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A minister of God’s word not only needs the light of God’s revelation and the power to retain this light, but he also needs a burden. Burden in Hebrew is massa, which is used in two ways. One way is found in the Pentateuch, which means “a bearable load” (cf. Exo. 23:5; Num. 4:15, 19, 24, 27, 31-32, 49; 11:11, 17; Deut. 1:12). The other way is found in the books of the prophets (cf. Isa. 13:1; 14:28; 17:1; 19:1; 21:1, 11, 13; 22:1; 23:1; 30:6; Jer. 23:33-34, 36, 38; Nahum 1:1; Hab. 1:1; Zech. 9:1; 12:1; Mal. 1:1). The revelations the prophets received were the burdens they received. There is such a thing as a “burden,” which is intimately related to the ministry of the word. When the prophets served as ministers of the word, their service issued from their massa, that is, from their burdens. Without burden, there is no ministry of the word. Hence, a minister of the word must have a burden.
We have seen that the starting point of the ministry of the word is light. When light shines on us, it comes as a sudden flash of revelation that goes away quickly. If our thoughts have been dealt with by the Lord, this light from God will be retained in our mind. Our mind can then translate this light in our spirit into comprehensible thoughts. Such a shining and fixation becomes our burden. A minister of the word needs to have a burden. But without light, he cannot have a burden. Neither can he have a burden if the light is not translated into thoughts. Furthermore, if the light goes away and only thoughts remain, there is again no burden. Burden only comes when there is light plus thoughts. We must see before the Lord that without light there is no burden. Light alone, however, does not make up a burden. Even after light has been translated into thoughts, there will be no burden if the light goes away and only thoughts remain. A minister can have a burden before the Lord only insofar as light is complemented and retained by translated thoughts.
Why do we call this a burden? When light is successfully translated into thoughts, but subsequently goes away, leaving behind only thoughts, there is not the feeling of any weight. We feel weight only when we touch the thoughts and at the same time come under the shining. At such times we feel pressed, discomforted, or even pained within. This is the burden of God’s word. The burdens the prophets received could only be released through the word. If we do not have the word, our burdens will not be released.
In order to learn to be a minister of the word, we have to find out from God what is the relationship between the word, the thoughts, and His light. First we receive light, then we receive thoughts, and lastly we receive the word. The function of the word is to release God’s light. From God’s point of view, light becomes thoughts, and then it becomes the word. Today I am transferring my burden to others when I impart God’s light to them. When I have light and thoughts, I have a burden upon me. Under this burden I am not free; I feel pressed, weighted down, suppressed, and at times even pained. But as I pass on this burden to others and communicate it to other children of God, my spirit is relieved and my mind is once again free, as if a burden has been lifted off my shoulders.
How can we relieve ourselves of our burden? In order to unload our burden, we must have the word. Physical burdens are unloaded with our hands. The spiritual burdens are unloaded with the word. If we cannot find the proper word to release the burden, the latter will remain heavy on us. Our burden is released and we are relieved when we come up with the proper words. All ministers of the word have the common experience that thoughts alone are not enough to constitute a message in them; they must have the word before they can release a message. Thoughts alone cannot lead men to God. If a man only has thoughts and nothing else, his speaking will be confused, go around in circles, and get nowhere, as if he were in a maze. But if he has the utterance, the more he speaks, the more he will be released. Many times a minister of God’s word has a heavy burden on him. When he comes to the meeting, God shines on him and burdens him to speak. But after an hour of speaking, he returns home with a heavy burden still on his shoulder. He comes with a burden, and he leaves with a burden. Other than the possible excuse of the audience, the only reason for this failure is a shortage of words. When there is a shortage of words, the more one speaks, the more uneasy he becomes, and the less he is released. He is not silent. In fact, he can be quite wordy, yet the very utterance within cannot be released. This means that there is a shortage of words. It is not a matter of a shortage of thoughts but a matter of a shortage of words. If he has the right words, the result will be different. Even though he comes with a heavy burden, he will feel relieved as he speaks. As the words are released sentence by sentence, his burden will be released little by little. The more he speaks, the more released he will be. He will come with a burden, and after the speaking, he will feel that the burden is discharged. This is similar to the way the prophets discharged their burdens. The prophecies of the prophets were their burdens. Their work was to discharge their burdens. They discharged their burdens by the release of the word. A worker relieves himself of his burden by the release of the word. Without words, he cannot discharge his burden. The burden will remain on him. Others may praise him for his wonderful speaking; they may tell him that they have received much help. But he will realize that nothing has gone out from within him. Others have only heard his words; they have not heard God’s word.
In relating his ministry of the word to the Corinthians, Paul said, “Which things also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things with spiritual words” (1 Cor. 2:13). If we have not received a word from the Lord, we cannot be a minister of the word. We have to have a word that the Lord has commissioned us with and placed in our mouth. When that word is released, the burden is released. Every worker of the Lord has to learn to discharge this burden. Those who work according to their mentality or their knowledge do not understand this fact. Whether or not a man can discharge his burden depends not so much on his utterance and thoughts as on whether or not he has God’s word. When he has God’s word and releases this word, the discharge of this word equals the discharge of his burden. Therefore, we have to learn to receive God’s word from Him. When God’s light comes to our outer man through our thoughts, these thoughts can be translated into words. When the words are released, they become God’s word. This is the ministry of the word. We have to be clear before the Lord how our thoughts are turned into words and how the inner words are turned into outer words. In the very act of discharging our burden, we have to realize the difference between the inner words and the outer words. We need to have words, both the inner words and the outer words. The inner words are the word we have received within us, while the outer words enunciate the inner words.
