The revelation of the Holy Spirit

  We have seen that a minister of God’s word must have God’s Word as the basis of his ministry. He must also have the Holy Spirit to interpret God’s word for him. Now we have to go on to consider another, even more important, matter. A minister of God’s word must know God’s past speaking and have the interpretation of this speaking, but he must have another basic qualification: He must be a man of revelation. If he does not have a spirit of revelation, he cannot serve as a minister of the word. He must have revelation concerning God’s Word and must possess the anointing of the Spirit concerning this Word. Without revelation and without the anointing of the Spirit, he cannot serve as a minister of God’s word.

One

  The Bible is an amazing book. One outstanding characteristic of this book is that it is made up of words spoken by men, yet it is God’s word in every sense. It was written by men, yet it was written by God’s own hand in every sense. It contains many expressions, sentences, and words, and God’s breath is upon all of these words. The word used in 2 Timothy 3:16, which is translated as inspiration by some versions, is breath according to the original language. The Bible is God’s breath. It is written by holy men of God under the leading of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). When God created the world, He created man out of the dust of the earth, but the created man was not alive. Man became a living soul after God breathed His living breath into him. The Bible is a book written by men. It is composed of words spoken by men, but God’s breath is upon it in addition to this. Therefore, it is a living book. It is the living word of the living God. This is the meaning of all Scripture being God’s inspiration.

  This book, the Bible, contains human elements and human words. When many people read this book, they touch only the human elements and words; they do not sense God’s speaking in this book. What makes the Bible so unique is its dual character. On the one hand, there is the outward, physical dimension of the Bible. As far as man’s physical dimension is concerned, he is made of the dust of the ground. But on the other hand, there is a spiritual dimension of the Bible. The Bible is related to the Holy Spirit; it is God’s speaking and God’s breath. As far as its outward shell is concerned, it was written from man’s memory and can be retained in man’s memory. It issued from man’s mouth and is heard by man’s ears. It is written in human language and understood by human understanding. Man can preach the truths contained in this book, and these truths can be retained in man’s memory, understood by man’s mind, and passed on from one man to another. All of these things go on when one deals with the outward shell of the Bible. This is the physical aspect of the Word. Doctrines and teachings can be included in this category, because these are things that man’s mind can grasp, things that can be understood and comprehended by his intellect. This is the physical dimension of the Bible.

  However, there is another dimension to the Bible. The Lord Jesus said, “The words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63b). The other aspect of the Bible involves spirit and life. In this dimension, God speaks His word within man. This is not something that a clever man can understand or a man with a good memory can grasp. Nor is it something that an intelligent man can fathom. This requires another organ for understanding. The ears, the eyes, and the mind cannot see or understand this dimension of things.

  A minister of God’s word serves the church not by touching the physical dimension of the Bible but by touching the spiritual dimension of it. Those who serve the church by touching only the physical dimension are not ministers of God’s word. If the Bible did not have a physical side, a man would either be a minister of God’s word or not; there could be no mistake about it. But the Bible has physical and human elements. In this aspect, it can readily be understood and accepted by man. This is where the danger and problem lie. Man can preach the human elements in the Bible by the power of his own human faculties, and he can presume that he is a minister of the word. He can present all the human elements in the Bible to the church, and he can presume that he is serving the church with God’s word. He can presume that the truths he preaches are scriptural truths and that they are teachings that conform to the orthodox and pure faith. He can deceive himself by thinking that his teachings are orthodox teachings. But we have to realize that these teachings have nothing to do with the spiritual aspect of the Bible; they are of another realm.

  Some young people think that as long as they can understand Greek, they can understand God’s word. Little do they realize that many people who understand Greek know very little of God’s word. In fact, they may not know anything at all. A man who understands Hebrew does not necessarily understand the Old Testament. A man who understands Hebrew and Chaldean does not necessarily understand the book of Daniel. A man who understands Chinese does not necessarily understand the Chinese Bible. The Bible contains words which are beyond the Chinese language and the Greek language. It contains words which the Hebrews or Chaldeans may not have understood. The words that a minister of the word has to strive to understand are God’s own words. Not everyone who understands Chinese can understand the Bible. Similarly, not everyone who understands Greek can understand God’s word. It is one thing to understand a language, and it is another thing to know God’s word. In fact, it is an entirely different thing to know His word. We should never have the misconception that the more we study God’s word, the more we can be a minister of His word. It is not a matter of whether or not we study the Bible, but how we study it. God has to speak His word into man before it can become God’s word to him. Man has to know God’s voice. Only God can speak God’s word. Man has to know God’s voice, and God has to speak to him before he can become a minister of God’s word.

