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I. The origin of the Bible.
II. The functions of the Bible.
III. The purity, perfection, sweetness, preciousness, power, and surety of the Bible.
IV. The relationship between the believers and the Bible.
V. How to read the Bible:
А. Reading daily.
B. Rising in the morning.
C. Asking the Lord to open our mind.
D. Seeking the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
E. Turning our heart to the Lord.
F. Resolving to do His will.
G. Searching and studying.
H. Meditating and considering.
I. Believing.
J. Adding prayer.
K. Praying and reading.
L. Letting the word dwell in us.
VI. Practical ways to read the Bible.
VII. A few points of explanation to help in reading the Bible:
А. Sections of the Bible:
1. The Old Testament containing three sections:
а. The section of history — from Genesis to Esther — containing seventeen books.
b. The section of experience — from Job to Song of Songs — containing five books.
c. The section of prophecy — from Isaiah to Malachi — containing seventeen books.
2. The New Testament containing three sections:
а. The section of history — from the Gospel of Matthew to the Acts of the Apostles — containing five books.
b. The section of experience — from Romans to Jude — containing twenty-one books.
c. The section of prophecy — Revelation — containing one book.
B. Types in the Bible:
1. Adam being an example of a person as a type.
2. The veil in the temple being an example of a thing as a type.
3. The children of Israel leaving Egypt being an example of an event as a type.
4. The Passover being an example of a ceremony as a type.
C. Prophecies in the Bible.
D. The spiritual significance of history in the Bible.
E. Dispensations in the Bible.
F. People in the Bible.
VIII. Outline of the seven dispensations.
1. “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16).
The Bible is God-breathed. The Bible is not something that comes from man’s ideas or thoughts; rather, the Bible contains the thoughts and words of God, which were breathed into men through His Spirit and then written down.
2. “Men spoke from God while being borne by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21).
Since the Bible is the word of God breathed out through His Spirit, the words in the Bible do not represent the ideas of man. Rather, they are words from God to men who were borne by the Holy Spirit. These men spoke while being borne by the Holy Spirit, just as a sailboat is blown, borne, and moves with the wind. Those who wrote the Bible were inspired by and under the power of the Holy Spirit; they were blown and borne by the Holy Spirit to express the word of God. The Bible did not come only from men nor does it express only the ideas of these men. Instead, these men wrote the word that came out of God.
3. “Spoken to you by God” (Matt. 22:31).
After referring to reading the word that was “spoken to you by God” in verse 31, the Lord Jesus quoted a verse from the Old Testament in verse 32. The Lord’s word in verse 31, therefore, proves that the words of the Old Testament were spoken by God and originated from God, even though they were written by prophets.
4. “God, having spoken of old in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets, has at the last of these days spoken to us in the Son” (Heb. 1:1-2).
The Old Testament is the word that God spoke in the prophets of old to the fathers. The New Testament is the speaking of God in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Both the words spoken by the prophets in the Old Testament and the words spoken by the Lord Jesus in the New Testament were spoken by God and were out of God.
5. “The words of God” (John 8:47).
In this verse the Lord Jesus clearly stated that the words He spoke were the words of God.
6. “The Holy Spirit...will teach you all things and remind you of all the things which I have said to you” (John 14:26).
When the Lord Jesus spoke of leaving the disciples, He prophesied that the Holy Spirit would come to teach the disciples and cause them to remember all the things that He had said to them. This word indicates that the Holy Spirit descended and inspired the disciples to write the books of the New Testament. The books of the New Testament are of the Holy Spirit, and they have divine authority.
7. “The Spirit...will declare” (John 16:13).
The Lord’s word in this verse indicates that the disciples spoke and wrote what the Spirit declared to them. The books of the New Testament, which were written by the Lord’s disciples after His ascension, come from the Holy Spirit’s revelation. This is an acknowledgment of their divine authority.
The Bible is the word that God commanded man to write (Exo. 34:27). It is the speaking of the Spirit of God through men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Sam. 23:2; Mark 12:36). The Old Testament is the word of God spoken by the prophets, according to His command (Jer. 1:7). It is the word of God that the priests received (Ezek. 1:3), and it is the speaking of the Spirit of God through the prophets (Zech. 7:7; Acts 3:18; 28:25; Rom. 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:10-12). The New Testament is the word spoken by God in the Lord Jesus (John 14:10) and the word declared by the Holy Spirit and then written by the apostles (1 Cor. 2:13). The words of the Holy Spirit to the apostles have the same divine status as the words in the Old Testament (2 Pet. 3:15-16). Therefore, the words in the entire Bible are from God. Every word and sentence, iota and serif (Matt. 5:18), were revealed by God. We must neither add to the Bible nor take away anything from it (Rev. 22:18-19).
1. “Testify concerning Me” (John 5:39, see also v. 46; Luke 24:27, 44, 46).
The first function of the Bible is to testify concerning the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the subject and content of the Bible, and the Bible is the explanation and expression of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the living Word of God, whereas the Bible is the written Word of God. If the written Word, the Bible, did not have the living Word, the Lord Jesus, as its reality, it would be nothing but empty doctrines and letters. If the living Word, the Lord Jesus, did not have the written Word, the Bible, as His expression, He would be abstract and vague and difficult to know and touch. Thankfully, we have the distinct and definite explanation of the Bible with its clear revelation so that we can know and understand the Lord Jesus. The books of the New Testament reveal the Lord Jesus, and even the books of the Old Testament, including the law of Moses, the books of prophecies, and the psalms and poetry, reveal the Lord Jesus. The Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms are the three general sections that comprise the Old Testament (Luke 24:44). If we want to know the Lord Jesus, we must read and understand the Bible.
2. “Make you wise unto salvation” (2 Tim. 3:15).
On the one hand, the Bible serves the Lord Jesus by testifying concerning Him, and on the other hand, it serves us by causing us to be saved and built up. The first function of the Bible in relation to us is to make us wise unto salvation. It reveals God’s way of salvation in Christ and our pathway to salvation through faith so that we may know and understand God’s salvation.
3. “Regenerated” (1 Pet. 1:23 see also James 1:18).
The Bible causes us to be regenerated. The Bible is the word of the eternally living God, and it contains God’s eternal life. When we receive the word of the Bible through faith, the word is planted like a seed of life in us. The Bible functions to sow the life of God into us, imparting God’s life into us and regenerating us.
4. “For teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
After being regenerated by the word of God, the Bible teaches, convicts, corrects, and instructs us in righteousness so that we may be complete before God as regenerated men of God.
5. “For our instruction, in order that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).
The teachings of the Bible enable us to endure and provide us with encouragement and hope. Many believers are unable to endure when they encounter difficulties or sickness. They become discouraged and lose hope. However, simply reading a section or even a sentence of the Bible often provides us with the inward strength to endure and supplies encouragement and hope that is beyond our expectations. When we encounter difficulties, we are helped and established by the Bible.
6. “An example...written for our admonition” (1 Cor. 10:11).
Many things are recorded in the Bible as examples for our admonition. When we read the Bible, we can be warned by the experiences of some who went before us, and we can be careful not to follow their example. This is another help that believers find in the Bible.
7. “A lamp shining in a dark place” (2 Pet. 1:19).
