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This series of lessons is intended to help a person learn to read the Bible, that is, to help him know how to read the Bible. Perhaps some brothers and sisters may think that during each lesson we will be studying the Bible itself, but this is not what we will do. Instead, we will help the brothers and sisters learn how to read the Bible and how to know the Bible.
To edify a person spiritually, we must help him to know the Bible. In the past two thousand years Christians all acknowledge that no one can truly know the Lord without knowing the Bible. We human beings are not merely a spirit. Although we have a spirit, we are not merely a spirit but a human being. If we were a spirit only, then God would need to give us only His Spirit and not the Bible; however, since we are not a spirit only, He must also give us the Bible.
The spiritual inheritances God has given us are the Spirit, which cannot be seen, and the Bible, which can be seen. Inside of us is the Spirit, and outside of us is the Bible. Christians throughout the ages can testify by experience that a proper Christian must be fully balanced in both respects — the Bible without and the Spirit within. These two aspects must be absolutely balanced. Any bias toward one side will result in serious problems. Among Christians throughout the ages, some have leaned toward the Spirit within, which has resulted in great errors. Still more lean toward the Bible without. Seemingly, they have not erred as much, yet among them there is a very serious condition of death. In other words, if there were only the Spirit within and not the Bible without, man would easily commit errors. Conversely, if there were only the Bible without while lacking the Spirit within, man would become extremely dead, altogether lifeless, and without any vitality.
Christians can be likened to a train. There needs to be the fuel inside as its energizing power. But a train needs to have tracks outside as well. If there is fuel within but no tracks without, the train would not be able to run. Even if it runs, problems will arise. However, if there are only the tracks without but not the fuel within, the train may be on the right track, but it cannot move. Therefore, for a train to run, and to do so smoothly, there must be the coordination of two aspects: the inner aspect and the outer aspect. Outwardly, there must be the regulation of the tracks; inwardly, there must be the energizing of the fuel.
It is the same with us. We have the Spirit within and the Bible without. Regrettably, throughout the ages Christians lean either toward the Spirit within or toward the Bible without. Even today many people are doing the same. Those leaning toward the Spirit within very much condemn those leaning toward the Bible without, saying to them, “What you are reading is but dead letters. Every day you are just using your mind to study the dead teachings. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Only we are living in the Spirit.” Those tending toward the Bible without would likewise condemn those who stress the Spirit within, saying to them, “What you have is just emotions. There is only excitement and stirring up but no stability. Please consider all the people you claimed have been stirred up by the Spirit. Where are they today? Many things that were claimed to be initiated by the Spirit actually resulted in total disaster.” Years ago we saw much of this kind of condemnation in northern China. When the so-called Pentecostal movement or the charismatic movement was in full force there, those involved in it very much opposed the outward interpretation of the Bible. They thought that it was sufficient enough to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. However, among them not only were there many errors but even odd stories. Those errors and odd stories really brought shame to the Lord’s name. Not only did these things happen in China; they happened in western Christianity as well. Even to this day there are still these two tendencies and these two errors.
These things show us that a proper Christian should be balanced; he should be full of the Spirit within and should know the Bible without. When one is full of the Spirit within, he will be like the train with the energizing fuel. When he knows the Bible without, he will be like the train on the track. In this way he will be a Christian who is both living and stable, both moving and on the mark. He will be a living, stable, moving one who is also on the mark.
Therefore, we must put equal emphasis on the Spirit and the Bible; we must not neglect either matter. We must not overlook the Spirit within; neither can we despise the Bible without.
The Spirit and the Bible are two sides of one matter. Similarly, in knowing the Bible, there are also two sides. Almost everything God ordained in the universe has two sides. For example, there is heaven and earth; there is male and female; there are two sides, the inside and the outside; there is the top, and there is the bottom — these are all two-sided. For a person to know the Bible, it is the same. There is the need for the mind, and there is the need for the spirit. No one can know the Bible properly by neglecting either aspect of this. To know the Bible, one must be trained in the mind; he must also be exercised in the spirit.
However, in knowing the Bible, Christians today are either for the mind or for the spirit. Those for the mind are too much for studying the letter, whereas those for the spirit are too free in spiritualizing everything, to the extent that the Bible becomes almost void of letters to them. Therefore, in studying the Bible, there is again the danger of being one-sided.
