PERFECTING THE SAINTS

SERIES ONE
FELLOWSHIP FOR THE CHINESE-SPEAKING SERVING ONES IN NORTH AMERICA – 02.15.2026

Message One
Promoting the Recovery Version Bible

Scripture reading: Matt. 24:14, 28:19-20, 1 Tim. 2:4, 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:16-17, Eph. 1:17, 3:3-5, 9, Col. 3:16, Acts 8:4, 17:11, Rom. 10:14-15, 1 Cor. 2:10, Rev. 21:2

I.Our Recovery Version is a great culmination of the divine revelation, which can be said to be the crystallization of the understanding of the divine revelation by the saints from all quarters for the past two thousand years, hoping to continue the past and open up the future—Eph. 1:17, 3:3, 2 Tim. 3:16, 2:15:

A.We have taken the most commonly used Chinese Union Version as a reference, doing our best to preserve the beauty of its style, rhythm, and transliteration of personal names and place names—S. S. 5:10, Psa. 143—145, 2 Tim. 3:16, Isa. 34:16a.

B.This Recovery Version has also taken as references all the authoritative English versions, the authoritative explanations of the meanings of the words in the Greek New Testament and lexicons, and all the Chinese versions in both the vernacular and classical styles—Phil. 1:10, 1 Pet. 1:12, 2 Tim. 2:15:

1.　There are about fifty of the best English versions of the New Testament, and of these, over ten of the most authoritative ones were laid before us as references when we were translating—Isa. 34:16a.

2.　We did our best to collect all the better expressions, striving to make it so that the revelation in the holy Word could have the most accurate expression with the least discrepancy in the Chinese language—S. S. 7:6, 2 Tim. 2:15.

C.The translation of the Bible is based not only on a clear understanding of the original text of the Bible but also on the understanding of the divine revelation in the holy Word—Luke 10:22, 1 Cor. 2:10:

1.　The understanding of the divine revelation by the saints throughout the ages has also been progressively advancing based on the light they received—2 Cor. 3:14, Eph. 3:5.

2.　The Recovery Version Bible is based on the great culmination of this kind of understanding; with the addition of the footnotes, it can be said to be the crystallization of the understanding of the divine revelation by the saints from all quarters for the past two thousand years, hoping to continue the past and open up the future—1 Cor. 2:10, Eph. 3:9.

D.The footnotes of the Recovery Version Bible emphasize the revelation of the truth, spiritual light, and the supply of life more than historical, geographical, and biographical explanations—Psa. 119:160, John 8:32, 1:4, 10:10.

II.The truth conveyed in the footnotes of the New Testament Recovery Version and the Life-study messages is the cream of the saints’ understanding of the holy Word over the past twenty centuries; it is the accumulation of the revelation that the church has received from the Bible, this holy Word—John 1:1, 1 John 1:1:

A.Although the footnotes and the Life-studies are written in a simple way, the points presented are profound, and the content is very rich, nourishing, and enlightening—Psa. 119:130, 9.

B.The footnotes of the Recovery Version Bible and the Life-study messages do not replace the Bible but open up the Bible and bring us into the intrinsic significance of the unique teaching according to God’s economy in the Bible—Psa. 119:130, Acts 8:30-31, Neh. 8:8, 13, 2 Tim. 2:2.

C.To know God’s New Testament economy, the best way is to use the Recovery Version with footnotes and the Life-study messages; take the text of the Recovery Version with the footnotes and the Life-study messages as textbooks—1 Tim. 4:3, 2:4, 2 Tim. 2:25, 3:7, Gal. 2:9.

D.The purpose of writing the footnotes and the Life-studies is to solve many difficult problems in the Bible in a brief and concise way; these characteristics make the footnotes and the Life-studies very valuable—vv. 130, 9.

III.Since we are in the stage of the extension of the Lord’s recovery, we should do our utmost to spread the divine truth revealed in the Bible by using our publications and broadcasts—1 Tim. 2:4, 2 Tim. 2:15, 4:17:

A.We should consider various ways to distribute our publications to release the truth. If the saints in the churches find any effective way to propagate the truth, they should inform the serving ones at Living Stream Ministry and coordinate with them—Col. 3:16a.