Let us first consider the inner word. After we receive light from God and after we have the thoughts, we only have enough material to have a burden, but this is not enough to discharge it. Light and thoughts can only become our burden; they cannot serve to discharge our burden. Light and thoughts must first become words to us; the thoughts must first become words before we can release these words through our voice to the outside world. We cannot utter our thoughts; we can only utter our words. We cannot turn our thoughts into words extemporaneously. We must first translate these thoughts into words before we can announce them to the outside world. The ministry of the word is different from ordinary speaking. With ordinary speaking, one can speak as long as he has thoughts; his speaking is based on his thoughts. The same, however, is not true with the ministers of the word. Their thoughts must first be converted into words. Their inner being must be filled not only with thoughts but with words as well. They will be able to release their inner word to the outside world only after they have both.
The Lord Jesus served as the highest example of the minister of the word when He was on earth. He was not God’s thoughts becoming flesh; He was God’s Word becoming flesh. A minister of the word must be supplied with words before he can serve as a minister of the word. One does not become a minister of the word simply by having thoughts. Thoughts must be converted into words before he can have a ministry before God. If we only have thoughts and no words except our own, we still are short of one thing, and we are not able to be a minister of the word. These are basic principles. We need light, we need thoughts, and we need the inner words. After we have light from God and after this light is retained in our thoughts, we have to learn to pray for words before God. We have to be watchful. We have to pray and beseech Him before we will have the words.
When God’s light shines into our spirit, it is a revelation; we have to translate this revelation into our thoughts. Without revelation, there is no shining. Shining is God’s work. But the retaining of light by the thoughts is man’s work, a work that belongs to those who have learned the proper lessons from God. After light is translated into thoughts, there is still the need to translate the thoughts into words. We translate light into thoughts for ourselves, and we translate thoughts into words for others. If we only intend to have light for ourselves, thoughts are good enough. But in order for the light to be dispensed to others, these thoughts have to be translated into words. Without thoughts, the light is too abstract. Without the light, thoughts are useless. But the light must be translated into thoughts before it becomes tangible to us. Furthermore, the thoughts must be translated into words before light becomes tangible to others. We need thoughts to translate the light, and we need words to translate the thoughts. Only then will we have the ministry of the word. Light alone is not enough to qualify a person to be a minister of the word, and thoughts alone are not enough to qualify a person to be a minister of the word. Even the combination of light and thoughts is not enough to qualify a person to be a minister of the word. There must be light, thoughts, and words before one can serve as a minister of the word. We need words to translate the thoughts. This does not refer to ordinary thoughts but to the thoughts that pertain to revelation. Our thoughts are the very light that we see. Yet we cannot share these thoughts with others; they have to be converted into words. Hence, another great step in the ministry of the word is to receive words from God to anchor and then to translate our thoughts. We need the words. Light from God can only be retained with disciplined thoughts. Moreover, we have to anchor these thoughts with words that also come from God. The words that anchor our thoughts must be from God. Sometimes revelation is in the spirit, and sometimes it is in the word. Let us consider these two things.
When God gives us a revelation in our spirit, we have the shining. However, the shining does not stop with God’s revelation in our spirit. We have to retain the light with our thoughts. Yet our natural thoughts are not suitable for this task. We cannot turn our thoughts immediately into words. What then should we do? We have to ask God for further shining, not for a shining in our spirit which communicates its meaning to us, but for a shining that conveys words which translate the meaning of the light into words. Here we see two revelations, one in the spirit and one in the word. The revelation in the word is a sentence or two that God gives to us. When we pray to God, we receive a clear light, and we are able to retain and hold on to this light; light is translated into thoughts in us. Yet when we try to speak to others about this revelation, we cannot do it. We understand this revelation ourselves, but we cannot communicate it to others. We can understand it a little, but we do not have the words to make it known to others. At this point we should begin to pray to God for a word. We should pray watchfully and comprehensively, opening our heart to Him and dropping all prejudice. Our spirit has to be open to Him as well. As we do this, we will begin to see something before God; He will give us a word or two that aptly expresses the sense within. Just these few words become a revelation. The words of this revelation hold God’s light in place.
