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First Corinthians chapter 14 and verse one.
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophecy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God. For no man understandeth him, howbeit in the Spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exportation and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edify the Church.
I would that you all speak with tongues, but rather that you prophesied. For greater is he that prophesied than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret that the Church may receive edifying. Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And in things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds. How shall we be known? What is piped your heart?
First, the trumpet give an uncertain sound. Who shall prepare himself to the battle so.
So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue, where it's easy to be understood how shall be known what is spoken, for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, for as much as you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the Church.
Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit, how shall he that occupy the room of the unlearned say, ameneth thy giving of thanks?
Seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest.
For thou verily give us thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God I speak with tongues more than yell. Yet in the church I had rather speak 5 words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also.
Then 10,000 words in an unknown tongue. Brethren, be not children in understanding how be it and malice be ye children, but in understanding be men in the law. It is written with men of other tongues and other lips. Will I speak unto this people?
And yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign not to them to believe, but to them to believe not, but prophesying serveth not for them to believe not, but for them which believe.
If therefore the whole church become together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say that you're a man? But if all prophecy and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all, and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth.
How is it then, brethren, when you come together, every one of you hath a song, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course, and let one interpret. If there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
Let the prophet speak two or three, and let the other judge, if anything be revealed to another that sitteth by. Let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophecy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the Saints. Let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak.
But they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith along, and if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. What came the word of God out from you?
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Or came it unto you only, if any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual.
Let him acknowledge that the things that I write into you or the commandments of the Lord.
But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophecy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.
The.
Bob, would I be right in saying that we have direction where the Spirit of God is to lead?
In three meetings, the prayer meeting.
The breaking of bread and the open meeting.
I believe that.
We have Bible readings, God, that's a mercy that God has given because we in the end, we don't have a lot of gift. And so we can come together and learn by questions and so forth.
And I remember asking a brother one time, if we don't have direction for a reading meeting, then why don't we always have this open meeting? And he looked at me and he said, because brother, we don't want to assume that we're more than what we are. So sometimes there wouldn't be gift for it. If you had two, two men in an assembly, probably you'd want to have a reading meeting rather than an open meeting.
Comment on that if I'm wrong.
Our late brother Clint Buchanan used to say that he felt these verses toward the end of the chapter described a reading meeting as much as an open meeting. And when you take the whole of the portion, it says.
You may all prophecy one by one that is done in a reading meeting in a what we call an open meeting, we.
We take that verse and I don't think it's wrong. Let the prophet speak two or three and let the others judge in verse 29. But we don't go on to what comes after. If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by that the first hold his peace. And I think it's the sense that we need to be conscious of the leading of the spirit. I know that some feel that a reading meeting is not a full assembly meeting.
And in the sense that perhaps we have a portion already established that is not leaving it totally open for the Lord to lead in that way. But I like the way it's done in South America. In many places they will the beginning of what they call a reading meeting. They will leave it open if some brother has a portion to minister on or if there's a question.
It's open and then if there's nothing further, they go to the scripture. And yes, we are living in days of ruin. But when it says we may all prophecy one by one, that's done in a reading meeting. It's not limited like it is. So Brother Columbia Cannon stated that it was he felt an assembly meeting and I know there are others that feel that way too, reading meetings.
In the beginning of the Brethren movement, it was often Mr. Darby that was present and reading. Meeting was for them to minister and it was basically left to one, maybe two brothers to to go forward and carry the meeting. And I can understand why they felt that that wasn't a full assembly meeting. Assembly meeting is when we let the Lord guide us.
Even perhaps as to the character of the meeting, I understand that years ago in the England they would come together for an assembly meeting. It wasn't established beforehand what character that meeting would have, whether it would be a prayer meeting. Sometimes they would have what they call praise and worship meetings besides the breaking of bread. And so I think that's what we have in verse 23, if the whole church become together into one place.
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And again in verse 26, how is it then, brethren, when ye come together and you see that there's one has a Psalm, another has a doctrine, another a tongue at the revelation and interpretation, what was to regulate that? It was let all things be done unto edifying. So it was the edification of the Church that was to be sought, wasn't it?
Is it Actor 4?
The 16th verse.
That's Colossians 4.
Verse 16.
It reads and when this epistle is read among you.
'Cause it, 'cause that it be read also in the church.
Or the assembly of that elderly saiyans. And actually likewise read the epistle from Laodicea, and also we have First Thessalonians chapter 5.
Verse 27.
I charge you by the Lord, that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren, and I.