  In preaching the gospel, we preach the gospel itself; we do not preach the basis of the gospel. We serve others with the gospel, not with the basis of the gospel. The Bible is the basis of the gospel; it is the basis of God’s speaking. However, we cannot say in a general way that this is what God is speaking to us today. God has spoken through this book. Without a doubt, God spoke these words at one time. But God must breathe His breath through this book again today before it will become living to us. God’s Spirit has to breathe into His word before it will become living to us. Today we still need God’s revelation in His word so that this word can come alive to us. The difference between the word being living and dead is very great. We must see what God’s word is. God’s word is His speaking today. God’s word is not just His speaking in the past. His past speaking was His word, but today He must breathe His breath once again upon this word. God’s word is not just His speaking at some point in the past; it is His speaking today. We have to realize that there are two realms to God’s word. One is the realm of the written Bible. The written word, including all the biblical doctrines, knowledge, teachings, prophecies, and truths, is in this realm. But this is only the visible realm of the Bible. We may have heard that Abraham believed in God and that God reckoned him to be righteous. God’s justification of those who believe may be nothing more than an outward teaching to us. A man with a good memory and strong intellect can preach this; he may think that he is preaching God’s word. But actually he is merely preaching the superficial aspect of the word. This is not the ministry of God’s word.

  We have to pay attention to what the Bible is. The Bible is God’s speaking in the past. At one time God spoke, and the Spirit’s breath was upon His speaking. When that word was released, some touched “God’s word,” but some did not. When Paul wrote to the Romans, two things happened. First he wrote his letter utilizing some physical things. He might have written it on a lamb’s skin and might have used some kind of tree sap for ink. The words were recorded in some form of written language. This is the physical side of the Epistle, and this is the realm we are in when we read it in an outward way. When Paul delivered this Epistle to the Romans, they might have been impressed with only the letter of the Epistle. If this were the case, it would only be a letter and nothing else; there would not be God’s word in it for them. But if while the Romans were reading it, God breathed His breath upon every single word, and every word was filled with God’s breath, they would realize that they were sinners and that justification would come by faith. They would believe in God’s word and receive it. This is the ministry of the word. While they were reading, studying, and trying to understand God’s word, they would touch the “word” that Paul was speaking through the book of Romans. Another person who was clever, intelligent, and born with a good memory might be able to read Paul’s Epistle with ease and might even be able to memorize it with little effort. Yet he would not know the meaning of justification by faith. He could understand the doctrine of justification by faith, but he could not touch justification by faith. He could touch the things that belong to the physical dimension of the Bible but not its spiritual dimension. He could only touch the doctrine of the Bible, the content of the Bible, and the surface of God’s word; he could not touch the life in His word.

  We have to realize what the Bible is. The Bible is God’s past speaking. It is the ministry of God’s word by His servants in the past. The book of Romans was Paul’s past ministry of the word. At one time God spoke these words. But today when we read the book of Romans, we may only touch the surface of the Bible, the physical and outward side of it. Today God has to breathe His breath upon this word once again before we can know God’s word and before we can be a minister to Him. It is not enough for God to breathe His breath just once. He has to breathe again before we can touch His word.

Two

  What is inspiration? What is revelation? The meaning of the Bible being God’s inspiration is that at one time God breathed His breath upon this book. Without God’s inspiration, the Bible could not be called the Bible. Inspiration is the basis of the Bible. God inspired Paul to write the book of Romans. It was through God’s inspiration of and His breath upon Paul that he wrote Romans. What then is revelation? It is God’s breathing upon the book of Romans once again as we open to it two thousand years later. Through revelation we touch God’s word once again. Inspiration is a once-for-all occurrence, but revelation is a repeated occurrence. When God breathes His breath upon His word a second time, when we find light again through the Holy Spirit and the anointing upon His word to see what Paul once saw, we have revelation. Revelation means God is doing something today; He is reviving today what He once gave to man through inspiration. This is a great matter.

