Let us first look at the book of 1 Timothy. First Timothy 4:1 says, “But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons.” I believe we all understand now that the mention of the Spirit in this way indicates that this Spirit is not purely the objective Holy Spirit, but the objective Holy Spirit becoming the subjective Holy Spirit dwelling in our spirit and being mingled with our spirit as one spirit. This Spirit was speaking in the apostle Paul and in the saints. This is not like the prophets prophesying in the Old Testament according to the Spirit of Jehovah who descended upon them outwardly. With us in the New Testament, it is the Spirit of life dwelling in our spirit and being mingled with us as one spirit speaking the word of God.
When the apostle wrote the Epistles to Timothy, the church was already in degradation and confusion. At such times, God does not care much for the outward prophesying of the prophets because it is merely the speaking of some extraordinary words by the prophets after the objective Spirit of God had come upon them. That was the Old Testament way of prophesying, but it is not considered important in the New Testament. I am not saying that there is no such prophesying or that such prophesying is wrong. I am simply saying that it is not considered important. The New Testament pays attention to the fact that the Spirit of life comes into our spirit to be mingled with our spirit as one spirit and that we speak according to the feeling in our spirit. First Corinthians 7 is the best example of this. Obviously it was Paul speaking there because he said clearly that he was giving his opinion without having a commandment from the Lord. However, he eventually said, “I think that I also have the Spirit of God” (v. 40).
When you read the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, however, and when you read the prophecies spoken by the prophets in the Old Testament, you can see that they were not the prophets’ own way of speaking but rather God’s way of speaking. When the Spirit of Jehovah came to, or descended upon, Jeremiah, he began to speak, “I, Jehovah, say this and that.” The Old Testament prophets all spoke in God’s “tone.” However, when you read the New Testament Epistles, such as Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, you will notice that none of them has God’s “tone.” Rather, they were all written in the writer’s tone. Although they were the writer’s words, they were considered God’s words. This is because in the New Testament age everything is in the principle of incarnation, which is the principle of God mingled with man. In the Old Testament it was the Spirit of God falling upon man and using man as a vessel, just as the Spirit of God fell upon a donkey and used the donkey as a vessel to speak human language. That was the Old Testament principle. According to the Old Testament principle, there was no mingling of God and man. Rather, there was only God descending upon man and using man as a mouth, a vessel, a trumpet. But the New Testament principle is different. In the New Testament God enters into man and mingles with man to become one entity. Consequently, it was Paul speaking, it was Paul writing to the saints in Corinth, and it was Paul commanding and speaking. When Paul spoke, however, the Spirit who was mingled with Paul also spoke. Thus, the tone of speaking in the New Testament is man’s tone.
I am pointing out this matter with a purpose. Today you can see that the tongues spoken in the Pentecostal movement all sound like God’s own speaking. They are all spoken in the first person: “I will do this or I will do that.” Moreover, they frequently prophesy by saying: “O My people, My day has drawn near. Be prepared!” If you listen carefully to their words or expressions, you will notice that they are words found either in Isaiah or in Jeremiah. Brothers and sisters, you have to know that this is against the New Testament principle.
Please read the book of Acts. Does it have a record of such a prophecy spoken by the apostles? There is no such record either in Acts or in the Epistles. Today in the degradation of the church, you will be deceived if you listen to these outward speakings. Thus, in the time of the degradation of the church, the apostle Paul wrote a letter with this phrase: “The Spirit says expressly.” It is not the objective Holy Spirit speaking to us, as people suppose. Rather, it is the Spirit of life who dwells in us and who has been mingled with our spirit into one spirit speaking within us.
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