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Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 1:7a; 12:1-13, 27-31; 13:1-2, 8, 11; 14:1, 4-6, 12, 18-19, 23-26, 31-32, 39
Ephesians 4 mentions the teachings of doctrines, whereas 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 speak about the gifts. Ephesians 4:13-14 says, “Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we may be no longer little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the slight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error.” These verses indicate that the teachings of doctrines are related to little children.
First Corinthians 13:8 says, “Love never falls away. But whether prophecies, they will be rendered useless; or tongues, they will cease; or knowledge, it will be rendered useless.” Prophecies, tongues, and knowledge are gifts, as mentioned in 12:8-10. In 13:11 Paul says, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; since I have become a man, I have done away with childish things.” By the context of these verses we can see that the gifts are also childish things. Christianity today pays full attention to these two categories of things, the teachings and the gifts. The fundamentalists are for the teachings, and the Pentecostals are for the gifts, but they do not see that these two categories of things are related to children.
The Ephesians were children in doctrines, and the Corinthians were children in the gifts. Are we still children in doctrines and the gifts? Today’s Christianity is thickly clouded with teachings and gifts. There is no clear sky there. Many there put their trust either in their gifts or teachings, but we have to see that in the New Testament both teachings and gifts are childish things. This is the clear teaching of the Bible.
If we still take the way of teaching, we are children, tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching. We may illustrate the winds of teaching by a young brother who has recently been saved and is in the church. Today he appreciates the church very much, but when he visits a certain place, some may come to him to teach him. They may ask, “What kind of church do you go to?” If the brother answers, “It is an eating and drinking church,” they may say, “This is nonsense. In John 13 the Lord Jesus told us that we all have to wash one another’s feet to show love one to another. Does the church you go to practice foot-washing? The Lord charged us to follow His pattern. Why does the church you go to not practice this? That is wrong. We have a little group here in a home, and every Sunday we have the Lord’s table. Before taking the table, we all wash one another’s feet.” The young brother may be convinced by this talk, and he may join this foot-washing group and forget about the church. This is to be carried about by the wind of the teaching of foot-washing. Others may be carried away by some other teaching.
If people ask us whether the church practices this kind of foot-washing, we cannot say no because in the local churches we do not make anything legal or formal. We cannot say that we do not have foot-washing. I myself have washed others’ feet in this way, and others have washed my feet. However, this is not the main concern of the church. The main matter is our faith in Christ and the Body of Christ. In these days I look to the Lord that we will spend time to see the unique faith. We have to keep the faith, and we have to be the Body. We should not be carried about by any wind of teaching.
If there is the possibility that we will be carried about by the wind of teaching, this proves that we are still childish. All little children love toys, but no grandfather or grandmother still likes toys. The younger we are, the more we love toys. As we grow, we drop all the toys. Teachings are good things but childish. Likewise, gifts are good but childish. This is not merely my word. Paul clearly points out that if we are childish, we will be carried away by the teachings, and we will “play” with the gifts.
I wish to impress you that in the New Testament, teachings and gifts are childish. We cannot say that teachings and gifts are wrong if they are genuine, but some teachings and gifts are not genuine. Tongues in the New Testament means a dialect. How can any strange sound made with the tongue be a dialect? Some may say that this strange speaking is the dialect of angels, but how can angels speak in such a way? Those who say this are deceiving themselves. These are not the genuine tongues; these are the human-manufactured tongues. Some exhort others to turn their tongue, exercise their jaw, and utter anything but English. On the day of Pentecost, no one asked Peter to turn his tongue, exercise his jaw, and utter anything but his own language. Tongue-speaking is something miraculous, something supernatural. As a supernatural thing, there is no need for anyone to teach others how to do it. Many times I told those who practice this that the case of Balaam and his donkey in the Old Testament is a case of the genuine speaking in tongues (Num. 22:28-30). It was miraculous and supernatural. All of a sudden a donkey spoke a human language. Balaam did not tell his donkey to turn his tongue and exercise his jaw.