Would think of it was red and there was liberty. There might have been explanations given, questions asked and the ministered from those very letters that were read to the assembly.
You have to block.
That we don't.
Put our own thoughts into it. Scripture is a scripture and often give an illustration, quite probably given it before. But this mother, she was asking her boy to do his chores. So we don't need these animals. You know, why do we have these animals? We just have to clean up after these animals. We should get rid of these animals, she said. Son, we have a problem. What is that?
Your opinion does not count and so.
When we think, well, you know, we're giving examples and it's not scriptural, you know, I, I believe we have every principle to have a have a reading meeting, but it's a meeting where you can ask questions and, and if you go back and you see what he's reading meetings of Mr. Darby, they ask questions and and it didn't get upset and think, oh, you're disturbing the, the peace.
No, they they said, but what about this scripture? And he said that what about this scripture? And and that's the way you learn. And so a reading meeting is to learn and but a but an open meeting. I mean, our meeting is the spirit of God would lay on the heart of a brother. What is he feels is the need at that very moment.
So I appreciate, you know, illustrations, but just like this, they read, they read it. It doesn't say that they expounded on it. So we just have to stop there and we go beyond scripture. I mean, it's very, very people say, well, I think, but when the little brother said when you say, I think you think wrong unless it's according to Scripture.
It does say let the Prophet speak two or three.
And let the others judge so that if a brother, if I make a mistake in what I say, I hope you brothers are going to help me out and clarify what is done. That is not exactly the context and what we call an open meeting, but there is liberty. And I must say, I have been positively edified in reading these brother, and I really believe that the Lord has used that.
For real, solid, positive edification, exhortation and comfort, I, from my youth, have sat in reading meetings and listened to brethren. I remember a particular conference here in Walla Walla where a brother made a mistake in speaking about the person of the Lord Jesus. I was surprised how quickly your brother Albert Hayhol responded and corrected the mistake in a way.
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And I don't know, some brother may have not understood that he was correcting it, but it was a real evident correction. We need that brother. You know, it was read yesterday that the assembly is the pillar and ground of the truth. I remember old brother Eric Smith used to say the assembly is not the truth. The assembly is the pillar and ground of the truth as God had it and His purposes. It's what upholds the truth. A pillar is something that upholds.
The truth. And so it's not in a Bible school. They may expound the scriptures, but the students don't have the right to correct their teacher. They're there to learn and the teacher is there to teach. So if he makes a mistake.
It goes unchallenged and in.
Organizations that man establishes to propagate the truth, and that's the way it is. But it's in the assembly where two or three speak. And so we take up a certain section of Scripture and two or three may explain that, but it says let the others judge. Now it doesn't mean judging people, it's judging what is said.
You have your Bible open in front of you. Is it square? Does it square with what is said there? You are to be exercised in your place. You young people, have your Bible open. Get it from Scripture because if you get it there, you've got it solid. It's not just because a brother says that. And one thing I have really appreciated, brethren, that the Spirit of God is present to give testimony to the truth of God.
And when it's according to the truth of God, it squares. The Spirit gives testimony to the truth. When it's not, something doesn't sound right. You may not know what it is exactly, but the Spirit of God gives testimony to the truth of God.
Is this the only place in the New Testament that you get?
Scripture for singing in the assembly.
I was not too long ago I was an assembly and he said we have no scripture for singing in the assembly. We did sing and all you object to that, but said but we do get it here, don't we? And that's when he says in the 15th verse, I just think it's because we need scripture for what we do and, and I was puzzled. I didn't know where to turn. But the 15th, 1St it says what is it? Then I will pray.
With the Spirit, that's the human spirit, and I will pray. With the understanding I will sing.
Whole thing again and it says down in the 26th verse it says, how is it then, brethren, when you come together, everyone of you have a song, a doctrine, a tongue, a revelation, an interpretation. So the song, the singing. And I just say that for the young as well. Sometimes somebody ask you, what do you have scripture for? You got to have scripture. There's a scripture. I think another verse you could put, Vern, is Colossians 316.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.
Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns one another. It's collectively here. You can apply it that way anyhow. Singing with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
I have really enjoyed it rather than in Latin America, and I've learned much from my dear Latin brother, but.
They sing quite a bit more than we do at the beginning of a meeting.
Rarely is it just one hymn. Sometimes it's three hymns. Sometimes they sing for half an hour. That allows time for the brethren to get there. You know, they're not controlled by the clock like we are. But Don Ruhl made the statement one time, and I really think he's right, he said.
