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Scripture Reading: Col. 1:25-29
In Colossians 1:25 Paul says, “I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God.” This means that although God spoke in the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament, He did not finish speaking. The Lord spoke further in the Gospels, but He did not finish speaking; He did not say everything. Therefore, Paul became a minister to complete the word of God. This can be likened to making a garment; unless the collar is attached, the garment is not yet complete. The Old Testament can be likened to the main body of the garment, and the four Gospels can be likened to the sleeves. However, the garment is still missing a collar. Paul’s ministry added a “collar” to the “garment” of God’s speaking. The word of God, the revelation of God, is complete with the addition of Paul’s ministry. Paul completed the word of God by completing the revelation of God.
A person who reads the Old Testament, the Gospels, and Acts but not the Epistles of Paul has not read the complete word of God; he is missing the central revelation. The central revelation is not in the Old Testament, the Gospels, or Acts but in Paul’s fourteen Epistles. We can say that the fourteen Epistles of Paul completed the revelation of God. God spoke much in the Old Testament, in the Gospels, and in Acts, but His word was not completed. Paul became a minister of the church and was entrusted with completing and finishing the word of God.
Concerning completing the word of God, Colossians 1:26-27 says, “The mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations but now has been manifested to His saints; to whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The mystery is Christ; hence, the completing word is also Christ. Some may question why we say that the word of God was not completed in the Gospels, even though the four Gospels speak of Christ. The Gospels mainly show how the Lord was incarnated, lived on the earth, went to the cross, died to accomplish redemption, resurrected from the dead, and ascended to the heavens. The Gospels do not elaborate on this incarnated Christ who died, resurrected, and ascended to the heavens to become the life-giving Spirit who indwells our spirit. Paul became a minister of the church in order to complete the word of God. This completing word, which was a hidden mystery, is “Christ in you.” Christ in us is the completion of the word of God and the completion of the revelation of God.
The completing word is not in the Old Testament or in the Gospels or in Acts; the completing word is in Paul’s Epistles. In the Gospels this completing word is briefly mentioned in John 14 and 15. The Lord Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever, even the Spirit of reality, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him; but you know Him, because He abides with you and shall be in you” (14:16-17), and “Abide in Me and I in you” (15:4). John did not elaborate on this word. Christ’s abiding in us, as well as His incarnation, death, resurrection, and becoming the life-giving Spirit in order to indwell us are particular to Paul’s ministry. Paul elaborated on these points. This is Paul’s ministry, the “collar of the garment,” the center of God’s revelation. Without Paul’s ministry the revelation of God is not complete.
Paul’s ministry completed the word of God. Even though God spoke in forty-four books — thirty-nine books in the Old Testament, four books of the Gospels, and the Acts — He had not finished speaking. Paul received a particular commission to complete the revelation of God. Hence, Paul’s ministry was to complete the word of God.
In our ministry of the word in the Lord’s recovery, we are also burdened for the completion of the revelation of God. It is easy for Christians to see the teachings in the Old Testament, in the Gospels, and in Acts, but few Christians see the central revelation in Paul’s fourteen Epistles. This central revelation is not concerning husbands loving their wives or wives being subject to their husbands. It is not concerning worshipping God, fearing God, or even loving God. Worshipping God, fearing Him, loving Him, loving one’s wife, being subject to one’s husband, honoring one’s parents, being perfect, being well-pleasing to God, and being redeemed and regenerated are revelations in the Bible. However, these revelations are not the completing revelation. The completing revelation is “the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations” (Col. 1:26). This mystery is “Christ in you” (v. 27). Thousands of Christians read the Bible, and they see many things but not the central revelation in Paul’s Epistles.
Those in Christianity have heard many sermons concerning how to worship God, how to fear God, how to get saved, how to do good deeds, how to please God, how to preach the gospel, how to be filled by the Holy Spirit, how to have power from on high, how to testify for the Lord, how to love one’s own wife, and how to be subject to one’s own husband. However, in Christianity we did not hear a message concerning “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” We heard everything but the central revelation of God. To those in Christianity the Bible seems to consist only of thirty-nine books in the Old Testament and the four Gospels and the one book of Acts in the New Testament.
Some in Christianity may speak concerning Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Paul’s other Epistles. However, when they speak concerning Romans, they speak only of man being sinful, the need of redemption, being justified by faith, presenting one’s body as a living sacrifice to prove the well-pleasing will of God, being subject to authorities, and paying taxes where taxes are due. Much has been spoken concerning Romans. However, there is one point that has not been spoken, and this point is Romans 8:10: “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness.” Hence, people generally neglect the completing word, the word that completes the revelation of God.