People in the tongue-speaking movement first give a lecture to people and some testimonies to inspire them. Then they ask, “Are you interested in speaking in tongues? Come into this room with us.” Five or ten people may come into the room with you, and one will exhort you to say, “Praise Jesus! Praise Jesus!” the faster the better. They may then lay hands on your head and tell you to turn your tongue, exercise your jaw, and speak anything but your mother tongue. In San Diego in 1963, I and a few others stayed as guests in the same home. The host was clear that I was strongly against the false speaking in tongues. After one night’s meeting, when I had gone to bed, he and his wife tried to help one of the Chinese-speaking brothers to speak in tongues. The host laid hands on him and told him to speak anything except Chinese and English. Because this went on for a long time, a second brother, speaking in Chinese, told the first brother to speak anything, even nonsense. Because the first brother’s wife was a Chinese woman born in Indonesia, he had learned something of the Indonesian language, so he spoke some nonsense in that language. The host and his wife were excited and began to applaud. The next morning the brothers told me the whole story. I recounted it to the host and asked him, “Brother, is Christ not good enough for us to preach? Why did you have to do this?” In the so-called charismatic movement there are many stories like this. I was there and I saw this. This is why I am so strong in this matter. I am not against anything that is genuine. I believe that today the genuine tongue-speaking is still on the earth. God is living, and He is still miraculous and supernatural. However, I cannot believe in the false, human-manufactured tongues.
Even the genuine tongues are still something childish. First Corinthians 13:8 and 11 say, “Love never falls away. But whether prophecies, they will be rendered useless; or tongues, they will cease; or knowledge, it will be rendered useless...When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; since I have become a man, I have done away with childish things.” If we read the context of these verses, we must admit that the childish things are the gifts. Even the genuine gifts, the real gifts, are childish things.
In Christianity today the traditional teaching about gifts is not trustworthy. One traditional teaching concerning the meetings says that there are nine gifts as manifestations of the Spirit. However, 1 Corinthians 12:7 does not use the word manifestations in the plural. It uses manifestation in the singular. Verses 7 to 10 say, “To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for what is profitable. For to one through the Spirit a word of wisdom is given, and to another a word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; to a different one faith in the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing in the one Spirit, and to another operations of works of power, and to another prophecy, and to another discerning of spirits; to a different one various kinds of tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues.” In these verses Paul mentions nine items in the list of the gifts, but do you believe the manifestation of the Spirit is only in these nine items? Verse 28 of the same chapter says, “God has placed some in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then works of power, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds tongues.” In the list in verses 7 through 10 nothing is mentioned concerning helps and administrations. Acts 2:17 also says, “It shall be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream things in dreams.” Visions and dreams are also the manifestation of the Spirit, but these two items are not mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12. In 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 Paul lists only certain items of the manifestation of the Spirit as illustrations. This list does not include all the items. There are many items of the manifestation of the Spirit.
In the same way, the traditional teaching in Christianity tells people that the fruit of the Spirit is only nine items. Galatians 5:22-23a says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control.” Do you believe that the fruit of the Spirit is only these nine items? What about humility, righteousness, and holiness? These virtues are not mentioned in Galatians 5. Many other kinds of spiritual virtues are also not mentioned, but every kind of spiritual virtue is a fruit of the Spirit. The apostle Paul listed only some as an illustration. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is not only of nine kinds. Similarly, the manifestation of the Spirit is not only of nine items. Only nine items are mentioned as an illustration. At least four items are clearly mentioned in the Bible as the manifestation of the Spirit but are not listed in 1 Corinthians 12 — helps, administrations, visions, and dreams. We should not have confidence in the traditional teachings we received from Christianity. They are not trustworthy or adequate. We have to come back to the pure Word.
In the list in 1 Corinthians 12, the word of wisdom is first, and the word of knowledge is second (v. 8). These two kinds of words are the first gifts. Tongues and the interpretation of tongues are the last (v. 10). However, the charismatic movement has made tongues and interpretation the first and nearly the unique gifts. Sometimes certain ones ask us if we have the manifestation of the Spirit in our meetings. I am afraid that some of us would not dare to answer this question. If such a one would ask me if we have the manifestation of the Spirit, I would say that we have it more than others do. I refer to the first two items: the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. Are these not the gifts? Never say that in our meetings we do not have the manifestation of the Spirit. We have the manifestation of the best gifts, the first two items of the gifts. What others may have are the last two items. The teaching in today’s Christianity is not so accurate, and we have been too influenced by it. We have much of the manifestation of the Spirit in our meetings, yet we have been foolishly influenced to not dare to say that we have the manifestation of the Spirit.
The word of wisdom and the word of knowledge are the first items of the gifts, and tongues and interpretation of tongues are the last items of the gifts. We have the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge in our meetings all the time. Why would we say that we do not have the manifestation of the Spirit? Because of the influence of the traditional teachings of Christianity, we still subconsciously consider that tongues and healings are the gifts. We may never have considered the word of wisdom as the first item of the gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12 through 14 Paul encouraged the Corinthian believers to practice the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge more than tongues. Verse 1 of chapter 14 says, “Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” Verses 4 and 5 say, “He who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but he who prophesies builds up the church. I desire that you all speak in tongues, but especially that you would prophesy; and greater is he who prophesies than he who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, that the church may receive building up.”
