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Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 12:4-31; 14:1-25
In dealing with the gifts, Paul emphasizes six matters: speaking, the Spirit, the Body, God’s administration, love, and the superiority of prophecy for the building up of the church. In chapter twelve Paul speaks of the Body again and again, at least eighteen times. But in chapter fourteen he speaks of the building up of the church. Thus, in chapter twelve we have the Body and in chapter fourteen, the church.
The Body and the church are synonymous; both refer to the same thing. The Body is the church, and the church is the Body. Nevertheless, in chapter twelve Paul emphasizes the Body, and in chapter fourteen he emphasizes the church. There is a distinction between the Body and the church. The Body is an organism for Christ as the believers’ life to grow and express Himself. The church is an assembly for God to operate His administration. Christ as life is the essence of the Body as an organic entity. This organism is not for organization; it is for living to express Christ. Christ is the essence of His Body, and His Body is an organic entity which lives, grows, and matures with Himself until it eventually expresses Him.
In 12:12-27 the main thought is not activity or enterprise. It is that the Body is an organism to live, grow, mature, and express Christ as the inward essence. For this reason, verse 3 tells us that when we say, “Lord Jesus,” we are in the Spirit. It is the Spirit who brings us into the Body, for the Spirit is the life-giving Spirit, the Spirit of life, not merely the Spirit of God as found in Genesis 1:3. We have received the Spirit who brings us into the Body organically.
In Romans 10:13 Paul says, “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” We need to put this verse together with Acts 2:21: “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Here in Acts 2 to be saved is to receive the initial gifts of the Spirit. To receive the Spirit as the initial gift is equal to being saved. This takes place not only by believing, but also by calling on the Lord. Everyone who truly believes in the Lord Jesus will also call on Him and say, “Lord Jesus.” If we say, “Lord Jesus,” the Spirit will come into us, and we shall be in the Spirit. The Spirit is the pneuma, the breath, the air, for us to breathe. It is impossible for us to breathe without taking air into us. When we breathe, the air is in us, and we are in the air. Likewise, when we call on the Lord Jesus, we are in the Spirit who gives life and brings us into the Body.
According to 12:13, in the Spirit we have been baptized into the Body. The water of baptism is a symbol of the fact that we have been baptized into the Triune God (Matt. 28:19) and baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3). When we were baptized into Christ, we were baptized into His Body and became part of this organic Body. First Corinthians 12 clearly reveals that we have become members of the organic Body of Christ. Hallelujah, we are now in the Body! We have called, “Lord Jesus,” and have been brought into the Spirit, the Spirit has ushered us into the Body, and now we are organically in the Body.
After speaking so much concerning the Body in 12:12-27, Paul begins to speak of the church in verse 28: “And God has placed some in the church: firstly apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers; then works of power, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.” The church is for God’s administration. When Paul mentions the church, his emphasis is not on an organic entity, but on God’s administration. The Body is for the expression of Christ; the church is for the administration of God. In chapter fourteen Paul’s concept is not mainly related to organic growth, but to governmental administration. In chapter twelve the emphasis is on life; in chapter fourteen it is on government. Therefore, we may use the term “organic expression” to describe chapter twelve and the term “governmental administration” to describe chapter fourteen. Furthermore, the building up of the church is for administration, but the building up of the Body is for the expression of Christ organically. To express Christ we need the Body; to carry out the divine administration we need the church. For this reason, chapter twelve emphasizes the Body organically for growth and the expression of Christ, but chapter fourteen emphasizes the church governmentally for the carrying out of God’s eternal purpose.