I think the most effective piece of written ministry for the Latin brethren is their hymn book. And you learn by the hymns. We have a precious hymn book ourselves, and it's scriptural. Those hymns are, and you learn from them. It says that here, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. So I encourage you, brother, to you don't have to limit it to just one hymn at the beginning.
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Meeting. It's nice, perhaps to sing too, if the Lord leads. The point is, the Lord should lead in it.
Two and verse 42. They persevered. I'll read it, James. They continued steadfastly and the apostles doctrine and fellowship and then breaking of bread and in prayers. Is this a list of assembly meetings?
Or.
It's an application.
And I think in this chapter 2 or what we're reading, there are principles that are to be followed, brother. And not every meeting is exactly like it. I mean it. It is amazing to me to see how the Lord leads in our breaking of bread meetings. One time it's a one kind of a theme and another time it's a different theme. It's living the Spirit of God have his liberty in guiding us according to his thoughts.
About the person of the Lord Jesus.
So I would I would like to suggest in this chapter 14 that we make a few comments on the first part of the chapter and then dedicate ourselves mainly to the towards the end where we have where the whole church comes together into one place, which is evidently what is called an assembly meeting.
In the first part of the chapter it says here follow after love and desire spiritual and it's like it's been mentioned that gifts is in italics. It's really spiritual manifestations, the manifestation of the spirit. In other words, when we come together, be sensitive in your spirit to give the Spirit of God liberty and so he goes down through this verse three is a very important verse.
He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification.
And exhortation and comfort, somebody has said edification is building up, exhortation is stirring up, and comfort is binding up. So there ought to be a sense of the need in this particular time and speaking accordingly. That's what prophecy really is. It's speaking the word of God according to the need that there may be at any particular time.
Did someone have said that? That first verse, I think somebody said here following after charity and desire, spiritual manifestation is that's not individual, they said that's collective. We ought to collectively desire the best gift.
Is that is that right?
Say that.
That word mystery at the end of verse 2 is a question I have.
Used it this way. I just would like to have that confirmed or corrected that the reason it's called a mystery is because nobody understood what was said. So it ended up being like a a mystery. What did he say? It's not that he said it was lofty things in a supposed language nobody understands is that nobody understood and that's why it was a mystery. Not there was much substance that was said, but to the audience that heard nobody understood anything, would that be the right understanding there?
If you could give an address and French brother, I don't really know.
That's it. You can speak some very good important things, but I don't know what profit there would be. I don't know how many understand French in this.
It would be a mystery to the church.
Not that there was substance necessary, no.
There are 7 formal mysteries in the New Testament, aren't there?
And we could go through those, but this is not one of those. This is just a general expression, isn't it? The formal mysteries are those things which were secret in the Old Testament.
They were hidden God, but they've been revealed in the New Testament, but only revealed to those who have been born again. So that's a mystery. But those are the formal mysteries. But here, that's not that at all. And that's kind of what you were talking about yesterday in Catholicism.
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Lots of lots of mysteries, but they're not formal mysteries. They're just things that nobody understands.
Six verse.
Would bring substance there. If somebody had spoken in tongues, it was either by revelation, knowledge, prophesying.
Or by doctrine they would have been substance, wouldn't there, if it had been by the Spirit of God?
We've been speaking about the liberty of the Spirit, but there's also such a thing as grieving the Spirit, isn't there? That's the other side. There is liberty. But it's different in a reading meeting like this, isn't it, than it is in a priestly meeting like the breaking of bread or prayer meeting, where there's much wider ministry. Because everybody in a reading meeting, all the brothers, all the sisters are actually priests, though the sisters, as we know, don't take audible heart, but everyone is a priest.
Meeting, you're saying a worship meeting, at a prayer meeting, and even in the beginning and the end of meetings, giving out a hymn or praying, that's a priestly service, isn't it? But when it comes to the exposition more and the gift, that's when it's limited, isn't it? So that there would be simplicity and clarity. So we have different things here, but we do need to keep in mind that there is not only spiritual liberty for the Spirit because again.
He's to be the president in the meetings, but there's also a danger of grieving the Spirit, and that is missing the mind of the Spirit and promoting myself. That's a danger. So we have to be sensitive to that. And I think that would come in under verse one, wouldn't it? A desire to prophecy would not violate one or the other.
And quenching the spirit would be another one, wouldn't it? That we need to watch. We can quench the spirit in two ways.
One is.