B.We should also consider other ways to spread the truth, such as through direct mail, television, newspapers, Christian periodicals, magazines, and bookstores—Rom. 1:7, 11, Eph. 3:3-4.

C.We should not only labor to distribute our literature but also broadcast the truth through radio. We should establish radio stations in strategic locations throughout the earth to spread the truth—Acts 9:20, 13:5, 19:8.

D.In order to spread the truth with our publications and broadcasts, there is a related financial need. To meet these needs, we should practice consecrating our material possessions to the Lord according to 1 Corinthians 16:1-3.

IV.We must take up the burden for the spreading of the Lord’s recovery—2 Tim. 2:2, 15:

A.We should let all people, especially those in Christian circles, see that we are a group of people who fully know the divine truth. This is a strong testimony—1 Tim. 2:4, 3:15.

B.We must give the Lord a way so that the recovery would be full of life and have a full knowledge of the truth, that we may become people who preach the gospel, teach the truth, and minister life—2 Tim. 3:16-17.

C.Many who love the Lord Jesus and seek Him have been deceived and distracted. I have a deep burden because of this fact. We must find a way to share with them the spiritual riches that the Lord has supplied us. Many who truly love the Lord are starving. We must take up the burden to supply them with food. We all need to be good ministers of Christ, serving them with His riches. Let us first be nourished ourselves, and then supply this nourishment to all of God’s people—1 Tim. 4:6.

D.We must all be filled with the riches of God’s New Testament economy and then actively and aggressively carry out the burden of God’s economy. If we are filled and saturated, we can all be active and aggressive. I hope that in the coming years, the Lord’s multiplication will greatly increase. May the whole earth truly be stirred up!—Acts 1:8.

V.Acts 8:4 speaks of the preaching of the gospel through the scattering and migration of the saints—Acts 8:4:

A.Through the migration of the saints, the good news was brought to many cities—v. 4, 1:8.

B.The churches should all follow the pattern in Acts 8:4.

C.In principle, we should be willing to migrate. All the saints in the churches should be encouraged to migrate—Phil. 3:20, 1 Cor. 4:11:

1.　If the saints in a locality do not migrate, that place will eventually become a “Dead Sea.” If the water is allowed to flow out, more water will flow in. If water cannot flow out of a pipe, it cannot flow in. How much water flows in depends on how much water flows out—cf. Luke 6:38.

2.　If we want the church to increase, we must flow out. Only when a church in a locality has an outflow can it be preserved from becoming a “Dead Sea.”—cf. v. 38.

VI.In our work, we should emphasize the spread of the divine truth more than the raising up of the local churches. At the same time, we should not neglect the burden of establishing the local churches. The propagation of the truth requires a proper church life—Acts 6:2, 7, 12:24, 19:20, Eph. 3:9, 1 Tim. 3:15:

A.We need to propagate the truth to enlighten people so that they may see the mystery of God’s economy. When people see the vision of God’s economy, they will be called by God to be witnesses of the divine truth. Some of them will take this way and become overcomers—Eph. 3:9.

B.We need to spend our time, energy, and money to propagate the divine truth. At the same time, we should not neglect the burden of establishing the local churches； the Lord will use the churches to spread the truth, because the propagation of the truth requires a proper church life—Acts 6:2, 7, 12:24, 19:20, 1 Tim. 3:15.

VII.We need to learn to use the Bible and spiritual publications to lead people to salvation and to nourish them—Acts 8:35, Luke 24:25-27, 32:

A.When you go to contact people, open the Bible and read a few verses to them. It is especially good to read from our Recovery Version, because the Recovery Version has footnotes for all the crucial verses—Luke 24:25-27, 32.

B.After you read the crucial verses to him, read the footnotes with him, and he will surely be touched. When he is stirred up within, you can then point out the footnotes to him, and he will surely receive them—2 Tim. 3:15-17.

C.Besides the Bible, we have many spiritual publications. In the home meetings, we must also use the Bible and spiritual publications. When you have a home meeting with him, pay attention to the areas in which he is lacking. As soon as you sense that he is lacking in a certain area, you should immediately find the related messages and pursue with him to nourish and build him up—Luke 24:25-27, 32.