Often the Bible is like a lamp shining in a dark place. We are in a dark night because the age in which we live is dark (Rom. 13:12). In this darkness the Bible is like a shining lamp. It causes us to know our situation so that we do not become lost and confused. If we want to be enlightened and knowledgeable in this dark age, we must understand the Bible and keep the word of the Bible in our hearts so that it can shine and enlighten us.
8. “A lamp to my feet / And a light to my path” (Psa. 119:105 see also Prov. 6:23).
People walking in the dark need a lamp to shine on the path of their feet. The Bible functions in this capacity. As we walk in this dark age, we truly need a heavenly lamp to shine on our every step so that we do not leave our path and fall into a deep pit. The Bible is a heavenly lamp. If we read the Bible and keep the word of the Bible in our heart, it will become a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It will shine continually on our footsteps according to our need.
9. “Gives light, / Imparting understanding to the simple” (Psa. 119:130).
The light from the Bible not only shines upon our feet and path; it also imparts understanding to the simple. Many who are simple by nature have gained understanding through reading the Bible. Furthermore, anyone who wants to understand spiritual matters must understand the Bible and be enlightened by the Bible.
10. “Keep his way pure” (Psa. 119:9).
In addition to containing the power to enlighten, the word in the Bible has the power to cleanse. Enlightenment is in contrast to darkness, and purification is in contrast to filthiness. The age in which we live is filthy and dark. The word of the Bible causes all darkness to vanish when it shines on our feet. It cleanses our actions by removing everything that is filthy and impure. This is especially important to young people. If we read the Bible frequently, we will not only be enlightened but also kept pure. Every time we approach the Bible, its word will pass through us and enlighten and cleanse us. The word of the Bible will cleanse us, even if we cannot always remember what we have read. This is like a bamboo basket being dipped in water; it will be cleansed even though the water leaks away. If we want to be pure, we must read the Bible frequently.
11. “That I might not sin against You” (Psa. 119:11).
The Bible also prevents us from sinning against God. We were born in sin, have grown up in sin, and easily sin against God. If we store the words of the Bible in our heart, they will constantly remind and warn us so that we do not sin against God.
12. “The sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17).
The word in the Bible is the sword of the Spirit. We can apply it by the Holy Spirit to deal with Satan and his messengers. Through the word of the Bible, we can defeat the devil, the enemy, who tempts and attacks us. When the Lord Jesus was in the wilderness, He defeated the tempter, the devil, through the word of the Old Testament. Therefore, in order to fight and defeat Satan and the evil spirits, we must read the Bible. We must be familiar with the Bible and be able to use it to deal with spiritual enemies at any time and in any place.
13. “Sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12).
The word of the Bible is as sharp as a sword. It can deal with our spiritual enemies, but it can also divide our soul from our spirit and discern the thoughts and intentions of our heart. It divides what is of the soul and what is of the spirit. It also enables us to discern the thoughts and intentions that come from ourselves and those that come from God. The word exposes our entire inward condition before God. Nothing can be hidden in us, and everything is made manifest through the word.
For example, a brother who preaches the gospel and casts out demons according to his natural zeal can be touched when reading Matthew 7:21-22, which says, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, was it not in Your name that we prophesied, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name did many works of power?” As he is reading, the word will pierce him and cause him to see that his preaching of the gospel and his casting out of demons are according to soulish zeal, rather than God’s revelation in his spirit. This exposes his zealousness as being from himself, according to the power of his soul, rather than from the will of God, according to the power of the Spirit. In this way the word of the Bible enables him to discern that the source of his gospel preaching and casting out of demons is his soul rather than his spirit. Consequently, in the matters of preaching the gospel and casting out demons, the word separates his soul from his spirit, causing him to reject his soul in these matters and to rely on his spirit.
A sister who plans to marry an unbeliever may be touched when she reads 2 Corinthians 6:14, which says, “Do not become dissimilarly yoked with unbelievers.” This word can pierce her heart and cause her to see that her desire to marry an unbeliever is according to her own will, not God’s will. Thus, the word enables her to discern that she is following her will and minding the preferences of her flesh rather than God’s will and heart’s desire in the matter of marriage. When the will in her soul is divided from God’s will in her spirit, she will be saved from the desires of her flesh in this important matter. Rather than following her flesh and the desires of her heart, she will obey the peerless will of God. Then she will please God and be preserved by God.
The word of the Bible is always living and operative in our circumstances. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. There is no amount of mixture within us that cannot be divided and discerned by the word of the Bible. The word will always expose our real condition, bringing our situation into the shining of the light from His face. This will empower us to live in our spirit, forsaking our self and the thoughts of the self in order to live in God and in His will.
14. “I ate” (Jer. 15:16 see also Matt. 4:4; Job 23:12; Heb. 5:14).
The Bible is food for our spiritual life. Just as our physical life needs nourishment, our spiritual life needs nourishment. The word is the only thing that can supply nourishment to our spiritual life. If we want to be strong and living before God, we cannot live on bread alone; we need the word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, which is the word of the Bible. We must eat the word of the Bible like food and even esteem the Bible more highly than food. We need to eat the word in order for our spiritual life to grow. We also must exercise to understand the more difficult portions in the Bible in order to be full-grown men, who are able to eat solid food. Without this eating and exercise, we will not become strong in our spiritual life.
15. “Milk of the word” (1 Pet. 2:2 see also 1 Cor. 3:1-2; Heb. 5:12-14).
The Bible is not only solid food but also milk for our spiritual life. Solid food is for adults; milk is for infants. When our spiritual life is mature and we have an understanding of spiritual matters, we can extract the nourishment of solid food from the Bible, strengthening our spiritual life. When our spiritual life is immature and we lack an adequate understanding of spiritual matters, there are portions of the word of the Bible that are like milk, which can nourish us and cause our spiritual life to grow. Therefore, newly regenerated believers must love the word of the Bible and “as newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word.” If they do not, they will remain babes in Christ and their spiritual life will not grow.
16. “Washing”; “Clean” (Eph. 5:26; John 15:3).
The word of the Bible washes our outward actions and removes our outward defilement. It also washes us inwardly and frees us from the weaknesses of the old creation. Ephesians 5:26 refers to this kind of washing. The Lord uses the water of life within us to wash us through the word of the Bible, eliminating the spots and wrinkles of the old creation. Spots and wrinkles are not related to the defilement that we acquire from our outward actions but to the weaknesses of the life of the old creation within us. The Lord uses the word in coordination with His life in us to wash away our spots and wrinkles. The Holy Spirit in coordination with the Lord’s life in us frequently enlivens us with a word or sentence in the Bible in order to remove things of the old creation so that we can grow in the new creation. This washing is a function of the word of the Bible.
Ephesians 5 is not the only portion of the Bible that speaks of this function. John 15:3 says, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” This portion, which is related to being branches abiding in the Lord as the vine, shows that the Lord’s word, the word of the Bible, cleanses us so that we can bear much fruit. This cleansing does not refer merely to an outward washing of the branches but to the removal of everything old so that the branches can be renewed. Therefore, this washing does not involve our outward actions but our inward life. Inwardly, we must be cleansed of everything related to the old creation in order to grow in the new creation. The word of the Bible manifests this washing power and function in us.