Many people bury themselves in the Bible day after day. They become experts in studying the letter of the Bible. For example, the Hebrew language is made up of an alphabet with twenty-two letters. Some have studied so much that they have counted how many times each letter in the alphabet is used in the Bible. Similarly, they have also counted the number of times each letter of the Greek alphabet is used in the New Testament. Not only so, the Hebrew and Greek languages are similar to Latin, in that each letter represents a numeral. For example, in Latin X is equivalent to ten, and V represents five. Similarly, each letter in Hebrew and Greek also represents a number. Some people buried themselves in study over this matter. They calculated the numerical value for every word in the Old and the New Testament. It is amazing that they found that the numerical value represented by each word in the Bible can all be divided by seven. I myself have never tried this, but there are writings that have confirmed this. Now you know to what extent people have gone in studying the letter. Then there are the concordance compilers who are also into the letter and have researched much into the Bible.
At the same time there are people today who open the Bible and go entirely by their inner inspiration. This is really like “the wind [that] blows where it wills” (John 3:8). Whichever way the “wind” blows, they would speak accordingly. Sometimes they come on like a tornado. Originally, the train was running properly along the railroad tracks, but when the tornado came, the track was blown away, and the train was blown into the air. I believe that you have met this kind of person. Their exposition of the Bible is really up in the air; it floats all over. They are totally slanted toward the spiritual side.
Now let me repeat. To lean toward letters results in much death, and to lean toward the spiritual results in much danger. It is true that those who lean toward the spiritual can be very interesting and persuasive, even spirit-releasing, but after one hears them speak, he is easily carried away into the air. On the other hand, for those leaning toward the letter, every line they speak is backed by proofs, yet they are very dead. After less than half an hour of their speaking, one may fall asleep. Both sides are off.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, if we really want to know the Bible, we must be balanced. We must understand properly the letter of the Bible and must properly use our spirit to sense the spiritual meaning in the Bible. To read the Bible well, we must train our mind for this and, perhaps even the more, exercise our spirit for this. To train the mind is for the purpose of understanding the Bible. To exercise the spirit is for the purpose of touching and contacting the Bible. One is a matter of the mind; the mind has to understand the Bible. The other is a matter of the spirit; the spirit has to contact the Bible.
With the matter of electricity, to understand it is one thing, and to contact it is quite another. Understanding electricity is a matter of the mind, whereas contacting electricity is a matter of the body. Many times there is electricity, but a board insulates the body from it. Under such a circumstance, although a person’s mind may understand electricity, his body cannot contact it. In contrast, some people do not understand electricity at all, yet their bodies have actually contacted electricity. They are able to contact electricity because electricity is there and because their bodies are not insulated from it. Once they touch it, they come into contact with it. This is a good illustration. Our relationship with the Bible is the same. For our mind to understand the Bible is one thing, and for our spirit to touch it, to contact it, is quite another. Perhaps your mind understands the Bible, but your spirit has not yet contacted or touched it. We must not only use our mind to understand the Bible; we must also use our spirit to contact it. It is not sufficient merely to understand the Bible with the mind; we must also contact and touch the Bible with the spirit.
Nevertheless, while we need to touch and contact the Bible with the spirit, it is also necessary to have the understanding in the mind. We must realize that the reason we want the mind to understand the Bible is so that our spirit can contact and touch its words. One thing is sure: it is difficult for our spirit to touch the words in the Bible without the words first passing through the understanding of the mind. This is true with the words in the Bible; it is also true with the word that is preached. Even the words in this chapter cannot touch your spirit without first passing through the understanding of the mind. Suppose I am here preaching in Chinese, and there is one sitting here who cannot understand Chinese. Nothing will get into this person’s mind. How can his spirit be touched? The truth must be grasped by the mind first before it will reach the spirit and touch the person. If there is a person here who is illiterate, and he opens up the Bible to read it, how can his spirit be touched? For his spirit to be touched by the Bible, he must put in some effort to first learn to read with his mind. He must at least be able to identify the words in the Bible before he can read it and be touched by it in his spirit. If we do not understand the words in the Bible, even if we pray for three hours with much inspiration, it will still be impossible for us to understand or be touched when we read the Bible, because its words cannot get through our mind. We must spend much time to learn the language with our mind before we can come to read the Bible. Only then will the words be able to get through our mind to touch our spirit.
