Watchman Nee did not attend a theological school or Bible institute. Most of what he learned concerning Christ, the things of the Spirit, and church history was acquired through studying the Bible and reading the books of spiritual men.
From the beginning of his Christian life, Watchman Nee diligently studied the Bible. The methods he used for Bible study were as follows:
1)A general study of all the books of the Bible consecutively to acquire an overall view.
2)The study of a particular book, such as Genesis, Daniel, Matthew, Romans, or Revelation, to probe the depths contained in that part of the Word.
3)The study of particular subjects, such as the better covenant, the dispensations, the second coming of Christ, the kingdom, and the rapture, to apprehend the full scope of certain truths.
4)The study of single words, such as redemption, forgiveness, justification, reconciliation, salvation, righteousness, and holiness, to learn the basic meaning of certain crucial words.
5)The study of types, such as the tabernacle, the altar, the ark, the temple, and the offerings, to get a clear picture of Christ, the church, and spiritual things.
6)The study of allegories, such as Sarah and Hagar (Gal. 4:24), Jacob's well (John 4:12-14), and the rivers of living water (John 7:38), to realize the significance of such spiritual matters.
7)The study of the parables, such as the seven parables in Matthew 13, the parable of the ten virgins, and the parable of the talents, to understand the depths of these deeper mysteries.
8)The study of numbers, such as the numbers three, five, seven, eight, and twelve, to understand their significance in the Scriptures.
9)The study of prophecies, such as prophecy concerning Israel, prophecy concerning the church, and prophecy concerning the Gentiles, to understand the truth in the Bible concerning the ages.
10)The study of the lives of certain biblical characters, such as Abraham, David, Daniel, Peter, and Paul, to learn from the example of their lives in the Scriptures.
11)The study of history, such as the history of Israel and the history of the church, to see how God administrates in His government.
12)The study of psalms and songs, such as psalms in the book of Psalms and songs in other books, to learn how to praise and pray.
13)A study comparing one portion of the Bible with another similar portion or dissimilar portion.
14)A study referring to the original Hebrew or Greek text to acquire the accurate meaning of a certain word or phrase.
15)A study using the writings of others to receive their help, inspiration, and balancing point of view.
16)A study to acquire knowledge and to receive light from the Bible. He used a special copy of the Bible for making notes and remarks for this purpose. He instructed others to study the whole Bible once a year, reading three chapters of the Old Testament and one chapter of the New Testament daily for this purpose.
17)A study for life, to receive daily bread for the spiritual life. For this purpose he used a different Bible without any remarks or notes that he might receive new light for spiritual nourishment. He instructed others to do the same every morning by reading a few verses and digesting them thoroughly while contacting the Lord with a praying spirit.
18)A study done by speed-reading, to acquaint himself with the Bible. Around the age of twenty, he read through the New Testament weekly for approximately one year.
19)A study done by reading slowly to ponder over certain portions of the Word.
20)A study done by memorizing certain crucial verses or portions to store the Word in the heart for constant and instant needs.
By studying the Bible in so many different ways, Watchman Nee became fully familiar with the Word and enlightened concerning the purpose of God, Christ, the church, and the things relating to salvation and life.