Three necessary steps constitute the ministry of the word: light, thoughts, and word. There are two aspects of the word: the inner words and the outer words. In order to simplify things, we should say that there are four steps: light, thoughts, the inner words, and the outer words.
What are the outer words? What is the relationship between the inner words and the outer words? Their relationship is like the relationship between thoughts and light. These are all spiritual facts and can never be shaken. We have mentioned previously that the light will fly away once it shines within us if there is no thought to capture the light. It will run from our grasp and not be useful to us. Similarly, once we receive one or two inner words, we have to release them through outer words. The inner words consist of one or two sentences. These one or two sentences of God’s speaking cannot be understood or accepted if they are released in isolation. They have to be complemented with many other words. In addition to one or two words from God, we must have many other words before we can serve as a minister. God grants us the light of His word, and God also transforms this light into inner words. But this is not enough; we also must have many outer words. An inner word that is without complement is in a form that cannot be accepted readily; it is too condensed. If we release this word in its primitive form, others will not be able to understand it. It will be too strong, too condensed, and too compact to be accepted by others. When the inner word is released, it must be accompanied by many other words. Only then will we be able to effectively express the inner word. Perhaps two thousand words are needed to convey one word from God. Perhaps five thousand or ten thousand words are needed to convey that one word. We have to employ our own words to convey God’s word. This is the meaning of the ministry of the word.
Here we see the need of human elements. In capturing the light with our mind, the human element is involved. Some minds are not capable of this work, while other minds are sufficient. This is the first point at which the human element becomes involved. It is again involved later in the search for outer words. Some people are able to furnish suitable outer words to convey God’s word. Others cannot find suitable words to properly convey God’s word. Human elements account for a tremendous difference here.
The inner words are in a very condensed form; no one can receive them into him. The outer words are more diluted and can be accepted more readily. Our responsibility is to take care of the outer words. The responsibility for the outer words lies with man, that is, with the minister. A minister’s responsibility is to “dilute” God’s condensed word and make it easier for others to accept. The inner words are cryptic and condensed, whereas the outer words are lengthy and diluted. Others cannot receive the inner words; they can only receive the outer words. We receive the one or two sentences from God when we receive the second revelation. But after we receive these sentences, we still need many other words to help us release them. Hence, a minister of the word must first receive a divine word from God and then release this word with his own words. Only as we understand this process can we understand the meaning of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The pure word that men receive from God does not vary much. Yet when this word was spoken through Peter, it carried Peter’s flavor. When it was released through John, it carried John’s flavor. When it was released through Paul, it carried Paul’s flavor. If one can read the Greek New Testament, he can easily tell which books were written by Peter, which ones by John, and which ones by Paul, because, even though they all contain God’s word, they were all written differently. Peter was one kind of person, John was another kind of person, and Paul was yet a third kind of person. When God’s word was spoken through Peter, the teaching was God’s, but the flavor was Peter’s. When God’s word was spoken through John, the teaching was God’s, but the flavor was John’s. When God’s word was spoken through Paul, the teaching was God’s, but the flavor was Paul’s. Human elements are present in the ministry of God’s word. God lays His hand upon men chosen by the Spirit and releases His word through them. He indeed is the One who gives the word, yet He wants men to release it in their own words. Those who have learned many lessons before the Lord will speak as those who have learned many lessons. Those who have learned few lessons before the Lord will speak as those who have learned few lessons. God’s word is entrusted to man, and man is commissioned to release God’s word.
Let us turn back once again to the matter of speaking in tongues. Why should we pay attention to this matter? In his discussion concerning the ministry of the word, Paul made a comparison between tongues and the prophetic ministry. We must not forbid the speaking in tongues because it serves a purpose for those who are speaking. But it useless as far as the ministry of the word is concerned because no human understanding is involved. There is a lack of human elements in tongue speaking; it is something entirely from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit conveys a word to man, and man releases it verbatim with his spirit. God’s word is released, yet there is no trace of human understanding or human element in this word. According to our concept, speaking in tongues is better than the prophetic ministry. Is it not better for God to speak directly? Is it not better for the Holy Spirit to use His own words? Yet the Bible considers speaking in tongues inferior to prophesying. God puts more emphasis on prophesying than on tongues. The prophetic ministry is one in which both God’s word as well as the prophet’s words are found. In this case, the living water comes out of one’s innermost being (John 7:38). The word comes out of the innermost being; it is not poured down from heaven. This is a most fundamental principle in the New Testament.
God puts much emphasis on man. If we study the New Testament carefully, we can readily identify Peter’s writing as Peter’s, James’s writing as James’s, and Matthew’s writing as Matthew’s. Every book has its own idiomatic phrases, its own expressions, and its own grammatical structures. God had no intention for each writer to merely transcribe His word. It is His intention for the teaching to be His but for the words to be man’s. Since this is the case, a minister of the word has a tremendous responsibility! If we are not up to the standard, what can we contribute? This is the reason that our very person has to be broken. If the person is not proper, what will we bring to the word of God? We should never think that God’s word is so ethereal. In releasing His word, God gives man a sentence or two. Then man must release God’s word with his own words. He has to use many words to express a few sentences. Consequently, it matters a great deal as to how a man “dilutes” these few sentences with his own words.
