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Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 12:31; 13:1-8, 13; 14:1
First Corinthians 12:31 through 14:1 speaks of love. These chapters are closely related, because the Bible was not initially divided into chapters or verses. Chapter 12 speaks of various gifts and how to exercise them. Chapter 14 speaks of the most profitable gift for the church, which is to prophesy, to speak for the Lord. But in between these two chapters, chapter 13 speaks of the excellent way to exercise the gifts, that is, of the manner in which these gifts should be exercised.
In verse 31 of chapter 12 the apostle Paul says, “I show to you a most excellent way.” The word way can also be rendered “manner.” This word has two meanings in Greek: “path” and “method.” Paul speaks of love in both chapters 13 and 14. Love is the way to exercise the gifts and to build up the church, and it is also the manner in which the gifts are exercised. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries...but do not have love, I am nothing” (13:1-2). This means that if we do not have love, our gifts are useless. The gifts must be exercised in love in order for there to be true function. Love is the only way and the only manner in which to exercise the gifts.
After defining love in chapter 13, the apostle says, “Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts” (14:1). Love in this verse is not something innate; it is something that needs to be pursued. We need to pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts. In other words, gifts function in coordination with love. Spiritual gifts are useless without love, and love by itself falls short. We must have spiritual gifts as well as love. Love is the most excellent way and the best manner in which to exercise the gifts. We need to hold to truth in love so that the Body may build itself up in love.
In the previous chapter we said that in our service to build up the church, we must first touch the authority of the Head and then touch God’s heart, that is, touch His love. Touching the authority of the Head will resolve most problems, because most of the problems in the church are the result of not touching the authority of the Head. For instance, spreading rumors is a particular problem in the church, and it unconsciously brings in death. Although the saints often receive a life supply in their fellowship with one another, our conversations are not free of the poison of death, which is spread through rumors. If we spread rumors loosely, we are not under the ruling of the Head and have not touched the authority of the Head. Thus, we can cause many problems in the church. Satan uses loose words to bring the poison of death into the church so that the church is not built up.
For example, brothers often say to me, “Brother Lee, I heard that Brother So-and-so is going to a certain place to work and is preparing to stay there for three months. Is this true?” When I ask where they heard this, they say, “Someone told me in a letter.” I often reply, “If you ask Brother So-and-so, he will tell you that he does not know when he will be going or how long he will be there.” Persons who are not under the divine ruling spread words loosely.
Rumors are often false, inaccurate, and unfounded. Even if the things being spoken of are accurate and true, can we say that we have the authority of the Head and the ruling of the Head to repeat such things in our speaking? If we are under the ruling of the Head, we will not speak without the permission or command of the Head. Whether or not our words are true or accurate, we would not dare to overstep the Head. Once we touch the Head, we will not have much to say. Once we touch the Head, our words will not be loose. Those who have touched the throne will not speak loosely. Not only will their words be true, correct, and accurate, but they will speak only what is permitted by the throne.
Many saints have a problem related to their speaking because they have never been dealt with by the Lord concerning their speaking. For instance, when a brother once told me, “So-and-so flew to Bangkok, and So-and-so took a boat to Singapore,” I wanted to ask him why he was telling me these things, and how these things concerned me, but I did not. Many brothers and sisters cannot keep anything to themselves; once they know something, they must tell someone.
We also encounter loose talking in the matter of visiting the saints. A brother once said to me, “I just went to visit a brother, and he was quarreling with his wife!” When I heard this, I thought, “If you, as a visiting one, are so loose with your words, the church should not assign you to visit others.” If a brother is quarreling with his wife when we visit him, we should bring the matter to the Lord, and the Lord’s throne would certainly not allow us to tell others. If we talk loosely instead of giving heed to the Lord’s ruling, we will give Satan an opportunity to work, and there will be problems. For example, if the quarreling brother’s wife hears of this “report,” she will surely complain to her husband. As a result, the brother will no longer be open to the visitation of the saints. Furthermore, he will be unwilling to receive any help from us.
We need to be very careful concerning our speaking. If we touch the throne and are ruled by the Lord, we will not be able to tell others about a brother losing his temper, and we will not even tell our own wives. This is not a matter of regulation; it concerns the throne.
