This series of lessons is intended to help a person learn to read the Bible, that is, to help him know how to read the Bible. Perhaps some brothers and sisters may think that during each lesson we will be studying the Bible itself; but this is not what we will do. Instead, we will help the brothers and sisters learn how to read the Bible and how to know the Bible.
To edify a person spiritually, we must help him to know the Bible. In the past two thousand years, Christians all acknowledge that no one can truly know the Lord without knowing the Bible. We human beings are not merely a spirit. Although we have a spirit, we are not merely a spirit, but a human being. If we were a spirit only, then God would need to give us only His Spirit and not the Bible; however, since we are not a spirit only, He must also give us the Bible.
The spiritual inheritances God has given us are the Spirit which cannot be seen and the Bible which can be seen. Inside of us is the Spirit, and outside of us is the Bible. Christians throughout the ages can testify by experience that a proper Christian must be fully balanced in both respects-the Bible without and the Spirit within. These two aspects must be absolutely balanced. Any bias towards one side will result in serious problems. Among Christians throughout the ages, some have leaned toward the Spirit within which has resulted in great errors. Still more lean toward the Bible without. Seemingly they have not erred as much, yet among them there is a very serious condition of death. In other words, if there were only the Spirit within and not the Bible without, man would easily commit errors. Conversely, if there were only the Bible without while lacking the Spirit within, man would become extremely dead, altogether lifeless, and without any vitality.
Christians can be likened to a train. There needs to be the fuel inside as its energizing power. But a train needs to have tracks outside as well. If there is fuel within but no tracks without, the train would not be able to run. Even if it runs, problems will arise. However, if there are only the tracks without, but not the fuel within, the train may be on the right track, but it cannot move. Therefore, for a train to run, and to do so smoothly, there must be the coordination of two aspects: the inner aspect and the outer aspect. Outwardly, there must be the regulation of the tracks; inwardly, there must be the energizing of the fuel.
It is the same with us. We have the Spirit within and the Bible without. Unfortunately, throughout the ages, Christians lean either toward the Spirit within or toward the Bible without. Even today, many people are doing the same. Those leaning toward the Spirit within very much condemn those leaning toward the Bible without, saying to them: “What you are reading is but dead letters. Every day you are just using your mind to study the dead teachings. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Only we are living in the Spirit.” Those tending toward the Bible without would likewise condemn those who stress the Spirit within, saying to them: “What you have is just emotions. There is only excitement and stirring up, but no stability. Please consider all the people you claimed have been stirred up by the Spirit. Where are they today? Many things that were claimed to be initiated by the Spirit actually resulted in total disaster.” Years ago, we saw much of this kind of condemnation in northern China. When the so-called Pentecostal movement or the charismatic movement was in full force there, those involved in it very much opposed the outward interpretation of the Bible. They thought that it was sufficient enough to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. However, among them, not only were there many errors, but even funny stories. Those errors and funny stories really brought shame to the Lord’s name. Not only did these things happen in China, they happened in western Christianity as well. Even to this day, there are still these two tendencies and these two errors.
These things show us that a proper Christian should be balanced; he should be full of the Spirit within and should know the Bible without. When one is full of the Spirit within, he will be like the train with the energizing fuel. When he knows the Bible without, he will be like the train on the track. In this way, he will be a Christian who is both living and stable, both moving and on the mark. He will be a living, stable, moving one who is also on the mark.
Therefore, we must put equal emphasis on the Spirit and the Bible; we must not neglect either matter. We must not overlook the Spirit within, neither can we despise the Bible without.
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