12有人要问说，“如果我将我一切所有的都给神，是不是说我应当把所有的东西都卖掉？”…我们有两种生活，一种是在神面前的生活，一种是在世界里的生活。在神的面前，我们所有的，的确都在祭坛上；但是，在世界里活着，许多物质的东西还是需要的。我们活在这里，还得有衣、食、住。我们应该把所有的都奉献给神，完全为着神活着，但是，如果神说这一个可以留着的话，我们就留着。我们对于这些物质的东西，乃是用帐棚的原则来对付。这些东西是为了我们的需要而留下的；我们如果不需要它，就可以舍弃它。我们可以用这些东西，但不能被这些东西摸着。这些东西可以在我们手里，也可以不在我们手里；可以加添，也可以减少。这就是帐棚的生活。
12Some people ask, “If I give my all to God, do I have to sell all my possessions and dispose of all my money?”… We have a life to live before God, and we also have a life to live in the world. In our life before God everything must truly be on the altar, but for our life in the world we still have need of many material things. While we are living in the world, we need clothing, food, and a dwelling place. We ought to consecrate our all to God and live for Him alone; but if He says we may retain a certain thing, then we may retain it. Nevertheless, we must apply the principle of the tent to all the physical things that He permits us to retain, because they have been given back to us to meet our need in the world. If we do not need them, we should dispose of them. We may use them, but we must not be touched by them. We can have them or let them go; they can be given, and they can be taken away. This is the life of the tent.