Light is translated into cognizance and thoughts, and then the thoughts are translated into words. It is right to say this, and I believe that there is no question about this. Light becomes thoughts, and thoughts are then released through us as words. Light comes to us and is retained by the thoughts. Today these thoughts are expressed through us with words. This is absolutely right. It is not very accurate to say that the relationship between revelation and thoughts is limited merely to a relationship between revelation in the word and thoughts. We receive words from God in the second revelation, but the words of revelation which we receive from God the second time are for the purpose of capturing the light which we see in the first place. We can say that there are two capturings in us. First, thoughts capture God’s light, and second, the words which we receive from God also capture His light. Just as we capture the light we receive in our spirit with our thoughts, we capture light through the words which God gives to us today. In this way, the revelation we receive through the words becomes one with the revelation we have received in our spirit. What we see in our spirit goes away in an instant; but the content of this vision is not measured by time. It does not mean that if a revelation lasts for a second that the speaking will also last for just a second. What we see in our spirit in an instant can involve many things. This is the reason our mind must be strong and rich in order to capture the light. The more we put our mind to use, the more light we will capture from God. The words we receive from God follow the same principle. In contrast to the vast amount that is revealed to us in an instant in our spirit, God’s word comes to us only in one or two sentences. When God gives us a sentence or two to capture the light, these sentences contain not merely words but the whole revelation behind them.
In ordinary speech, one only needs to speak eight words if there are eight words to say, or ten words if there are ten words to say. If a speech needs to last for ten minutes, it can be finished in ten minutes. The speaking of this world can be counted by words, minutes, and seconds. But this is not revelation. A word of revelation may consist only of one or two sentences, yet this word of revelation is as impregnated with riches as God’s revelation is. A revelation encompasses a great amount of riches; the instantaneous shining contains many riches. God may give us one sentence only, but that one sentence is packed with God’s rich utterance and overflowing revelation. If we can receive a great amount of riches in an instant of revelation, we can also receive a great amount of riches in a single sentence. If God can pack His riches within a moment of revelation, He can pack His riches within one sentence. What one sees in an instant may require a few months to explain. In the same way, what one receives in one sentence may require a few months to paraphrase. Here we have to differentiate between the inner words and the outer words. The inner words are not long, yet they contain many riches. The riches they contain are as rich as the riches one sees in a split second. We are not given long speeches to deliver to others. What we receive may only be one or two sentences. Yet these sentences contain many spiritual things. These one or two sentences carry one outstanding characteristic — they are words that release life.
What is a word that releases life? When God grants us revelation, He grants us life. He dispenses life to us through His revelation. This revelation becomes a burden to a worker or a minister. When this burden is discharged, life is released. If this burden is not discharged, life is not released. The heavier the burden is, the more powerful its release will be when it is discharged. If the burden cannot be discharged, it remains in us, and it will become heavier and heavier as time goes on. Suppose we have a large bag full of water that is very heavy in our hands. If we puncture the bag, the water will be discharged, and our hands will not feel the weight after a while. The release of the word works in this same way. If we have a burden within us, we should also have suitable words within us. One sentence will be enough; our burden will be discharged like water being discharged from the bag. But if we do not have this one word, we will feel like a water-tight bag. What then is a word of revelation? A word of revelation is a word that releases life. Previously, life was locked up, but through the discharge of our burden, it is released to others. We must have suitable words to release the pressure within. If we do not have such a word, we cannot release life.
Every time we have a burden, no matter how heavy it is, we will receive a word related to it if we wait long enough before God. Sometimes we may have to pray for days before we have a word to match the burden. In capturing the light, our mind may understand what is involved, but we may not have the words to express our understanding. There are times, however, when we receive the words at the same time that our mind captures the light. As the weight of the burden is felt, the words come instantaneously. We cannot dictate when the words will come. Sometimes God gives us the words immediately upon seeing something. Sometimes we have to wait, and the words come only after the burden has become heavier and heavier. No matter when the words come, they are always suited for the occasion. These words become our light. It seems as if the entire revelation that we have received can be summed up in one word. The one or two words that we have received are as rich in content as the entire revelation we received earlier. These words are like the cork of a bottle; when the cork is removed, the content bursts out. God has to give us one or two words. We call these words the inner words. These words come from God, and they are given to capture the revelation and to hold the revelation together. It is God’s intention for the revelation that we received from Him to be contained in these one or two words. When we release these words, the revelation is released. Once we utter these words of revelation from God, His light is released.
We should be clear about this before the Lord: Without light, there is no ministry of the word. Without the mind retaining the light and transforming it into thoughts, there is no ministry of the word. But even after the light is retained and translated into thoughts, there is still the need of the word, the word of revelation. This word is what Paul referred to as “words taught by the Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:13). The Spirit has to give us a word. He must not only give us revelation, but He must also give us the revelation in words. Such words of revelation may be only one or two sentences, but they are concise and to the point. As soon as these one or two sentences are uttered, life ushers forth. We may say many things, but if we do not utter these one or two sentences, life will not flow. As soon as these sentences are uttered, however, life flows out.
God’s life is released through revelation and nothing else. Take, for example, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. As far as the fact is concerned, the Lord has died for everyone in the whole world already. But has everyone received His life? As far as the fact is concerned, He has died for every person in this world, but not everyone has received this life. This is because not everyone has received the revelation. Even if a person can recite the truth of the Lord’s death, it will not do him any good if he has not received the revelation. Others, who have received the revelation, can utter thanksgiving and praise from their inner being. Seeing brings life. The Holy Spirit enlivens man through His word. As soon as we see such a word, we are enlivened.