Loose speaking is often the cause of conflicts and problems in the church. We might not have an intention when we say things, but others may listen with an intention. A little word can poison a brother with death. If we are not under the ruling of the throne, we will have many problems. If we serve in the church for many years, we will contact one another frequently. In order to avoid problems among us, our speaking must be ruled. This is not a regulation. It would be useless to put up a sign that says, “Do not speak loosely.” This is altogether a matter of accepting the ruling of the throne.
Ephesians 4:15 says, “Holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ.” Some translations render this verse as a reference to speaking. For example, the Chinese Union Version says, “Speaking a truthful word with love.” This translation makes some sense because the words all things in this verse certainly include the matter of speaking. In order to grow up into the Head, Christ, in all things, we should grow in our speaking. If we accept the ruling of the Head in other matters, we should accept it with regard to our speaking.
Hence, we must touch the throne for the service that builds up the church. The throne will rule over us and terminate the elements of the old creation in us. Stones must first be cleaned before they can be used in making reinforced concrete. If dirty stones are mixed into the cement, the reinforced concrete will not be firm or solid. In the church we are stones. Christ’s life can be compared to cement, and the Holy Spirit can be compared to water. In order for us to be fitly joined together, the dirt and dust must first be washed off of us. This washing is not accomplished by the redemptive effect of the precious blood; it is related to the ruling of the throne. When we are ruled by the throne, we are purified experientially. There are certain things that I cannot do and certain things that I cannot say because of the throne. The throne also prohibits me from having certain attitudes and certain thoughts. If we live under the ruling of the throne, God will purify us in our experience.
The most important issue of touching the authority of the Head is that we know our place in the Body. This is important. If we touch the throne and live under the ruling of the throne, we will be fitly joined and firmly knit together, and the church will be built up.
In our service for building up the church, we also need to touch God’s heart, which is love. On the one hand, we must be under the rule, the restriction, and the dealing of the throne; on the other hand, we must be full of love when interacting with others. When a person, who has been disciplined by the Lord, is harsh with himself, he may also be harsh with others. This is an unbalanced situation. We need to touch the throne, and we also need to touch love. We must touch the authority of Christ, and we must touch the love of God. Even if we are being severely disciplined by the Lord, we still need to be filled with the love of Christ. Only then will our service in the church be genuine. Our service for building up the church is not focused on how much we do but on how much we love.
Love is able to bear the faults of others. Those who like to focus on the shortcomings of others are short of love. Focusing on the shortcomings of others and not being able to bear their faults are indications of a shortage of love. The explanation of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is based on two points: not focusing on the faults of others and bearing the mistakes of others. The beginning of verse 4 says, “Love suffers long.” This suffering is not suffering related to afflictions but to suffering the mistakes of others. We do not need love when we suffer afflictions, but we need love when others mistreat us. This kind of love is long-suffering. To not focus on the faults of others is to “not take account of evil” (v. 5). It is not that we do not know of the faults of others but that we do not let their faults create problems within us.
Chapter 13 gives mainly a negative definition of love. “Love...is not jealous. Love does not brag and is not puffed up; it does not behave unbecomingly and does not seek its own things; it is not provoked and does not take account of evil; it does not rejoice because of unrighteousness” (vv. 4-6). Verse 7 says, “It covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” These verses contain words that speak of negative conditions, such as covers, which is related to shortcomings and faults, and believes and endures. Hence, love is contrary to many negative things.
Our greatest problem is a lack of love among the saints; hence, it is easy for us to notice the faults of others and to criticize one another. Without love we cannot help the saints. In our present condition we cannot tolerate those who offend us. This shows that we do not have love. If we are short of love, our service will not build up the church. The practical exercise of the gifts depends on love. Many saints are involved in the visitation service, but their service is useless without love. Our visitation will be ineffective, and we will not be able to build up the saints if we focus on their faults and cannot let go of their mistakes.
This applies not only to visitation but also to many other matters. In order for the gifts, the work, and our activities to manifest their function, they must be carried out in love. A brother may make a mistake or offend us, but we must still love him. Our functions will be manifested in the church when we have such a love.