17. “Like fire...and like a hammer” (Jer. 23:29 see also 5:14).
The word of the Bible is powerful; it is like a burning fire and a smashing hammer. The word of the Bible can burn hearts that are ice cold toward God and can completely burn away the things of man, which are contrary to God’s holy nature. It can smash hearts that are hard toward God and subdue every thought that is against God. For thousands of years countless hearts that were cold toward God have been burned by the word of the Bible, and countless hearts that were hard toward God have been smashed by the word of the Bible. Throughout the ages many things that are contrary to God’s holy nature have been burned by the word of the Bible, and many thoughts that were against God have been subdued by the word of the Bible. The word of the Bible truly has the power to deal with a person’s cold and hard heart.
18. “Like the rain...like the dew...and like abundant showers” (Deut. 32:2).
The word of the Bible is like rain, dew, and abundant showers. It waters and refreshes us. Rain is a general watering, dew is a gentle refreshing, and showers are a special watering. The word of the Bible manifests these functions, especially in relation to us as God’s farm (1 Cor. 3:9), the harvest that God cultivates (Mark 4:20; 1 Cor. 3:6). The word of the Bible is like rain, dew, and showers. It waters and refreshes us so that we can grow and bear fruit.
19. “As the rain...and the snow...so will My word be” (Isa. 55:10-11).
The word of the Bible is not only like rain, but it also refreshes like snow. Rain comes in the spring, summer, and fall, but snow comes in the winter. The refreshing of rain is quick and brief, but the refreshing of snow is slow and lasting. These comparisons remind us that the word of the Bible can refresh us in every season of our condition. Sometimes we need a quick, short refreshing, like rain. At other times we need a slower, longer refreshing, like snow. Whether the refreshing is like rain or snow, the word causes us to grow and bear fruit, and it will accomplish God’s delight upon us (v. 11).
20. “A mirror” (James 1:23).
The word of the Bible is like a mirror; it reflects our true appearance and condition. By reading the Bible, we see our real countenance and know our true condition. It is difficult to find a person who has not seen himself when he comes to the word in the Bible.
21. “Restoring the soul... / Making the simple wise... / Making the heart joyous... / Enlightening the eyes” (Psa. 19:7-8).
The Bible functions in a sweet way to restore and refresh our soul, to make us wise, to make our heart joyous, and to enlighten our eyes. The word manifests these functions when we read the Bible. Our soul may be depressed, but a word in the Bible will restore and refresh us. We may be simple, that is, foolish, but a word from the Bible will make us wise. We may be troubled in our heart, but a word in the Bible will make us joyous; and we may be blind, but a word from the Bible will enlighten our eyes.
22. “Are spirit and are life” (John 6:63).
The Lord’s words, the word of the Bible, are spirit and life. God is Spirit; He is the source of life. The word of the Bible comes out of God, so it comes out of the Spirit and out of life. Since the source of the word is Spirit and life, it is spirit and life. The word of the Bible enables us to have Spirit and life; it causes us to receive life from the Spirit and to live according to the Spirit.
23. “My words...are life to those who find them, / And healing to all their flesh” (Prov. 4:20-22 see also 16:24).
The word of the Bible can spiritually nourish us and also heal our flesh. Because the word of the Bible can restore our soul and make our heart joyous, it can heal our body. Our soul is refreshed, our heart is made joyous, and our body is healed because of the word of the Bible. There is a saying, “When the heart is happy, the body grows fat.” Since the word of the Bible makes our heart happy, it can also make our bodies healthy.
24. “Counselors” (Psa. 119:24).
This verse says that the word of the Bible is our counselor. This is true. Often the word of the Bible is far better than the ideas or suggestions of any counselor, strategist, or consultant. We should consider all things with the Bible, the best counselor, and consult it in order to give the Lord an opportunity to give us His counsel and thoughts.
25. “Likened to...the rock” (Matt. 7:24-25).
The word of the Bible is like a rock. It is reliable and firm. If our life and work are based on the Bible, they will be like a solid and reliable house built on a rock. The word of the Bible is the solid foundation of our life and work. This is another function of the Bible.
1. “Pure words, / Silver... / Purified seven times” (Psa. 12:6 see also 18:30; 119:140; Prov. 30:5).
There are sixty-six books in the Bible, yet every sentence is pure like silver that has been purified seven times. The word of the Bible is refined and pure; there are no unnecessary words.
2. “Perfect...faithful...right...clear...pure...truth” (Psa. 19:7-9).
Every person who has earnestly read the Bible confesses that no other book in the world is as perfect and faithful as the Bible. No other book in the world is as right, pure, and true as the Bible. Whether it is speaking concerning God or man, the origin of the heavens and earth or the end of all things, the meaning of human life or the way of man, the things in this life or in the coming age, the Bible clearly explains every matter related to man. It is perfect and faithful. Furthermore, the word of the Bible is not twisted. Its nature is not filthy, and its teachings are not false. The Bible is right, clear, and truthful.
3. “More to be desired are they than gold... / Sweeter also than honey”; “How sweet” (Psa. 19:10; 119:103).
Those who have truly tasted the word of the Bible know its preciousness and sweetness. The Bible is more to be desired than gold and sweeter than honey from the honeycomb. If we do not have a sense that the Bible is precious and desirable, sweet and lovely, and if the word of the Bible is not more precious than gold in our heart and sweeter than honey in our mouth, we have not tasted the Bible. If we do not have an appreciation of the value of the Bible, I hope that we will ask God for the grace to know the preciousness and sweetness of His Word, the Bible.
4. “Better to me / Than thousands of pieces of gold and silver” (Psa.119:72, see also v. 127).
Many people throughout history have confessed and testified that the value of the Bible is greater than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. Many have valued the Bible even more than their lives, including those who were martyred during the time of the Reformation, because they realized the priceless value of the Bible, the word of God.
5. “My heritage forever” (Psa. 119:111).
All the spiritual blessings that we receive in the Lord today are heavenly; they cannot be seen with our physical eyes. However, we can see these blessings in the Bible. Everything on this earth will pass away; nothing of ours will remain. However, the Bible, our only true heritage, will last forever. Those who truly know God treasure the Bible and regard it as a priceless, eternal heritage.
6. “No word will be impossible” (Luke 1:37).
No word in the Bible is impossible. This is a characteristic of the Bible. Worldly books do not emphasize power and do not have power. The Bible, however, emphasizes power and truly has power. One sentence of the Bible can cause a person deep in sin to repent and be saved. One sentence of the Bible often changes a person completely. If anyone genuinely touches the word of the Bible, he touches the power in the Bible because the Bible is the Word of God. The Word of God is as powerful as God. God accomplished His creation and rules everything through His word (Heb. 11:3; 1:3). The word of God is the power of God. Since the Bible is the word of God, it has the power of God and even is the power of God. This power is limitless.
7. “One iota or one serif shall by no means pass away” (Matt. 5:18 see also 24:35).
The word of the Bible is not only powerful but also sure. Heaven and earth will pass away, but not one iota or serif of the Word of God will pass away. Hebrews 1:11-12 speaks of God remaining forever, even after the heavens and earth have passed away. This shows that the word of the Bible is as sure as God Himself; it is surer than the heavens and the earth. The word of the Bible cannot pass away, and no one can destroy it. Oh, the Bible is so sure and reliable!