  Brothers and sisters, this is something exceedingly glorious. What is revelation? It is when God’s Spirit revives His word in such a way that it becomes as living and full of life as when Paul wrote it. When God wrote that word through Paul, life was vibrant in both the writer and the writing. Today the same words can be released once again. God can fill His word with the Holy Spirit once again. His anointing can once again act upon His word. When this happens, the word becomes as powerful, enlightening, and life-giving as it was before. This is what revelation is all about. It is useless to merely study the Word. If a man does not have revelation, he can study every word from the first page to the last without hearing a single word from God. The Bible is the word of God. At one time God spoke this word. But if you want this word to be God’s word today, you have to ask God to speak this word once again. This speaking will bring in many things — God’s word, light, and life. If there is not this kind of speaking, the Bible will remain a closed and dead book to you.

  Suppose one hundred brothers and sisters gather in a place, and God is speaking through them. It is possible that not everyone will hear God’s word. Everyone hears the sound and the words. But some may hear God’s speaking, while others may not. Some may be in touch with things of both realms, while others may be in touch with things of only one realm. Some may hear the doctrine, the truth, conveyed through the sounds and the words. They may understand the thought, and those with a good memory may be able to recite the words over and over, but they may not have heard God’s speaking at all. Hearing God’s speaking is an altogether different matter. Brothers and sisters, God’s word is not just a doctrine or a teaching. We need to hear the doctrine and the teaching, but in addition to hearing these things, we need to hear something else. We need to hear God’s personal speaking to us. Only after we have acquired that kind of hearing can we say, “Thank God, I have heard Your word.” Only then can we say that we have touched something real.

  Suppose one hundred people listen to the gospel. Ninety-nine may hear and understand everything that is said. They may know the doctrine, the teaching, and the truth. They may nod their heads and say, “Yes, yes.” All ninety-nine may know these things, but it is possible that only the hundredth one, the one apart from the ninety-nine, receives a teaching beyond the teaching that the others receive, hears a voice beyond the voice that the others hear, and grasps a word beyond the word that the others grasp. He hears God’s speaking in addition to hearing the teaching, and he bows his head and confesses, “I am a sinner. O God, save me.” Such a man has heard God’s word. The other ninety-nine have only touched things related to the human and physical aspect of the word; they have not heard God’s word. There is a fundamental difference between the two.

  The same thing can be said about reading the Bible. It is true that the Bible is God’s word. At one time God spoke to Paul, Peter, and John through this word. But when some read this word, they only find words, expressions, doctrines, truths, and teachings. They have everything except God’s speaking. They can read the Bible for ten years without God having spoken to them once. Brothers and sisters, have you ever heard someone testify, saying, “I have been reading the Bible for twenty years, but I still do not understand what it is saying”? Have you ever heard someone stand up and say, “I have been reading the Bible for five or ten years. I thought I knew everything about it. But one day, God was merciful to me. He spoke a word to me. Now I know that I did not know anything before”? Brothers and sisters, an experienced person can readily tell the difference between these two. One must have God’s word in addition to man’s word. In addition to man’s speaking, there must also be God’s speaking. If God does not open His mouth, nothing will avail. These are two entirely different realms. One is the realm of doctrines, truths, teachings, words, language, and expressions. In this realm anyone who is diligent and intelligent, who has a good mind and a sharp memory, can get by well. But in the other realm, God has to reiterate His word to men. Brothers and sisters, do you see the difference between the two? God has spoken, and the words He has spoken are recorded verbatim in the Bible. But God also can speak to men a second time through the words of the Bible. This is what we call God’s speaking today. God has to speak to us a second time through the words He once used. He has to enlighten us a second time through His revealed light. He has to grant us fresh revelation within His established revelation. This is the basic principle of the ministry of the word. Without this we do not have the ministry of the word.

  Lest some among us do not understand the relationship between the Scripture and God’s present revelation, I will use another illustration. Suppose you realize that God once used you to speak something for Him. It might not have been anything dramatic, but at least you can say that you had a definite sense that the Lord spoke something through you; there was definitely a special kind of speaking. Suppose two months later you encounter a similar situation. You face the same kind of people, and the same kind of need arises. You may feel that what you said two months ago is the most appropriate word for these people today. You may have great assurance that you can help them in this way. But when you spoke two months ago, the anointing of the Spirit was with the word. When you repeat the same word today, however, you feel that you have failed. The power in the word is gone. What is wrong? Since you are speaking the same words that were so full of anointing, you think that the Holy Spirit will surely continue to anoint your word. But this does not happen. The Holy Spirit may have anointed your word at one time, but this does not mean that He will anoint it whenever you speak the same thing.