We will now consider the practice of love. Although the Bible does not say to practice love but to pursue love (14:1), practice is included in the pursuit of love. For example, in order to pursue an education, we must practice studying. Similarly, in order to pursue love, we must practice love. Without practice, it is futile to pursue love through prayer. If we want to have love, we must pursue love through prayer and also through practice.
I will use some examples to talk about the practice of love. I once stayed in a meeting hall for several weeks. Every Saturday at three o’clock I would hear saints singing and praying while they cleaned the meeting hall. Cleaning is a service, but this service is not merely to wipe the benches or to clean the hall. This service is for the building up of the Body of Christ. Hence, the brothers and sisters cannot be neglected; they must be helped. If we want to serve the Lord, we must bear responsibility for the saints; that is, we should find the saints whom we should care for and bear them, and then we should be responsible for them.
For example, my hand has five fingers, which are the responsibility of my hand. Those who are serving should ask themselves, “Which brothers or sisters am I caring for in my service?” If there are two thousand saints and three hundred responsible ones in a local church, then seventeen hundred saints need care. Who will bear these saints?
Many groups in organized Christianity have pastors and preachers. Most denominations have one or two pastors and sometimes several associate pastors, who are responsible for the care of their congregation. The largest denomination in China in the past century had less than five hundred believers. Most have only two to three hundred believers because the pastors and preachers can take care of only so many believers.
Our service must not be like the denominations. We must return to the Bible, and all the saints must practice serving in the church as revealed in the New Testament. We cannot rely on so-called pastors or preachers. We must give all the saints the responsibility and the opportunity to serve. Who should be responsible to care for the seventeen to eighteen hundred saints in a church that has only a few elders and a few full-time serving ones? There is a need for many serving ones to pick up this burden. In a normal situation every serving one should bear a group of believers. In order for their service to build up, the serving ones should be more experienced and should care for a few believers. I am afraid that the serving ones are short in their care for others. They may be able to say that they are serving and that they visit when there is a need, but this is not sufficient.
Every serving one needs to follow the Lord’s leading according to His arrangement and find saints to serve. If saints are weak, sick, or do not come to the meetings, we should be responsible and know their situation. We should be responsible for their spiritual problems and for the lessons that they need to learn before the Lord. In other words, the saints are our lambs, and we are their shepherds. If we practice according to this principle, each serving one will be caring for seven or eight saints. Responsibility for the saints is not too much when it is shared.
Sharing the responsibility is a practice of love. We cannot speak of love without speaking of practice, for love is not merely a matter of feelings. Every mother knows that she cannot love a child merely with her emotions. A child grows not by his mother’s feelings but by her practical care. Whether or not a mother is happy, she must daily do many things for her child. She cannot say, “I will not give my child anything to eat today, because I am not happy. I will give him twice as much tomorrow when I feel better.” This is not practical love. Genuine love is very practical. For example, if by the Lord’s arrangement there are seven or eight brothers under my care, I should care for them whether or not I am happy at any given time. I must bear them constantly. When there is such practical care out of love, the saints will grow in the Lord.
It is possible for the church to arrange for certain ones to bear responsibility, but we all must follow the Lord’s leading and bear a few saints. We often hear the saints sigh concerning the desolate and cold condition of the church. But sighing cannot do anything; we must have a practical love by following the Lord’s leading to take up the burden of bearing other saints. If everyone would do this, the church will be in a normal condition. Such a condition does not come from excitement or exhortation; it is an issue of practical love filling the church and making the saints one.
In order to serve in the church, we must not only touch God’s throne but also touch His heart. Once we touch His heart, we will love the saints by bearing them and caring for them, and we will know assuredly which saints are under our care. I am not teaching you a method. I am only pointing out a way. This does not mean that the elders should assign the saints to the serving ones. This would not be effective. The serving ones must first have a heart to serve the Lord and a heart of love. Then the responsibility that they bear out of such a love will be effective.