By not speaking when the Lord gives us the direction to and the other is and I'm of an offender in this and speaking too much. Not being sensitive says later on in the chapter something is revealed to another that the first told us peace, let's be sensitive brother and God uses one and another to help us.
Let me ask a question, another question, perhaps some of that wanting to ask this question, but.
In that day, prophecy was a little different.
The scriptures weren't written, so God gave his mind orally and so somebody would stand up and it actually is the word of God that they're that they're bringing before the audience and somebody else sitting by who had a gift of prophecy.
The Lord would give them something and they would, I got something and my other brother would sat down. I've seen this violated and people think that that this is for today. And I was at a meeting and this brother was speaking and he was taking a little bit too time, too much time. And I saw that brother wiggling on his chair waiting to get up there, you know, And when the other brother sat down, he got up there and he said even before he got down, he said somebody else might have something to say.
Now that's wrong, absolutely wrong. And so the interpretation of this was in that day, but I doubt whether somebody, when somebody had something to say, another brother sitting by saying I got something to say to you, better sit down.
The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets so.
Keep your control. That's that's the way I understand that. Al Vern, would you allow that if the Spirit of God is able to indicate to you that you should get up and minister the word of God or that you should make a comment at any time?
That He's also able to indicate you should sit down. The Lord knew when to sit down and I think we need to know the same.
So the Spirit of God is the one who is the president that we've been saying earlier, and we need to recognize that. And it's a miraculous thing that the Spirit of God could indicate to you or I to give food to God's people, but He can also tell you to be quiet.
I'd rather speak 5 words with my understanding than 10,000 words.
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I often believe, brethren, we need to study to be brief so that there is room for others. Sometimes we have a way of just filling up the time that may not be the direction of the Spirit of God.
Think of the little.
Quotes and scripture of five words.
Behold the Lamb of God.
Sir, we would see Jesus. What beautiful messages in those five words with understanding.
It speaks here too of verse eight. If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? Imagine in those days the battle was announced by a trumpet blast, and if it was an uncertain sound, it would leave confusion.
To the Lord's people it needs to be clear. The truth of God, brethren.
So that there will be positive edification, exhortation, comfort, according to the need of the Lorde people.
I wonder if we can say there's three things in these first 25 verses. The one is the necessity of charity combined with spiritual exercise prophecy verse one, and then verses 2-3 and four more the thought that there should be substance to what's said.
As you say, sometimes things are just filled up but no real substance. There should be substance, it should be to edification.
Exhortation and comfort, and if the spirits leading it will be. And that's part of the judging, isn't it? And then verses 5 through 25 or so, it's been suggested that it there needs to be clarity. And that's in a sense the gift of teaching, isn't it? Particularly a teacher is one who's able to make things clear, whereas a person who doesn't have that gift so much has a hard time making things clear. But there needs to be clarity. That's why it speaks about.
The uncertain sound, it's not to be an uncertain sound, It's to be clear. We often give outlines to things that I think that's very helpful. Now, we do notice in some of the older writings it seems as though there's not as much of an outline. Mr. Darby used to say on a number of occasions that he said on like a minor, I bring the order to the surface and others refine it. And we're so thankful for those that have refined it for us.
And that's very helpful, isn't it?
And then in the last part, as you were mentioning, Bob, I don't know what verse you had in mind, but at least 26 to the end, it's more the order of the assembly.
Verse 23, it speaks about the whole church come together into one place. So I take it that's an assembly meeting.
When it says whole church, that's the local expression of the church. It doesn't mean the whole church and just means that full the church in that vicinity.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Verse 14 it says if I pray in a tongue my spirit praise but my understanding is unfruitful. Sometimes people have used that to say that.
That they can pray in an unknown tongue. I take it though it is a tongue that is known. But if I would pray in Spanish.
Today, why? There might be a few that would understand me, but my prayer, my understanding is unfruitful in that nobody knows what I asked the Lord for, and that's the sense of the Word. What is it then? I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit.
00:35:20
How shall he that occupies the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest. So it's it's their principles that are given to guide us in our meetings together. Saying Amen is something that we do.
In our assembly meetings, and it means that we are in agreement with what has been.
Expressed to the Lord.
Could you?
Say that this was what this 14th 1St means. For if I pray in an uninterpreted tongue, my mind prayer. The spirit and the mind go together, but my understanding is unfruitful to the assembly.
