THE WAY TO PRACTICE THE HOME MEETINGS—SPEAKING IN THE CHURCH MEETINGS (3)
1 Corinthians 14:26 says, “What then, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation.” A psalm is not only for singing. Ephesians 5 tells us to speak to one another in psalms and hymns. Psalms are not only for singing but also for speaking. Teachings surely are for speaking, and revelation is a kind of speaking. First Corinthians 14:26 continues, “Has a tongue, has an interpretation.” These are all for speaking. A psalm is for speaking and singing. A teaching is for speaking. A revelation is for speaking. A tongue is for speaking. An interpretation of a tongue is for speaking. All of the five items that are mentioned in relation to the Christian meetings are for speaking.
Then what are we to speak? Concerning all these kinds of speakings, Paul says in 14:1, “Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” The word prophesy, both in Hebrew and in Greek, in both the Old and New Testaments, denotes three things. First, to prophesy is to speak for God, to tell people something for God. Second, it is to speak forth God, to tell something forth concerning God. Third, it is to foretell, to tell beforehand, that something will happen. The third denotation is a matter of prediction. Today many Christians understand this word prophesy only to mean “predict” or “foretell.” But if you read 1 Corinthians 14, you can understand that the word prophesy in this chapter does not refer mainly to foretelling but rather to speaking forth Christ and to speaking for Christ. To prophesy in this chapter is just to speak forth the things concerning God and to speak for God, or you may say, to speak forth the things concerning Christ and to speak for Christ. Then verse 3 says, “He who prophesies speaks building up and encouragement and consolation to men.” This is surely not a prediction but rather a kind of speaking in the word of wisdom or in the word of knowledge to build others up and to encourage, comfort, and console others.
Then verse 4 says, “He who prophesies builds up the church.” To speak forth Christ and to speak for Christ builds up the church. Verses 23 through 26 say, “If therefore the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak in tongues, and some unlearned in tongues or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are insane? But if all prophesy and some unbeliever or unlearned person enters, he is convicted by all, he is examined by all; the secrets of his heart become manifest; and so falling on his face, he will worship God, declaring that indeed God is among you. What then, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.” Each one has! You have a psalm. I have a teaching. He has a revelation. Another has a tongue. And a fifth one has an interpretation. This is mutuality. A basketball team has five players. However, if one player keeps the ball to himself and never lets it go, that is not mutuality but rather individuality. The principle is the same in the meetings. We must practice mutuality. If during a meeting only one person speaks the entire time, everyone will leave feeling poor. But if everyone speaks mutually, the meeting will be very much enriched. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 3, “The Home Meetings–the Unique Way for the Increase and the Building Up of the Church”, pp. 150-152)
The church in Zamboanga 