1. “I love Your law! / ...it is my musing” (Psa. 119:97, see also v. 20; 1:2).
We should love the Bible like the psalmists who desired it until their heart was crushed with longing. We should muse on the word of the Bible like the psalmists, who thought about it all day long. They mused upon the word day and night. If we want to know and understand the Bible, we must love the word and muse upon it.
2. “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my apportioned food” (Job 23:12 see also Psa. 119:6, 117).
We should treasure and regard the word of the Bible more than our apportioned food. Some brothers and sisters say that they are too busy to read the Bible. But no matter how busy we are, we still have time to eat three meals every day. If we treasured the Bible more than food, we would not say that we do not have time to read the Bible. If we have time to eat, we have time to read the Bible. We even should have more time to read the Bible because the Bible is more important to us than food. Someone once said, “No breakfast before reading the Bible.” We should not eat if we have not read the Bible. We should treasure the Bible more than food.
3. “Incline my heart” (Psa. 119:36, see also v. 112).
We must incline our heart toward the Bible. If we only use our eyes to read the Bible, but our heart is not inclined to it in our reading, it will be difficult to understand the Bible. Many brothers and sisters read the Bible without an inclined heart; rather, their hearts are inclined toward their schoolbooks, toward the activities of their day, toward their business or finances, or toward their housework and family. Therefore, we should pray that the Lord would empty our heart so that it would be inclined toward His word in the Bible.
4. “Learn” (71, Psa. 119:73).
Merely inclining our heart toward the Bible is not enough; we must also learn. If we only incline, we cannot understand; we must learn in order to comprehend. Learning requires diligence. We should not merely have “book learning”; we also need to learn from events and from our living. We should not use our thoughts merely; we must use events and our living. Sometimes we must also suffer before we can learn a portion of the Bible. Therefore, the psalmist says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, / That I might learn Your statutes [the Word of God]” (v. 71). If we want to learn to know the Bible, we also need understanding, or the ability to understand. This is something that only God who created us can give. Thus, we must ask Him to give us understanding so that we would have the adequate ability to comprehend in order to learn to know His mysterious Word, this marvelous Bible.
5. “From a babe you have known the sacred writings” (2 Tim. 3:15).
We need the Bible for our whole life. Therefore, we should know the Bible from a babe. The earlier we know the Bible, the better. From the time we are a babe, we should receive enlightenment, teaching, and salvation from the Bible. Furthermore, the teachings and truths of the Bible are numerous, deep, and mysterious. We need an entire lifetime to learn to know them. Children and young people especially need to spend time learning to know the Bible when their intellect and memory are adequate and strong. Many passages in the Bible should be memorized, and many truths should be learned and remembered. In contrast to most elderly people, this is something that can easily be done by children and young people. If we want to understand the Bible, we must begin to learn from the time we are a babe.
6. “Seek from the book of Jehovah and read” (Isa. 34:16 see also John 5:39; Acts 17:11).
There are many teachings in the Bible that are deep and mysterious. We need to seek them out and read them. To seek is to search and prove the teachings and truths in the Bible. To read is to read the Bible out loud, touching the flavor of the teachings and truths in the Bible. Seeking emphasizes quiet consideration; reading emphasizes a vocal tasting. We should seek and read the Bible. We should quietly seek and prove, and then we should audibly read to taste.
7. “Reads...hear...keep” (Rev. 1:3 see also Acts 8:28, 32).
We must read, hear, and keep the word of the Bible. To read is to read by ourselves. To hear is to listen to others read or speak. Whether we read the word by ourselves or hear it indirectly from others, we need to keep it. If we do not keep the word, the Bible will not benefit us.
8. “Then He opened their mind to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45).
We need a mind that has been opened in order to be able to understand the truths contained in the Bible. The truths in the Bible are mysterious and deep. Our natural intellect cannot understand them. The Lord must open our heart so that we can understand. Thus, we should ask the Lord to open our mind and give us an understanding that transcends our natural intellect in order to understand the Bible.
9. “Believed” (John 2:22; 5:46).
We must believe the Bible. To believe is to confess and receive in our heart after our mind has understood. If we only understand the word of the Bible in our mind, it will be of no benefit to us. We must believe in our heart and use our believing to receive the word into our heart in order for the word to benefit us. Then it will give us the supply and help of life.
10. “Hear” (Luke 16:29, 31).
We must hear and follow the Bible. We must understand and comprehend the Bible, believe and receive the Bible, and hear and obey the Bible. We should hear and obey all that the Bible says, no matter what or how it is said. In order to do this, we must reject our self, eliminate our prejudices, and submit to the Lord. Only those who submit to the Lord can hear and obey the word of the Bible. May the Lord have mercy on us and give us a submissive heart!
11. “Trust” (Psa. 119:42).
We must trust in the word of the Bible. If we believe, receive, hear, and obey the word of the Bible, we also should trust in it. To trust in the Bible means that we commit ourselves to the Bible, which we have believed and heard. Many bear burdens, experience difficulties, overcome temptations, and deal with problems by trusting in the word of the Bible. They rely on the word of the Bible their entire life. The word of the Bible is able to bear our responsibilities. It has the capacity to lead us throughout our entire life. May we trust in the word of the Bible!
12. “Hope” (Psa. 119:114, see also v. 147).
If we want to gain the word of the Bible, we must not only seek, prove, and study but also hope. Seeking, proving, and studying are related to the mind, and they require time and energy to search the Word of God. Hoping is related to the heart, and it involves waiting for God to give us His word. This requires that we live before God and fellowship with Him.
13. “Ate” (Jer. 15:16).
Once we gain the word of the Bible, we should eat it, receive it into us, so that we can digest it inwardly in order to supply our spiritual life. This refers to our using our spirit to receive the word of the Bible into our spirit instead of using our mind to receive the word into our mind.
14. “In my heart I have treasured up Your word” (Psa. 119:11, see also v. 98).
We should treasure up the word of the Bible in our heart so that we can apply it at any time or place. Our heart should store up the word of the Bible to prepare us for unexpected needs. We should diligently store up the word of the Bible in our heart instead of looking for an applicable word in the Bible only when we encounter problems or difficulties. Going to the Bible at such times is only a second-rate solution. The best solution is to treasure up the word of the Bible in our heart so that when we encounter a specific need, we will be able to apply the word immediately. The Bible should be not only in our hands but in our heart. When we have the word of the Bible in our heart, we can apply it to any situation, even if we do not have the Bible in our hands. This is proper.
15. “Dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Col. 3:16).
We should not only treasure up the word of the Bible in our heart but also let it dwell in us richly. To do this, we need all wisdom and all ways to store the word of the Bible in our hearts richly. Our hearts should be rich storehouses of the Bible. Regrettably, many believers are too poor in this matter. Their hearts are storehouses of worldly knowledge and many things, but they have not stored up the word of God. Therefore, they are spiritually poor and have difficulty knowing the will of God when they encounter problems. In order for them to have a turn in spiritual matters, they must learn to let the word of the Bible dwell in them richly.
16. “I will take delight... / I will not forget Your word” (Psa. 119:16).
