COMPILING TRUTH LESSONS FOR THE SAINTS TO BE EDUCATED IN THE TRUTH TOGETHER
To help us learn the truth, we have specifically assigned three co-workers to form an editorial group to compile a book called Truth Lessons. We hope to have at least four levels: Level One, Level Two, Level Three, and Level Four, each level being progressively deeper than the previous one. Each level will have forty-eight lessons, sufficient material for a whole year. Four lessons will be covered every month, and the lessons for every three months will be combined into one volume. Thus, each volume will contain twelve lessons. Each level will consist of four volumes—one volume for spring, summer, fall, and winter respectively. Thus, there will be a total of forty-eight lessons in one year.
The contents of Level One, Volume 1, will cover various topics beginning with the Bible. Lesson 1 will be on the Bible; lesson 2, the Triune God; lesson 3, God’s creation; lesson 4, Satan’s origin and rebellion; lesson 5, man’s fall; and lesson 6, God’s promise of redemption. Then we will go on to cover a key view of the entire Old Testament. After the key view of the Old Testament, there will be a lesson on the difference between the New Testament and the Old Testament, and then we will go on to the key view of the New Testament. It will take half a year to finish the first two volumes. Then in the second half of the year, there will still be twenty-four more lessons. They will cover God’s salvation, beginning with God’s foreknowledge, selection, and predestination; continuing through man’s being called, saved, and baptized into and joined to the Triune God; and concluding with man’s being forgiven, justified, and sanctified, and how to be saved and baptized. All these topics will be included in these volumes. This will be the content of the forty-eight lessons in the first year.
We should teach the brothers and sisters one lesson after another, and there should be different levels of classes. The first level should be one class, the second level, another class, the third level, another class, and the fourth level, another class. The church should make arrangements in this matter without putting pressure on anyone. For instance, perhaps some saints have been meeting for eighteen years, yet they want to start from the beginning, from elementary school. If so, they may go to level one. If others want to go a little deeper, then they may go to level three or level four. We should prepare different classrooms so that all the saints can receive the education of the truth according to their own need.
In this way all the saints will be able to function. Today the nations are all endeavoring to create employment opportunities. By changing our system we will enable many to become “employed.” Previously in Taipei, there were only twenty-one preachers in twenty-one halls; however, after changing the system, even fifty people will not be enough. This is because for one meeting hall we might need five or six people to teach the lessons; therefore, for twenty-one meeting halls we would need more than one hundred people to be “employed.” The problem, however, is that some of the saints have reacted, saying that they do not know how to speak and to teach. Concerning this matter, we have considered holding a training and a presentation of teaching methods for the teachers of the truth lessons. We know that even apprentices in the barbershop need several tries before they can learn successfully. Everything is difficult at the beginning, but if we learn by doing, we will quickly learn to do it well.
There is a Chinese maxim which says that “the young hold potential for greatness.” I hope that all the young people will rise up and put forth their effort. If they would do this, the situation would be so tremendous that people may not be able to withstand it. Ever since my grandchildren started school, whenever they come home, they like to teach me; they talk about history and science, and my head spins. Nonetheless, I am inwardly happy because it is a good sign. If the church has one thousand saints and all of them learn the truth and preach the truth, then the truth will surely prevail.
(Speaking for God, Chapter 5, by Witness Lee)
