This is Sunday evening, November 4, 1973, in Richmond. Ministry is being given through Brother Stephen Kong.
We have been fellowshipping together recently on 1 Corinthians. Tonight we will consider 1 Corinthians 12.
But concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye might be led.
Wherefore I make known unto you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord.
And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal.
For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit:
To another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;
And to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as He will.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased Him.
And if they were all one member, where were the body?
But now they are many members, but one body.
And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary:
And those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness;
Whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked;
That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof.
The first letter of Paul to the Corinthians is a most practical letter. It deals with many questions that the Corinthian believers asked Paul about. More than that, Paul instructs them on things that he feels are of vital importance.
Whatever is mentioned in 1 Corinthians is very practical. As we have gone through some of these matters, we know how practical they are.
But up to chapter 12, all that Paul has dealt with—all the questions and problems—are concerned with things that happen on earth, in the earthly realm. For instance, there is the matter of division, the matter of going to court, the matter of marriage, the matter of eating things offered to idols, and the matter of social activity: whether a person can go to a heathen temple and eat with other people.
You will find that all these things happen in the earthly realm, on that level. But now Paul is going to turn to another realm. Because of that, you find this chapter begins, “But concerning the spiritual.”
As you read your version, you will probably find, after the word spiritual, some other description in parentheses. Whenever you find something in parentheses, you know that it is a translator’s interpretation.
In other words, if it merely says, “concerning the spiritual,” what is it? It does not convey any definite meaning. So translators try to put in what they understand the meaning to be. But, of course, they know it is not in the original.
In some versions, you may find “concerning spiritual things.” In other versions, “concerning spiritual gifts.” In still others, “concerning spiritual manifestations.” Some even offer, “concerning spiritual men.”
What is it that this chapter and the following chapters are really concerned with? I think an understanding of the heading is very important, because then we know exactly the scope of these chapters.
No doubt, the church in Corinth was very rich in spiritual gifts. Probably it is very difficult today to find a church that was as rich in spiritual gifts as the church in Corinth.
Most likely, they did ask Paul about these gifts. The spiritual gifts were so abundant that they caused a great deal of confusion—not that these gifts were wrong, but something must have been lacking. No doubt the Corinthian believers raised this question with Paul: “Now, how about the spiritual?”
Strictly speaking, in the original, it is plural: “concerning the spirituals.” That makes it even more difficult. What do you mean by “the spirituals”?
I think one of the best explanations or interpretations that I have ever come in touch with was given by Dr. Campbell Morgan. Dr. Campbell Morgan is called the prince of expositors.
According to Brother Morgan, the word in the original should be translated, “concerning the spiritual.” But people do not know what “the spiritual” means, so he felt that in English it should be rendered, “concerning spirituality.”
Paul is turning away from that realm of life into the spiritual realm. When you enter into the spiritual realm, there are many things that we need to know. There are certain spiritual principles in the spiritual realm that we ought to understand, because the lack of such understanding will result in confusion.
Dr. Morgan feels that, starting with 1 Corinthians 12:1, the subject continues through chapter 15. In other words, it is not limited simply to chapter 12, or even chapters 12 through 14, but embraces all the succeeding chapters up to and including chapter 15. I am inclined to agree with him. I do not know how you feel, but I hope you will take it to the Lord, read it again, and see.
As Paul begins to deal with this matter of the spiritual, he leads them back to the days when they were yet unbelievers.
He says, “But concerning the spiritual, brethren, I do not wish you to be ignorant.” There are certain understandings that are very necessary as you enter into the spiritual realm.
“You know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away unto dumb idols, howsoever ye might be led.” These Corinthians had been idol worshippers. What were these idols? They were dumb idols.
The Bible always describes idols as dumb, deaf, and blind, and so forth, because they are dumb. These idols cannot speak.
When the Corinthians worshipped these idols, they were led to worship them. The idols themselves were dumb, but why did they go to the idols to worship? They went there to seek guidance.
The idols were dumb, yet oracles came out from the temple. That is to say, the idols were dumb, but evil spirits were very active and articulate through the mediums and through the priests or priestesses.