We must take delight in the word of the Bible and not forget it. We must use the word of the Bible to make ourselves happy, and we should remember the word of the Bible forever. The word of the Bible can make us happy, but we must be in it and touch its sweetness in order to be happy. If we take delight in the word of the Bible, we will always remember and never forget it.
17. “Not forsaken” (Psa. 119:87, see also vv. 102, 157).
We should never forsake the word of the Bible. We should not forsake the Bible no matter what problems we encounter, even persecution or death. It would be even worse if we forsook the Bible because of evil temptations. We should always bear responsibility for not forsaking the word of the Bible.
18. “Trembles at” (Isa. 66:2 see also Ezra 9:4).
We should tremble at the word of the Bible. Our heart should not be so hard that we would have no feeling when we touch the Bible. We should humble our heart and repent. When we touch the word of the Bible, we should be in fear and trembling. This requires us to humble ourselves before God.
19. “Keep” (Psa. 119:9; Luke 11:28 see also James 1:25).
We must keep the word of the Bible in order to obtain blessing and benefit. The blessing that we obtain from keeping the word of the Bible is truly great! It is even greater than the blessing that Mary obtained in bearing the Lord Jesus. Therefore, we should respond to the word in the Bible by keeping it.
20. “Speak” (Psa. 119:46).
We should not only keep the word of the Bible ourselves but also speak it to others. Keeping the word benefits ourselves; speaking the word graces others. Regardless of whom we stand before, we should speak the word of the Bible to them. Even if they are kings or people in a high position, we should speak and not be ashamed.
21. “Declared” (Psa. 119:13).
We should declare the word of the Bible as well as speak it. To speak is to preach on a small scale. To declare is to proclaim on a large scale. Both speaking and declaring tell others about the word of the Bible, and we should bear responsibility for both.
22. “Sing” (Psa. 119:172, see also v. 54).
We should sing the word of the Bible. This means to take the word of the Bible as the content of our hymns or to write hymns that use the words of the Bible. This is very sweet and beneficial. This kind of singing refreshes and supplies our spirit. May we practice this.
23. “Explained” (Luke 24:27, see also v. 32; Acts 18:24, 26).
We should also explain the Bible. To explain and to speak are almost the same thing. Both explaining and speaking clearly tell people about the word of the Bible so that the truths and teachings of the Bible can be understood.
24. “Cutting straight the word of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
We must not explain the truth of the Bible in a loose way. We must cut straight the word of the truth. The different truths in the Bible have boundaries. Although they are connected and interrelated, they cannot be confused and combined. We must cut straight these truths according to their boundaries, differentiating them clearly. We must not twist or explain them improperly. For example, the law in the Old Testament was given by God to the children of Israel. If New Testament believers, who are under grace, are taught to keep the law of the Old Testament, the boundary of the age has been crossed. Those who teach this do not cut straight the truth in the Bible that the age of the law and the age of grace are separate, even though they are related. Without a clear separation, the truth is confused and twisted, and the word of the truth is not cut straight. The Catholic Church brought many Old Testament rituals into the New Testament, and the Seventh-day Adventists brought the Sabbath into the New Testament. Both practices are not according to the boundaries of the truth. They twist and confuse the truth. We must never do this. We must cut straight the word of the truth according to the boundaries of the truth. We must clearly differentiate which truths are of the Old Testament and which are of the New Testament. We must discern which words were spoken to the children of Israel under the law, which were spoken to the believers under grace, and which were spoken to the Gentiles. We must know the word that refers to salvation, to reward, to the grace we have received, and to our responsibilities. We must cut straight these truths in the Bible according to their boundaries in order to know the Bible properly and to avoid error.
25. Not “twist” (2 Pet. 3:16).
We must not twist the truths in the Bible. Twisting usually occurs in relation to portions that are hard to understand. When we come to a difficult portion in the Bible, we should not twist; we should not force ourselves to explain if we do not understand. We should wait until we understand; then spontaneously, we will be able to explain in a clear way. To twist is to explain in an unnatural way or to force an explanation. We should not force ourselves to explain any portion of the Bible or try to explain it in an unnatural way. Twisting will harm others and cause us to suffer loss. Those who twist the Scriptures do so to their own destruction.
26. “Nor adulterating” (2 Cor. 4:2).
We should not adulterate the word of the Bible. To adulterate the word is not merely to explain it foolishly, wrongly, incorrectly, or improperly but to explain the word untruthfully or falsely in order to cheat people. We should never do this. If we explain any portion of the Bible, we should explain it accurately and truthfully. To explain the word of the Bible accurately and truthfully, we must not take a portion out of context. We must look at what comes before and after. We must consider the whole book. Sometimes we must consider what the entire Bible says in order to understand one verse or one portion. A brother once said that we need the whole Bible to explain one verse. This statement really is true. May we never forget it.
27. “Not add...nor...take away” (Deut. 4:2; 12:32 see also Prov. 30:6; Rev. 22:18-19).
We do not have the authority to add to or to take away from the word of the Bible because of its completeness and divine authority. Whatever the Bible says, it says. Whatever it does not say, it does not say. We should never add to or take away from it. We must confess that the Bible is absolutely authoritative. We must not make up stories that are according to our own will. Our only standard should be the word of the Bible, the word of God. Neither adding nor taking away is related to receiving blessing, whereas adding and taking away are related to receiving cursing. We must be fearful before the word of the Bible.
1. “Examining the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11).
Many can testify that the best way to read the Bible is to read it daily. Since the Bible is closely related to our living and actions, we need it in every area of our life. Therefore, we should read the Bible daily. Since the Bible is food for our spiritual life, we must receive spiritual nourishment from it daily. We need physical nourishment every day, and we similarly need spiritual nourishment every day. Just as we need to eat physical food every day, we need to read the Bible every day. We are healthy when we eat food every day, and we are healthy when we read the Bible every day. We should not eat food one day and then fast for three days. Likewise, we should not read the Bible in fits and starts. Just as our food should be apportioned to us throughout the day, our Bible reading should be apportioned in a measured and daily way. We should not receive too much or too little, reading too much one day and very little the next.
Furthermore, eating at specific times is the most healthy way to eat. Similarly, we should set aside specific times to read the Bible every day. Just as it is best for our body to eat a specific amount of food at specific times every day, it is best for our spirit to read a specific amount of the Bible at specific times every day. May we practice this by the Lord’s grace.
1. “I anticipated the dawn... / I hoped in Your words. / My eyes anticipated the night watches, / That I might muse” (Psa. 119:147-148 see also Exo. 16:21; Isa. 50:4).