I think it's chapters like this, you can imagine that brought about the Reformation, wasn't it? Because the the masses were all in Latin and the generally the priest didn't understand a word they were saying and they would Babylon and Babylon and things they'd memorize and had no idea what was being said and none of the people knew it was being said. So when the scriptures were read, people read chapters like this and they said something's terribly wrong here.
And that's what brought down in many cases, the power of Catholicism. And I might mention that there is a movement afoot very much now to undermine the Scriptures. And this is part of the great ecumenical movement. Usually it's done by what her brother Dave referred to yesterday, the higher criticism. They're corrupting or using corrupted Greek texts. And it's been, it's been documented that many of these corrupted Greek texts.
Are the ones that are the basis for many of the new translations. And many times the translation boards for these new translations have Catholic members on the committees. And so the attempt is to undermine the authority of Scripture, which was the basis of the Reformation. If they can undermine the authority of Scripture, then the thought is that they'll recall people to the authority of the Church, which is the whole principle of ecumenism.
The in Revelation 17, it speaks about the mother of harlots. She's calling all her wayward children back to her authority. And that's what's happening. And we need to be careful about many of these new translations. It's not a question of little different language or a little modern English or that sort of thing. The real issue is they're being undermined by corrupted texts. We can be thankful for our King James. We can be thankful for the JND translation.
We have to be so careful about the introduction over the last 100 years, or really what the Revised Standard version in the 1880s, that there was a push to use corrupted text to justify Catholics, the Catholic system. And there's been a whole tremendous number of new translations since that time. And just a word of warning again that those new translations as a rule are based on.
Core texts that justify the Catholic, the ecumenical system. So just a word of warning there. We need to know the fountain from which we drink. And we can be thankful for these translations we have.
So we'll pose a question here just just because I'm wondering here, I'm trying to grasp some of the things that have been said.
I spent 15 years in a large evangelical church with a senior pastor that was a very gifted teacher.
I left that because I believe that when I was confronted with with the assembly that things were different in the assembly. The Holy Spirit was leading and I did not believe the Holy Spirit was leading where I came from. And so I went. I struggle with this when we say that the Holy Spirit.
00:40:00
Or when it's said that the Holy Spirit doesn't lead in the reading meeting and.
And I wonder if if that is true, then what is the value of the reading meeting if the Holy Spirit is not leading in the reading readings? Now I know that the gracious God that I have that if for some reason there is not a teacher.
He provides himself. He provides the Holy Spirit. He provides a scripture.
In fact, we have this in in first John chapter 2.
And verse 27 But the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you.
And ye need not that any man teach you.
But as the same anointed teeth the 19 teachers you all things and this and is true and is not a lie and even as it is has been taught you ye shall abide in him. And we can read through Psalm 119 where where the prayer is in a number of.
It's in the form of a prayer. It says teach me, oh Lord.
The way of my statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end.
So there's a crying out to God to teach.
Because we need a teacher.
Yet we have the Holy Spirit.
We confidently say that we need no man to teach us.
Holy Spirit is not leading.
Where are we if the Holy Spirit is not leading? What is the value of the reading meeting?
Holy Spirit is always to lead, even when we are not in a meeting, He is to lead. He's there to to guide us into all truth. And that's why I say you need to be sensitive at all times of his presence. But it's a special thing when we're gathered in the Lord's presence like it says in verse 23, when the whole church become together into one place in verse 26 as well, that we be sensitive as to his presence.
And let him, like I say, Aaron, I think it's beautiful to see how the the Lord uses the reading meeting in positive edification, exhortation, and comfort. I do believe He does lead.
Don't you say, Eric, I, I agree. I have a note. I think I got it from my brother, brother Bruce. But he said, well, these verses refer primarily to the open meeting. The principles are broad enough to apply to the Bible reading. And I think that's good in a sense. There's prophecy going on in a reading meeting. And we certainly want to be subject to the Spirit of God. Do we not want to be subject to the Spirit of God? And we have to keep in mind when we read verses like you read there in first John Aaron, that we have to read the whole Scripture, don't we, that one Scripture balances out another.
So we've been reading about the gifts that we have. So while it's important that my conscience be bound by God alone, I don't have to have a priest like Michelle was speaking about to interject and have to teach me all things between me and God. Well, that's what some systems teach. But rather, ultimately, I'm responsible directly to God for what I hold and what I act on. And yet clearly, as we have in these chapters and other places.
There are those that help us along the way that have these gifts that could be clearer. So there's always that balance in Scripture, isn't it? But I think that's the point there first, John, yes, my conscience has to be bound by God alone. That's why Martin Luther could stand at that great diet of worms and had all the power of of the of the European empire there. And he stood virtually alone, but with the Spirit of God. And he said, I act on the authority of Scripture.
