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Scripture Reading: Heb. 10:24-25; 1 Thes. 2:11; Eph. 4:11-12; Acts 20:20, 27, 31; 1 Cor. 14:1, 3-5, 12, 24, 31, 39
I. Concerning the small group meeting — Heb. 10:24-25; 1 Thes. 2:11; Eph. 4:11-12; Acts 20:20, 27, 31.
II. Concerning prophesying — 1 Cor. 14:1, 3-5, 12, 24, 31, 39.
Tonight we will continue with the secret of the new way. First, we want to point out two passages in the Bible. The first is Ephesians 4:11-16. The second is 1 Corinthians 14:1-40. Christians throughout the ages have never entered into the experience of these two passages of God’s words. This is why we have never seen the condition described in these two passages being manifested in church history.
Take for example 1 Corinthians 14. Formerly, we thought that this chapter talks about spiritual gifts. Because of this we did not dive into the depths of this passage. But recently the Lord has shown us specifically that it is not only on spiritual gifts. Rather, it emphasizes and exalts in a particular way the matter of prophesying. Today many Christians do not understand the matter of prophesying. In the Chinese Union Version this word is translated as the “preaching of a prophet.” But the Greek word for prophesying means speaking for God.
We can see a basic principle both from the Old Testament and from the New, which is that God hardly ever spoke to man directly. For the most part He reveals things to man through dreams or revelations. Sometimes He has to put a man into a trance before such a one can understand the mind of God (Acts 10:10). On the other hand, the Bible shows us that in many portions and in many ways, God spoke of old to the fathers in the prophets (Heb. 1:1). The word prophet refers to one who prophesies. When God has something to say, He does not speak directly. Rather, He takes a man to be His mouthpiece. Such a man then speaks for God and speaks forth God.
When we come to the New Testament, the prophets not only speak forth God; they also speak God into people, which means that they dispense Christ into men. When men hear the words, not only do they receive the words, but they receive into them a person and a Spirit, who is the Lord Jesus Himself. Hence, to prophesy is to speak the Lord Jesus into people.
First Corinthians 14:1 says, “Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” Christians always think that love is the most important thing. Paul indeed devotes the whole of chapter 13 to speaking of different aspects of love. But at the beginning of chapter 14, he mentions three things, which are love, spiritual gifts, and prophesying. Of these three things, the spiritual gifts were received by us when we were regenerated. The love is also easily obtained. But the most neglected item is prophesying.
The spiritual gifts are the spiritual capabilities. When a child is born, he is endowed with some natural capabilities. He can cry, and gradually he can see with his eyes. After a few months he can even utter with his mouth, “Papa, Mama.” This is the result of the gradual manifestation of the capabilities. After this he begins to crawl and to stand up. This proves that he is a living person, with all the functions of the life within him. All these functions manifest themselves bit by bit as the life grows.
If you are not saved, or regenerated, if you do not have the life of God, you cannot have any spiritual gift. As long as you are a saved person, you will have spiritual gifts. The life that you received at regeneration is a high life. It is even a super life, one that is divine and eternal. Doubtless, it will impart to you spiritual gifts.
At the same time, we have to see that among all the spiritual gifts, the most excellent and outstanding one is prophesying (v. 1). To prophesy is to speak for God, to speak forth God, and to supply Christ to others. This is the greatest of all gifts.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:12, “Since you are zealous of spirits, seek that you may excel for the building up of the church.” We should seek to excel for the building up of the church. In other words, we have to excel over the low pursuits. The reason Paul spoke this word is that the saints in the church in Corinth desired after tongue-speaking. However, to speak in tongues is easy. But it is low. This is why Paul tells the Corinthians, “He who prophesies speaks building up and encouragement and consolation to men. 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” (vv. 3-5). Paul points out that the reason prophesying excels is that it is not merely a prediction but a speaking for God. It is extraordinary, and it builds up the church. For this reason prophesying excels.
The content of the prophesying is words for building up, encouragement, and consolation. Following this, Paul says, “If therefore the whole church comes together in one place...if all prophesy and some unbeliever or unlearned person enters, he is convicted by all, he is examined by all” (vv. 23-24). If such a one has some secrets of the heart, such as refusal to confess or hatred for others, he will be convicted and examined when he comes to such a meeting where everyone prophesies one by one to speak forth God and to speak God into others. “The secrets of his heart become manifest; and so falling on his face, he will worship God, declaring that indeed God is among you” (v. 25). This is the excelling of the prophesying. It is also what God treasures. For this reason Paul exhorts the Corinthians again, “You can all prophesy one by one” (v. 31). “So then, my brothers, desire earnestly the prophesying” (v. 39).