The morning is the best time to read the Bible. Many who read the Bible acknowledge this. It is best to read the Bible in the morning when our heart has just awakened, our spirit is clean and quiet, and there is no noise, people, or events to disturb or worry us. If we read the Bible at a time other than the morning, it will be difficult to avoid disturbing noises and the interruptions of people or events and to read the Bible in peace. This makes it difficult to gain much benefit from reading the Bible. The children of Israel gathered the manna that they needed in the wilderness every day in the morning; if they waited until the sun came up, the manna melted away. Indeed, in order to gather the manna that we need for our spirit from the Bible, we must get up early every morning. If we are too late, it will melt away during the affairs of the day. Therefore, the psalmists anticipated the morning in order to hope in God’s word. They anticipated the night watches to muse on God’s word. The prophet Isaiah also listened to the Lord’s word before God every morning. Should we not also get up early every morning to read the Bible, hope in God’s word, muse on God’s word, and listen to and receive God’s word? If we are lazy and love our beds in the morning, we will not be able to gather the manna that we need for the day from the Bible. We will miss a great blessing for the day. No one who loves his bed in the morning can love the Bible. No one who is lazy in the morning can read the Bible. If we do not hate our bed and get up early in the morning, we will not be able to gather the manna of God’s word from the Bible in the morning. Therefore, we must awaken early in the morning. Once we are awake, we must get up and get out of our bed; we should not linger in our bed. We must have the heart to do this and ask God to give us the grace.
Reading the Bible in the morning not only benefits us spiritually, but it is also very useful in dealing with the things that we encounter every day. If we come to the Lord’s Word and read the Bible in the morning, it will supply us to meet our needs throughout the day. If we do not come to the Word, we will lack the power to deal with things or to overcome the temptations of the day. Therefore, we must read the Bible in the morning. We must seek and gain the Lord’s word in the morning. Alas, many brothers and sisters do not do this. That truly is a pitiful situation. They do not know how much they have lost. May the Lord have mercy.
1. “Open my eyes that I may behold / Wondrous things” (Psa. 119:18 see also Luke 24:45).
We should not depend merely on our own intellect to read the Bible. We must ask the Lord to open our mind so that we might understand the truth in the Word and behold wondrous things. If we want to understand and know the Bible, we need an opened mind and opened eyes. Only the Lord can open our mind and eyes; therefore, we must ask the Lord.
1. “Revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God” (1 Cor. 2:10).
Even though the Bible has been revealed through the Holy Spirit, there are yet many deep and mysterious things of God in the Bible that only the Spirit can search out and reveal to us. The depths of the Bible are out of God, of God, and concerning God. No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Therefore, if we want to read the Bible and understand it, we must seek the Spirit’s enlightenment. Our natural intellect is unable to understand the Bible. We must be enlightened by the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit’s revelation so that we can understand the Bible. Therefore, when we read the Bible, we should not depend on our intelligence but seek the enlightenment and revelation of the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, if we want to understand the Bible, we need to do more than seek the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit; we also need to live in the Holy Spirit and become a spiritual person. The word of the Bible is a spiritual word, and the Bible speaks of spiritual matters. Only those who are spiritual can understand spiritual words and matters. Certain kinds of people understand certain kinds of words and matters. It takes a spiritual person to understand spiritual words, and it takes a spiritual person to understand spiritual matters. Only the spiritual can understand the spiritual. Since the Bible is spiritual, we must be spiritual in order to understand the words that it contains. The degree of our understanding of the Bible is based on the degree of our spirituality. Therefore, if we want to understand the Bible, we must be spiritual, learn to live in the Spirit, and become a spiritual person.
1. “Whenever their heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Cor. 3:16).
We must not only be spiritual to read the Bible, but we must turn our heart to the Lord. Whether we understand the Bible and receive light when we read it depends on our spiritual condition and our heart. There will be a problem if our spirit is not right, and there will be a problem if our heart is not right. If we want to understand the Bible when we read it, our heart must turn to the Lord. If our heart is not turned to the Lord, it will be difficult for us to understand the Bible and see its light; there will be a veil on our heart that prevents us from seeing the light in the Bible. Once our heart turns to the Lord, however, the veil is taken away. Then we will see the Lord in the light of His Word, and we will understand and know the Bible. If we want to know the Bible, we must turn our heart to the Lord; that is, we must turn away from every person, thing, and matter outside of the Lord and return to the Lord.
1. “If anyone resolves to do His will, he will know concerning the teaching” (John 7:17).
When we read the Bible, we must resolve to do His will in order to understand the Word. The Lord does not reveal His teachings to those who have no heart to keep them. He makes them known to those who have a heart to keep them and who resolve to keep them. Therefore, we must be a person of such resolve in order to understand the words in the Bible.
1. “Search”; “Study diligently” (John 5:39 a note in the Chinese Union Version on Daniel 12:4 indicates that here and there can be translated as “search or study diligently”).
The Bible is a book that must be searched and studied. This requires time and effort, so we need to pay the price. Anyone who is not willing to pay the price to spend the time and make the effort to diligently search and study the Bible will not be able to understand much of the Bible, especially its depths.
The Bible is too rich and mysterious. It really is worthy of searching and study. Even though many have spent much time to study the Bible throughout the ages, there are still many portions that need to be studied. Many who have Ph.D.’s, who have spent an entire lifetime carefully studying the Bible, feel as if they are trying to measure the ocean with a dipper. Some very particular and special methods have been used to study the Bible throughout the ages. For example, the author of Young’s Concordance counted every Hebrew and Greek word in the Old and New Testaments. Moreover, he counted how many times each word was used in the original language (either Hebrew or Greek), recorded their meaning, and then detailed how these words were translated into English in the King James Version, including how many times each translated word was used and the location of each translated word. Then he compiled these words into an alphabetical concordance so that they could be located easily. It is difficult to say how much time and effort was put into this matter. Others calculated the numbers represented by every letter of every word in the Old Testament Hebrew and the New Testament Greek. (In Hebrew and Greek each letter stands for a number.) They counted the letters one by one and totaled their numerical value; they discovered that in both the Old and New Testaments, the numeric total of all the letters of all the words is divisible by seven. This means that the numeric total of every word in every verse in every chapter in every book of the Bible is divisible by seven. This is a truly marvelous kind of study, and it took much time and effort. Others have also spent much time and effort. May we be willing to take the time to study the Bible. May there be some among us who are willing to rise up and apply special effort to study this marvelous book.
1. “Meditates by day and by night”; “Muse upon”; “Consider” (Psa. 1:2; 119:15, 95 see also Matt. 9:13).
When we read the Bible, we need to meditate and consider. Sometimes we need to muse upon the Word. This requires carefulness and time. It also requires quiet concentration. Many times we need to meditate, consider carefully, or concentrate quietly in order to understand the Bible and touch its essence.
1. “Slow of heart to believe” (Luke 24:25 see also John 2:22).
We must believe when we read the Bible. Sometimes we understand, and then we believe and receive. Sometimes we believe and receive, and then we understand. In any case, we must always believe. Whoever does not read the Bible in faith, whoever is slow of heart to believe, cannot understand the Bible in a clear way. Even if we could understand some portion, we would not receive much benefit. We must mix faith with the word of the Bible in order to understand the Bible and receive the benefit (Heb. 4:2).
1. “Cried out...hoped” (Psa. 119:147).
Reading the Bible also requires cooperation through prayer. Reading the Bible and prayer cannot be separated. Therefore, the early psalmists called on the Lord on the one hand and hoped in the Lord’s word on the other. Before we read the Bible, we should pray and ask the Lord to cleanse us, to open the eyes of our heart, to prepare our spirit, and to open His Word and shine His light upon it to reveal His truth in it by the Spirit. As we read, we should turn the inspiration that we receive into prayer, praying for ourselves and for others. After we finish reading, we need to continue to pray, asking the Lord to preserve what we have understood so that we might keep it in faith and love and to give us strength and grace so that we might practice what we have seen. Thus, reading the Bible should begin with prayer, be accompanied by prayer, and end with prayer. Reading the Bible must be accompanied by prayer.