You cannot come between me and my conscience with God, and that was what God used to.
And large measure bring about the Reformation. But on the other hand, we have these other scriptures that show very plainly that God has given gifts to help us along the way. So we have both.
Agree with that, Wayne.
An illustration perhaps of those scriptures.
Because it cannot mean that you don't need the Roman teach you the very thing that you read is John teaching. So it cannot mean that. But what I think it does mean, and I I believe this is true that.
00:45:13
When I was 17, I heard the gospel. I thought the man was cussing. That's how ignorant I was of of these things. So.
When I I didn't know anything, I remember going home that night and realizing it was a little New Testament in the bottom of the drawer. And so I thought, I'll get us out and all my friend. He said, Clark, do you think you can live like this? And I said, I don't know, but I'm going to give it a whirl. Didn't know what I was saying, but I picked up that New Testament and I read it. He begat this. He begat that. I thought, how does this thing end? I turned over there and here's Revelation.
What am I into? I didn't know anything. So one of my schoolmates said, he said, you know, it isn't the Bible isn't the only word of God. No, I didn't know that. Would you like to know? Yeah, I would like to know. You know, these other books. So he said, come with me. We went to the Mormon church. I I I didn't know a thing, but I knew this wasn't right. I asked me why I knew it. I don't know.
So I another the only other.
Church that was in the town was a Pentecostal church. So this the pastor took me under his wing and he said, you know, there's nine gifts, don't you said, no, I didn't know that. He said, would you like to have it? Yeah, I would like to have them, but I never caught them. And when I saw these things, they just.
I knew this wasn't right. I don't know why I knew it was right.
So some sisters took me to Branham's healing meetings. You know, this was supposed to be the manifestation. It just left me flat. Why? Because I was open. I didn't care. You know, all I want to know was what was the law? What was, what is it all about? And the Spirit of God.
Gave me to know that those things weren't right. That's what that scripture means. I believe if you don't have any agenda, you will know. You will understand when air comes.
But, and so I think that's what those scriptures mean, that the Spirit of God protects you. John is talking about Gnosticism that was coming in. You know, John was written way after around 90, after all these other things were written.
And he's cautioning against Gnosticism, and he's saying you have the Spirit of God who will?
Either validate or invalidate what's being said, but at the very very same time John is teaching this. So is it this?
Does that make sense?
Lucent And I don't want to give the impression that I was saying that I don't need my brethren. That's not what I was saying at all. But but I believe that God is gracious and that He provides us the Holy Spirit. He provides us the Scripture. So when there is no gift or when there's a lack of exercise to exercise that gift, He will meet our needs.
And he got referred to the thought too that let the others judge when things are said in the assembly.
Brother speaks up in the reading meeting or the open meeting. We still have need to receive it from the Lord. If the Spirit of God doesn't apply it to us, doesn't give us clarity about it, say well, I'm not right for that. Or perhaps it isn't exactly what it is. The Lord knows. And so the Bereans, they looked up the Scriptures to see if that what was being said was in accordance to the Scripture. But I had that verse in First Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 12. I think our brother was referring to it. Now we have received not the spirit of the world.
But the Spirit, which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. And I think it's for Second Corinthians, it refers to the unction. And I believe the unction is the ability to enter into the things that God has given us by the Spirit. And so the Spirit is really the one doing the teaching, using teachers, the word of God. But unless he opens by understanding to it, I'm not understanding it.
As scripture says, study to show thyself approved, a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed. And so we study the word of God, and so when we come together we can share.
That's that's not the same thing as the Spirit of God leading in an assembly meeting. So.
00:50:00
To say, you know, we always lead, I don't think that's that's proper.
Bible.
It look at first Timothy, I mean second Timothy 2 and maybe you get some. Now this doesn't mean that Timothy was always led at the spirit, but he said in the second chapter, in the first verse or the second verse, because we run out of time and the things that thou was heard of me, he's taught Paul's talking to him the things that thou has heard.
Of me among many witnesses. The same. Not something different, not anything added to it, not anything taken away from it. The same thing.
Commit thou to faithful men now. So that's Paul teaching Timothy Timothy teaching another one that.
Who shall be able to teach others? That's four generations, 4 different ones, and we learn the Scripture like that. Well, you say, well, they weren't LED of the Spirit.