Today God is supplying the church through the word. His intention is to dispense Christ and the life of Christ to the church. But it seems that this life can only be released through the burden we bear. When a burden comes to us, there must be a corresponding word to release the life in the word. Some words do not release life even when they are spoken for two hours. Other words release life immediately. Some words can be spoken repeatedly without carrying any life in them. Other words usher in life as soon as they are uttered. A minister of the word must have the word. Without the word, he will not accomplish anything. Every time a person receives a revelation, he has to receive one or two words as well. When such words are released, life flows. These puncturing and life-gushing words release life as soon as they are uttered. Before they are uttered, no life is released. But as soon as a person speaks these words, others touch life. Without such words, one cannot touch life no matter how hard he tries.
Revelation and light come first. This is the starting point. We must receive revelation and light from God. Yet revelation and light alone do not constitute the ministry of the word. One must be renewed in his mind and understanding. When God shines again, he will then be clear about the content of the revelation. We cannot convey a hazy and foggy revelation. At a minimum the revelation has to be clear in our mind before we can tell others about it. If we are not clear ourselves, we cannot speak of it to others. If the revelation we have received is not clear to us, we cannot release it. Even when we have received revelation, we cannot release it unless our mind is first clear about it. What we say may not be wrong, but we will not have the ministry of the word, and the Lord will not be released through us. After we receive light, our mind must first be clear. If our mind is muddled, the light we see will not remain. Consequently, we need a renewed mind. The old mind cannot be used; it has to be broken. If our mind is not clear, we cannot be a minister of God’s word. Yet even if our mind is clear, we still may not be a minister of the word because we still do not have the proper words. Others can only hear our words; they cannot hear our mind. If we do not have the appropriate words, we may speak for hours on the platform without conveying what we know. This is why we have to have words from God. Words come to some people as soon as their mind captures the light. With others, it may take a few days or even a few months. Whether the words come sooner or later, there must be a clear word. We must receive a clear word from the Lord before we can speak. Without such a word we cannot speak. There is not a need for many words; all we need is one or two sentences. Once we receive these one, two, three, or five sentences from the Lord, we can release all the revelation we have received. Unless we have perfect assurance within ourselves, we cannot stand up to speak. If we have not received any light, our ministry will go nowhere. Without light, there is no ministry of the word. But after we have received light and then have thoughts concerning it, we still need some life-releasing words. We are not talking about clever or wise words but life-releasing words. As soon as these words pierce into others, life gushes forth. As soon as these words are released, life is released. Life has to be released. Sometimes, one or two phrases are enough to release life. We have to pay attention before the Lord concerning these words. We call these words of revelation. Without such words of revelation, we cannot speak God’s word.
We should remember that when God gives us a burden, He also gives us a word to discharge the burden. Both are from God. He gives us light within, and He also gives us thoughts within. When both light and thoughts are present, we have a burden. This burden will make us uneasy; we will be pressed and constrained. Yet the God who gives us the burden will also give us the words to discharge the burden. It is God who gives us the burden, and it is God who enables us to discharge the burden. He will give us the words that will discharge life. One or two phrases are enough to release this life. We should not walk away with a burden on our shoulder. We have to find a way to release this life. Unless we can do this, we do not know how to work for God. When we go to the brothers and sisters, we should not go with an empty water bottle in our hand; we should be prepared to give them water. We must find the way to discharge the water before we open our mouth to speak. I often see a brother speaking at length without releasing what he wants to release. He tries very hard to release it, but he cannot discharge anything. If we have learned some lessons from the Lord, we will notice that this brother is going around in circles. He may reach a certain point where the water is about to flow, yet he circles around again and the water is still held back. When he reaches a certain point, he only needs to speak a certain word and the burden will be released. Yet he lacks that inner word. He has not learned to acquire the crucial words before he begins to minister the word. It is no wonder that the longer he speaks, the more he misses the point.
We must wait before God for the proper word. It is best to have the proper word as soon as our mind captures the light. If we do not receive the word when we capture the light, we should pray for such a word. One day we will find that our own eloquence is useless. The strange thing is that before a man learns to be a minister of God’s word, he may think that he has eloquence. But man’s natural eloquence can speak of many things except the things of God. Human eloquence is useless in relating the things of God. Life can never be released through human eloquence. Words of life can only be found through revelation. No matter how eloquent we are, we will never succeed in releasing life.
We have to admit that Paul was a good speaker. Yet in Ephesians 6:19 he said, “And for me, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known in boldness the mystery of the gospel.” In the original language utterance is “word.” Paul asked the Ephesians to pray for him that he might receive the word to make known the mystery of the gospel. Fleshly eloquence is useless in spiritual things. There must be God-given words. Ministry of the word is something inward, not outward. If we do not have the inward word, we have nothing worth speaking. The trouble with many people is that they keep on speaking, even though they are unable to release what they have within them. We should not search for these words when we are standing on the platform; we should have these words within us ahead of time. We must first find these words before God before we can speak them to others. A minister of God’s word must learn to know the inner word. He must learn to first touch the revelation and then release the words. May the Lord make us those who are rich in words. We must not only have a burden; the burden must be supplemented with words so that it can be discharged. The only thing that can discharge our burden is the phrases that we have within us. These phrases are actually a part of the burden.