Furthermore, the Bible itself is not that simple. One may know every word in the Bible but still not be able to understand its meaning. There are passages in the Bible that cannot be apprehended just by mere reading. The Bible has its own distinctive features and its own background knowledge. Many people with doctorate degrees and much learning open up the Bible to read it, only to find that although they know every word, they cannot understand some of the passages, because they do not comprehend the background knowledge or the special terms of the Bible. Since they do not understand them, it is difficult for them to be touched. Of course, there are certain passages, such as John 3:16, which present no technical difficulty in their wording. As long as one understands the words, a mere reading will be sufficient for the mind to grasp. However, there are many other places in the Bible that contain special problems in their wording. For example, there are specific names of people and places, and there are the problems of the dispensation, the types, and the prophecies. In addition to these, there are numerous other matters such as numbers, allegories, and symbols. The ability to understand these specific expressions and terms definitely does not belong to someone who is merely literate or learned in worldly education.
This can be likened to the fact that although I am literate, I am entirely lost when presented with a book on electricity. I can read the words, but I do not understand their meaning, because of the many specific terms. To understand a book on electricity, we must first study some of its special terms.
In the same principle, the words in the Bible may be quite common, yet they are very specific and contain many particular terms. If we have not been properly trained in these specific terms and technical matters, we will have a hard time understanding as we read. For example, John 1:17 says that the law was given through Moses. The law is a special term, and Moses is also a special name. Without a background for these two terms, even a hundred Ph.D.’s put together would not be able to understand their meaning.
Hence, in order for a saved person to understand the Bible properly, he must spend time in the specific terms and wording and must be trained in his mind. With the training, the reading would be much facilitated. There would not be any difficulty when one encounters words such as the law, Moses, or the shedding of blood for the remission of sins, because one would already know these special terms. As soon as one reads them, they will be readily understood. The words of the Bible will immediately pass through the mind and will be touched by the spirit. Therefore, we will spend much time to look into the specific terms and wordings of the Bible. This aspect of training the mind is a preparation in helping us to use our spirit to contact and touch the Bible.
We hope that through this training, most of the brothers and sisters would, on the one hand, become trained in the technique of getting into the Bible and in the specific terminologies to have the so-called Bible knowledge and, on the other hand, become exercised in their spirit. In this way when they read the Bible, the words will immediately penetrate through their mind. At the same time they will know how to use their spirit to contact the Spirit in the Word.
In short, this training is for everyone to learn to understand the Bible with the mind and to touch it with their spirit. The first half of this series is the training of the mind, and the second half is the exercise of the spirit. In the first half we will spend much time to get into the special terms and techniques used. This requires much patience. Sloppy people cannot know the Bible. One cannot expect a sloppy person to know the Bible properly. Perhaps once in a while God in His mercy would allow him a touch and an inspiration. However, this is like being hit by a bolt of lightning, which is extremely rare. All those who know the Bible properly have a proper mind and a proper understanding. Although we have a spirit, we are not spirit only. God never has the intention to make us a spirit; He only intends that we be spiritual persons. God still wants us to be human beings. As human beings, we not only have a spirit but also a mind. Therefore, for us to know the Bible, we need to exercise our spirit within and be trained in our mind without. Only when we have both aspects are we proper persons.
Now we will come to the first lesson of this series. We need to find out what is the Bible. What really is the Bible? If someone asks, “What is this table?” we can immediately say that this table is made of wood; one can put things on it. But few are clear what the Bible is. Even today it is difficult for us to fully explain it. We will speak what we can. We will use four points to explain what the Bible is. The Bible is one, but we will speak about it from four aspects to cover the matter fully.
The Bible is words, yet it is not man’s words but the words of God. In the universe, besides God, the greatest thing is the word. The Bible tells us that even the universe was created by God’s word (Heb. 11:3).
The word is above everything and greater than everything. It is also before everything. Before all things there was the Word. Even among men words are a great matter. Almost one hundred percent of a person and his activities have to do with his words. Just imagine where a person would be if he could not speak or write or use any kind of language to express what is within him. It would seem like such a person did not exist. If you are one who cannot speak and can never use language to express yourself, then even if you are here, it will be as if you are not here. At least, you will not be expressed. Therefore, the expression of a person’s life, character, and entire history depends fully on words.
How did words come about? Were they created by God? I dare not say, nor do I know how words came about. I think that if I were to ask scientists this question, they would also find it difficult to answer. How did words come about? This is a very interesting matter. How did Adam learn to speak at the beginning? No doubt the ability to speak was created by God, but where did the words he spoke come from? What language did he use in Eden? I believe that no one knows the answer. However, if in the universe there were not the existence of words, then there would be nothing for us to do here today; everything would be over. All of mankind, society, and the world would be over. Therefore, words are truly a great matter.