The same applies to us. We receive many teachings and much light from the messages that we hear and from reading the Life-study messages and the writings of Brother Nee. However, we lack the central light. The truths concerning baptism, bread-breaking, and head covering have been proclaimed for over forty years, but we do not see God’s completing word. We read the Gospels but do not see the central revelation. We even read Paul’s Epistles, which are full of the central revelation, but we do not see it.
Although we have been in many wedding ceremonies, we probably never heard a minister say, “So-and-so, you are in Christ, and Christ abides in you. You cannot be a good husband in yourself. Christ wants to be the good husband in you.” At every wedding ceremony the minister reads Ephesians 5 and then exhorts the couple, saying, “Groom So-and-so, are you willing to love your wife from this day on? Bride So-and-so, are you willing to be subject to your husband from this day on?” In the prayer books for the ministers there is even a special section on how to conduct weddings. It is true that loving one’s wife and being subject to one’s husband are in the Bible, but these are not the completing word.
The completing word is the mystery that has been hidden from the ages and from the generations. This mystery is “Christ in you.” Paul in his Epistles elaborates on this mystery. In the Lord’s recovery we too are elaborating on this word. Our ministry of the word is a ministry that completes the divine revelation.
Christians are ignorant concerning God’s completing word, and even many elders and co-workers among us do not see the completing word. It is possible to talk about coordination, about the younger ones being subject to the older ones, and about many other things, yet we may not have a basic understanding of the completion of God’s word. Coordination is not the completion of God’s word nor is the breaking of bread or head covering. The completion of God’s word is “Christ in you.” However, people do not see this word when they read the Bible, because it is a mystery. Even though this mystery is emphasized in Paul’s Epistles, people read it but do not see it.
The elders and co-workers must have experiences of life, live in the spirit, and be able to supply life to others. Hence, the elders and the co-workers need a basic understanding of Christ being the life-giving Spirit in the believers. Second Corinthians 3:6 says, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life,” and verse 17 says, “The Lord is the Spirit.” First Corinthians 15:45 says, “The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.” Christians love the Gospel of John, but they neglect what the Lord Jesus said in chapter 14: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter...even the Spirit of reality, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him; but you know Him, because He abides with you and shall be in you...In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (vv. 16-17, 20). Christ in us is the mystery that has been hidden from the ages and from the generations. The Lord Jesus briefly mentioned this mystery in John 14. When Paul came, he elaborated on this word in his fourteen Epistles and thus completed the divine revelation. Without Paul’s Epistles the divine revelation would not be complete, nor would it have a center or a focus. The Epistles of Paul completed the divine revelation.
The elders and co-workers must see this vision. We often say that we have seen the vision of Christ and the church. This statement is too general. We must see that the completing word of the divine revelation is Christ becoming the life-giving Spirit to indwell us and to be our life so that we may have experiences of life. This is our vision.
Speaking concerning Christ, Paul says, “Whom we announce, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom” (Col. 1:28). In Greek announce has the meaning of “declare.” We first declare Christ, report Him; then we admonish and teach every man. First we declare, proclaim, and report to the whole universe, and then based on our report we admonish and teach every man. To admonish is to warn people that if their living, activity, or work is not Christ, it will be consumed by fire. In other words, it is to warn people not to walk apart from Christ. If we are not abiding in Christ, our walk will be consumed by fire (cf. 1 Cor. 3:13-15). Therefore, we must teach every man after admonishing him.
We should not think that Christ’s being in us does not need to be taught. If we know this vision, we will teach the sisters according to this vision. We might say, “Do not reason with your husband. Do you know that Christ in you is your life? When you reason with your husband, is it you reasoning, or is it Christ?” Many sisters need such teaching. It is not sufficient to hear messages in the meetings; there must also be teaching. Only when the elders have been taught can they teach the middle-aged saints and also the teenage saints. The elders might say, “Brothers, do not quarrel. This is not Christ. We need to live out Christ.”
The purpose of admonishing and teaching is to present every man full-grown in Christ (Col. 1:28), that is, to bring every saint unto maturity in Christ and then to present the mature saints to God. For example, graduation ceremonies are held to present the students who have completed their studies to their parents. In order for their children to be educated, parents send them to school for several years. The school educates and matures the children to become useful persons. Then the principal and teachers present the educated children as gifts to their parents. Paul says that Christ is the hope of glory in the saints. We must announce Christ and then admonish every saint and teach every saint in all wisdom so that every saint may mature in Christ. Then we can present every matured saint to God the Father. This is what the elders should do.