What then is a burden? First, a burden is the light we receive in the spirit, the thoughts that capture the light, and finally the inner words that supplement the light and thoughts. The last step of the burden is the release of the inner word. The combination of these three things makes up the burden of the prophets. Burden is light plus thoughts plus the inner words. Our burden is to release God’s revelation to man, and God’s revelation is released through the words of revelation that we have received. May God show us the relationship between burden and the inner words.
Since the discharge of a burden is related closely to the inner words, how can we receive the inner words? Most of the time, we receive the inner words through reading the Bible and in our moments of waiting upon God. Suppose we receive some intense light, and the Lord mercifully grants us an active, creative, and energetic mind to capture the light. God’s shining then becomes our thoughts. This is sufficient for ourselves. The light of revelation and the translated thoughts are sufficient for our own use. God’s revelation has already generated some benefit in us; it has become permanent, specific, and tangible thoughts in us. Yet as we have pointed out earlier, this is not sufficient to supply others. We cannot supply others with our thoughts. We are ministers of God’s word. We cannot dispense our thoughts to others; we can only dispense words. Yet these words cannot be merely the product of our mind. An inner word requires a fresh revelation from God. We must have a word that comes directly from the Holy Spirit. This word is not just for ourselves but also for others. It is a word that qualifies us to be a minister. One thing is clear: We are all members of the Body of Christ, and God’s light must not stop in us. God’s shining is altogether for the ministry; it is not just for ourselves. We have mentioned previously that sometimes light is accompanied by God’s word when it is translated into thoughts, and that it is this word which enables us to be a minister of the word. Yet many times, even most of the time, we do not receive a word when light and thoughts come. In order to receive such a word, we have to wait on God and study the Scripture. I am not saying that this is always the case. Each situation is different. Sometimes the experience is quite special. At other times the experience is quite ordinary. Under ordinary circumstances, God gives us such words while we are waiting on Him and reading His Word. We may receive a word from God today in our study of the Scripture. We may receive a word tomorrow when we study the Scripture again. In our study of the Scripture, we may receive one or two phrases that aptly express what we have seen in our spirit. These life-releasing words release what we already understand in our mind. When these phrases are released, what is contained in the spirit is also released. These words discharge the light that has been captured by the mind. This is the basis of the ministry of the word. This is what a minister of the word needs.
Let us pay attention to this fact: We need light in the spirit and the retention of the light in the mind, yet we must also wait on God and read the Scripture to receive the proper words from Him. At such times we may receive a word. This word will make us clear within, open our inner eyes, and give us an inner assurance that we can now release this word. We must know how to utter these words before we can release the light and the thoughts that are within us. As soon as we have these sentences in our hand, we have the inner words. Before we have these words, we cannot release the revelation within us no matter how hard we try. A word that is void of revelation will never release any light of revelation. The release of the light of revelation is based on the release of words of revelation. Those who only have the light of revelation without a word of revelation cannot expect to release the light of revelation. The more a person is short of the word of revelation, the more he has to wait on God. He should pray, fellowship, and wait on God with the Scripture open before Him. He should not wait on Him in an ordinary way. He should not pray in an ordinary way or fellowship in an ordinary way. Instead, he should wait on God, pray to Him, and fellowship with Him by opening his Bible before Him. It is easier for God to speak through the Scripture, and it is easier for us to receive His word of revelation through the Scripture. Once we receive a word from the Scripture, something is formed within us. We have one or two words that will bring salvation to a sinner or render help to a believer. These words become God’s word. Although they are not God’s written word, they are God’s up-to-date word. As we mature in age, these words will be useful to us all the time, and as long as our spirit is pure and proper, the Holy Spirit will honor these words whenever we apply them. If a word is God’s word, the Holy Spirit will always use it to save men or edify believers. This is not just any kind of word. It is an extraordinary word, a powerful word.
Three necessary steps constitute the ministry of the word: light, thoughts, and word. There are two aspects of the word: the inner words and the outer words. In order to simplify things, we should say that there are four steps: light, thoughts, the inner words, and the outer words.
What are the outer words? What is the relationship between the inner words and the outer words? Their relationship is like the relationship between thoughts and light. These are all spiritual facts and can never be shaken. We have mentioned previously that the light will fly away once it shines within us if there is no thought to capture the light. It will run from our grasp and not be useful to us. Similarly, once we receive one or two inner words, we have to release them through outer words. The inner words consist of one or two sentences. These one or two sentences of God’s speaking cannot be understood or accepted if they are released in isolation. They have to be complemented with many other words. In addition to one or two words from God, we must have many other words before we can serve as a minister. God grants us the light of His word, and God also transforms this light into inner words. But this is not enough; we also must have many outer words. An inner word that is without complement is in a form that cannot be accepted readily; it is too condensed. If we release this word in its primitive form, others will not be able to understand it. It will be too strong, too condensed, and too compact to be accepted by others. When the inner word is released, it must be accompanied by many other words. Only then will we be able to effectively express the inner word. Perhaps two thousand words are needed to convey one word from God. Perhaps five thousand or ten thousand words are needed to convey that one word. We have to employ our own words to convey God’s word. This is the meaning of the ministry of the word.