The Bible is the word of God. This is an even greater matter. It is impossible for man to research the universe, mankind, and the existence of God today without coming to the Bible. The entire story of the universe is contained in the words of the Bible. If you want to know God, the story of the universe, and mankind, you must read the Bible. These things all exist and are all contained in the words of the Bible. Moreover, this word is not the word of man but the word of God.
Second Peter 1:21 says that the prophecy in the Bible, that is, the words of the Bible, is spoken “from God while being borne by the Holy Spirit.” There are two important points worth noticing. One is that it is borne by the Holy Spirit, and the second is that it was spoken from God. To be borne by the Holy Spirit, in Greek, means to be carried along. This is like a sailing boat being carried along by the wind. A sailing boat moves in the water through the propelling of the wind. Here it says that the words in the Bible were spoken by men borne by the Holy Spirit. This bearing is just like the carrying along of the wind. The Holy Spirit is like the wind, coming upon those speaking for God, to carry them along, bearing them in their speaking. The five books of Moses were written by Moses, but the Holy Spirit was there bearing Moses up as he wrote. It is true that many psalms are the words of David. However, the Holy Spirit was in and upon David, bearing him to speak.
In addition, we must also realize that the Bible is the word spoken “from God.” Regarding this phrase, Bible translators and the authorities on the manuscripts have differing opinions. Some say the two words from God should refer to the persons speaking, meaning that these were “men of God,” speaking while being borne by the Holy Spirit. Others say that the two words from God should not refer to the people who spoke but to the things spoken, meaning that their speaking came from God. The better translations, such as the Revised Standard Version, agree with the second concept. It tells us that the word in the Bible was not only spoken by those being borne by the Holy Spirit but also by man speaking from God. It is the Spirit of God that carries man along to speak. It is also man speaking from God. In other words, God spoke forth His own word from within man and through man’s mouth. This is the Bible. What is the Bible? The Bible is God’s Spirit coming upon man and carrying man along to speak forth God’s word in him. When God declares His word in the universe from and through man, we have the Bible.
Second Samuel 23:2 says, “The Spirit of Jehovah spoke through me, / And His word was on my tongue.” This was spoken by David. David was not only a psalmist but also a prophet (Acts 2:30). He told us that what he spoke was through the Spirit of God and that the word of God was in his mouth. Please notice that not only did the Spirit of God speak through him, but God’s word was in his very mouth and was spoken through his mouth. This is the Bible. This is truly an amazing thing.
Not only do we have to admit that the Bible is God’s inspiration, but we must also realize that the Bible is God’s Spirit bringing man into God and is from God, speaking forth God’s word. It is also the Holy Spirit speaking the word of God through man’s mouth. This is the Bible. What is the Bible? The Bible is the word of God spoken through man being borne by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:16 says that the Holy Spirit spoke in the Scripture through the mouth of David. This shows us that not only did the Holy Spirit speak through the mouth of man but also that the word thus spoken is the Bible. So here the Bible and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit are put together. The Bible is simply the Holy Spirit’s speaking of God’s word through the mouth of man.
Matthew 4:4 says, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.” The word that proceeds out through the mouth of God is every word of the Bible. Hence, the Bible is nothing but the word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.
Therefore, we can draw a very clear, simple, and accurate conclusion: the Bible is the word of God spoken by His Holy Spirit through the mouth of man.
The Bible is God’s words. First, these words explain God Himself. All words are for explanation and expression. The words of the Bible are for the expression and explanation of God Himself. If one does not read or understand the Bible, he will not understand or know God. For example, today, if you do not understand Chinese, you will not know me as a person. You may hear my voice, but you will not know what I am expressing. The Bible as God’s words first explains and expresses God Himself.
The Bible also explains God’s desire. It explains what is in God’s heart, what He desires, what He longs for, and what He loves and hates. All the interests and desires of God are explained in the Bible. Thank God that we have such a Bible. If we read it from cover to cover, we will know God’s desire. This book not only expresses God Himself but also expresses His desire.
The Bible also explains God’s plan. God is not only a God with desire and emotion; He is also a God of plan and accomplishment. If we read through the Bible carefully, we will understand what God plans to do in the universe. Through the Bible we can understand God’s plan.
The Bible also explains the origin of the universe and of all things. How was the universe with all the things in it created? How did they come about, and what is the end for them in the future? All this has been clearly explained in the Bible. The mystery of the universe is solved in the Bible. Without the Bible no one can understand the universe. The universe is indeed a mystery and is incomprehensible to man. Although many astronomers, geologists, and other kinds of scientists have done much research, they do not know what the universe is about. We need the Bible to explain the mystery of the universe.