People went to the temple to worship these idols. They sought for oracles, and oracles were given—not from the idols, of course, but from the evil spirits behind the idols.
During those days, when they were idol worshippers, there was no direct relationship. All communication and relationship were indirect, through a medium. They had no experience of direct communication. Their whole relationship was indirect, and they were blindly led. They never questioned; they accepted everything.
But now something had happened. They believed in the Lord Jesus. There was direct communication with God. Their relationship with the living God was no longer an indirect one; it had become a direct one.
They did not need to go through a medium to communicate with God, because the Spirit of God Himself dwelt in them. It was a new experience. They had entered into the spiritual realm personally and directly, and it was very new to them.
Formerly, as it were, they were outside of the spiritual. But now they had been ushered into the spiritual realm. Thank God, now the Spirit of God dwelt in them. They did not need any intermediary. They could have direct communication with God.
Because this was so new, Paul said there is a test as to whether a spirit is of God or is not of God. There is a test: the spirit that confesses that Jesus is Lord is the Spirit of God. But if the spirit does not confess Jesus as Lord, it is not the Holy Spirit, but an evil spirit.
Now, brothers and sisters, Paul is saying that you have entered into the spiritual realm, and God does not want you to be led blindly. He wants you to enter into it with understanding.
Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits. Dear brothers and sisters, today God’s people are afraid to test the spirits. They think that if you test the spirit, it means you doubt and do not believe. But the Spirit of God tells us to test it. He challenges us to test it.
The Spirit of truth is not afraid to be tested. The more He is tested, the purer He becomes.
In the spiritual realm, you cannot see everything. There is the Spirit of God, and there are counterfeit spirits. How do you test this? Does the spirit confess that Jesus is Lord?
I do not know too much about what is happening in this country, but in the country from which I came, people worship demons and devils. Therefore, demon possession was very common—very common.
The one thing that really can find out whether the spirit is of God or of the devil is this: when a person is possessed, speaking, or acting under some influence of a spirit, you can hardly judge by what they say or by what they do, because evil spirits may also prophesy, and the prophecy may come to pass.
So how do you test the spirit? When a person is under the influence of a spirit, a believer can challenge that spirit—not the person, but the spirit.
An evil spirit is very evasive and subtle. If you challenge the person, the person will answer you. You have to challenge the spirit upon that person as to whether it acknowledges Jesus as Lord.
A hundred times out of a hundred, it has never failed: if it is not the Spirit of God, that spirit will refuse to confess Jesus as Lord. Sometimes it will try to evade, saying one word and stopping, and then saying another word. It will not confess constructively. This shows that the evil spirit will not recognize that Jesus is Lord.
But if it is the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit in a person confesses, “Lord Jesus.” Now, this is the test.
Of course, dear brothers and sisters, the principle can be applied in a much broader area. It is not limited to a person under the influence of a spirit. Wherever there is a manifestation of any kind, whether in action or speech, is the Lord Jesus exalted? If so, it is the Spirit of God.
But, dear brothers and sisters, this is not my burden tonight. My burden tonight is very simple.
The Corinthian believers were very rich. Now, what are spiritual gifts? Spiritual gifts are the manifestations of the Spirit.
Do not separate spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit. Why? Because spiritual gifts are all manifestations of the Spirit.
Sometimes we take spiritual gifts as things in themselves, divorced from the Holy Spirit. But when you read 1 Corinthians 12, you find that spiritual gifts are nothing but the manifestations of the Spirit in the body—the body of Christ.
The Corinthian believers were very rich in spiritual manifestations. The manifestations of the Spirit were very full and abundant. We would think that if there were such manifestations and such spiritual gifts, surely the church would be greatly edified and built up. Perfect.
But the Corinthians were different. Normally, that should be the case. The more gifts there are, the more manifestations there are, the more the body should be edified. Why should the Holy Spirit manifest Himself in these gifts? For the building up of the body.
Normally, that should be true. But, dear brothers and sisters, a strange thing happened in the church at Corinth. Instead of building up, it tore down. Why?
They had all the spiritual manifestations, but they did not know the why and the how of spiritual manifestation. The gifts were there, so the manifestations were there.