In speaking the outer words, we have to realize that there are three prerequisites. The first is light, the second is thoughts, and the third is the inner words. Suppose we are going to have a word with the brothers and sisters, whether it is in the form of a personal conversation or in the form of a message. How are we going to release it? We must first take possession of the few words. These words are, figuratively speaking, the mother of all words. All subsequent words are encapsulated in such words. But because they are too condensed, we have to dilute them before others can receive them. We have to break them down into little pieces, like breaking down a rock into fragments. While we are speaking, we are breaking down or hammering the “chunky” words into smaller pieces and presenting the pieces to others little by little. This is how we release God’s word. We have to break down the inner word into smaller pieces and release them little by little. We cannot speak for two hours only to find that the big rock is still in us. Such speaking is useless as far as the release of God’s word is concerned. On the one hand, human words are useless, but on the other hand, they are most crucial. This seems to be a contradiction, yet this is a fact. It is useless for us to convey God’s word with our own words, no matter how clever and smart we are. Yet when God’s word is with us, we can release His word with our own words. Our words can either release His word and magnify it before men, or they can seal up God’s word and veil it from men. It is our words that release God’s word little by little. The more we speak, the clearer God’s word becomes. The utterance of the outer words is for the release and deliverance of the inner words.
We should note the mutual interaction of various factors. In carrying out the ministry of the word, one must first have the inner words. Next he has to convey the inner word through outer words. However, the release of outer words is never simple. The mind also has to function. If it does not function properly, the speaking cannot go on. Yet the mind cannot be set on the words themselves. The mind has to be set on the revelation which has been seen. While one is speaking, how can he be certain that his speaking conveys to others the inner words that are hidden within him? He must exercise his mind to speak what he sees in his spirit. First he must have the light in his spirit. Then he must have thoughts to capture the light. Then he needs a word or two within him. Finally, he has to consider how he should speak. The Lord has given us two things, light in our spirit and the words in our inner being. When we speak, we push out the revelation with our own thoughts, and we release it with our own words. We should not need to force our mind to chase after the revelation, yet our mind should be strong enough to retain the light, and we should be able to release it with our words. Here we find four things—two belong to the inner realm and two belong to the outer realm; two are from God and two are from us. When we combine these four things, we have the ministry of the word. This kind of exercise is very basic. The words we have in our mouth are based on the words we have in our inner being. Our speaking should be a combination of these two kinds of words.
Too much, we have suffered the frustration of losing the inner revelation as we are speaking according to the inner sense. Even as the words are in our mouth, the inner revelation goes away. At other times, we may retain the inner revelation, and the burden for the word may remain in us for two, three, or six months. Yet in releasing this revelation there is not a framework to follow. Hence, on the one hand, we need the Lord to give us the word. On the other hand, as we are speaking, we have to look inwardly for the framework and speak according to this inner registration.
Brothers, we have to see both sides of the issue. Sometimes we have the revelation and the capturing thoughts, yet we do not have the words. We understand the meaning of the revelation, yet we cannot find the words to express it. We are full of thoughts, yet we are short of words. The audience, however, can only understand our words; they cannot understand our thoughts. At other times, we have the words, yet the revelation in the spirit is gone. When men listen to our words, they can only sense manna that has gone stale; that is, the words that we speak do not match the revelation within. The outer words that we release have to match the thoughts within, and others should see the light through such words. The mind is very important, yet the mind is not the organ to receive the revelation. Our cleverness is altogether useless in this respect. If we try to capture revelation with our own clever thoughts, we can only expect great sufferings for God’s church. However, we still need the mind. In fact, we need all four things—light, thoughts, the inner words, and the outer words. We need the inner words within us, and we need words in our mouth. While we are conveying the inner words, we have to look for the outer words. These two kinds of words are like two railroad tracks. If we have only one track, the train will not run properly. The outer words have to match the inner words, and the inner words must be translated into outer words.
Many times we sense the shining within us. We understand the meaning of this shining, yet we do not have the crucial words to express it. Such a realization is sufficient for us, but if we try to help others with this realization, the result is like an ox grinding a millstone; we go around in circles without discharging our burden. Many times we have the word within us, but we do not have the outer words. The result is like a railroad with only one track; it is impossible to move the train. God’s word cannot be released. We may say many things, but God’s word is not released. Revelation alone is not sufficient for our preaching work; the inner word alone is not sufficient. We must have light, thoughts, the inner words, and the outer words. Only when these four things are present and working together will we have the ministry, and only then will the ministry be a ministry of glory.