I have read the Bible for many years, but not until recently did I discover that in the book of Numbers in the Old Testament there is the concept that everyone must speak the word of God, or that everyone may speak the word of God, or, we might say, that everyone is able to speak the word of God. In summary we might say that one who is saved, one who serves the Lord, has the qualification, the right, the ability, and also the responsibility and burden to speak the word of God.
In Numbers 11 Moses felt that the responsibility on him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt into Canaan was too heavy (v. 14). God then told him, “Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel...and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation” (v. 16). Moses obeyed, and out of the seventy persons, sixty-eight came before the tabernacle. Then the Spirit fell upon all of them, and they were moved to speak. The original text says that they were all prophets (v. 29), but the Chinese Union Version of the Bible did not dare to translate it this way. The sixty-eight persons all became prophets, and all were speaking for God. Meanwhile, the Spirit also rested upon the two who remained in their own tents, and they prophesied in the camp. Some saw it and were jealous and told it to Joshua, Moses’ helper. Then Joshua came to beseech Moses and said, “My lord Moses, forbid them” (v. 28). Moses rebuked him immediately saying, “Enviest thou for my sake?” (v. 29). Then he spoke this sentence, “Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets.”
When I saw this verse, there was a strong response within me, because several years earlier in America I had the boldness to tell people that every one of them could be an apostle, a prophet, an evangelist, a shepherd, and a teacher. I gave examples showing that even the teenage sisters could be such persons. For instance, suppose your grandparents are not yet saved and you go home and tell them, “Grandpa, I have now received the best blessing.” Then you begin to speak the gospel to him and also to your grandmother. Finally, if the two older folks are touched and receive the Lord, are you not then an evangelist? Suppose your grandparents live in the countryside where there is no church, and you thus preach the gospel to them and they are saved. Then, suppose you bring a few brothers with you and go to them and baptize them, and you tell the two of them to begin to meet there. By doing this you establish a church there. Are you not therefore an apostle? And if you continue to go to them to speak to them, then you are a prophet. Furthermore, if you teach them, you become a shepherd and a teacher. In this way, you have all the four jobs in one person. It is risky for me to speak in this way. Praise the Lord, now I have found a solid ground in the Old Testament, and now I can be bold.
Paul also spoke this kind of word. In 1 Corinthians 14:31 Paul said, “You can all prophesy one by one.” The Chinese Union Version says, “All may prophesy.” The Greek has both meanings: “all may” means also “all can.” However, “may” refers to right, and “can” refers to ability. This word in Greek includes the right and also the ability. The Chinese Union Version translated this word “may”; our Recovery Version renders it “can.”