What the Bible explains are these four main things. Of course, if we want to say more, we can say that it also explains the condition of man and points out the way to man’s salvation. But these can be included in the preceding four main things. It explains God Himself. It explains God’s desire. It explains God’s plan. (God’s desire and God’s plan include God’s redemption.) It also explains the universe.
Since the Bible is God’s word, it is God’s revelation. As we mentioned before, the word is the expression and the explanation. As it is the expression and the explanation, it is a revelation. First Peter 1:10-12 says that the prophets who wrote the Bible had received revelation from God. Revealed in the original text means the removing of a veil and the unveiling of the mystery inside.
The Bible is the revelation of God. It reveals God Himself, His desire, His plan, and the origin of the universe. Through the Bible we are shown God Himself, His desire, His plan, and the origin of the universe. If we understand the Bible, we will see God Himself, His desire, His plan, and the origin, the history, and the end of the universe, that is, the complete story of the universe. The whole Bible is the revelation of God. When God removes all the veil and unveils to us what is inside, we have the Bible.
The Bible is also God’s breath. It is the breathing out of God Himself. Second Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scripture is God-breathed; it is inspired by God.
The Bible is the breathing out of God, in the same way that my speaking here this morning is the breathing out of myself. Please excuse me for saying something about myself. Since five-thirty this morning, when I got up, I have been full of a matter within me. I wished that eight-thirty would come sooner so that I could breathe this matter out. What was in me? It was the word. How could I let out my feeling, the things within me, and the word in me? It is by breathing. What I am speaking is the breathing out of myself. In a similar way, the Bible is God’s word. It is also God’s breathing out.
As the Bible is the breathing out of God, it has the element of God. I dare not say that the Bible is God. However, I dare say that if you touch the spirit in the Bible, you touch God Himself. This is something we cannot imagine or fully comprehend with our mind. But it is a reality in our spirit. Do you not feel many times when you read the Bible that you are touching God? We cannot say that the Bible is God. If we say this, we are almost superstitious. But we must admit that in spirit we surely touch God Himself when we touch the spirit of the Bible. It is not only a matter of being in God’s presence but a matter of touching God Himself. When you touch the spirit of the Bible, you touch God Himself. Why is this so? It is because the Bible is the breathing out of God Himself. It is God breathing Himself out through the words. Therefore, we have to admit that within this breathing there is the element of God.
The Bible is the breathing out of God. This means that the Bible is not only the words breathed out by God but is God Himself breathed out in His word. Hence, within the word there is the element of God. This is the difference between the Bible and any other word. There is no element of God in any other word, whereas there is the element of God in the word of the Bible.
The Bible is the word of God. It is not only the breathing out of God but is God Himself breathed into the word. Thus, there is the element of God in this breathing out. Once you touch this breathing, you touch the element of God. For this reason, many times when we read the Bible, not only do we feel the presence of God, but we feel that we contact and touch God within.
Within this breath there is the taste of God. Since there is the element of God, there is the taste of God. It is hard to describe taste. Who can describe what sweetness tastes like? Although no one can do this, there is such a taste. In a similar way, in the Bible there is the taste of God. When we read the Bible and touch God in our spirit, we do sense the taste of God. You may ask me what this taste of God is. I would say that I cannot describe it. All I know is that I have touched the sweetness of God and have experienced His taste.
This is the reason that many times when we read the Bible, we have the joy. When we read worldly books and newspapers, sometimes there may be things that make us happy. But it is not the same kind of joy, nor the same intensity of joy, as when we read the Bible. When we read the Bible and touch God in the spirit, we have the realization deep within that we have absorbed God. We have the sense that we have eaten God, drunk God, and enjoyed God.
If you never have this kind of realization in reading the Bible, you must be reading the Bible in a dead way. You are reading only the letters and have not touched God’s breathing out in the letters. This is not the proper way to read the Bible. If you read the Bible properly, not only will you feel that you have touched God, but you will feel that you have tasted God. If you read the Bible in the proper way, not only will you feel the presence of God, but you will have the feeling that you are touching God. You will also have the sweet sensation that you have tasted God Himself.
Brothers and sisters, the Bible is the breathing out of God. God breathes Himself out so that we can breathe Him in. When we breathe Him into us as our enjoyment, we sense a special taste. It is more than a sense of rest or peace or joy or sweetness. It is beyond the description of human words. The greatest joy or blessing of being a Christian is to touch and taste God Himself through the God-breathed word. This is to eat the spiritual meal. By this, one will be fed and satisfied.