1. “Receive...the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition” (Eph. 6:17-18).
Our reading of the Bible should not only be with prayer but should be mingled with prayer. Any portion or sentence of the Bible can become our prayer. This is not simply to read the word of the Bible; this is to pray the word of the Bible. We should not use our mind to understand the Word but our spirit to taste and chew a portion of the Word so that it becomes our supply. Paul refers to receiving the word of God by means of all prayer and petition in Ephesians 6:17-18. This kind of praying and reading, that is, pray-reading, enables us to not only understand the true spiritual meaning of the Bible — the will of God — but also to enjoy the reality of the content of the Bible — God Himself. This is the most beneficial way to read the Bible for our spiritual growth.
1. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Col. 3:16 see also Psa. 119:98).
We should let the word dwell in us when we read the Bible. If we read it and forget it, it will be difficult for us to thoroughly understand the Word. If we let the important points, the important chapters and verses, and the important truths of the Bible dwell in us, the Holy Spirit can enable us to understand the meaning of the Bible. Moreover, He can reveal the truths of the Bible to us at any time and in any place. Therefore, we must let the word of the Bible dwell in us richly in all wisdom and by all means. Remembering the Bible and memorizing the Bible are necessary to reading the Bible and a way to read the Bible. We should practice this, especially the young brothers and sisters. We should memorize one book of the Bible or choose a few golden verses from our daily reading to remember and memorize. Regardless of how well we remember or memorize the Word, this is always beneficial.
Reading the Bible also involves some practical points.
1. We should have two copies of the Bible. One copy should be used to record inspiration and to underline important points; the other copy should not contain any of our writing. It should remain clean. When we read, we should read from the clean copy and record inspiration or underline a portion in the writing copy.
2. We should read two lines at the same time. One line should be the New Testament, which can be called the line of life because our emphasis should be on the nourishment of life. It is best to read one chapter of the New Testament every morning for twenty to thirty minutes, choosing one or two verses to pray-read. The other line should be the Old Testament, which can be called the line of knowledge because our emphasis should be on knowing the Bible. We can read from this line every day during the daytime or in the evening for thirty or forty minutes. We should read about three chapters of the Old Testament a day. In this way we can read from both the Old and New Testaments every day, and in one year we will read through the whole Bible. When we read from either the Old or New Testament, it is best to read from the first book to the last, chapter by chapter. It is best if we read it according to the number of chapters and sections laid out in the book Once a Year through the Bible published by the Gospel Book Room (see The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 2, ch. 10).
3. We should pay attention to and remember the main points of every chapter. We should receive inspiration and turn this inspiration into prayer as soon as we sense it. We should remember and memorize the important phrases in the Bible. For example, when we read Matthew 1, we should see that the first section is on the genealogy of Christ, and the second section is on the birth of Christ. We should remember these two points. Then we may have a feeling about verse 21: “You shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.” We can immediately turn this inspiration into prayer, asking the Lord to save us from our sins, according to the meaning of His name. We also can ask the Lord to save a brother or sister from their sin, according to the meaning of His name. Finally, if we have a sense of the preciousness of the Lord’s names in verses 21 and 23, we should memorize these two verses.
4. We should not seek deep explanations. We can be easily distracted when we read the Bible if we are seeking deep explanations. We should try to understand what we read, but we do not need to seek deep explanations. Such explanations distract and hinder us from understanding. We should guard against this. We need a certain level of spiritual life to understand the Bible because our understanding is proportional to our level of spiritual life. Given the present stage of our spiritual life, some parts of the Bible will not be understandable. However, as our spiritual life grows, we will spontaneously understand more of the Bible. Thus, when we read the Bible, we will have some understanding, but we should not feel the necessity to understand everything that we read at any given moment. We should not seek explanations that are beyond our spiritual comprehension. Instead, we should realize that we may understand a portion the next time we read the Bible.
A few points of explanation will help the brothers and sisters in their reading of the Bible.
The Bible is divided into two major sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each of these is further divided into several sections.
The five books from Genesis to Deuteronomy are considered as the books of the Law, or the books of Moses (Luke 16:29, 31; John 5:45-46; Rom. 10:4-5). They are commonly referred to as the Pentateuch. The twelve books from Joshua to Esther are called the books of history.
Some call these five books and Lamentations books of poetry because they are written in poetic form.
These books collectively are called the Prophets. The longer books are referred to as the major prophets, and the shorter books are referred to as the minor prophets.
In Luke 24:44 the Old Testament is divided into three sections: (1) the Law of Moses, the Pentateuch; (2) the Prophets, including the books of history; and (3) the Psalms, including the books of poetry. The Jews and their rabbis divided the Old Testament according to Luke 24:44: the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.
The first four books are called the four Gospels. The fifth book is called Acts.
These twenty-one books are called the Epistles.
In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the first section is history, the second section is experience, and the third section is prophecy. This is very meaningful.
In the Old Testament God used types as pictures to depict the truths that would be revealed in the New Testament. This is similar to a kindergarten teacher using pictures to teach children. There are many categories of types, including people, things, events, and ceremonies.
Christ, as the Head of the new creation, is typified by Adam (Rom. 5:14).
The veil of the temple, which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies so that man could not approach God in the Holy of Holies, is a type of the physical body of Christ. After the veil was rent, however, man could come before God. When the Lord Jesus’ body was rent on the cross, a new and living way was opened for sinners to approach God (Heb. 10:20). His death on the cross enables us to come to God directly.
Before God’s salvation was manifested, God typified His salvation through the event of the children of Israel leaving Egypt (1 Cor. 10:1-11).
The Passover in the Old Testament is a type, a living picture, of Christ’s death. God used this ceremony to point to the death of Christ in the New Testament (5:7).
The prophecies in the Bible are fulfilled literally. The greatest prophecies in the Bible concern the two comings of Christ. The prophecies concerning the first coming of Christ have been fulfilled literally. For example, the prophecy concerning a virgin was actually fulfilled by a virgin (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-21); the prophecy concerning the Lord riding on a foal of a donkey was actually fulfilled with a foal of a donkey (Zech. 9:9; Matt. 21:2-5). The prophecies concerning the second coming of Christ and other unfulfilled prophecies will certainly be fulfilled literally. Therefore, our explanation of prophecy must be absolutely literal.
Furthermore, no prophecy of Scripture is of one’s own interpretation (2 Pet. 1:20). This means that no prophecy can be interpreted in isolation from other Scripture; we must see how it relates to other prophecies on the same subject.
The history in the Bible contains spiritual meaning. For example, the history of Sarah and Hagar speaks of the difference between the old and new covenants (Gen. 21:1-14; Gal. 4:22-31), and the story of Mephibosheth describes God’s salvation (2 Sam. 9:1-13).
We must distinguish among the different dispensations in the Bible. If we do not, many parts will seem contradictory and be difficult to explain. The period of time from the creation of Adam to the end of the millennial kingdom can be divided into seven dispensations. The position and condition of man and the responsibility borne by man in each dispensation are different. In each dispensation, however, man failed, and each dispensation ends in judgment.
