TEACHING THE NEW BELIEVERS
TO READ TWO VERSES OF THE BIBLE
EVERY MORNING FOR MORNING WATCH
AND ONE CHAPTER BEFORE GOING TO BED
We need to help the new believers get into the new way of morning watch. They should not read too many verses of the Bible in the morning. Instead, they should learn to chew and digest two verses. They should also be encouraged to read one chapter of the Bible before going to bed. We should not be so legal about when they read. They may read the Bible when they return home from work. Instead of reading the newspaper, they can read a chapter of the Bible. After developing this habit, they may go on to study the Bible. Before going on to study, however, they should read one chapter every day. If they have any additional time, they can study it. Thus, the new ones should be brought into enjoying two verses in the morning for morning watch and one chapter in the evening for being taught by God (1 Pet. 2:2-3).
We need to read the Bible and eventually study it so that we can be taught by it. From my study of the Bible, I have been taught world history from God’s perspective. Daniel 2 records Daniel’s interpretation of a great human image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in a dream. That image signifies the entire human government. Human government started in Genesis 10 with Nimrod who built up Babel. He was the beginning of Babylon. This government will continue to the last Caesar of the Roman Empire, Antichrist (see notes on Rev. 17:10-12 in the Recovery Version). The entire human government in the eyes of God is composed of four empires as signified by the four parts of the great human image in Daniel 2. The head of gold signifies the Babylonian Empire (vv. 36-38). The Medo-Persian Empire is signified by the breast and arms of silver (v. 39a). The Macedonian-Grecian Empire is signified by the abdomen and thighs of bronze (v. 39b). The last empire, the Roman Empire, is signified by the legs of iron and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay (vv. 40-43). In the human image there are only four great empires. This is the entire human government. Based upon this divine view, we are living in the stage of the Roman Empire today. Today the law of the world is based upon Roman law. Furthermore, the entire world is full of Roman politics and Roman culture. Roman culture may be considered as a consummated culture, which is composed of Hebrew religion, Greek culture, and Roman law and politics. In God’s eyes we are still in the continuation of the Roman Empire today.
This shows that if we get into the Word, we will be taught of God. We need to use our time to read the Bible. Paul told Timothy that the Bible is profitable for teaching (2 Tim. 3:16). We should be taught by the Bible, and help the new believers to be taught in this way.
(Elders' Training, Book 11: The Eldership and the God-Ordained Way (3), Chapter 9, by Witness Lee)