  We must remember that a man can receive a word of revelation. But this does not mean that it will be a word of revelation whenever he speaks the same word. The words may still be there, but the revelation may be gone. We can repeat the word, but we cannot repeat the revelation and the anointing. Revelation and anointing are in God’s hand. We can only repeat and recall the words; we cannot repeat or recall the revelation. We have to see the relationship between the ministry of the word and the Scriptures, or the relationship between the Bible and the word. A sinner may come to us today. If we speak John 3:16, he may readily confess that he is a sinner. A little later another person may come to us. We may be in the same room and quote the same verse, but the Holy Spirit may not speak, and the second person may not be saved. John 3:16 has not changed. The question is whether or not the anointing and the revelation are still present.

Three

  We who serve as ministers of God’s word must learn this lesson. It is not how much of the Scriptures we understand, how many biblical truths we have seen, or how many verses we can quote. These will not constitute us as a minister of the word. We need to see the biblical truth, and we need to quote and understand the Bible. But in addition to these things we need one basic ingredient. If we have this basic ingredient, we have the ministry of the word. Without it, we do not have the ministry of the word. This basic ingredient is the revelation of the Holy Spirit. The ministry of the word needs the revelation of the Holy Spirit. One must not only speak the same word but have the same revelation. Without the same revelation, the ministry of the word ceases to exist. We must be thoroughly and unmistakably clear about this.

  God has spoken. He has to speak the same thing again today before the word will produce the same effect. God used His word once. He has to use the same word again today; His anointing has to be upon the same word before it will become effective to us. We must see the balance here. On the one hand, God has to use the word that He once released. When we preach God’s word, we do not have to look for new words. Rather, we should base our speaking on what has already been spoken. Yet on the other hand, what we preach should not be just the old words. It should be the same word and yet not the same word. It is the same word, because without that word as the basis, God cannot speak; there is no disagreement in His speaking. Yet in another sense there is the fresh anointing and revelation of the Holy Spirit with this word. Without the fresh anointing and revelation of the Spirit, the same word will not produce the same result. A man has to maintain a proper balance between these two aspects.

  One great temptation today is that man seeks and hopes merely to repeat the same words. He thinks that by speaking the same thing, he will repeat the same power, light, and revelation. We must remember that these are things that belong to two different realms. You can repeat the same words, the same doctrines, the same testimonies, the same parables, and the same expressions. These things can be repeated, and man can repeat them with his own power. But while the words may be repeated, God may not repeat His use of these words. You can repeat the outward things, but you cannot repeat the inward things. God’s realm remains God’s realm, and our realm remains our realm.

  Another illustration may make things even clearer. God’s speaking is in the principle of resurrection. What is resurrection? Resurrection does not give life; it merely calls to life what is dead. This is resurrection. The birth of a baby is not resurrection. But when a dead man comes out of the tomb, that is resurrection. The daughter of Jairus was resurrected, the only son of the widow of Nain was resurrected, and Lazarus was resurrected. They were dead and then became alive. This is resurrection. God’s ministers of the word serve according to the principle of resurrection today. God put His life in His word. The word is still here, but God has to breathe His life into His word once more. Do you see this? This is the principle of resurrection. The principle of resurrection is different from the principle of creation. The first time a word was released, it was released according to the principle of creation. When the word was spoken, something was created. A “son” was born; there was a new birth. But the ministry of the word does not function this way today. God’s word is already here, and He is merely repeating what He has already spoken. God is putting His life into His word once more, and when this word becomes living in man, it is revelation to man.

  Aaron’s rod was a type of resurrection, because at one time the rod was living. In fact, all the rods were living at one time. They were not made of iron. They were wood and had life in them at one time. But when life left, the wood became a dead rod. Aaron’s rod was the only exception. It was placed before the ark, and it sprouted, blossomed, and bore fruit. This is resurrection. God’s word is based on the principle of resurrection. There was no need to get another piece of wood. The original rod sprouted, blossomed, and bore fruit. God’s word is one. There is only one word. We cannot set aside the Bible to preach God’s word. The rod remains the same, but when life visits it again, we have resurrection. It must be the same rod, and life must enter the rod a second time. It must be the same word, but life must enter the word again and again. Life has to enter the word again and again, revelation has to come upon it again and again, and light has to shine upon it again and again. Only then is the word living to us. Anyone who tries to reject the Bible is rejected by God because he is rejecting the words that God has written down. Every word of the Scriptures is God’s inspiration, and we have to honor it. Without it as the foundation, there is no orthodox faith, and there is no revelation from God. Yet with the words of the Scriptures, there is still the need for man to go to God to receive revelation and light. It is the same word of God. But upon this same word there is the need for the same revelation to be revealed once again. The rod remains the same, but fresh life has to enter it once more before it will sprout, blossom, and bear fruit. This is what God’s word is all about. This is the meaning of the revelation of God’s word.