Oftentimes, we think that 1 Corinthians 12 is a chapter on spiritual gifts. If you read it carefully, you will find that Paul touches upon these gifts, but he is not really dealing with spiritual gifts. He is beginning with something else.
What is Paul really trying to say to us in relation to spiritual manifestation—to spirituality? It is as if Paul says, “Thank God for all these spiritual gifts and manifestations; but if you only know two things, if you only know two basic principles, then all these manifestations would be profitable and edifying. But if you do not know these things, you will make a mess of it.”
Paul is dealing with something that governs spiritual gifts and spiritual manifestations. Dear brothers and sisters, what are these things?
Why does Paul begin this chapter with, “Unless you are in the power of the Spirit of God, you cannot say, ‘Jesus is Lord’”?
Spiritual manifestations are all manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the members of the body of Christ. These are given for the building up of the body. But before you think about the body, you need to see something else. You need to see the Head.
That is the reason why Paul says, “Unless you are in the power of the Holy Spirit, you cannot say, ‘Jesus is Lord.’” He is trying to lead the Corinthian believers to see one thing: the lordship, the headship, of Christ.
Unless, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we see that Jesus is Lord, spiritual things are not real.
Brothers and sisters, this is not merely saying it or repeating it as a formula or a slogan. It is becoming popular today, and thank God for that. But remember, it is more than a slogan. It is more than a formula.
You may shout a slogan; you may repeat a formula. But if it is not in the power of the Holy Spirit, it is not real. It is not because you say, “Jesus is Lord,” that you are therefore in the power of the Holy Spirit—not at all.
What Paul is dealing with is reality. Unless you are under the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is not Lord in your life. But the Holy Spirit comes for one purpose: to make Jesus Lord in your life.
Is that not the work of the Holy Spirit? Is that not the reason why the Holy Spirit was poured out?
Go back to Acts 2, the day of Pentecost. There you find one hundred and twenty people assembled together in one accord—the most perfect congregation you could ever find on earth: one hundred and twenty excellent members.
They were continuing steadfastly before the Lord. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down upon them. There was the sound of a rushing mighty wind, and tongues as of fire resting upon each one of them. Then they began to speak in tongues and to glorify God.
Because of this, rumors began to spread and people began to come. They could not all come to that upper room, because no upper room could accommodate so many people. Evidently, they must have moved to the temple.
People gathered around them and began to marvel and wonder what had happened. Peter and the eleven stood up and explained.
Go back to Acts 2. In the conclusion of Peter’s message, he says:
Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear.
They saw and they heard. But Peter said, “What you see and hear is the Holy Spirit that has been poured out.” For what reason? Verse 36 gives the answer:
Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.
Brothers and sisters, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit—the Holy Spirit coming down and all being baptized in the Spirit—what does it mean? What did the Holy Spirit come down to do? To make real and to prove that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ.
When the Lord Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives, the brethren assembled there saw Him going up. Then a cloud received Him out of their sight, and they were still looking up.
Where did Jesus go? Today we all say that He went to the Father because He told us so. But did He arrive there? How do we know that He arrived? Nobody told the disciples that He had arrived.
How do we know that our Lord Jesus, after He was raised from the dead and ascended, did arrive as a living Man at the Father’s right hand? We know because the Holy Spirit came down.
As the Lord ascended to the Father, the Father anointed Him with the Spirit. The oil flows down to the beard and even to the skirts of the garments. There is the picture.
Because the Lord Jesus arrived, He was anointed as Lord and Christ. Therefore, the Holy Spirit was poured down upon the church.
What you see and hear—the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the coming of the Holy Spirit—what does it mean? He comes to accomplish one thing: to make it sure, to assure us, and to make it real that Jesus, the crucified One, is now the glorified One. He is the Lord.
That is the meaning of Pentecost. The sound and the sight are incidental. The essential thing is that Jesus is Lord.
The Holy Spirit came to prove to us that Jesus is now made Lord and Christ, and the Holy Spirit is to make this real in our lives. Only the Holy Spirit can make Jesus Lord in our lives in a real way. He is doing it. The Holy Spirit comes to glorify Him.
The Head—oh, brothers and sisters. Do you know why the Corinthian believers, who were so gifted, were yet so confused? It was because they failed to see the Head.