Here we see the need of human elements. In capturing the light with our mind, the human element is involved. Some minds are not capable of this work, while other minds are sufficient. This is the first point at which the human element becomes involved. It is again involved later in the search for outer words. Some people are able to furnish suitable outer words to convey God’s word. Others cannot find suitable words to properly convey God’s word. Human elements account for a tremendous difference here.
The inner words are in a very condensed form; no one can receive them into him. The outer words are more diluted and can be accepted more readily. Our responsibility is to take care of the outer words. The responsibility for the outer words lies with man, that is, with the minister. A minister’s responsibility is to “dilute” God’s condensed word and make it easier for others to accept. The inner words are cryptic and condensed, whereas the outer words are lengthy and diluted. Others cannot receive the inner words; they can only receive the outer words. We receive the one or two sentences from God when we receive the second revelation. But after we receive these sentences, we still need many other words to help us release them. Hence, a minister of the word must first receive a divine word from God and then release this word with his own words. Only as we understand this process can we understand the meaning of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The pure word that men receive from God does not vary much. Yet when this word was spoken through Peter, it carried Peter’s flavor. When it was released through John, it carried John’s flavor. When it was released through Paul, it carried Paul’s flavor. If one can read the Greek New Testament, he can easily tell which books were written by Peter, which ones by John, and which ones by Paul, because, even though they all contain God’s word, they were all written differently. Peter was one kind of person, John was another kind of person, and Paul was yet a third kind of person. When God’s word was spoken through Peter, the teaching was God’s, but the flavor was Peter’s. When God’s word was spoken through John, the teaching was God’s, but the flavor was John’s. When God’s word was spoken through Paul, the teaching was God’s, but the flavor was Paul’s. Human elements are present in the ministry of God’s word. God lays His hand upon men chosen by the Spirit and releases His word through them. He indeed is the One who gives the word, yet He wants men to release it in their own words. Those who have learned many lessons before the Lord will speak as those who have learned many lessons. Those who have learned few lessons before the Lord will speak as those who have learned few lessons. God’s word is entrusted to man, and man is commissioned to release God’s word.
Let us turn back once again to the matter of speaking in tongues. Why should we pay attention to this matter? In his discussion concerning the ministry of the word, Paul made a comparison between tongues and the prophetic ministry. We must not forbid the speaking in tongues because it serves a purpose for those who are speaking. But it useless as far as the ministry of the word is concerned because no human understanding is involved. There is a lack of human elements in tongue speaking; it is something entirely from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit conveys a word to man, and man releases it verbatim with his spirit. God’s word is released, yet there is no trace of human understanding or human element in this word. According to our concept, speaking in tongues is better than the prophetic ministry. Is it not better for God to speak directly? Is it not better for the Holy Spirit to use His own words? Yet the Bible considers speaking in tongues inferior to prophesying. God puts more emphasis on prophesying than on tongues. The prophetic ministry is one in which both God’s word as well as the prophet’s words are found. In this case, the living water comes out of one’s innermost being (John 7:38). The word comes out of the innermost being; it is not poured down from heaven. This is a most fundamental principle in the New Testament.
God puts much emphasis on man. If we study the New Testament carefully, we can readily identify Peter’s writing as Peter’s, James’s writing as James’s, and Matthew’s writing as Matthew’s. Every book has its own idiomatic phrases, its own expressions, and its own grammatical structures. God had no intention for each writer to merely transcribe His word. It is His intention for the teaching to be His but for the words to be man’s. Since this is the case, a minister of the word has a tremendous responsibility! If we are not up to the standard, what can we contribute? This is the reason that our very person has to be broken. If the person is not proper, what will we bring to the word of God? We should never think that God’s word is so ethereal. In releasing His word, God gives man a sentence or two. Then man must release God’s word with his own words. He has to use many words to express a few sentences. Consequently, it matters a great deal as to how a man “dilutes” these few sentences with his own words.
In speaking the outer words, we have to realize that there are three prerequisites. The first is light, the second is thoughts, and the third is the inner words. Suppose we are going to have a word with the brothers and sisters, whether it is in the form of a personal conversation or in the form of a message. How are we going to release it? We must first take possession of the few words. These words are, figuratively speaking, the mother of all words. All subsequent words are encapsulated in such words. But because they are too condensed, we have to dilute them before others can receive them. We have to break them down into little pieces, like breaking down a rock into fragments. While we are speaking, we are breaking down or hammering the “chunky” words into smaller pieces and presenting the pieces to others little by little. This is how we release God’s word. We have to break down the inner word into smaller pieces and release them little by little. We cannot speak for two hours only to find that the big rock is still in us. Such speaking is useless as far as the release of God’s word is concerned. On the one hand, human words are useless, but on the other hand, they are most crucial. This seems to be a contradiction, yet this is a fact. It is useless for us to convey God’s word with our own words, no matter how clever and smart we are. Yet when God’s word is with us, we can release His word with our own words. Our words can either release His word and magnify it before men, or they can seal up God’s word and veil it from men. It is our words that release God’s word little by little. The more we speak, the clearer God’s word becomes. The utterance of the outer words is for the release and deliverance of the inner words.