  There is one inspiration, but there must be repeated revelations. God’s one word has to be spoken by Him again and again. We have one Bible, but we need a continual anointing of the Holy Spirit. Only then will there be the ministry of the word. Whenever a man tries to explain the Bible without the anointing, revelation, or light, the ministry of the word stops in him. We must pay attention to this fact. Man’s diligence, memory, understanding, and intelligence are all useful. But they are not enough. God must grant mercy to a man and must speak to him again.

  In reality, if a man does not hear God’s speaking, he can do nothing about it. God must be willing to speak to man again. If God does not want to speak, man can do nothing. If the Lord will not speak, the ministers will not accomplish anything even if they all speak. It is a great thing for the Lord to speak. If He does not speak, nothing will happen. Even if man tries his best to speak, no result will come. The more one tries to speak in the physical realm, the more he will fail. The more one speaks in the spiritual realm, the more the speaking will work. The more you learn to speak according to your spirit, the more you will realize that this is something that is beyond anyone’s control. The words can be the same, the sounds can be the same, and even the inward feelings can be the same, but what is released will not be the same. There can be a word-for-word, sentence-by-sentence correspondence. The whole message can be repeated verbatim, and everything can be the same. But what is released will not be the same. We must remember that only God can speak God’s word. The Bible is God’s word, and we need God to speak this word to us. The work of the ministers is to allow God to speak this word once again. As oracles of God, when we allow God the liberty to speak His word, there is the ministry of the word. We can only serve within this realm.

  The difference between theology and God’s speaking is intrinsically very great. Whenever we listen to a sermon, we should never just consider whether or not the doctrine is right, the teaching is scriptural, and the truth is correct. This is not to put down these factors. However, everyone who has been taught by God and whose eyes are opened should know what kind of sermon is being spoken as soon as he sits down to listen. A person may have a good mind, yet he may not have God’s word. Another person may not have a quick mind, yet God’s word is with him. There is a fundamental difference between God speaking through a person and not speaking through a person.

  If all the brothers could learn this lesson, the church would not pay that much attention to gifts. Instead, it would pay more attention to ministry. The problem today is that many young brothers and sisters cannot tell the difference between gifts and ministry. This is the reason that gifts are more welcome and popular in the church, while ministry is neglected. The words may be the same in both cases, but the reality is different. The two may be the same in letters, in outward appearance, but those who have the discernment can tell the difference between them. A brother once said, “I have preached everything that Brother So-and-so preached.” This brother had a good mind and thought that he could preach just as well as others. He did not realize that his preaching was in an entirely different realm. Some people preach according to their mind, while others preach according to their spirit. These are two entirely different realms. We should never think that just by repeating the same words we will produce the same results. Some can speak the same words, but God may not speak through them. Others have the ministry of the word because God speaks through them.

Four

  In looking back at church history, we find that God has been taking the way of recovery from the time of Martin Luther. God raised up Luther and his contemporaries to usher in the work of recovery. Since 1828 many truths have been gradually recovered. There is one thought in the mind of many lovers of the Lord: How far will the Lord go in the way of recovery? But we need to ask what recovery is. Recovery does not mean that we preach what the apostles preached and speak every truth that is in the Bible. This is not recovery. It does not mean that we have the revelation of the New Testament once we preach the truth of the New Testament. Nor does it mean that we have the apostles’ word once we preach the apostles’ teaching. Many people can preach baptism today without knowing what baptism is. They can preach the laying on of hands without knowing what the laying on of hands is. Some can preach the church without seeing the church at all. Others can preach submission without knowing anything about God’s authority. Do not think that the content will be the same as long as the subject is the same. Do not think that the message will be the same as long as the doctrine and terminology are the same. Many people preach in the realm of outward letters. Such ones do not have the ministry of the word.