At this point I would ask a question related to speaking in tongues: For the Body to grow organically and express Christ, can tongue-speaking ever be helpful? We need to answer this question carefully. It would be wrong to say that tongue-speaking could not be of any help to the growth of the Body. Speaking in tongues is somewhat related to the Spirit, and the Spirit is for the Body. For this reason, we should not say that tongue-speaking could never be helpful to the Body. The decisive factor concerns our realization regarding tongue-speaking and our application of it. If you apply tongue-speaking only for your self-seeking, this will damage the Body. But if you seek tongue-speaking for the Body and if you take care of the Body, then your tongue-speaking will be helpful to the Body. Some among us have testified that tongue-speaking stirred them inwardly to seek Christ. This is a fact which cannot be denied. Certainly to seek Christ is by the Spirit and for the Body. However, those who are stirred up by the Spirit through tongue-speaking to seek Christ may not realize that their seeking of Christ should be for the Body. In such a case, their realization regarding tongue-speaking is somewhat short. For tongue-speaking to be helpful to the Body depends on the proper realization and application.
Now let me ask another question: Is tongue-speaking helpful in the building up of the church for God’s administration? The answer to this question is a clear and definite no. Especially as practiced today, tongue-speaking is of no help to God’s administration. On the contrary, in case after case it damages the church, tears down God’s administration, and overthrows the divine government.
First Corinthians was written in Ephesus. In writing this Epistle Paul’s intention was to correct and adjust the church in Corinth. That church was in confusion, both in the Christian life and in relation to God’s administration. Paul’s intention was to regulate the Corinthians, rescue them from their distractions, and bring them back to the central lane of God’s economy. When Paul wrote this Epistle, he was enjoying the excellent church life in Ephesus.
The book of Romans was written in Corinth. After writing 1 Corinthians, Paul eventually left Ephesus and visited Corinth. As he says in 2 Corinthians, he delayed coming to them because he wanted to spare them and did not want to come in sorrow. But because they repented and were adjusted after receiving his first Epistle, Paul was happy and went to Corinth to see them. While he was in Corinth, he wrote the Epistle to the Romans.
Romans is a basic sketch, a governing sketch, of the Christian life and the church life. In this book Paul does not say a word about tongue-speaking or divine healing. He knew from his experience in Corinth how much the church had been damaged by tongue-speaking and by the so-called miraculous healing. At the time, Corinth was a hotbed for such things. Many were extremely enthusiastic about tongue-speaking and ecstatic over the miraculous things. Nevertheless, by these very things the church was ruined, destroyed. Realizing the damage this had caused to the church in Corinth, Paul was very sober when he wrote the book of Romans.
In Romans 12 Paul speaks of the function of the proper gifts in the Lord’s Body. I repeat, here Paul does not say a word concerning tongue-speaking or divine healing. Rather, he stresses having mercy, loving one another, and pursuing hospitality. This indicates that Paul took the lead to belittle tongue-speaking. Paul’s attitude in his completing ministry toward speaking in tongues is to belittle it.
If this is Paul’s attitude in his completing ministry, then what is John’s attitude in his mending ministry? Does John say anything about tongue-speaking, divine healing, or miracles in his first Epistle? No, what he says in this book is based upon his Gospel. In John 7:37-39 John points out that all those who believe in Christ will receive the Spirit and out of their being will flow rivers of living water. This refers not to the Spirit in tongue-speaking or healing, but to the Spirit of life. The believers in Christ will drink the Spirit of life. Then out of their innermost being will flow rivers of living water. This is what John says in his Gospel. In his first Epistle he goes on to speak of the anointing which we have within us. He does not speak of an ointment upon us, but of the anointing within us. Within us we have the Spirit of life, and this Spirit is the ointment with which we are anointed. This ointment is typified in Exodus 30 by the oil compounded with the spices. This anointing is experienced not in a miraculous way, but in a spontaneous way in our daily life. Therefore, from this we see that John is one with Paul in placing no emphasis on tongue-speaking, healing, or miracles.
What does John say concerning the Spirit in Revelation? He does not say anything about tongue-speaking or divine healing, but he does speak of the seven Spirits. According to Revelation 4:5, these seven Spirits are seven lamps shining with something within them. These seven lamps do not shine in a miraculous way. Instead, they shine in a normal way.
In Revelation 4 we have the seven Spirits of God as the seven lamps, but in chapter twenty-two we have the Spirit signified by the river flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb to water the New Jerusalem. Once again, nothing is said about tongue-speaking. If tongue-speaking were so important, so crucial, certainly Paul and John would have emphasized it.