Question: How do we distinguish between what is of Christ and what is of the self?
Answer: There is no need to continually ask whether something is of the self or of Christ. Such questions cause more confusion. We always alternate which leg we extend when we walk. Paying attention to which leg is extended first will make it difficult for us to walk. I am over seventy years old, but I still do not know whether I first extend my right leg or my left leg when I walk. As soon as we stop when we realize that something is not Christ, it is sufficient. If we do not know whether something is Christ, we should continue. As long as we are able to stop once we realize something is not Christ, then it is very good. It is difficult to determine whether something is Christ, but it is easy to determine whether something is not Christ. For example, suppose we want to dispute with the brothers. We know that to dispute is not Christ; hence, we should stop immediately. Sometimes being polite to people is not Christ. It is easier to determine what is not Christ than it is to determine what is Christ.
Here is another example. We are not aware of our stomach when we are healthy, but when our stomach is upset, we are aware of it. If we are not aware of our stomach, it is not sick; hence, we should pay no attention to our stomach and eat as usual. But if our stomach is upset, we need to pay attention to our diet. Similarly, whenever we act by the self to dispute or argue with others, we will have a sense, but when we walk by Christ, we will not have much sense.
Our problem is that often we know we are walking by the self, but we do not stop. This offends the Lord. The unique sin of an unbeliever is not believing in Christ, but the unique sin of a believer is not living Christ. We know that not living Christ is a sin, but we do not condemn it. There are twenty-four hours in a day, and eight hours are for us to sleep. Of the remaining sixteen hours we live by the self more than ninety percent of the time. We cannot deny this. When we live by the self instead of living Christ, we stiffen our neck and continue living by the self. The Lord is merciful; hence, He draws us and we pray. When we pray, we enter the spirit and stop living by the self but instead live Christ. We need to be saved from such a miserable condition of going in and out of our spirit.
Question: Even though the Bible uses different words to describe the work of the Holy Spirit, there are different schools of thought in Christianity concerning the work of the Spirit. What should our attitude be toward this?
Answer: Christians have always disputed concerning the work of the Holy Spirit. Some Christians speak of the power of the Holy Spirit, others speak of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and still others speak of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. However, the Bible speaks only of an all-inclusive Spirit. We must be careful not to get entangled by doctrine. We have been in doctrines for many years, and I have even written books on these matters. But today I would only say that the Holy Spirit is not just power; He is the all-inclusive Spirit. He is life, He is light, and He is all in all. The question is whether we apply Him and enjoy Him.
Concerning the Spirit, Christians often go to either of two extremes. The so-called fundamentalists are on one extreme; they do not pay much attention to the Holy Spirit. The so-called Pentecostals are on the other extreme; they pay attention to the Holy Spirit, but they are excessive in their practice. The proper way for us to experience the all-inclusive Spirit is to fellowship with Him, to be enlightened by Him, and to live in Him. If He leads us to do something, we should do it, but if He does not lead us to do something, we should not do it. He is our everything. When we need power to preach the gospel, He is our power, and when we need faith to pray, He is our faith.
We must be saved from fundamentalism, Pentecostalism, and terminology. Concerning the work of the Holy Spirit, the Bible speaks of the outpouring of the Spirit, the inward filling and the outward filling of the Spirit, the Spirit as power, and the indwelling of the Spirit. However, this Spirit is the all-inclusive Spirit. It is sufficient for us to pray, exercise faith, and follow Him when He leads us.
Question: Should the brothers exhort and correct one another?
Answer: There is only one answer to this question. We should do what the Spirit leads us to do. If the Spirit does not lead us to correct others, we should not correct them; otherwise, we are meddling in their affairs. The young people are always interested in others’ affairs. However, those who are more experienced feel that they cannot manage even their own affairs, let alone others’ affairs. An experienced person would pray and follow the leading of the Spirit to supply others with life when he is concerned for them. Some might say that we should correct others and point out their mistakes, because the Bible tells us to exhort one another. However, before correcting others, we should first check whether we are right with God; otherwise, we are the ones who need correction.
The only question is whether we walk according to the spirit. As long as we walk according to the spirit, every problem will be resolved. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost is in Acts, yet Paul did not mention it when he completed the revelation of God. Even though in 1 Corinthians Paul mentions speaking in tongues, he does not encourage people to speak in tongues; instead, he exercises wisdom and love to correct those who abuse speaking in tongues. Hardly anyone in the Pentecostal movement does not abuse speaking in tongues. Therefore, Paul says, “In the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue” (14:19). Unless a person is biased, he probably would stop speaking in tongues after reading 1 Corinthians.
