I think emphasizing the work of people over the work of God is also why the word “spirit” is not capitalized in the lectures.

I believe our Christian work is together with God, based on what God did in the past and a striving to learn what God is doing now and in the future. According to the blue book lectures, God is just an afterthought or mystical force that we invoke to be more powerful.

“However, we have not found alternatives better than one-to-one Bible study, Daily Bread, testimony writing, a life-giving spirit with five loaves and two fish, a pioneering spirit, a community spirit, and a self-supporting spirit we have had from the beginning of UBF history. Nobody can deny that those works are the best ways to raise disciples and missionaries who can preach the Gospel”

This goes on to say that these things came from God and not from men.

This portion is my “favorite” because not just because the string of UBF cliches makes me giggle, but it makes UBF theology very clear and explains so much of my experience in UBF. Disciple raising is not done by God, but by hard working people. This explains the arrogance and pride I often saw over “fruit” (heaven forbid thinking of Bible students as people). It emphasizes the work of people as far more critical than the work of God. It shows a complete refusal to abandon man-made rules, even fact it will not even call them man-made, but instead states they come from God. And tries to head criticism off at the pass, “Nobobdy can deny. . .”

This is an amazing amount of information is a very small section. It makes portions of the hidden UBF theology very clear. It makes the arrogance, self-righteousness, inflexibility, and lack of grace evident. In these ways, I think this is an amazing document.