My desire is to speak for Christ and to speak forth Christ. Nevertheless, especially as a help to the young people, I am burdened to make it clear why I do not encourage tongue-speaking. Although I do not oppose speaking in tongues, I do not encourage it. My reasons are based on my experience and observation.
I do not encourage today’s tongue-speaking because it can be compared to opium or morphine. Medical doctors know that opium and morphine can be useful in dealing with certain kinds of pain or illnesses, but the dosage has to be limited and the use restricted. Used under proper direction with adequate limitation, opium and morphine can be helpful. The danger is in becoming addicted to these drugs. Once a person is addicted to either opium or morphine, the result is dreadful. Many may practice tongue-speaking for a period of time and then give it up. Others, however, become addicted to speaking in tongues. They may become addicted to such an extent that when they meet together they do not care for anything else. They are so much for tongue-speaking that they are not concerned even if the so-called tongue is not genuine.
Second, for the long run, tongue-speaking does not help believers to grow in life. On the contrary, addiction to tongue-speaking may lead to the indulgence of lust. Yes, some have testified that speaking in tongues stirred something within them to seek after Christ. This is a proper result of tongue-speaking. But those who become addicted to tongue-speaking care only for their ecstasy. They do not care for sobriety. As a result, there are many cases of fornication among them.
Third, those who have become addicted to tongue-speaking have no ear to hear the word of the cross and the deeper things concerning Christ. They are not interested in how the cross of Christ deals with the flesh and the self. They do not care for such a sober word of righteousness. They are like a piece of wood that has been ruined by poor carpentry and cannot be used in making better furniture. They have no heart for the deep things of Christ or the life in resurrection. For example, they would have no ear for all the messages we have given on 1 Corinthians and on the four books that make up the heart of the divine revelation — Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Instead, they like to pay their attention to Acts 2, and 1 Corinthians 12 and 14. However, they misuse these portions of the Word. They have no heart to hear a sober word.
Due to the burden I have received from the Lord and to His commission, I am concerned that Pentecostalism may creep into the Lord’s recovery. If this happens, the recovery will be damaged. This does not mean, however, that I oppose genuine tongue-speaking. Genuine tongue-speaking is of God, and I do not oppose it. Nevertheless, I do not encourage today’s tongue-speaking. Furthermore, even the leaders in the Pentecostal movement have made adjustments throughout the years. They realized that without certain adjustments they would not be able to carry on their work. I have learned that at the Assembly of God school in Springfield, Missouri, the students are taught to emphasize teaching, not tongue-speaking, in congregational meetings, and to encourage the people to speak in tongues privately. Nevertheless, the practice of tongue-speaking has still frustrated many of those dear saints in the matter of the growth in life.
Fourth, no other Christians are as independent and divisive as those who promote tongue-speaking. Every tongue-speaker is independent, individualistic, and divisive. Each one cares only for himself. By this we see that the enemy creeps in to use something which may be of God to damage God’s administration. In Pentecostalism and in the charismatic movement there is no building, no Body life, no care for oneness, and nothing of the divine administration.
Now we can understand Paul’s concept in 1 Corinthians and know the burden in his spirit and on his heart when he was writing this book. Paul was deeply concerned for the Body of Christ and for God’s administration. He knew God’s heart and God’s plan. He knew that God’s purpose is to have a Body to grow Christ and express Christ and also to have the church to carry out the divine administration. Today’s tongue-speaking has been used by the enemy to frustrate the growth of the Body and to damage the building up of the church for God’s administration. Therefore, I cannot encourage this practice. But I want to say again that I do not oppose genuine tongue-speaking. I do not follow J. N. Darby in saying that speaking in tongues is dispensationally over. No, it is still possible for there to be genuine tongue-speaking, but this must be practiced in a proper way.
Tongue-speaking causes much more loss than profit. Each of the three times we tried to adopt this practice in the church life, we suffered loss. Our hope is that the Lord’s recovery will be preserved from the damage that can be caused by today’s tongue-speaking and go on in a pure way of life, not damaged by any mixture.