Moreover, not all the Corinthian believers spoke in tongues. If they all did, Paul would have had no need to say, “I desire that you all speak in tongues.” This is also a proof that the teaching of today’s charismatic movement is wrong. The charismatic movement tells people that all have to speak in tongues.
It is greater to prophesy than to speak in tongues. To prophesy is to exercise the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. Verses 23 and 24 of chapter 14 say, “If therefore the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak in tongues, and some unlearned in tongues or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are insane? But if all prophesy and some unbeliever or unlearned person enters, he is convicted by all, he is examined by all.” Verse 23 discourages speaking in tongues, while verse 24 encourages prophesying. In chapters 12 through 14 of 1 Corinthians, Paul’s intention was to encourage the believers not to exercise more speaking in tongues but to exercise more of the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. In this matter we should not follow the traditional teachings. We have to come back to the pure Word.
First Corinthians 12:29 asks, “Are all prophets?” but 14:31 says, “You can all prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be encouraged.” Not all are prophets, yet Paul says that we can all prophesy. This is clear. Forget about the traditional teachings we received from Christianity. They are not accurate. There is a proverb that says, “A little knowledge is dangerous.” The traditional teachings we received from Christianity are a little knowledge. They are not adequate. Rather, they are dangerous, so we have to drop them. We must come back to the Bible, the pure Word.
Paul’s intention in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 was to encourage us to function in the meetings. In 14:26 he says, “What then, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” Each one has. Do not say that you do not have. Many in Christianity teach people to wait until they have an inspiration; without inspiration, one should not take any action in the meetings. Many of us have heard this kind of teaching, but Paul does not say, “Whenever you come together, you must wait until you have the inspiration.” Rather, he says, “Each one has.” He does not even say, “Each one will have,” but “each one has.” Each one already has. In 14:26 tongues are not first, but rather a psalm. We may not have a tongue, but we can have a psalm or hymn. Following this, he speaks of a teaching and a revelation, then a tongue and an interpretation. However, what each one has is not only of these six items. Again, this list is simply an illustration, and in this illustration Paul put tongues and interpretation as the last items. Tongues and interpretation are always the last items. The first item is a psalm, that is, the singing.
Verses 23 and 24 say, “If therefore the whole church comes together...if all prophesy...” Paul’s intention was to encourage us all to function, but not all to speak in tongues. Rather, he expected that all would prophesy. In verse 31 he says, “You can all prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be encouraged.” To function in the meeting is mainly to prophesy. The traditional teaching of Christianity is strong to tell us that to prophesy is simply to predict, to speak something beforehand. We must understand the meaning of prophesy in 1 Corinthians by the whole context of the book. To understand a word in a composition, we have to take care of the context of the whole composition. It is a mistake to define a word in isolation.
Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 2 say, “I, when I came to you, brothers, came not according to excellence of speech or of wisdom, announcing to you the mystery of God. For I did not determine to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and this One crucified.” Verse 4 continues, “And my speech and my proclamation were not in persuasive words of wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” In these three verses there are two main points. First, Paul determined not to know anything but Christ, and second, his proclamation was not in persuasive words but in demonstration of the Spirit. Christ and the demonstration of the Spirit are the two main points of these verses. Then, verse 6 of chapter 14 says, “Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you, unless I speak to you either in revelation or in knowledge or in prophecy or in teaching?” By putting all these verses together we can see the way in which Paul functioned in a meeting. He functioned in a meeting by ministering Christ to others. In his ministry he determined to know nothing but Christ, so no doubt the way he functioned was to minister Christ to people. Second, he did not speak in tongues in the meetings. Rather, he spoke the clear and plain word. Third, he spoke by prophesying in the meetings.
In all the writings of the apostle Paul, we can find only a few predictions. Nearly the only predictions in all of Paul’s writings are some prophecies of the Lord’s coming back (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thes. 4:15-17; 5:1-3; 2 Thes. 2:1-10). Today in the Pentecostal or charismatic meetings there are many predictions. Many such prophecies begin with, “Yea My people, thus saith the Lord.” When I came to this country, I was surprised to learn that regardless what language the speaker used, whether Chinese, Filipino, or English, the tone of this kind of speaking was the same, and the wording was nearly the same. To prophesy in the New Testament does not mainly mean to predict. In the entire book of Acts there are only two predictions. In chapter 11 there was a prediction that there would be a famine over the whole inhabited earth (vv. 27-30), and in 21:8-11 one predicted that Paul would be arrested and bound if he went to Jerusalem. In all the Epistles of the apostles there are nearly no predictions other than certain prophecies of the coming back of the Lord Jesus.
