A talk by Watchman Nee after a meeting on studying the Bible



A talk by Watchman Nee after a meeting on studying the Bible

  Date:Saturday evening, February 18, 1950 Place:Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Finding what our predecessors have reaped

  In studying the Bible it is crucial that we not despise “the light from the prophets.” We should not despise the light our predecessors have gained. Throughout the ages many people have learned many things from the Lord. They have received much enlightenment from His Word. We have to look up and study their work.

Paying attention to the original text

  Second, in studying the Word we have to pay attention to the original text. As far as translations are concerned, the Chinese Union Version is much better and more accurate than the King James Version in English. The Greek text on which the Chinese Version is based is a much better text. Of course, in some areas it is inferior to other versions. The Revised Standard Version of 1881 is also better than the King James Version. Its translation is better, and it is superior to the King James Version in many respects. Of all the English versions, Darby’s translation tops the list in terms of its understanding of the meaning of the original text. Many denominations do not accept unauthorized versions. As a result, Darby’s version has not been very popular. But a student of the Bible should always look up Darby’s translation.

  Perhaps we can use the Interlinear Greek New Testament (Stephanus Greek text), Tischendorf’s text (Codex Sinaiticus), the Revised Standard Version, Darby’s translation, plus the Chinese Union Version. With these five different versions, we will probably arrive at an accurate understanding of a passage.

Paraphrasing

  Paraphrasing means rewriting the words of the Bible in language that can be easily understood. In the New Testament Paul’s Epistles occupy a pivotal place. We can try to rewrite his Epistles using our own words. If we do not understand a certain passage, we can look up Conybeare’s and Howson’s commentaries. Their writings are of the same nature as Darby’s Synopsis of the Bible, and they are excellent expositional writings. Through paraphrasing we will realize that every word in the Bible is meaningful and crucial. If our paraphrasing is done properly, we will come to know God’s will. If our paraphrasing is done improperly, we will end up with many serious mistakes.

  In the eighteenth century, so-called textual criticism was very popular in Germany. This criticism was mainly of two categories. One was lower criticism being done by believers. This was like the textual research work done by many in the late Ching dynasty. The other was higher criticism being done by unbelievers. This was like the ancient Saduccees. The higher critics are today’s modernists. They are the liberals. Lower critics include such people as Wordsworth, Bloomfield, and Henry Alford. They spent much time to evaluate every word of the Bible. They were familiar with every word and carefully studied classical Greek as well as biblical Greek. Today our study of the Bible is based on the result of their research. In order to train ourselves in paraphrasing, we have to reference their works. Of the critical works of these three, Alford’s writings are the best. If there is any doubt, his interpretation should be taken as the standard.

Bible exposition

  The best books on Bible exposition are found among the Brethren. Among the Brethren writers, Darby’s work tops the list. In the course of a few decades, God gave many of them particular gifts. In order to study the Bible well, we have to go to their books.

  William Kelly and F. W. Grant also have written fine works on Bible exposition. They were distinguished students of Darby. Spurgeon once said that Kelly’s mind was as broad as the universe, but his view was limited by Darby’s influence. His writings show a high degree of scholarship. Grant was very short in physical stature, but he wrote with much foresight. He had great spiritual capacity. Even when he criticized others, his criticism was like music to the listeners’ ears. His writings were more inspirational than Kelly’s.

  There are also the writings of H. C. G. Moule. Many British highly recommend his writings because they are somewhat critical in style. There is also F. L. Godet. He was a highly respected and spiritual Swiss theologian.

Assigning certain responsibilities to each person for studying the Bible, then coming together to share the results

  The co-workers should have Bible study meetings. They can begin with the book of Romans. Use the following way: First, one brother should read Romans 1:1 aloud. Then another brother should read this verse aloud according to the Revised Standard Version. A third should read Darby’s translation. A fourth should compare these versions with the original language and read the result aloud. Finally, the leading brother should decide which translation is the best. After studying the text, they should study the expositional writings of these few writers, as well as the commentaries. After they have studied this way, they will realize that not only were they too sloppy in studying the Word, but also many famous writers in this world are sloppy students. The worst thing is for a person to have only one version and to treat it as a foolproof text. Some people go even further; they do not read any reference books at all. Some of us have a good foundation in Bible study because by nature we like to read reference books. This study is much more reliable. Both Brother Witness and I study the Bible according to the above method. I hope that some brothers and sisters will put forth the effort to study the Bible this way.