We do not read the Bible only for enlightenment, teaching, or instruction. There is something higher and deeper than all these. It is to touch God Himself in our inward parts. The Bible is not merely God’s thought, doctrine, truth, or teaching. The word in the Bible is the breathing out of God. It is God who breathes Himself out. God Himself is in the word. He Himself is in the breath. Therefore, we cannot understand the word only with our mind. This is not enough. We must learn to use our spirit to contact these words; we must touch God’s breathing out in the words and must touch His element in the words. When we have such a contact, not only will we feel that we are in the presence of God and not only will we have touched God, but we also will feel that we have tasted God; God will become our enjoyment within. Whenever we have a good Bible reading, we have a good eating and drinking. It will satisfy us within, and we will truly have tasted the sweetness of God Himself.
Since the Bible is the breathing out of God, it contains God’s element and God’s taste. Hence, whoever touches it will feel that he has touched God Himself.
God is Spirit. The Spirit, however, is very abstract. It is as abstract as the radio waves in the air. It is hard for man to touch Him or to understand Him. But the Bible is the embodiment of this Spirit. The Lord Jesus said in John 6:63 that the words He spoke are spirit. This shows us that God’s word is the embodiment of God’s Spirit. This is like a radio receiver capturing the radio waves in the air; the radio receiver becomes the embodiment of the radio waves. When the radio waves are in the air, we neither hear, touch, nor understand them. As soon as they are captured by the receiver, the radio waves become manifested before us. What was abstract becomes real. We can feel it, hear it, and understand it. Thus, we can say that the radio receiver is the embodiment of the radio waves.
In the same principle, if there were only God the Spirit in the universe and there were no Bible, God to us would be the same as the radio waves; we would not be able to grasp Him or find Him. But thank God that His word is here. This word is the embodiment of Himself. God the Spirit is contained in the word. This is why the Lord Jesus said that His word is spirit. In the same way, we can say that the word in the Bible is the Spirit. To put this in a clearer way, we can say that the Bible is the embodiment of the Spirit.
First, the Bible is the embodiment of God the Spirit; it is also the expression of God the Spirit. God the Spirit is expressed through the Bible as the embodiment. Since the day you heard the gospel until now, how many times have you been moved by the Holy Spirit apart from God’s word? Probably very little. Almost every time we are moved by the Holy Spirit, it is through God’s word. Never does the Holy Spirit urge us apart from the word. Sometimes, it is through a verse you have read in the Bible. Sometimes, it is through your remembrance of a verse you have read. Sometimes, it is through some words that match the Bible in principle. These are all words. Although you are moved by the Holy Spirit, it is hard to separate the Holy Spirit from the word in these cases. It is hard for you to say whether you are moved by the word or by the Holy Spirit, because at such times the Holy Spirit is in the word. The word is the embodiment and the expression of the Holy Spirit.
Of course, we admit that many times we can have the word without the Spirit. It is like having a radio receiver without the radio waves. Surely, this is vain. We admit that many people read God’s Word in vain. But there are also many times when we just open up the Lord’s Word a little, and the Holy Spirit comes. The Holy Spirit is in the word, and the word is the expression of the Holy Spirit.
At any rate, it is hard for us to be moved by the Holy Spirit without God’s word. To put it in another way, seldom are we moved by the word without the moving of the Holy Spirit within. Under normal circumstances one cannot separate God the Spirit from the Bible, since the Bible is the embodiment and the expression of God the Spirit. Please notice that it is the embodiment of God the Spirit and not the embodiment of just the Holy Spirit. This means that this Spirit is God, and this God is the Spirit. This God who is Spirit is God the Spirit.
The Bible as the embodiment of God the Spirit is not only His expression but also His dwelling place. God the Spirit resides in His word. From our experience we know that this is true. Many times when we read the Bible, we touch God the Spirit. This is because the Bible is the dwelling place of God the Spirit. It is the place where God the Spirit resides.
There is another point. The Bible is the means of God the Spirit. God is Spirit. Whatever He does to us is through the Bible. Whatever God does toward us and whatever God wants us to do are done through His word. The word is the embodiment of God the Spirit. Hence, it is also the expression, the dwelling place, and the means of God the Spirit. Under normal circumstances whenever we touch the word in the Bible, we should receive, touch, and feel the moving of God the Spirit and should contact God Himself.
This is the Bible. What is the Bible? The Bible is God’s word, God’s revelation, God’s breathing out, and the embodiment of God the Spirit.