The greatest need of the church is to practice love. Many believers feel that the church needs to preach the gospel, but saving many people has not increased the number of believers in the church meetings. People are baptized, but they leave soon afterward because we are not responsible for them. How can a large church receive thorough care from a few elders and full-time serving ones? The newly baptized believers are like newborn babes; they depend on the care of the older believers. Instead of caring for the new believers, we let them come to the meetings when they want to and fall when they stumble. Not many new believers are able to endure such neglect.
If the serving ones are willing to practice love and bear seven to eight new believers, sooner or later we will see significant results. As more people are saved over time, the new believers who have been under our care will spontaneously learn to care for others. This is the principle of bearing fruit after one’s kind. If we bear our next generation in this way, it will not be difficult for new believers to be taken care of, and they will remain in the church. I hope that we will all exercise to practice love.
Let us have more specific fellowship concerning how to take care of the believers. First, we must pray for them. If we want to bring them to God, we must first go to God on their behalf. We should mention them by name to God; we should write their names in a booklet and pray for them often. Such prayer is necessary and should be specific. We should no longer have general prayers, saying, “Lord, revive Your church. Remember the brothers and sisters. Remember those who are weak, who have stumbled, or who are backsliding.” It is not that general prayers are not effective but that the effectiveness of our prayers depends on how specific they are.
In the Gospel of Matthew two blind men heard that Jesus was passing by and cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” (20:30). Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (v. 32). They answered, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened” (v. 33). The Lord was moved with compassion and touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight (v. 34). Hence, instead of general prayers, we need to bring the believers by name to the Lord and bear their specific burdens practically in prayer. If we love the believers, we need specific prayers for them.
After interceding, we need to contact the believers personally. We will know their true situation by contacting them. We will know their occupation, their family, their financial situation, any marital problems, their children’s education, and their spiritual condition. We can be clear concerning others only after we have personal contact with them. Such contact will guide our prayers and deepen our burden. Knowing the believers’ actual situation is the base for intercession.
A brother may consecrate himself to the Lord but not know what he should do next. If we know his situation, we should pray specifically for him, asking the Lord to lead the brother in a definite way. Some may ask what the definite way should be. A consecrated person should know assuredly that he needs to forsake everything and that he has consecrated his strength, time, and energy to the Lord for His use. This is definite. Some believers make decisions concerning their finances immediately after their consecration. They say to the Lord, “From now on, I offer everything in my hand for Your use. Not only so, a portion of my income will be separated wholly unto You.” This is a definite way. These believers did not say in a general way, “I am a consecrated person.” Hence, if someone has consecrated himself but has not yet taken specific action, we need to pray for him and shepherd him in this regard.
A brother may have reached the point where he needs to know his flesh or his peculiar temperament. This requires that we pray for him and bring his situation to the Lord. These are examples. We need to contact the believers and also pray for them. The more contact we have, the more we will pray, and this prayer will cause us to have even more contact. Our contact with the believers should be spontaneous, not rigid. We can find opportunities to contact them before or after a meeting. This method is simple yet effective. The churches usually meet four times per week. If we can contact one person in every meeting, we can contact four people in a week and eight people in two weeks. If we are shepherding eight people, we can contact each person twice in a month. We should be able to have good contact with those whom we are shepherding without needing to visit them.
At times we might need to hold a love feast. If we cannot invite eight people at once, we can invite them in smaller groups. A married brother who has children can invite a couple over for mutual fellowship. Forgive me for saying this, but our love feasts seem to have departed from their original intention. We invite the believers whom we know, but the ones who are in need are seldom invited. This situation needs to be corrected.
If a serving one feels that he is limited and cannot supply the spiritual need, he can invite another brother to assist him. Such coordinated care for the saints will not be burdensome. It is best to keep the food simple for a love feast. Such simple love feasts save labor, money, and time. Then most of our time and strength can be spent on spiritual things, such as fellowship and prayer before or after the meal.
These methods are not unattainable ideals. This is the practice in some local churches. A local church baptized eighty people, and without any arrangements the brothers and sisters spontaneously began to care for two to three new believers. The newly baptized ones were borne by the brothers and sisters. For example, the new ones were baptized on Saturday and invited to love feasts on Tuesday. This is the way to sustain those who are newly baptized. In such a church most of the eighty new believers will still be remaining in half a year. This was not several elders or some so-called full-timers caring for the new believers; the local brothers and sisters bore the burden.