Each one of them was head to himself, even in the exercise of spiritual gifts. In other words, they displayed their gifts for their own benefit. Their lives were not under the headship, the lordship, of Christ.
That is the most important principle when you enter into the spiritual. Do not touch the spiritual realm if you do not know the Lord. It is the most dangerous realm to enter into.
But if you know the lordship of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, brothers and sisters, there is nothing more beautiful. You will see and experience the spiritual realm under the lordship of Christ, holding fast the Head.
Then the body will be fitly framed and rightly joined together. The Head—the Head. Brothers and sisters, this is what is needed today among God’s people. We need to see the Head.
We need to bow before the Lord and say, “Lord, You are Lord. You indeed are our Lord.” Not merely say it, but by the Holy Spirit let it become real.
When the lordship, the headship, of Christ is established, then Paul begins to tell us about the body.
For even as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
This is one of the tremendous statements in Scripture. It may sound very obvious: “As the body is one, and has many members”—we all know that. “All the members of the body, being many, are one body”—surely, even a little child knows that.
But then comes the statement, “So also is the Christ.” Everyone who reads this verse tends to read it differently: “So also is the church.” Certainly, the church is one body with many members. But that is an interpretation. The statement is, “So also is the Christ.”
We might say, “So also is the body of Christ.” But that is an interpretation too. The Bible says, “So also is the Christ.”
Those who know Greek tell us that Greek is a very exact language. Sometimes in the Greek original you find the word Christ without an article; sometimes you find it with the definite article, the Christ.
When Christ is used without an article, it refers to Christ personally—Christ as a person Himself. But when you find the article, the Christ, it refers to Christ and the church: the corporate Christ.
Christ and the church are the corporate Christ. Here, even though the body is one and has many members, and though the members are many, yet they are one body—so also is the Christ.
Christ is the Head. The church is His body: Christ in His corporate expression.
Why is it called the Christ? The reason is very simple: because the body is none other than the expression, or the outgrowth, of the Head. The body comes out of the Head and is united to the Head, just as Eve came out of Adam and was united with Adam.
What is the body of Christ? Suppose, for the sake of illustration, that on this earth we are the only believers. Do we make up the church, the body of Christ? Yes and no.
Yes, in the sense that the church is made up of those whom God has called out and gathered together unto His name. We have been called out, and we gather together unto Him. Surely, this is the church of God.
But strictly speaking, no. Why? Because even though we have been called out, oftentimes we are like the children of Israel: they came out of Egypt, but Egypt had not come out of them.
It is true that we have been called out and gathered together. But when we gather together, there is not only that which is of Christ in us; there is a lot of rubbish—ourselves, our flesh, and all these foreign particles.
How can the body stand with all these foreign particles? The body rejects that which is foreign.
Strictly speaking, what is the church? What is the body of Christ? Only that which comes out of Christ can be united with Christ. The body and the Head are one in life.
It is Christ in you and Christ in me. But remember, it requires and demands that you and I be on the cross.
If we try to project ourselves into the body, that is foreign. The body cannot take it; it rejects it. So you find that the body is made up of many members, but what is emphasized here is Christ in you and Christ in me. That makes up the real body.
If we live in Christ, if we abide in Christ, then we live in the Spirit and touch that which is spiritual. If we live in the flesh and live in Adam, we are in the world and touch the worldly.
So also is the Christ. But how is this body formed? By what power? By what means is this body formed?
You are saved, I am saved, and we are individually saved. You cannot be saved corporately. The father cannot be saved for the children, and the children cannot be saved for the parents.
Even though there is a promise, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house,” each person must be saved individually and personally. The promise can be claimed and applied.
All these members have been gathered out. But how do they become one body?
This is the only explanation given in the epistles telling us what is meant by baptism in the Holy Spirit. What does baptism in the Holy Spirit do for us? Verse 13:
For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.
What is the meaning of baptism in the Holy Spirit? Number one: Jesus is Lord—this establishes the Head. Number two: in one Spirit we have all been baptized into one body.
Do you know what the Holy Spirit does in your life? One work is to put the Lord Jesus in you: you are born again. The other work is to put you in the body of Christ.
