In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses 11 difficult problems in two categories. In the Life-study of 1 Corinthians, Witness Lee helps us see that Christ is the unique factor to solve the first six problems and that the church is the unique factor to solve the final five problems. Christ, as God’s center and the One given to us as our unique portion, is the unique factor for solving all the problems in the realm of human life. The church is the element for settling all the problems in the realm of the divine administration. By living Christ, the believers are not only saved from all the problems in human life, but are also brought into a right relationship with the Body of Christ under the headship of Christ to carry out God’s administration.

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.

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.

The subject of the book of Ephesians is the church. There are seven aspects of the church revealed in Ephesians. The church is the Body, the new man, the kingdom, the family, the dwelling place, the bride, and the warrior. If we put together all these seven aspects of the church, we see a wonderful picture of the church as the Body to express Christ, as the new man taking Christ as the person, as the kingdom with rights and responsibilities, as the family with life and enjoyment, as God’s dwelling place for God to live in, as the bride for Christ’s satisfaction, and as the warrior for fighting the battle and defeating the enemy so that God can accomplish his eternal purpose. This is the church. The Life-study of Ephesians also gives a clear view of the contents of the book of Ephesians. In chapter one of Ephesians we have the blessings: God’s selection, predestination, sonship, holiness, redemption, sealing, pledging, and much more. Then we shall see the prayer of the Apostle for a spirit of wisdom and revelation to know the hope of God’s calling, to see the glory of God’s inheritance among His saints, and to realize the greatness of the power that has been wrought in Christ to produce the Body. Then in chapter two, we see the production of the church, the nature of the church, the vision of the church, the building of the church, and the function of the church. In chapter three, we see the revelation of the mystery and the ministry of the stewardship concerning the church. Following this, we see Paul’s prayer for the strengthening of our inner man, so that Christ may make His home in our heart, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God. This causes us to have the practical experience of Christ. Then, as revealed in the last three chapters, we shall know how to walk on earth, to bear responsibility, and to fight the battle for God’s purpose. This is the content of the book of Ephesians.

Paul's two Epistles to the Thessalonians were written to a young church with young believers. These Epistles are very precious, for they render particular help concerning the young Christian life and church life. In the Life-study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Witness Lee presents the basic elements in Paul's word to the Thessalonians concerning living a holy life for the church life. Paul's Epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, written to more experienced believers, cover God’s economy regarding the church. In the Life-study of these books, Witness Lee presents crucial points in these Epistles concerning God's economy, the inoculation of the church against decline, the maintenance of the order of the church, and the believers' equal status in the new man.

The Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1981, volume 1, contains messages given by Brother Witness Lee on January 19 through December 20, 1981. In 1981 Brother Lee spoke seventy-four messages that were published in Life-study of Exodus, Life-study of Philippians, Life-study of Romans, and Life-study of 1 Corinthians. These Life-study messages are not included in The Collected Works of Witness Lee. From the beginning of the year until the middle of July, Brother Lee ministered in Anaheim, California. He then visited Berkeley, California, on a weekend and returned to Anaheim, where he remained until the first few days of September. He then visited Bellevue, Washington, for a week and returned to Anaheim. Except for a one-day visit to Santa Ana, California, near the end of September, he ministered in Anaheim until the end of the first three weeks in October. From the last week in October until the end of November, he traveled to Seoul, South Korea; Hong Kong; Taipei, Taiwan; and Tokyo, Japan. He returned to Anaheim and ministered there until the end of the year. The contents of this volume are divided into twelve sections, as follows: 1. Five messages given in Anaheim, California, on March 12 through July 23. These messages are included in this volume under the title Fellowship with Serving Ones. 2. Five messages given in Anaheim, California, on January 19 through December 7. These messages are included in this volume under the title Carrying Out the New Testament Ministry. 3. Six messages given in Anaheim and Santa Ana, California, on August 2 through December 20. These messages are included in this volume under the title Various Lord's Day Meetings. 4. Sixteen messages given in Anaheim, California, on May 11 through 16. These messages are included in this volume under the title The Central Vision of Paul's Completing Ministry. 5. Three messages given in Anaheim, California, on May 22 and 23. These messages were previously published in a book entitled God's Eternal Intention and Satan's Counterplot. They are included in this volume under the same title. 6. Seven messages given in Anaheim, California, on May 24 through June 19. These messages were previously published in a book entitled The World Situation and God's Move and are included in this volume under the same title. 7. A message given in Anaheim, California, on June 11. This message was translated from Chinese and is included in this volume under the title Questions and Fellowship concerning Full-time Service. 8. A message given in Anaheim, California, on July 24. This message is included in this volume under the title Christ Becoming Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption to Us in Our Daily Life. 9. A message given in Bellevue, Washington, on September 7. This message was divided into two chapters and is included in this volume under the title Carrying Out God's New Testament Economy, Caring for the Central Vision of Paul's Completing Ministry and John's Mending Ministry, Migrating and Establishing Churches in the Move of the Body of Christ, and Awaiting the Revelation of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 10. A message given in Anaheim, California, on September 19. This message is included in this volume under the title Fellowship with a Group of Young People. 11. Eight messages given in Seoul, South Korea, and Tokyo, Japan, on October 23 through November 30. These messages were were previously published in a book entitled Crucial Aspects of the Experience of Christ Revealed in Paul's Epistles and are included in this volume under the same title. 12. Sixteen messages given in Hong Kong; Taipei, Taiwan; and Tokyo, Japan, on October 31 through November 30. These messages were previously published in a book entitled The Great Mystery--Christ and the Church and are included in this volume under the same title.