After three months some new believers are able to care for others. They spontaneously bear two or three believers. Therefore, this fire of love spreads quickly. This is the practice of love.
We should care for the spiritual condition of the believers and also for their various physical needs. We should pray for their material needs, and at the same time, we should do our best with what the Lord has given us to care for them in secret. We should never say, “Brother, since I am shepherding you, and you have a need, let me give you five dollars.” This would not be right. It is best to offer money in secret through the offering box. The brother should not even recognize our handwriting. He should know that it is the Lord’s care for him. This is according to the Lord’s word: “When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matt. 6:3). The receiver should know that it is a gift only from the Lord. This is the genuine love of brothers loving one another.
We should pray for the brother and follow the Lord’s leading to help him in secret so that he will not depend on us or on the church but would learn to depend on God and look to the Lord with a living faith. Suppose he needs twenty-five dollars, but we have the ability to give only one dollar. We need to have thorough prayer for him in secret. We might say, “Lord, I can offer only one dollar. You are responsible for the remaining twenty-four dollars.” The Lord often answers such prayers. We should never speak to others in a loose way concerning this need. There would be love in such a situation, but not a holding to truth.
We must hold to truth in love. We should not be like those in 1 John 3:17, who have the livelihood of the world and see that a brother has a need but then shut up their affections from him, or like those in James 2:15-16, who only say, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” to brothers or sisters in need of clothing and daily food. If we loosen our grip on our resources, open our purse, and do our best to care for the believers, the Lord will be responsible for supplying and filling up any shortage.
Furthermore, we must believe that God will not allow us to become poor as a result of following His leading to care for the poor and needy saints. In the past three decades I have not seen a serving one become poor because of his practical service of love.
If we can be led thus by the Lord to care for the needy saints without doing a work of charity, the church will be grounded in love. Such a love edifies people and does not corrupt them. A charitable love often corrupts people; it feeds people without leading them to know God. It causes people to rely on others and solicit help and thus lose their living faith. We should never consider that the believers whom we help are inferior. Rather, we should consider them to be more glorious than ourselves. We must help them to trust in God, to pray, and to see God’s outstretched hand having mercy on them. Then they will be supplied materially, and they will also trust in God and know that God answers them; they will not feel inferior. They will be glorious persons and will not beg for pity. If we pity the believers because of their material needs, we make them feel inferior; we make them persons who expect favors and help from others. This is to despise our brother. The lack of the believers is the way for them to receive more honor (1 Cor. 12:23). Even though we are the ones supplying the need, they receive more honor. There are no poor people in the church; there are only brothers and sisters. This is the church; this is genuine love.
We should care not only for the material needs of the saints; we should also care for other matters. Some young brothers and sisters may need guidance and leading concerning marriage. This requires practical love. We must not be careless or loose in making recommendations. We must help the young believers to fear God in the matter of marriage and to pray for His leading. We need to ask the Lord to enlighten them and to manifest His heart to them. Then they will receive help.
A church with such practical love will be solid, and it will be easy for the church to preach the gospel and to sustain the new believers. The service in such a church will be carried out by a practical love, not by impulsive emotions. Such service is ruled by the throne and touches God’s heart. If we have such a practical love toward the believers, we will be able to supply them and help them every time we contact them. We must believe that if by the Lord’s love we care for the spiritual condition and practical needs of the believers, the Holy Spirit will do a deep work in them.
We do not need doctrine or theory; we need to practice love. If we want the church to be built up, we must see the throne, know authority, and touch the Savior’s heart. Then we will realize that His heart is love and that His heart cares for everyone who belongs to Him. If we touch His love, we will be considerate of His heart. If we do not have His love, we should say, “Lord, I am willing to be considerate of Your heart and to love those whom You love, but I have not yet touched the reality of this love. Pour out Your love into my heart. I am willing to give myself for the care of the saints.” If every serving one would touch the Lord’s heart, every believer in the churches would be taken care of, and the churches would be built up.