We should note the mutual interaction of various factors. In carrying out the ministry of the word, one must first have the inner words. Next he has to convey the inner word through outer words. However, the release of outer words is never simple. The mind also has to function. If it does not function properly, the speaking cannot go on. Yet the mind cannot be set on the words themselves. The mind has to be set on the revelation which has been seen. While one is speaking, how can he be certain that his speaking conveys to others the inner words that are hidden within him? He must exercise his mind to speak what he sees in his spirit. First he must have the light in his spirit. Then he must have thoughts to capture the light. Then he needs a word or two within him. Finally, he has to consider how he should speak. The Lord has given us two things, light in our spirit and the words in our inner being. When we speak, we push out the revelation with our own thoughts, and we release it with our own words. We should not need to force our mind to chase after the revelation, yet our mind should be strong enough to retain the light, and we should be able to release it with our words. Here we find four things — two belong to the inner realm and two belong to the outer realm; two are from God and two are from us. When we combine these four things, we have the ministry of the word. This kind of exercise is very basic. The words we have in our mouth are based on the words we have in our inner being. Our speaking should be a combination of these two kinds of words.
Too much, we have suffered the frustration of losing the inner revelation as we are speaking according to the inner sense. Even as the words are in our mouth, the inner revelation goes away. At other times, we may retain the inner revelation, and the burden for the word may remain in us for two, three, or six months. Yet in releasing this revelation there is not a framework to follow. Hence, on the one hand, we need the Lord to give us the word. On the other hand, as we are speaking, we have to look inwardly for the framework and speak according to this inner registration.
Brothers, we have to see both sides of the issue. Sometimes we have the revelation and the capturing thoughts, yet we do not have the words. We understand the meaning of the revelation, yet we cannot find the words to express it. We are full of thoughts, yet we are short of words. The audience, however, can only understand our words; they cannot understand our thoughts. At other times, we have the words, yet the revelation in the spirit is gone. When men listen to our words, they can only sense manna that has gone stale; that is, the words that we speak do not match the revelation within. The outer words that we release have to match the thoughts within, and others should see the light through such words. The mind is very important, yet the mind is not the organ to receive the revelation. Our cleverness is altogether useless in this respect. If we try to capture revelation with our own clever thoughts, we can only expect great sufferings for God’s church. However, we still need the mind. In fact, we need all four things — light, thoughts, the inner words, and the outer words. We need the inner words within us, and we need words in our mouth. While we are conveying the inner words, we have to look for the outer words. These two kinds of words are like two railroad tracks. If we have only one track, the train will not run properly. The outer words have to match the inner words, and the inner words must be translated into outer words.
Many times we sense the shining within us. We understand the meaning of this shining, yet we do not have the crucial words to express it. Such a realization is sufficient for us, but if we try to help others with this realization, the result is like an ox grinding a millstone; we go around in circles without discharging our burden. Many times we have the word within us, but we do not have the outer words. The result is like a railroad with only one track; it is impossible to move the train. God’s word cannot be released. We may say many things, but God’s word is not released. Revelation alone is not sufficient for our preaching work; the inner word alone is not sufficient. We must have light, thoughts, the inner words, and the outer words. Only when these four things are present and working together will we have the ministry, and only then will the ministry be a ministry of glory.
In preparing the outer words, we have to pay attention to the words of the Scripture. When we have the inner words and try to release them to others, we often find that we are short of words. For the most part, we aim our utterance in a particular direction and exhaust our words in a few minutes. The inner words are very condensed and compact. Our own utterance is not adequate to release such condensed and compact words. If we repeat the same word once, twice, or ten times, others will be bored by our speaking; they will not appreciate it. Our speaking may be very concise, but it is ineffectual. A man realizes the shortage of his own eloquence when he tries to be a minister of the word. He can talk about many things, but as soon as he talks about spiritual things, he finds that he can do very little. He runs out of resources in no time, while the inner words remain unreleased. He can release his own words, but the inner words remain locked up. This is the reason that we have to be familiar with the words of the Scripture. God uses us as His ministers of the word, yet He knows that our utterance is limited. Therefore, He spoke to us in many portions and in many ways (Heb. 1:1). At the most, our thoughts can be expressed one way. But God has spoken to us in many portions and in many ways. This is why we have to be familiar with the words of the Scripture. We have to spend time to study the Bible. During our study, we are equipped with biblical doctrines, knowledge, and teachings. Our speaking must be founded upon the Bible; it must be supported by biblical teachings and biblical truths. These things afford God’s children a means and a basis for accepting our words.
After we have received light, thoughts, and the words, we may discover that a few portions of the Scripture identically match the revelation we have received and that many things in these portions are similar to our revelation. We should make a note of these few portions and verbalize the word we received from God with repeated reference to these portions of the Word. Perhaps the word that we received from God is only a few sentences long or at most a dozen sentences long. But we can draw from our experience in the Word to utter the speaking that is within us. This utterance, though short, will pierce men’s hearts and enlighten their understanding. This is the reason that we have to be familiar with the Scripture. We have to use the words of the Bible to facilitate our utterance of the revelation. This is not to expound the Bible in an objective way but to explain it in a subjective way. We are not presenting an exegesis; we are conveying the revelation which we have received. We are using the Scripture only because that particular portion of the Word matches our experience. Because Peter’s words, John’s words, the words of Genesis, or the words of the Psalms match the things we are about to speak, we can use them to present our point. We should ponder how Paul spoke on this subject and how Peter spoke on the subject. We should ponder how David or Moses spoke on the subject. As we ponder, we should consider how the Lord wants us to speak on the subject. These men spoke on the subject in their own way. Now we have to mold our word, the very word that we have received from God, according to their words. We have to do this in all sorts of ways. The revelation and light we received, the burden and responsibility we have from God, form the basis of our speaking. When we repeat the subject over and over again with our own words, the inner words will be released. Light will shine and the burden will be discharged.
