In John 6:63 the Lord Jesus says, “It is the Spirit who gives life...the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” The word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord Jesus is spirit, pneuma. His words are the embodiment of the Spirit, who gives life. This indicates that the word which comes out of the Lord’s mouth is His breath, the breathing out of Himself. This is a further indication that the words of the Scriptures are God-breathed.
In Ephesians 6:17 Paul charges us to receive “the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God.” The antecedent of which is Spirit, not sword, indicating that the Spirit is the word of God. When we read the Bible, we must touch the word of God as the Spirit. Along with 2 Timothy 3:16 and John 6:63, this verse reveals that the Bible is God’s breathing out. Since God is Spirit, what He breathes out must also be Spirit. The words of the Bible, therefore, are the breathing out of God Himself as the Spirit.
Second Timothy 3:16 says not only that the Scriptures are God-breathed but also that the Scriptures are “profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” On God’s side the Bible is God’s breathing. On our side the Bible is for us to receive profit in four matters-teaching, conviction or reproof, correction, and instruction. The order here is significant. Why does teaching and not instruction come first? Why does correction come before instruction and reproof before correction? And why does teaching come first? The order is first teaching and then reproof, correction, and instruction.
What is teaching? How do you understand the word teaching? We need to know the denotation of this word as it is used by Paul.
If we have the proper and adequate spiritual experience, we will realize that in verse 16 teaching equals revelation. Teaching is actually nothing less than a divine revelation. Since teaching equals revelation, as you are teaching the young people in your class in the Summer School of Truth, you must present a revelation to them.
A revelation is the opening of a veil. As you are teaching the young people, you should be taking away a veil so that they may see something of the Triune God. A certain matter may be hidden from view, but by your teaching you should gradually open the veil. This is teaching.
When you are serving in the Summer School of Truth, you should not allow the veil to remain over the eyes of the young people. Rather, as they are listening to you, the veil should be rolled away little by little. To teach is to roll away the veil. Go to the summer school for the purpose of rolling away the veil.
Now we can see that for the Bible to be profitable for teaching means that it is profitable for unveiling, for rolling away the veil. A veil cannot be taken away suddenly; it cannot be rolled away all at once. On the contrary, the veil is rolled away a little at a time. Time after time and in session after session, you need gradually to roll away the veil. If you do this, your way of teaching will be an unveiling. This kind of teaching always presents a revelation to others. Those who are under such teaching will be able to see something concerning the Triune God.
This understanding of teaching applies not only to those who teach in the Summer School of Truth but to all those who speak for the Lord. When you speak something in the church meeting, your speaking should be the rolling away of the veil. This means that your speaking should present a revelation.
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