You see the difference. We study to show ourselves approved. We see what Paul taught. We try to convey that to our other brothers and those brothers, they they convey it to another other brothers and those convey it to another brother. That's.
That's the way that the scripture is passed on in the same way and an assembly.
At a reading meeting, you know, some things and you can add like here I've many years, I've thought that I could desire another gift, but it's it's that was a wrong interpretation. Somebody came along and they say, no, this is assembly. Oh, that's what it means.
Well, it doesn't mean he was led of the Spirit to tell me that he just, he knew that from study.
Yes, we need to realize that we don't have it all straight. Yeah.
The norm is here, brethren, not us. Don't focus on us because you're going to see failure wherever you look. But the principles are there, and that's our purpose this afternoon is just to read it and comment on it and perhaps get a little more clarity as to what an assembly meeting is. So it's beautiful here in these verses toward the end of the chapter.
The speaks about tongues and I think on Saturday we mentioned that in the.
List of the gifts.
In Romans, in First Corinthians, and in Ephesians, this is the only place it mentions the miraculous gifts, and it's because perhaps those from the synagogue right next door.
To the assembly in Corinth, the Jewish people might have come in, and so God gave tongues as a sign. As it says in verse 22, Tongues are a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not a prophesying serveth, not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. So he's showing that there might have been in the case of Corinth.
Those that use tongues for assigned to those Jews that might have come in, but what is to be desired is prophecy so that there's understanding so that there's positive edification. So we have in verse 23, the whole church become together into one place and all speak with tongues and they're coming in. Those that are unlearned or unbelievers will they not say.
You're mad or you're crazy. Don't understand anything they're talking about here.
But if all prophesied, there come in one that believeth not one or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all. The secrets of his heart are made manifest. So falling down on his face, he will report, worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
He's convicted by the Word of God. And so I think it's important, brethren, that we be aware of those that we are addressing when we speak publicly do to speak according to the need that there is. Sometimes even unbelievers come into assembly meetings. Remember Brother Eric Smith saying that in the beginning of the work in Bolivia, he found that there were more that got saved in reading meetings than in the gospel meetings.
00:55:13
Kind of interesting commentary that we need to be sensitive as to who's here and the need that there is and speak accordingly. And I say to our younger brothers.
Your questions can be very helpful. Sometimes I've noticed that a question is asked and if it's a good question, it helps to open up the scriptures. If you have a question about it, why it's there's a good chance there are quite a few others that might have a question as well.
In this chapter.
The Spirit of God.
Very interesting. You go back.
Thus, giving these gifts. It's the Spirit that's that's doing these things. But as you read through this chapter, there's a lot of mention about the Spirit, but it's never capitalized. It's always our spirit, a small spirit.
It's just an interesting thing. Perhaps someone could help on that.
What's your thought, Brother Ben?
That is all we need to catch through the thought of we have something.
He gives what is needed, but when we come together.
The question might be, well, am I being led by the Spirit like in a reading meeting here to say what I'm going to say and if the Spirit of God has laid something on our hearts maybe before we came. This chapter really gives us, doesn't it, guidelines as to what would be orderly in the presentation of things. Appreciate what Eric said earlier, and I've enjoyed it too, that there's at least three things that would govern us and we're going to take part.
The first one, is it done in love is what I have in my heart really.
And love for the Saints that they would grow. The second thing is, is it under edification as Eric bought out? Is it is it of a nature? There's a clarity, is it profitable? And then the other thing that he brings us to is to come to the end is, is it done decently and in order? I may have something that the Spirit of God is laid on my heart. I may have love for my brother behind, but maybe it's not the time for it. It wouldn't be an order this time. So.
The word of God lays these things out to govern us so that there is order. There is that which would be in order in light of what the Spirit of God has has before us. But I really appreciate help. It just is very interesting to me that you don't find the Spirit of God in this chapter per SE. I'm not saying the Spirit of God doesn't lead, He is leading us, but.
There's something else that governs our own spirits when we come together, because he's speaking about our spirits, the spirits of the prophets, those things that would govern us in light of our taking part, participating in a meeting like we have right now.
That's why we have in Saturday, in chapter 12, we had the Spirit of God mentioned there. Don't weigh in. He is the one that gives the gifts, their diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit there, it is a capital S and I don't think we can isolate that from our chapter either, can we?
Here's a helpful note. Then if you look in the new translation, it's really not spiritual gifts, but he points out how there's a distinction between a confounding demons actions with that of the Holy Spirit. But a little challenging I think, but you might check that footnote out in the new translation.
