I. Knowing God's Will is the Most Important Thing in Reading the Bible

1. Knowing God's will enables us to please God, because God controls curses and blessings, and He controls all that we have.
2. Just as the most important thing for a person living in the world is joy, the most important thing in studying the Bible is knowing God's will. If one does not know that the key is joy, people are prone to argue over trivial matters and ruin their lives.
3. The most core principle of Bible reading in the Chinese Mingding Doctrine is: no matter what you read, you must understand God's will.

II. God's Will is the Church

1. God's will is the Church. If anyone destroys the Church, God will destroy him.
2. Building God's glorious Church is the most important thing in the Chinese Mingding Doctrine, and it is also the most important principle in reading the Bible.
3. Reading the Bible should always revolve around the Church. "God's will is the Church" runs through the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.
4. The theme of the Bible is building God's glorious Church, which is the body of Jesus Christ, and all things will be united in Jesus Christ. Without this theme, it is very difficult to understand the Bible.
5. The gospel of Jesus Christ in the New Testament is related to the Church, including the definition and concept of the Church.

III. The Husband-Wife Relationship Does Not Refer to Husband and Wife

1. In Ephesians 5:22-33, the wife submits to her husband, and the husband loves his wife, which is often quoted to teach about the husband-wife relationship. However, Paul clearly pointed out "But I am referring to Christ and the Church".
2. If the theme of "Church" is put aside, when people read this passage, they will understand it as the "trivial matters" between husband and wife, and ultimately cannot implement it, and even make the husband-wife relationship like "bone spurs and flesh thorns".
3. The real focus is on learning how to manage and build healthy relationships (with Christ and the Church).

IV. The Theme of the New Testament is the Church

1. The theme of Paul's epistles is building the Church. Ephesians, Colossians, Romans, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, etc., all talk about building the Church.
2. Acts speaks of establishing the Church. Apostles are those who establish the Church. Although Paul was not among the twelve apostles, he was called an apostle because of establishing the Church.
3. We read the Bible by forming a system. For those books that are not in this system (i.e., do not talk about the Church), such as James, you can temporarily discard them and not be disturbed by them.

V. The Theme of the Old Testament is Also the Church

1. The New Testament and the Old Testament are an inseparable system, both for building God's Church.
2. The tabernacle in Exodus, and the temple built by David and Solomon, are all shadows of the New Testament Church.
3. God's promises are obtained through God's Church. Personal cultivation is very corrupt and useless, because God's will and promises can only be effectively obtained and blessed in the logical system of building the Church.
4. Genesis opens the road of faith (the Church walks the road of faith); the "separation" in Leviticus is the discipleship of brothers and sisters in the Church in Christ; the Israelites in Exodus are God's army coming out of Egypt, foreshadowing the Church; in Numbers, "only those who can fight count", referring to those in the Church who can cast out demons and have power; Deuteronomy speaks of blessings and curses, which are also implemented in the Church as a place of partial blessings or curses. Nehemiah rebuilt the city wall and restored a God-centered life, referring to the Church.

VI. The Most Important Work of the Church is Shepherding

1. The most important work of the Church is shepherding, including teaching people to study the Bible.
2. Being thorough in understanding is part of shepherding, and shaping people to become more capable of creating value is also shepherding.
3. With the concept of "Church", it is easy to discern that "personal cultivation" is ineffective and exclude it.
4. Building the Church is closely related to understanding. Although speaking in tongues can edify oneself, the ultimate goal is to edify the Church.
5. The Apostle Paul said, "I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in tongues."

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