Spiritual Gifts - Part
21
Charles E.
Wigg
Verse thirty, (in
practice), would be a very humbling thing to experience. For a brother to be
standing and delivering a message that he has received from the Holy Spirit, to
be approached by another and told to sit down, so that the other person might
speak, this would be a very great test to one’s spirit, but the Apostle suggests
that it might happen. If it did happen, then the person, who is speaking, would
demonstrate his personal control over his own spirit by sitting down.
The words “one by
one”, would at once cancel any idea of all speaking or praying aloud at the one
time. Such is practiced by many so-called Christians, and is a real Babel. I
have been present in such meetings and the noise and confusion was such, that a
little child present with its parents, became terrified because of the terrible
noise, and had to be carried outside. I just remained seated and quietly thanked
God that heaven would never be like that, because if it were so I doubt that I
would want to be there.
Before the chapter
closes, Paul pints out that the role of the woman was that she should be silent
in the Assembly. I have been present in meetings where women are very prominent,
and have taken a very prominent audible and public part; such a practice is
roundly condemned in this chapter. I am told that the women are very active in
meetings where the ‘speaking in tongues’ is practiced. I would point out to my
readers that such behaviour is quite contrary to what is here laid down. So that
even if it is right to ‘speak in tongues’ today, the women are to be silent in
the Assemblies, and because of this are not permitted to exercise what is
obviously wrong. If there were any then, or even today that are bold enough to
disregard what Paul says, then let us pay heed to what he says in verse
thirty-seven, that what he was writing, was indeed the Lord’s commandment, and
we might add that he was writing this at the direct prompting of the Holy
Spirit. If we would desire to be led by, filled by, and used by the Holy Spirit,
then let us obey the Lord’s clear commandment!
If this is so, then
there will be no confusion, no dis-order, but the meetings of the local Church
will be both decent and comely. Let me close with the testimony of a lady in
Dubai.
This lady was a Roman
Catholic, and as she was suffering from some sickness, and was in danger of
losing her eyesight, she went, (when persuaded by her friend), to hear, and
probably to consult a ‘Prophet’ who had come there from India. The good lady
(who was then still a Roman Catholic, but has since been saved), after the
‘Prophet’ had spoken, witnessed scenes that shocked her. She saw people rolling
around in the isles, and behaving in an unseemly manner, (both men and women).
She inquired of her friend, “Whatever is this’, saying that in the Roman
Catholic Church, at least there was some semblance of order. But her friend
replied “This is the power of God”. However it was proved later that the
‘Prophet’ was indeed a wicked man, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Let us
beware!
However she was so
keen to be healed of her sickness, that she allowed, (but regretted later), that
evil man to lay his hands on her and to ‘pray’. She returned to her home, but
from 2.30 in the afternoon, until a similar time the following day, she had the
most terrible headache and feeling of depression that she had ever experienced
in her life, and was not able to lift her head from the pillow. She told me that
she heard a voice telling her that she should never ever allow any person to lay
their hands on her and ‘pray’ again.
In summing up, Paul
tells us that we must not forbid speaking in tongues, though speaking in a
foreign language was to be discouraged unless an interpreter was present, but
that every brother should covet to be near enough to God, as to receive messages
from Him for His gathered people.
Finally confusion was
to be avoided at all costs, and everything was to be done decently and in order.
May it be so, and thus may God’s great and holy name be magnified!