will issue in any results, and only that kind of “touching” will yield any results. The amazing thing is that the Lord did not feel anyone pressing upon Him, but He was very conscious of someone touching Him.
A simple brother who has nothing and who knows nothing may come to the Bible and contact the word in fear and trembling, and in the Lord’s presence, he may see light. Another brother may be well acquainted with the Greek and Hebrew languages. He may be very good at Chinese and English and may have read the Bible from cover to cover many times. He may even have memorized the Bible. But if he has never received any light from God, he cannot be a minister of God’s word. The most he can do is pass on Bible knowledge to others. He cannot minister Christ to the church. The Bible is living; it is a person. In fact, it is the Son of God Himself. If we do not touch this living word when we read the Bible, whatever we know will not yield any fruit.