Our study of the Bible should not be for exegesis only. A mere exegesis of the Bible is vain. The words of the Bible are given for us to release the burden within us. Without these words, we could not enunciate our burden. Words from the Bible discharge our burden. There may be five, ten, or twenty different portions of the Word that can accomplish this matter. One portion is not enough to release our burden; we have to release our burden in a variety of ways. Suppose we have a burden within, and we try to discharge it through one portion of the Word. We must ask ourselves whether or not our burden is discharged after the application of just one passage. If our burden is still heavy, we may have to use a few more passages to discharge it. But if the burden is not that strong, fewer passages may suffice. After we have found the right passages, we must first try to relieve our burden one way. If the burden remains in us, we should try to relieve it another way. Perhaps we have to use five different passages before our burden is fully released. The ministry of the word is related to the release of the inner word, the weighty word of God, through the release of the words of the Bible. In speaking for God, we must lay hold of the best tool — the Bible. Yet we must issue this warning: The Bible alone is not enough. The mere letter of the Bible is only doctrines. The basis of the ministry of the word is revelation; it is the inner word. However, when this word is released, it must be released through the words of the Bible. If a man lacks inner revelation yet immerses himself in pure Bible exposition, his activity will remain on a very low plane. We cannot borrow Paul’s riches and count them as our own. We have to see something ourselves and speak according to what we have seen before we can have the ministry of the word. We must have revelation, the word, and the Scripture before we can speak. If we only have the word within, but not the Bible without, we cannot speak.
How do we know whether our speaking is on the right track? As we speak, we have to be attentive to whether our burden is being reduced or whether it is becoming heavier. This is crucial. We do not have to wait until we step down from the platform to find out whether or not we are speaking on the right track; we can sense this as we are speaking. Whenever a word goes out from our mouth, our burden should be reduced a little. Three things — God’s word, His light, and our thoughts — constitute a burden. When this burden is discharged, it is discharged through outer words. Hence, every outer word should reduce the inner burden. It would be wrong if an outer word did not reduce the inner burden. One knows within himself whether the message has been delivered properly. If his burden is lessened as he speaks, he can be sure that he has delivered his message properly. If there is no reduction in his burden after speaking for a few minutes, he can be sure that he has taken the wrong direction; he has not said the right thing. It would be better for him to not say anything at all, than for him to go on for another hour without changing direction. He should say, “Brothers, what I just said was wrong,” and he should start his message all over again. The more he learns, the less problem he will have in this matter. While we practice serving as a minister of the word, we have to speak for the purpose of releasing our inner burden. We have to learn to come to a message with a burden and to walk away without the burden. If there is no burden before we speak, we cannot speak at all. But after we speak, the burden should be gone. We cannot come with a burden, speak for half an hour or an hour, and then find that our burden is still present. In such a case, God’s light has not become the word, and we will only carry the same burden back home with us. Sometimes we can have the strange experience that part of what we say is right and part of what we say is wrong. As a result, part of the burden that we bring to the meeting is discharged while another part is not discharged. We may feel that this is still not that good.
Sometimes the problem can grow worse. Instead of alleviating our burden through our speaking, we only add to our burden and make it heavier. An illustration we use in our speaking may add to our burden. We may inadvertently joke a little in the midst of our speaking, which may stir up uncontrollable laughter in the audience. The result may add more weight to our burden. Many illustrations, jokes, sudden ideas, or distracting thoughts may add to our burden. At the end of our speaking, we may feel that our burden is heavier than when we began. Our eye must be single. We should speak to discharge our burden; we should not speak for the sake of speaking.
One basic principle in speaking is that our eye has to be set on discharging our burden. Everyone carries a burden with the view of discharging it; no one carries a burden with a view to bringing it back to his starting point. Any burden that comes to us must be discharged by proper words. If we feel that our burden is increasing while we speak, we should stop speaking right away. If we do not know how to use the proper outer words, we will have quite a problem with the ministry of the word. If a sentence we utter relieves the burden, we know that we are speaking on the right track. We can repeat the same thing from different angles and in many ways. Then we will feel our burden going away, and we will know that we have said the right thing. Eventually, our burden will be gone. In our speaking, we may have only one or two sentences that we really want to say. The rest of the sentences are to carry forward and support those one or two sentences. If we can deliver these one or two sentences properly and if we can effectively release the inner word within us, our speaking will be in line with the principle of an inspiration.
May the Lord be gracious to us and grant us accurate and life-piercing words. We only need these few words. When these few words are released, we will touch the climax of our speaking. If we speak this way, we will have the ministry of the word.
