Here is the context of that chapter he refers to. I have not heard of this before, ive not seen it an "issue" brought up here or elsewhere, so I think they cherry picked this and probably outright fabricated the whole thing. Following this chapter is just some talk about Esau. What I pasted is the end of the subject. You can find this PDF here starting on page 687.
"THEY SHALL BE ALL TAUGHT OF GOD"
We would conclude, practically, that we could not understand
anything about the Bible except as it was revealed.
We would, therefore, not waste a great deal of
time doing what we know some people do, reading chapter
after chapter, to no profit. We would not think of
doing it. We would not think we were studying the
Scriptures at all. We would think we were following
the course that had been anything but profitable to ourselves
and many others in the past--merely reading over
the Scriptures.
We would say that the same Heavenly
Father who had guided us to this Truth, to this understanding
of the Scriptures as his children, if he had some
further information for us he would bring it to our
attention in some manner; and therefore we would not
see the necessity of reading the New Testament every
day or every year; we would not consider that necessary.
We would consider that the Scripture which says, "They
shall be all taught of God," would imply that in his own
appointed way God would bring to our attention whatever
feature of Divine truth would be "meat in due season for
the household of faith."
Further, we would say that now, having satisfied ourselves
respecting what the Divine Plan is, we would
understand that we had reached the place that the Apostle
speaks of as being a qualified ambassador of God, a qualified
minister of the New Covenant, and that, as a servant
or minister of the New Covenant, we now had a
responsibility in making known these things that we had
learned; that we were not put here primarily to read the
Bible, but primarily to serve the Lord and his Truth.
It was quite proper, however, that before we came to a
knowledge of the Truth, and when we were in measurable
discontent of mind as to what was the Truth, that we
should refrain from telling anybody else.
We remember very well in our own personal experience
that after we had tried some street preaching, etc.,
we came to the conclusion that there was something
wrong; that we did not understand what we were trying
to tell to others; that we did not understand with sufficient
clearness to properly present it and make sure that
we were representing the Lord and his message aright,
and we said to ourself, "I will stop any endeavor to teach
others until I know what I believe."
We think that should be the attitude of every one
of us.
Why should we attempt to preach or teach anything
that we do not understand? So, after God favors
us in this time with an understanding of Present Truth,
he has given us a knowledge of more truth than we
could have gained in a thousand years if we had read and studied unaided; and now we can attempt to present it to
others. Why has he given us a knowledge of this Truth?
He wishes us to be "thoroughly furnished unto every
good word and work." Therefore, we should study that
we may be able to speak the word of the Lord freely
and know that we are not misrepresenting the Divine
purpose and plan and character; and we ought therefore
to give the more earnest heed to the opportunities for
service and consider that the information which has been
given us has been given for the very purpose that we
may impart it to others--to those brethren and sisters of
the Lord's family, some of whom are in Babylon yet,
honest at heart, perhaps, and very desirous of knowing
the truth, though perhaps very much blinded as we once
were.
"SCRIPTURE STUDIES" NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR
THE BIBLE
This is not, therefore, putting the SCRIPTURE STUDIES
as a substitute for the Bible, because so far as substituting
for the Bible, the STUDIES, on the contrary, continually
refer to the Bible; and if one has any doubt as to a
reference or if one's recollection should lapse in any degree,
one should refresh his memory, and, in fact, should
see that his every thought is in harmony with the Bible
--not merely in accord with the SCRIPTURE STUDIES, but
in accord with the Bible.
We might remark that quite a number of the friends
in the Truth are making it a rule to read twelve pages of
the SCRIPTURE STUDIES a day, and that we do not know
one who has been following this course and making use
of the various means of grace the Lord has provided
(Dawn and testimony meetings and Sunday meetings
and Pilgrim meetings and the Berean lessons, Manna
text, etc.), who has gone out of the Truth.
We know a
great many who, on the contrary, have been of the opinion
that they knew these things long ago, while in fact
they do not know half of what they did know--they have
forgotten more than half of what they read and they are
those who are now stumbling--going into outer darkness.
We are not wishing in this to say anything against
one's poring over chapters that he does not understand
and others do not understand, hoping that he might light
on some truth. We have no objection to this. He has a
perfect right to do so if he wishes. He has a right to
spend weeks and years in this way if he chooses, but
the chances even then are that when he does light on
something he will have it all wrong.
Furthermore, we would suggest that merely reading
twelve pages of the SCRIPTURE STUDIES would not be
studying in the proper sense of the word--neither studying
the Bible nor studying the SCRIPTURE STUDIES. A
proper study would be to think of the meaning of every
word and every sentence. The thought is, it is not to see
how much one can read, but to make sure that one goes
no further than he comprehends or understands, whether
that means one page or twenty pages.
We should not consider it a Scripture study in any sense of the word
unless our thought has grasped the matter from the
standpoint of seeking to know what the Scriptures teach
and seeking to call to mind these Scriptures that are
being explained and to call to mind other texts, perhaps,
that are not cited, or of which only a small portion is
cited.
If one will do all this it will not be merely a reading
but a study; and from this standpoint, whoever reads two
pages of SCRIPTURE STUDIES each day with the suggested
passages connected with those two pages, would do more
Scripture studying in that time than he could do by any
other method.
Whenever he reads these pages and calls
the corresponding or connecting Scriptures to mind he
is drawing from the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation,
with practically every page he reads. Now is it
possible to find any other Bible study that would accomplish
as much for us in the same time as this would do?
If there is we ought to take it. If there is not, then we
have our option.