Christianity has given up this matter. The reason for this is that it is not an easy thing to have. The light that the Lord has led us to see today is to realize and recover 1 Corinthians 14 in this end time. Throughout church history since the passing away of the first group of apostles, this chapter of the Bible has never been practiced. Christians dare not even speak too much about this chapter. In its place they have found a way of substitution by having pastors and preachers who have gone through theological training to preach exclusively in the church buildings. The rest of the believers simply come and listen. This developed into a distinction between the laity and the clergy. There was no more the prophesying, and the spiritual function within all the saints was annulled.
Let me relate a story to you. When I was a little over forty-one years old, I contracted tuberculosis. It was necessary for me to rest for two years. The doctor told me that the first half year I had to rest completely. I must lie in bed all the time and must not get up to move around. After six months of lying in bed, when I tried to get up from the bed to walk, my two feet could hardly hold me up. I discovered then that when the legs are not exercised for six months, they lose their function. Furthermore, a doctor told me that if a man’s eyes are covered and are not allowed to see for a prolonged period of time, they will lose their ability to see. The function of the eyes will then be annulled.
This is a very serious matter. In Christianity people listen to sermons week after week and year after year. In the end all the spiritual functions in the saints are annulled. However, the Bible has revealed to us the proper way to meet. First Corinthians 14:26 says, “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.” “You can all prophesy one by one” (v. 31). From these verses we see that when we come to the meetings, we have to open our mouths. When our mouths are open, our hearts are open, and our spirits are open as well. At least we can say four words, “O Lord! Amen! Hallelujah!” The more we sing and speak, the more living we will become and the more the spiritual function within us will be manifested.
Today the Lord needs to recover this matter of prophesying. Every brother and sister in the recovery has to practice prophesying. However, prophesying does not mean a sharing or a testimony after others finish delivering a message. According to my experience, to prophesy is first not a matter of ordinary speaking. Second, when one speaks, he must do so with the spirit. Third, there must more or less be some revelation or light in the speaking.
Today our speaking in the meetings is mostly restricted to common, human talks or long stories. There is very little of the element of prophesying. However, we can learn about prophesying from Paul’s word. He says, “Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy” (v. 1). On the one hand, these words are very simple. Yet on the other hand, they are very uncommon and contain much light and revelation. When we read them, we can sense a certain spiritual element in them. Hence, when we stand up to speak for God, we have to learn to speak forth God. We have to practice pushing the words out from our spirit. Moreover, we should not speak too hastily nor too long. In whatever we speak, we should let others touch the spirit in the words.
Although prophesying is not an easy matter, we know that what is recorded in the Bible must be fulfilled. The Lord said that “heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall by no means pass away” (Matt. 24:35). First Corinthians 14 is the word of God. If this word is not fulfilled, the church will not be built up, and the Lord will not return. This is why Paul said that we have to pursue love and to desire earnestly the matter of prophesying.
Our attitude toward prophesying should be one of desiring. We should even be so hungry that we would beseech the Lord in earnestness, saying, “Lord, be merciful to us. First Corinthians 14 has not been fulfilled among your saints. Lord, if it is not fulfilled, the church cannot be built up, and You cannot come back. For the building up of the church and for Your coming back, be merciful to us, and grant us the prophesying.” If we seek earnestly this way, the Lord will hear our prayer.
However, the principle of prophesying is not only a matter of the Lord’s moving. On our side, there is also the need for learning. In particular we have to dive into the Bible and be saturated with the Lord’s word. In this way the Lord’s word, like living water, will soak us thoroughly without and permeate us thoroughly within. When we are full of the Lord’s word inwardly and outwardly, we will spontaneously be able to prophesy.
Luke chapter 1 records that while Mary had the Lord Jesus conceived in her womb, one day she went to see her relative Elizabeth. At that time Elizabeth had also conceived John the Baptist. When the two met, they uttered words of blessing and praise to one another (vv. 42-45, 46-55). Some have spent time to study the psalm of praise by Mary and have found that every point of this praise is taken from the Old Testament. I believe that she was very familiar with the Old Testament. This is why in her praise she could quote the words of the Old Testament. This proves that she was a person who was permeated with God’s word inwardly and soaked with it outwardly. She was filled inwardly and outwardly by the word of God. This is why she was able to speak for God and to speak forth God.
This shows us that if we desire to prophesy, not only do we need to be moved by God, but we must also cooperate with God to read His word and get it into us so that His word becomes our constitution. In this way the Lord will speak through us. This is the principle of incarnation. Hence, on our part we must be prepared. We have to be familiar with the Word of God. At the same time there should not be any barrier between God and us. We have to confess our sins, transgressions, and weaknesses thoroughly. The Lord’s blood will cleanse us and will make us clean inwardly and outwardly. In this way we are ready to receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, we have the Word and the Spirit. On the other hand, we have the moving of God. By these we can prophesy. This prophesying is something issuing forth from the spirit, and it brings with it light and revelation.
