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Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 14:26; Acts 5:42; 1 Cor. 2:10; Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 1:3-4
In chapter 1 we have seen that the word spoken in our meetings includes poems such as psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. First Corinthians 14:26 and Acts 5:42 tell us that teachings should also be spoken in our meetings. These teachings, of course, must be according to the unique teaching of the apostles, and they are concerning the Triune God, concerning Christ, concerning the Spirit, concerning the church, concerning life, concerning the Christian life, and concerning other things related to the Christian life. These are the items that we should cover in our speaking as teachings. The teaching of a teacher is to minister the riches of Christ to edify and nourish others.
In the Lord’s new way each one of us has to learn to speak more than a few sentences. We have to be trained by the Lord and prepared in the Spirit to give a message. In one meeting we may have a burden and be led by the Spirit to speak a message for about three minutes concerning one of the major points in the Bible. To speak in this way, we have to learn much.
According to 1 Corinthians 14:26, we also need to speak forth revelations in our meetings. Teachings are the word mainly of our understanding; revelations are the word mainly of our spirit, and they are concerning the deep things of Christ (2:10 and footnote 3, Recovery Version). The gospel for the unsaved and for the newly saved (Acts 5:42) and personal testimonies (cf. 15:12) should also be spoken in our meetings. What we speak should always be within the limit of the teaching of the apostles (2:42), avoiding anything other than God’s economy (1 Tim. 1:3-4).
You should not speak too low or too loud, too slow or too fast. First, you have to learn to speak in a proper way so that people can hear you clearly. Once, Brother Nee charged us not to love our throat but to take care of the listeners. On the other hand, shouting cuts off the clarity of the spoken word. We need to speak loudly so that people can hear us, but speaking too loudly will make the words unclear. To speak too quickly will confuse the audience, whereas to speak too slowly will exhaust the audience’s patience. Another important point is that when we speak a message, we must speak every point with every aspect so accurately. Because we are human, we easily make mistakes. Yet we must try to speak things correctly and accurately. Through a careful study of the Word, the Lord will enable us to share the points of a message accurately.
We also need to learn to speak corporately in a distinct and clear way. A clear voice is not only for God but also for man to listen to. Only God can fully understand a noise. To avoid making an unintelligible noise all the time, we must learn to coordinate with others in the meeting. This is similar to the way a good driver drives his car. He not only takes care of the car he is driving but also is aware of the other cars around him so that he can avoid having an accident. While we are speaking, we must exercise our hearing to listen to others. When someone else is speaking, we should wait. Do not speak in a noisy way. Always speak with a clear voice.
In the New Testament, especially in 1 Corinthians 14, the apostle not only charges us to speak but also instructs us how to speak. If you read 1 Corinthians 14 carefully, you can see some instruction there concerning our speaking in the meetings. God’s ordained way for our meeting is not to have one ordained clergyman but to have God’s economy ministered by all the members in the meeting. Ephesians 4:16 says, “Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.” If we are not in a meeting, how could we have the operation in the measure of each one part? It is impossible. To have this kind of operation in the measure of each one part and to have every joint of the rich supply, we surely need the meetings. When we come together to meet, this will be an occasion that affords us many opportunities to function. If you are a joint, you have the opportunity to supply the entire Body of Christ in the meeting. Also, each one part has an equal chance to minister something to the entire Body according to his operation in his particular function.
We have not seen much of this practice in the past history of the church. We have not seen Ephesians 4:16 worked out in the experience of the Lord’s children. But now we have been adjusted by the Lord to be brought fully into the scriptural way of meeting and serving for the building up of the Body of Christ. He has revealed to us His way to build up not just a so-called church as an organization but to build up a living Body, a living organism. This kind of building of a living organism surely needs a meeting with all the saints functioning in speaking. I hope that those of us who are not used to speaking in the meetings would stand against our disposition and learn how to speak. If you like to save your face, you need to go to the cross. We should not be spectators in the meetings. All the spectators should go to the cross.
Some may not have the faith that the biblical way can be worked out. For us to be brought to salvation required little work on our part. The Lord did everything for us. We just believed in Him and called on Him to receive Him. But for us to carry out God’s economy in our speaking in the meetings is very difficult. Sometimes I thought that some people were born in the way that they could never speak publicly. If you ask some people to speak in a public meeting, you will kill them. They cannot make it. In the past I wondered whether or not this kind of member would be able to speak, but now I believe that even this kind of member can speak. In the long run, they will learn to speak. The Spirit has a way.
We should not forget that we have two marvelous gifts—the Spirit and the Word. The Spirit is within us. We have such a Spirit as a living, capable, and able Teacher within us. I am so grateful to the Lord that we also have the Bible. Whatever He has spoken has been written down and printed. We have God’s Word, His “textbook,” in our hand, and we have a Teacher in our spirit. Surely what this Teacher can do is much, much better than what any person can do. He can teach us inwardly and lead us into the reality of His Word. Regardless of how inadequate we are, if we have the heart to seek after Him, He will teach us to speak. Eventually, we will be able to speak for three minutes on some major truths in God’s economy. Probably at first the Spirit will lead us and teach us to give a testimony. We may learn how to relate our salvation experience to people. Gradually, the Spirit will lead us to speak a few verses from the Bible. Eventually, we will be raised up to be proper speaking ones for the Lord’s interest.
We all have to change our concept. We should not think that certain believers cannot speak in the meeting. This is a lie from the liar, Satan. We should not believe this. We have to exercise our spirit of faith to believe that every believer can speak if he or she would speak. Do not think that the Lord’s biblical way is not workable. This is a lie. We must repudiate this lie. We need to tell God’s enemy, “Satan, we will believe that whatever God says in the Bible is workable. Although the heaven and the earth will pass away, His words will never pass away” (Matt. 24:35).
What we have been fellowshipping concerning the scriptural way to meet and to serve is in the printed holy Word. These words surely will be fulfilled sooner or later. If they are not fulfilled in our time, they will be fulfilled in another time. God is faithful. We believe that every word out of His divine mouth will be fulfilled. For His word to be fulfilled, He needs us to be faithful in cooperating with Him. We need to offer ourselves to Him. We should offer our spirit, our heart, and our mind with our speaking.
You may not know what it is to exercise your spirit. If this is the case, just speak by your mind; gradually, your speaking will turn from your mind to your spirit. Many of us have experienced this in prayer. When we start to pray, we may begin our prayer merely in our mind. Then as we pray on, our prayer turns from our mind to the spirit. In the same way, we must learn to speak. Do not be afraid to be exposed. Do not care for your face. It is glorious to be exposed, not shameful. If we make some mistake in the meeting by endeavoring to cooperate with the Lord in functioning, this is glorious. When we get exposed, we find out where we are, who we are, and how we need to be adjusted. Then we can progress in life and be perfected in our function. This is glorious. Are you afraid to be exposed? Blessed are those who are not afraid to be exposed in the meetings. Blessed are those who are happy to be adjusted. We all must learn to be adjusted. When we speak, we receive the light, and we are the first ones who receive the benefit.