In the charismatic meetings there are predictions after predictions. Nearly all these predictions were never fulfilled. In 1963 on the West Coast I saw a mimeographed booklet with a prophecy that there would be a great earthquake in the following year which would cause Los Angeles to go down into the ocean. The prophecy warned people to go to the mountains to dig caves to live in. Some took the warning and moved away, but 1964 came and nothing happened. Then after 1964 they predicted the same thing again. This prediction was even put into the newspapers in Los Angeles and San Francisco. People talked much about it, but nothing happened. The tongue-speaking movement along the West Coast was very much cooled down by this false prophecy. People were no longer fooled by it.
In a certain city this kind of movement became active among us. It was prevailing to the extent that the leading ones in the church there came to me about it. I told them, “There is no other way than to go to the Lord. Call on the Head as the authority. Let the Lord vindicate His way.” They prayed in this way, and something happened. The prevailing one in this kind of prophesying was a sister. One day a dear sister among us suddenly died of tuberculosis. She was a lovely sister, and the whole church loved her. The prevailing, tongue-speaking sister immediately made a prediction and told the husband not to prepare a funeral. She said that the sister would be resurrected the following day at noon. This false prophecy was devilish. On the next day before noontime all the saints crowded into that house to see the resurrection. The sister who prophesied went into the room with two elders to pray desperately. Then noontime came and nothing happened. By three o’clock still nothing had happened. Then one of the three elders said, “Brothers and sisters, we should no longer listen to this. Let us prepare a funeral for our sister.” The husband agreed to this. The brother sent certain ones to prepare a place and buy a coffin, and the crowd left. That was the end of this movement. The whole church was rescued, and all the saints came back to the regular meetings of the church.
In the New Testament and in the whole Bible, prophesying first means to tell for, to speak something for, the Lord. Second, it is to tell forth, to make a declaration. Third, it is to foretell, to tell beforehand. The latter is a prediction, but this is not the main meaning of prophesying. To prophesy mainly means to tell for or tell forth. This is not only so in the New Testament Epistles; it is also so with the Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. Isaiah contains much telling for and telling forth the Lord, although, of course, there is also some foretelling. It is difficult to find many predictions in the New Testament, but there is much telling, speaking something for the Lord Jesus, and much telling forth, declaring something to people about the Lord’s doing. There is relatively little of the third kind of prophesying.
Based upon this, we may see what it is to prophesy in the meetings. It is to speak something for the Lord, to tell forth something of the Lord. A brother should stand up and strongly say, “Praise the Lord! Today the Lord Jesus has been constantly my strength.” This is to prophesy. The brother tells something for the Lord Jesus, and at the same time he also tells forth, he declares something about the Lord Jesus. Then a sister may stand up and say, “Hallelujah! Today Jesus was my Lord in my kitchen.” This is both telling for and telling forth. This is the proper prophecy.
We cannot pick up a word such as prophesy in an isolated way to define it. This is dangerous. We have to take care of the whole context of 1 Corinthians. This book tells us that Paul the apostle, as an example of functioning in the meetings, determined not to know anything but Christ, and he did this with a strong spirit, a demonstration of the Spirit, not in an unknown tongue but in clear words. He says, “In the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue” (14:19). This is the proper way to prophesy in the meetings.
To be sure, we can all prophesy in this way. If to prophesy were to predict something, I am afraid that throughout the whole year none of us would prophesy. We would come together again and again, waiting for inspiration, but no inspiration would come. Eventually, we would be forced to make some false predictions such as of a great earthquake in Los Angeles. To prophesy in the meetings is simply to tell something for the Lord, to tell forth something about the Lord. We must declare to the universe, to all the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, that the Lord Jesus is our life. Today He was with us all the time, in our kitchen, our dining room, our living room, and even when we went shopping. This is prophesying. It is so simple, yet so practical and profitable.
If we pray-read all the verses in this chapter and review all the points that we have covered and put them into practice, we will see something. When we come together, it is wonderful to speak something for Christ by exercising our spirit. We say something for Christ with the demonstration of the Spirit, not in a weak, timid way but in a strong way. We have a strong spirit, so living and so aggressive, and we have some experiences of Christ to tell others. We do have something of Christ to speak about, to declare. Therefore, when we come to the meeting, we exercise our spirit to say something for Christ, to say something about Christ. You say something. I say something. Everybody says something. This will have a convincing impact on others.