According to Paul, prophesying builds up the church (v. 4), but speaking in tongues does not. To prophesy is to minister the word, that is, to speak clear words with light, life, and the riches of Christ. The word prophesy is rendered as “preach as a prophet” in the Chinese Union Version. However, prophesy does not emphasize foretelling. To prophesy is to be an oracle of God in order to speak for God. This is the ministry of the word. What helps the church is not speaking in tongues but prophesying, speaking forth God.
We are not saying that preaching the gospel does not need power. The power of the gospel is not the power spoken of by the Pentecostal movement. In Chefoo, Shantung, there was a Pentecostal assembly hall next to our meeting hall. Those who met in the Pentecostal assembly hall knew and spoke of nothing but Pentecostalism, which to them was speaking in tongues and healing. One of their responsible brothers came to fellowship with me one day. I did not debate with him over doctrines but spoke the fact. I said, “Brother, for years we have not talked about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, power, or speaking in tongues, yet we baptized a hundred and twenty this month and will baptize more next month. There are no empty seats in our meetings, and our hall is not large enough for us. You always speak of power and speaking in tongues, but there are still less than a hundred meeting with you. Where is this power?” He was speechless.
In 1965 I returned to Taiwan from the United States. At that time the Pentecostal movement was on the rise, and people were saying that there would be a great revival worldwide in 1966 and that this revival would begin from Taiwan. More than a decade has passed, but there has been no great revival in Taiwan, and those in the Pentecostal movement are scattered.
A group of people took Pentecostalism to Sitiawan, Malaysia, in 1963. They occupied the meeting hall of the church and put up their own sign outside the meeting hall. Only a few elderly brothers and sisters and some children were left in the church. Those in the Pentecostal movement thought that the church was finished, but those ones later became divided. The few elderly brothers and sisters and the children who were left in the local church built a new meeting hall, and there are now over a hundred people meeting. This is the power of God.
I would like to ask those in the Pentecostal movement where their power is and whether their speaking in tongues is real, because it should have been powerful and yielded results. A tree is known by its fruit. Many gospel giants did not speak in tongues, but they were full of power. Power is not a matter of terminology; power is the all-inclusive Spirit. If we draw from this Spirit and exercise faith, pray, fellowship with the Lord, and walk by the spirit, we will have power.
If someone asks about Pentecostalism, we can use the facts from history to prove to him that the Pentecostal movements are not long-lived and that Pentecostalism is a source of divisions among Christians. The Spirit is oneness, not division. However, those in Pentecostalism regard division as normal; they do not consider division to be a serious matter.
Our God is triune. He has passed through incarnation, human living, and death on the cross, and He has entered into resurrection and ascended to the heavens. He has done everything and is now ultimately manifested as the all-inclusive Spirit. He dwells in us and wants us to be clothed with Him. Paul says, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). Those who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Christ is power. The Spirit who descended at Pentecost was Christ; the Spirit we have received is not separate from Christ. Christ is the Spirit; He is life, power, light, authority, and exaltation; He is everything. We must be joined to the Spirit as one spirit in order to fellowship with Him and walk in Him. Whenever we have a need, we must apply Him by faith.
We cannot use only one book in the Bible to determine any truth; we must use the whole Bible. In Acts there is the record of speaking in tongues at Pentecost (2:4, 6, 8, 11), but not much is said concerning speaking in tongues in the Epistles. Paul mentions speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14, but he does so to restrict and correct, not to encourage. Afterward, in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, in the heart of the Epistles, Paul does not mention speaking in tongues. At the end of the Bible, in Revelation, only the seven Spirits are mentioned; nothing is said concerning speaking in tongues.
In summary, the light that we have received reveals the Triune God becoming the life-giving Spirit in order to be one spirit with us. Everything depends on our fellowshipping with Him and applying Him. The Bible says many things, but it can all be summarized in one sentence: “Walk...according to the spirit” (Rom. 8:4). Honoring one’s parents, obeying one’s husband, loving one’s wife, and being humble should be according to the spirit. If we are not according to the spirit, our pride should be condemned, and our humility should be condemned; our hatred should be condemned, and our love should be condemned. Our love must be according to the spirit; it should come from the spirit. This is what God wants. The Spirit is Christ; hence, to be according to the spirit is to live out Christ. Only Christ is acceptable to God.
