In the Lord’s recovery during the past five hundred years the church’s knowledge of the Lord and His truth has been continually progressing. This monumental and classical work by Brother Witness Lee builds upon and is a further development of all that the Lord has revealed to His church in the past centuries. It is filled with the revelation concerning the processed Triune God, the living Christ, the life-giving Spirit, the experience of life, and the definition and practice of the church. In this set Brother Lee has kept three basic principles that should rule and govern every believer in their interpretation, development, and expounding of the truths contained in the Scriptures. The first principle is that of the Triune God dispensing Himself into His chosen and redeemed people; the second principle is that we should interpret, develop, and expound the truths contained in the Bible with Christ for the church; and the third governing principle is Christ, the Spirit, life, and the church. No other study or exposition of the New Testament conveys the life nourishment or ushers the reader into the divine revelation of God’s holy Word according to His New Testament economy as this one does.
At the time of regeneration, all believers receive the divine life and are begotten as children of God. Yet, this life most grow and it does so by regulation unto maturity and function. This regulation comes from revelation and issues in obedience. This word is crucial for our progress and training in the divine life for our maturity and function in our living and service to God.
Much of what is preached and taught among Christians today concerns the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus, that is, the work He did during His life on the earth. However, just as the person of Christ has two aspects, so does His ministry. While He was on earth, He was the man Jesus. Since His ascension into heaven, however, He is the glorified Christ. His earthly ministry lasted for only a limited time, but His heavenly ministry is eternal; it will never end. What is Christ doing now? In this book, Witness Lee answers this question, opening up the second part of Christ’s ministry, the heavenly ministry, the ministry that continues today.
“We must realize that we Christians are a meeting people. A Christian is a meeting person. Without meeting, there is no Christian life and no church life. It is rather difficult for any Christian to grow without attending the meetings. There is no way for any Christian to serve God without meetings, and it is impossible for Christians to express Christ if there are no meetings. The church life is a meeting life.” In How to Meet Witness Lee offers much precious and practical guidance related to the biblical way to meet as Christians.
"The entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, shows us that God is our enjoyment. God also has His fullness (Eph. 3:19b). He is full for us to enjoy. His fullness is the expression of the riches of Christ, and the reality of Christ is in the Spirit. We know this by the revelation of the Word. The riches of Christ are revealed in the Word. Furthermore, we can realize God as our enjoyment in our spirit (John 4:24)."
The epistle of Paul that we know as 1 Corinthians is a letter to a church in trouble. One of the believers in Corinth wrote Paul asking a series of questions about the lack of unity, sex and marriage, eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols, the use and misuse of spiritual gifts, women in the church, contention in their love feasts and the resurrection of the dead. The letter revealed a church that was deeply flawed, but Paul answered with characteristic graciousness. He corrected their errors and, even though some of their problems were cultural and specific to Corinth, he provided deep and comprehensive explanations for the advice he gave. These discussions helps us think deeply about these issues in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul's answers are just as pertinent and applicable to the church today as they were to ancient Corinth. In both cases, Paul's and ours, the customs of antagonistic cultures have forced their way into the life and practices of the Church and Christian believers. After the church received Paul's first letter, they were visited by other false teachers who criticized Paul and began leading the church astray. This prompted Paul to send them a second letter in which he explained his philosophy of ministry, and discussed such ministerial concerns as freedom, personal rights and financial giving. He expressed his concern for those who were trapped in a lifestyle of sin and enumerated godly principles as to how believers should live in a time of persecution. Paul presents himself as a servant of Christ and a true apostle. He is a model for the believer aspiring to excellence in Christian service. Second Corinthians is the deepest and most personal letter that we have from Paul. This Study Guide for LIFE is a perfect companion to explain difficult portions of Paul's letters, to focus the reader's attention on what Paul really said and to expand that teaching into practical application. Study Guides for LIFE are ideally suited for use by individuals and small groups. Both the beginning believer and the professional minister will benefit from these guides. This Study Guide for LIFE offers three specific tools: 1) explanatory notes which offer insight into difficult or controversial passages; 2) searching questions which direct you back to the text for answers, and 3) probing questions that expand the context, and challenge you to apply the truths in these books to your own culture. Our goal is that you will know what the text says, what it means and will be able to apply it to your own situation appropriately. Through these tools, you will discover and understand the purpose, power and passion of Paul and the proper functioning of the New Testament church. It is our hope that you will be able to use these discoveries to fine-tune your Christian experience and enhance your own intimacy with Jesus Christ and the unique expression of His life in you. The Study Guide is appropriate for the study efforts of individuals, small groups or teachers preparing to explain these letters. Whether you are a curious seeker or a professional minister, the Study Guide for LIFE will direct your studies into the efforts of the apostles as they continue the work of Christ to establish His church. May it also stir your own heart to expand the influence of Christ in yourself, your circle of friends and into the uttermost parts of the earth. For in this day Jesus is purifying the church and gathering in the last of the lost in anticipation of His soon return to establish His Kingdom on earth.