  If you want to be a minister of the New Testament, you must have the revelation of the New Testament. Only as we receive the same anointing that the apostles received do we have the ministry of the word. Only by receiving the same revelation do we receive the ministry of the word. We do not receive the divine speaking that they received simply by repeating the words they spoke. We can reiterate the words they used without receiving the divine words they received. God’s word is totally different. Suppose a church is deceived like the Galatians were deceived. What should we do? Can we take the book of Galatians as it is, copy it, and send it to this church? The Epistle to the Galatians was written by Paul, but the Galatians received God’s speaking. When the Galatians received Paul’s letter, they touched God’s speaking. Today we can copy the words of the Epistle to the Galatians and send it to the problem church. The recipients may only touch the transcribed words without touching God’s word. These words are in two different realms. It is not uncommon for a man to touch the Bible without touching life. He only touches the Scripture, not life. He only touches the words that God once used, not God’s present speaking. A man can touch the inspired Bible without touching the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Brothers and sisters, why is it that so many people read the Bible today yet so few receive anything from it? Why is it that so many people preach the Bible yet so little of God’s word is sensed? The only explanation is that men only touch the outward shell of God’s Word. They have touched what God once said, but they have not touched what God is saying again today. God has not spoken to them through the word which He once used.

  We must realize that the responsibility of the ministers of the word is to allow God to speak through the Scripture once again. God’s ministers of the word are those through whom God can speak His word once again. God is willing to speak through them. It should be His speaking that is released, not just the Bible that is released. Who are the ministers of God’s word? They are those who open the Bible and convey to their audience the words of God’s present speaking, not just the words from the book itself. This is what it means to be a minister of the word. If the hearers have a problem in themselves, or if they choose to shut up their spirits, hearts, or minds, that is their own concern. But as long as a man will open his spirit, heart, and mind, he will hear God’s speaking. If others hear nothing of God’s speaking while we are interpreting the Bible and expounding its teachings, we are a complete failure in God’s eyes. A minister of the word is one through whom God speaks. Others should have the feeling that God has spoken to them, and they should fall on their faces. The reason the church is so poor is that the ministers are poor. We complain that so few people have received revelation. Why do we not give them the revelation? It is our business to give them the revelation, yet we blame the church for being poor. Why do we not make it rich? It is our business to make the church rich. The function of the ministers of the word is to release God’s word, not just the Bible, out of their mouth. The words of the Bible become the word of God in their mouth. They become life and light, not mere outward letters.

  Do not be deceived to think that as long as a man preaches from the Bible and interprets prophecies from the Bible, he is a minister of the word. Such a person merely teaches others the outward shell of the Bible; he is not a minister of the word. Some people complain that the church is short of revelation. We agree that the church needs revelation, but we must ask who will give the church revelation. We cannot put all the blame on the brothers and sisters. If God’s ministers are in poverty, the whole church is in poverty. If the church does not have prophets, if it is short in vision, God’s people will be void of light. Today God is dispensing light to the church through the ministers. How great is the responsibility of the church! We should never think that we can call ourselves successors to the apostles just as long as we preach the same Scripture that they preached. We must remember that we can consider ourselves the apostles’ successors only to the extent that we have received the same revelation they received and have experienced the same anointing they experienced. It is not a matter of having the same doctrine but a matter of having the same anointing. This is the basic test of all things.

  In the church nothing is more serious than the absence of men who supply others with God’s word, revelation, and light. If we do not supply others with these things, can we expect others to receive them simply through prayer? By asking them to pray for these things by themselves, we are shirking our responsibility and casting the burden on their shoulders. The responsibility is not on their shoulders. We should not pass it on to them. The ministers of the word have a responsibility to minister to the church. With the ministers of the word, there should be much revelation, light, and anointing of the Spirit. When they stand up to speak from the Scripture, God should speak through the same Scripture. God should be willing to release His own speaking through the same passage. This is what it means to be a minister of the word. This is what it means to minister to the church with God’s word. To minister is to serve. It is like preparing a meal and serving it to others. This service satisfies others’ hunger. A minister of the word should prepare God’s word in such a way that he can minister and feed others with the word.