Moreover, there are secrets to proper prophesying. We can practice at home first. The husband may speak to the wife, and the wife may speak to the husband. After speaking to one another, they can criticize each other. This is a very good way of practicing, and it will improve our prophesying. It is like practicing piano; the more we practice, the more skillful we become. The less we practice, the harder it will be for us to advance. Hence, there is the need for constant practice even in the matter of prophesying. In the end our posture, tone, air, and spirit of speaking will all become a genuine prophesying instead of being merely a testifying or an ordinary speaking. If everyone would learn to speak for God and to speak forth God in this way, the Lord will surely be able to fulfill and recover the words in 1 Corinthians 14.
Ephesians 4:11 tells us that the ascended Head has given gifts to the church. He has given some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as shepherds and teachers. The reason He gave these gifts is not for the work of preaching the gospel or other matters but for the perfecting of the saints.
We have also seen from the New Testament the gathering that is for the perfecting of the saints. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us consider one another so as to incite one another to love and good works, not abandoning our own assembling together...but exhorting one another.” From the context of the passage, the above verses should not be referring to the big meetings but to the small meetings, such as the small group meetings. In this kind of meeting everyone can speak to one another and exhort one another. Gradually, there will be the perfecting. Paul also says in Acts 20:20 that he “did not withhold any of those things that are profitable by not declaring them to you and by not teaching you publicly and from house to house.” On the one hand, there are the public meetings. On the other hand, there are the house-to-house teachings. Paul did this “for three years, night and day...admonishing each one with tears” (v. 31).
Paul admonished the brothers and sisters night and day in their homes. It may have been in the home meetings, with the nourishing and the supplying. It may have been in the small group meetings, with the care and the teaching. Nothing concerning God’s plan, His economy, and His eternal purpose was held back from the saints, for the perfecting of the saints.
Hence, we have to see that in order to perfect some to become the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the shepherds and the teachers, everything depends on the small group meetings. For example, we may have fifteen brothers and sisters meeting here in a small group meeting. Among them there are apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers. No one is waiting for any one person to speak. Instead, everyone is speaking, and everyone is listening. Some may ask, “What is it to prophesy?” Perhaps a brother may answer, “According to my knowledge, to prophesy is to speak for God, to speak forth God, and to speak God into others.” Another may say, “To speak God into others is to dispense Christ.” In this way everyone can go on to discuss the matter of prophesying. In the end one brother who is more experienced in the matter of prophesying may say, “In order to prophesy, we must push the word of God out from our spirit. There should also be much light, revelation, and content, which are the riches of Christ, the eternal life of Christ.” Here we see the saints perfecting the saints, and also the apostles perfecting the saints. In the end everyone is perfected to prophesy.
Perhaps at this juncture a sister would ask a question about the preaching of the gospel. An evangelist may happen to be there. He should not be there preaching the gospel. He should be there perfecting everyone to preach the gospel. He should speak clearly concerning the matter of preaching the gospel. All the listeners will be perfected, and they will become evangelists also.
If we have this kind of small group meetings for fifty-two weeks of the year, after a newly saved one has attended such meetings for thirty times, he will more or less be perfected, and he will begin to do the work of the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the shepherds and teachers.
In addition, we have to take note that although the more gifted brothers and sisters should function more, their functioning should not replace that of the other brothers and sisters. If there is replacement, the clergy-laity system will come in, and it will produce a religious system, killing the spiritual organic function of the believers. We have to learn to perfect the brothers and sisters. First, give them the chance to speak. Ask the newly saved ones to ask questions, with others answering. We will speak last. In this way not only are the newly saved ones perfected, but the ones who answer will also be perfected. By this everyone will be perfected in the small group meeting.
Today we have to take the new way and to change the old methods to the new methods. But we must remember that we should not change too fast. If we do it too fast, people will be left behind and will not be able to catch up. In the Old Testament it is recorded that when Jacob led his wives and children and the livestock to meet his brother, he knew that he could not journey too fast. He said to his brother, “Let my lord please pass on before his servant, and I will lead on slowly according to the pace of the cattle which are before me and according to the pace of the children” (Gen. 33:14). Jacob knew their endurance, and he said that they would journey on slowly.
Today the church in Taichung is a big church. There are a few hundred people. If we go too fast, the older ones and the younger ones may not be able to catch up. Hence, we have to go on slowly and to make changes step by step. As an illustration, the church in Taipei has nearly five thousand people. We have spent almost four years to turn around this carriage carrying five thousand people. In the new way, on the one hand, we have to be positive. But on the other hand, we cannot go too fast. Rather, we should take the normal speed according to the condition of the brothers and sisters. I believe that the Lord will bless us.