1. The dispensation of innocence — from the creation of Adam to his being driven out of the garden of Eden, at most 130 years (cf. Gen. 5:3).
This period is called the dispensation of innocence because man was without sin at the time of Adam’s creation. Man lived before God and was ruled by God; God ruled man directly.
2. The dispensation of conscience — from the fall of Adam to the flood. The dispensations of innocence and conscience span approximately 1, 656 years.
This period is called the dispensation of conscience because man fell from God to his conscience and was ruled by his conscience. God ruled man indirectly through his conscience.
3. The dispensation of human government — from Noah’s leaving the ark to the dispersion at the tower of Babel, 427 years.
This period is called the dispensation of human government because during this time man fell further from his own conscience to being ruled by other men. He was under man’s rule. God thus ruled man even more indirectly through other men. At this time God gave man authority to rule men (9:6). Man’s authority over man began in this dispensation (Rom. 13:1). By this time man had fallen to the furthest extent. He fell from God to his conscience and then from his conscience to being ruled by other men. Thus, man fell from God’s government to self government and from self government to human government. After man fell to this extent, he could fall no further. At this point man truly needed God to come in and save him.
4. The dispensation of promise — from Abraham’s calling to the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, 430 years.
After man could fall no further, God came in and called Abram (Abraham), promising him that He would bless man through his seed — Christ (Gal. 3:16). This meant that He would deal with man by grace through Christ. God repeated this promise to the patriarchs. Therefore, this period is called the dispensation of promise.
5. The dispensation of law — from the giving of the law on Mount Sinai to the ministry of John the Baptist, about 1, 500 years (Luke 16:16).
Although God promised to deal with man by grace through Christ, man did not know himself. Instead, he thought that he could do good and be justified by God by virtue of his own actions. Therefore, God temporarily put aside His promise of grace and used the law to show man his sin and impotence. Through the law man was shown that he could not do good nor be justified in himself so that he would seek God’s grace. This period is called the dispensation of law because God dealt with man through the law at this time.
6. The dispensation of grace — from the ministry of John the Baptist to Christ’s second coming (Mark 1:1-5).
God used the law only to deal with man temporarily. His original promise of grace was not annulled by the law (Gal. 3:17). He placed man under law (for approximately 1, 500 years) to completely manifest man’s sin and impotence so that he would know himself and his sin in order to bow before God’s judgment (Rom. 3:19-20). Then God sent the Lord Jesus to fulfill His promise of grace, enabling Him to deal with man through grace and enabling man to live under His grace. The law continued to the time of John the Baptist (Luke 16:16), but from that time until the second coming of Christ, God has dealt with man and will deal with man through grace. Therefore, this period is called the dispensation of grace.
7. The dispensation of the kingdom — from Christ’s coming to reign as King to the casting of Satan into the lake of fire, 1, 000 years (Rev. 20:10).
When Christ comes back, the dispensation of grace will be over. His kingdom will be on earth, and He will reign for one thousand years. This period of one thousand years is the time of the authority of His kingdom, so it is called the dispensation of the kingdom.
Many Bible scholars use these seven periods. However, the Bible divides the time from the creation of Adam until the end of the millennial kingdom into only four dispensations:
1. The dispensation of the fathers — from Adam to Moses, before the giving of the law (Rom. 5:13-14), 2, 513 years.
2. The dispensation of the law — from Moses to the first coming of Christ (John 1:17), about 1, 500 years.
3. The dispensation of grace — from the first coming of Christ to His second coming.
4. The dispensation of the kingdom — from the second coming of Christ to the casting of Satan into the lake of fire, 1, 000 years.
We also must discern the different people in the Bible. We cannot apply the word that was spoken to the Jews to the Gentiles or to the church. We also cannot apply words spoken to the Gentiles or to the church to the Jews. In the Bible there are three kinds of people: Jews, Greeks, or Gentiles, and the church (1 Cor. 10:32). Genesis 1:1 through 11:9 (from the creation of Adam to the calling of Abraham) speaks of all humanity. Genesis 11:10 to Malachi 4:6 speaks of the Jews. During this time the church was a hidden mystery (4-5, Eph. 3:9-10); consequently, only Gentiles are mentioned in addition to the Jews. The four Gospels are a transition from the Jews to the church. Even though the Jews are referenced in the four Gospels, the teachings in the four Gospels mainly concern the believers in the church because the church would shortly be manifested (Matt. 16:18; 18:17). The church is especially emphasized from Acts 1:1 to the end of Revelation 3. During this time the Jewish nation is temporarily set aside, even though God pays attention to Jews and Gentiles as individuals. Jews, Gentiles, and the church are considered together from Revelation 4:1 to the end of chapter 19.
The original world in Genesis 1:1 is covered with water in verse 2, prior to the initiation of God’s dispensations with man.
I. The dispensation of innocence: from the creation of Adam to his being driven out of Eden — at most 130 years:
А. Man’s original position — vv. 26-29.
B. Man’s responsibility — 2:15-17.
C. Man’s failure — 3:6.
D. God’s judgment — v. 24.
II. The dispensation of conscience: from the fall of Adam to the flood — 1, 656 years:
А. Man’s original position — v. 22a.
B. Man’s responsibility — 4:7a.
C. Man’s failure — 6:5, 11-12.
D. God’s judgment — 7:11-12, 23.
III. The dispensation of human government: from Noah leaving the ark to the tower of Babel — 427 years:
А. Man’s original position — v. 1.
B. Man’s responsibility — 9:6.
C. Man’s failure — 11:1-4.
D. God’s judgment — vv. 5-8.
IV. The dispensation of promise: from the calling of Abraham to the law on Mount Sinai — 430 years:
А. Man’s original position — 12:1-3.
B. Man’s responsibility — 26:2-3.
C. Man’s failure — 47:1.
D. God’s judgment — Exo. 1:8-14.
V. The dispensation of law: from the giving of the law to Moses to John the Baptist’s ministry — 1, 500 years:
А. Man’s original position — 19:1-4.
B. Man’s responsibility — vv. 5-6; cf. Gal. 3:12.
C. Man’s failure — 2 Kings 17:7, 17; cf. Acts 2:22-23.
D. God’s judgment — 2 Kings 17:1-6, 24; 25:1-11; cf. Luke 21:20-24.
VI. The dispensation of grace: from John the Baptist’s preaching of baptism to Christ’s second coming — 1, 900+ years:
А. Man’s original position — 19:10; Rom. 3:19, 23.
B. Man’s responsibility — John 1:12; 3:16.
C. Man’s failure — Luke 19:12-14; 18:8; Matt. 24:37-39.
D. God’s judgment — 2 Thes. 1:6-9; 2:7-12.
VII. The dispensation of the kingdom: from Christ’s second coming to the casting of Satan into the lake of fire — 1, 000 years:
А. Man’s original position — Matt. 25:34, 46b.
B. Man’s responsibility — Zech. 14:16-20.
C. Man’s failure — Rev. 20:7-9a.
D. God’s judgment — vv. 9b-10.
At the conclusion of the seven dispensations, the world will be burned with fire (2 Pet. 3:10, 12), and there will be a new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:1).