  Many people can expound the Bible today. But the problem is that God will not speak. We have to know the difference between understanding the Bible and having God’s word. We may study the Bible for many days, yet God may not speak a single word to us. When God decides to speak to us, all problems are settled and everything is changed. We will say, “For years, I had read the Bible foolishly. I did not understand anything, but that day I knew.” It is a matter of whether or not God has spoken. Some people do not have spiritual insight on anything. They may not have experienced any speaking other than the time when they were saved. Such ones will not touch anything in the spiritual realm. Some people have been listening and listening for a long time. Some words have been repeated over ten times in their ears, yet they still do not sense anything. But when some brothers speak, they suddenly hear something and are struck by it. During the previous times, they only heard the letters of the Bible. But this time they hear God’s speaking. There is a fundamental difference here. What is God’s word? God’s word is God’s release. We have to see what God’s word really is. Only as the word is released and as God speaks are we able to function as ministers. This is a most fundamental issue. God must speak to us, and He must speak through us. If He does not speak to us, we cannot speak His word. Many people desire to be God’s oracles and ministers. In order to be one, they must be men of revelation.

  Today the building up of the church, the reaching of the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, and the arriving at the oneness of the church’s faith depend on the functioning of the ministers of the word. God is raising up His ministers to do the work of the ministry. Ephesians 4 shows us that only as the work of the ministry is realized is there the growth of the stature of Christ and the arriving at the oneness of faith (vv. 12-13). The problem today is that few can be ministers. There is preaching every day, but it is hard to say how much of this preaching releases God’s word. God’s people are short of light and revelation, and the responsibility is on us. Do not put all the blame on the brothers and sisters. Souls are not saved and believers are not edified today because there is no release of the word. The ministers have failed. If the ministers have failed, how can we expect the church to prevail? The whole problem lies in the fact that we are closed to God; we have refused to allow God’s light to shine on us. This is why we cannot bring our brothers and sisters to God’s light. The problem is with us, not with them. This is a serious thing, a very sobering thing. One reason the church is in ruin today is that the Lord cannot have a breakthrough in us. He is looking for ministers of the word everywhere. God’s word is never short; His light and His revelation are never lacking. The problem today is that He has not gained the right men. He is bound by us. The light cannot shine out through us.

  Many workers claim to be God’s oracles. Yet while they are expounding the Bible, they do not have the faintest hope or thought that God would speak through them. Their sole interest lies in their desire to present their own doctrines. They think that as long as they have the doctrines, they have everything. They are interested only in their own truth, their own pet ideas, and they think that as long as these can be propagated, all will be well. They do not have the faintest expectation of God being released through their speaking. We must remember that we have God’s word only when He is released. If God is not released, all that men hear will be man’s word. Only when God is released is there revelation. If He is not released, the same teaching will only pass from one person to another, from one mouth to another mouth, and from one mind to another mind. If, by the grace of God, He is released from us, how great a difference it will make!

  Brothers, we have to realize how different the exposition of the Scripture is from the impartation of God’s revelation to man. We must realize that even though we may say many words that sound reasonable, wonderful, nice, and precious, God is not in our speaking. Once we can tell this difference, we will prostrate ourselves before God and say, “Lord, from now on, I abhor works that are void of revelation, works that impart no revelation to man.” We should never be professional preachers. Once we become professional preachers, we will speak because it is our job to speak, and we will preach because it is our job to preach. We will not speak or preach as a result of receiving something from God. We must live in the presence of God. Without His presence we will not have the ministry of the word. God has to gain this among us. By the mercy of God we have to receive revelation from His word and then convey this revelation to others. For this we can do nothing except ask for His mercy. If the Lord does not speak through us, we cannot convey His word to others. If what we have is nothing more than a book — the Bible, we have nothing that is living. It is true that the basis of the ministry of the word is the Bible, but the Bible alone is not enough; there is the need of the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

  Brothers, we need the anointing of the Spirit upon us. We need to learn to expect the anointing. Many times we have to say to the Lord, “Lord, anoint Your word once more today so that I can take it and use it.” When we stand in front of others, we have to say to the Lord, “Anoint the words that I am about to speak and release them with Your anointing.” Now is the time to plead for mercy. All of the problems are with the ministers. Without God’s word, the ministers are poor and the church is poor. It seems that too many people are setting their hopes on truth and knowledge. Few have set their hopes on revelation. In the end the gospel is preached, but few souls are saved. Messages are delivered, but few receive any blessing. If God’s life does not follow His word, everything is in vain and is worthless. Our failure lies in the fact that we only see men praising God’s word and God’s preachers. Yet the words themselves do not convey burning light; the revelation is not strong enough to knock men to the ground. What is needed today is not more admiration of God’s word, but more men falling on their faces at God’s light. If as ministers we cannot accomplish this, we can only blame ourselves for the failure. May the Lord be merciful to us.