With the foregoing in mind, I would present to you a full picture of 1 Corinthians. These three chapters that we have been considering, chapters twelve through fourteen, are not an isolated portion but simply a part of the whole message of 1 Corinthians; so we must see them in relationship to the whole. Let us take a bird’s eye view of the entire book—it is vital to our understanding of these three chapters.
In chapter one we are told that we have been called into the fellowship of Christ (v. 9). This means that we have been called by God into the enjoyment of Christ. Then we are told that Christ is God’s wisdom and God’s power as our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (vv. 24, 30). In chapter two we are told that this Christ, as God’s wisdom and power, as our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, is the deep things of God (vv. 2, 7, 10); and if we are going to realize all these deep things of God, we must be in the spirit, we must be spiritual (vv. 14, 15). Then we go on to chapter six, where we are told that “he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit” (v. 17). We are one spirit with this Christ, who is the power of God, the wisdom of God, and who is also the righteousness, sanctification, and redemption to us. We are actually one with Him in spirit. Then in chapter ten we are told that this Christ is our meat, our food and our drink (vv. 3, 4); He is our enjoyment. And finally, in chapter fifteen, we are told that this very Christ has been made a life-giving Spirit.
When we put all these points together, we get the full scope of the thought of the Apostle in 1 Corinthians. In the middle of such a book we have this section, chapters twelve through fourteen, dealing with the meetings and the gifts. This reveals to us that if we are going to have the gifts, if we are going to meet in a proper way, we must experience and enjoy the Christ which this book presents; then we will have Him as our life in the spirit in our daily walk. When we come together, then, we need only exercise our spirit to prophesy something of Christ. When we meet together, we can say something of Him whom we have already experienced and enjoyed in our daily living. This is the way for us to meet.
Let us put it in this way. According to the entire context of 1 Corinthians, the proper way for us to meet together is that firstly we must have a daily walk with Christ as our life, with Christ as our enjoyment, with Christ as our everything. Then we will have the very love. Love is the expression of Christ as our life. It includes patience, meekness, endurance, longsuffering, humility; it includes all the virtues of the Christian life. Love is so all-inclusive. Love is simply Christ expressed through us as our living. Love never fails, because love is Christ Himself. Sometimes we must change the word “love” in chapter thirteen of 1 Corinthians into “Christ.” “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not Christ, I am become as sounding brass...” “Christ never fails...Christ is the greatest.” He is the excellent way. Praise Him!
We can never stand up to prophesy in the meetings in a proper way if we are not taking Christ as our life in our daily walk. If we are not enjoying Christ as our life day by day, it is impossible to prophesy in the meetings. If we could, I tell you, we are just pretending. Sometimes when I have offended my wife just a little, before I come to the meeting I must apologize and seek her forgiveness; otherwise, it is rather difficult for me to stand up and function in the meeting. Without dealing with the matter, there is a hole in my conscience. On one hand I encourage everyone to prophesy, to function in the meetings, but sometimes you simply cannot do so, because there is not only one hole, but several holes in your conscience. How can an electric light bulb give light if there is a hole in it? If our conscience is not covered by the blood, we have no boldness to rise and prophesy. Sometimes people ask how I can be so bold and strong to speak in the meetings. It is because I have a conscience without offense. This does not mean that I am perfect, but that I am purged and purified by the cleansing blood. Put it to the test. Suppose that today you have told some lies, not big lies, just small ones. Try to stand up and function in the meeting. If you can, you are just pretending. To prophesy in the meetings depends on our living by Christ in our daily walk. We all can prophesy, but to prophesy in the meetings depends on our living by Christ. If we do not take Christ as our life in our daily walk, it is very difficult to prophesy in the meetings.