So again, I agree with Bob that I think his spirit is is included here in this chapter as well. It's not capitalized, but Mr. Darby makes a comment that sometimes in translating Scriptures, it's difficult to know whether to use a larger small S because our spirit should be in accord with the Spirit of God. And that seems to be, if I read that note correctly, that's how I understand it. But read it for yourself. Let's see, see what you think about that.
01:00:15
I knew what you're saying.
Those are those are those are good questions. They they help us to understand and.
You know, the tendency is if somebody asks a good question, honest question, and we get mad because we don't have an answer. We always in, in, in Tacoma, we say we don't have an answer. We'll have an answer next week. We'll go and search this out. But it isn't, you know, there's there's no shame in saying I don't know. Well, I'll have to find out. But the tendency and and with older brothers who really were gifted, if you ask him a question and they couldn't answer it.
I asked those questions and one brother, he just turned around and walked off, you know? Yeah, it was an honest question. I wanted to know.
I asked an older brother one time when I was a young man and.
And he said, I don't know, but I'll get back to you. Yeah, right. I have a lot of confidence in that, brother.
That he had the.
The understanding just to say I don't know, I think that to try to think you have an answer and give an answer is not the not the way to go.
Yet even the questions we asked there should be a prophetic element to it, and there's sometimes unprofitable questions. We have to be careful. Some questions are appropriate for after meeting, perhaps one-on-one. Others are for the profit of others. And that would be a good question. But it's just not to fill a curiosity, is it? But we have to keep in mind the purpose of the meeting for edification, expectation and comfort.
I remember Gordon Hale once saying along those lines, asked him a question. He said, you know, I'm not a Bible authority. I'm just a student. And I've often, often repeated that the best we do are we're just, we're just students of Scripture or that we don't pretend. I hope none of us pretend to be Bible authorities. We're all learners.
The verse 29 of our chapter, Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge.
Principles that we apply in what we call an open meeting let open for the Spirit of God to lead. And I think the same principle applies in a reading meeting. If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first oldest beast. In other words, be sensitive that God has others that he might want to use. And don't just necessarily take all the time, for the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
God is not the author of confusion, but of peace and notice this part as in all the churches of the Saints. These are principles, brethren, that apply broadly across the spectrum of Christian assemblies. This is what is to guide us. I think it's important to see and then verse 34, the women keeping silence. It is not permitted for them to speak, but.
They are commanded to be under obedience. This also set the law. And if they will ask anything, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is a shame for a woman to speak in the church.
Remember a sister that was always cornering brothers after a meeting and asking them questions And finally somebody said, why don't you ask your husband those questions at home? Oh, he doesn't know anything. I said, well let him ask then.
And maybe he will grow in the Lord and be a help to his brother. And you know what she took that counsel and and her husband that supposedly didn't know anything. He started asking and it was an impulse to him and it was a real blessing in that family and in the end to the assembly as well. So these are principles that are to be applied. What came the word of God out from you or came into you only.
Any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that are right unto you. They are cannot commandments of the Lord. Brethren, these principles are not practiced in Christian circles at large. You know it. And what are they? Are they something that the Apostle Paul was only?
01:05:08
That he gave.
No, these are the commandments of the Lord. And if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
And then at the end, let all things be done decently and in order. If the Lord is in our midst, brethren, should there not be order? If there's not order, we need to get down on our faces before the Lord and confess.
Our need of humiliation.
Why would you concede or would you go along with that if you looked at that 35th verse and read it like this? And if they will learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, not in the assembly, because some people don't. Some women don't have husbands. And for it's a shame because it talks about any assembly or it is a shame for a woman to speak in the church.
So evidently they were asking their husbands questions while during the meeting.
So I say this because I know that there's brothers who feel like you should. A woman should never ask. They should never go to you and ask her question. They should ask their husband. Don't do that to anybody but their husband.
But that's not true. I mean, sometimes maybe, you know, they feel that you could answer their question.
So.
I take it that he says there in the church so that they were they were asking her husband in the well about the meeting was going on and it was it was confusion. So he said ask at home, but that doesn't say that they couldn't ask after the meeting.
I was in connection with that 14th chapter that if somebody speaks, he has a responsibility to consider. He should be speaking as the Oracle of God.
But the instructions that we have here would help us to discern that if the spirits of the prophets then were to be spirit as subject to the prophets, if we're led by the Spirit of God, we would be subject to the order and the things that are written for us in the Word of God. The Spirit of God leads us to submit ourselves to the instructions that we have in this chapter.