Formerly, we were different members, each on his own. But the Holy Spirit has taken us, and in Him we were all baptized into one body.
Before the Holy Spirit came, you find a congregation of one hundred and twenty individual members. They were together, but they were not one. But the Holy Spirit came, and they were baptized into one body.
A congregation of one hundred and twenty members is very different from a body with one hundred and twenty members. It is entirely different. This is what the Holy Spirit has done. This is the meaning of it.
In the whole New Testament, only these two places explain to us the meaning of baptism in the Holy Spirit: the lordship of Christ, that we may hold fast the Head; and the body, that we may be one body, members one of another.
Not knowing these two principles—not holding fast the Head and not seeing the body—what is the result? Gifts become problems instead of profitable ministries. The more gifted, the more problems.
If we are less gifted, we need one another. But if we are very gifted, you will find that very rarely can gifted people get along.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, when Paul tries to help these Corinthian believers, he is not pouring cold water upon them about manifestations—not at all. They had plenty of manifestations.
But their problem was that they did not hold fast the Head. They did not see the body. That was their problem.
If only they could be brought into this reality, every member in the body would function beautifully, under the Head and in coordination. The body would be built up.
But when you begin to notice the body, several questions arise. Number one: “If the foot shall say, Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body”; or if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body”—does that make it not part of the body? Of course not.
When people begin to see the body, they often try to be a more prominent member. The foot is low down; the hand is high up. The ear is behind; the eye is in front. So you find that those who are low down and far behind often complain.
“Oh, because I am not a hand, I am not of the body. Unless I am the hand, I am not of the body. Because I am not an eye, therefore I am not of the body.”
Brothers and sisters, how human we are. Even when we enter into the spiritual realm and begin to see the body, immediately temptation comes. We want to be the greater one. We think that is the greater one.
We are not contented and satisfied with where God has set us. Do you know the reason why? That proves that we have not seen the body.
If we have seen the body, we will not be jealous of others. We will not be dissatisfied with where God has placed us.
Yes, the hands are high up and the feet are lower down. But without the feet, how far can the hand go? Your hand can reach out only a few feet, no more. But with the feet, oh, how far you can go.
Brothers and sisters, all the time you find such things happening. Usually those who are, humanly speaking, less distinguished or more hidden will complain. Why? Self, self, self-pity, self-love. They do not see the body.
If all the members were eyes, where would the body be?
Number two: there is the problem with those who are lower down and further back, but there is also the problem with those who are high up.
The eye says to the hand, “I have no need of you.” The head says to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
The higher members may humiliate people. Actually, God has put all the members in the body. There is no inferior and no superior; it is the body.
Yet, humanly speaking, those who may be a little higher may say, “I do not need you.” How often people who are more gifted think that they are all-round. Their temptation is to think that they can stand by themselves without the help of brothers and sisters. That is their condition.
Many years ago, when I was teaching, I had very bad teeth. The doctor decided to pull out my teeth—first the upper jaw, all the teeth around. But I still had to go to school and teach.
My students were very good. They did not laugh at me when I was teaching. But I found my problem.
I often think that teeth are for eating and the tongue is for speaking. That is right. But at that time I discovered one thing: even though the tongue is for speaking, if you are without teeth, you cannot pronounce correctly.
However gifted one member may be, he cannot fully fulfill his gift without the help of another member.
Now, about eating: you say you eat with your teeth. Right. But suppose you have no tongue. What would happen? You would have to use your finger to move things around.
It is your tongue that moves the food around. Where it needs to be ground, it moves it to the back. When it needs to be cut, it moves it a little forward. Who is doing that? Your tongue is doing that.
I do not know whether you have noticed that. It works so well.
So you find that even the teeth, in chewing food, need the help of the tongue. Otherwise, they cannot fulfill their function.
It is true that God has set everyone in the body, and each member has a particular function. Yet, in function, you find that there needs to be coordination and cooperation. No one can take the place of the other. Why? The Lord is interested in the body.
Then, of course, in the body you may have what seem to be weaker members. I have to confess before you, brothers and sisters, that I have read this many, many times. I have consulted many authorities, but I still do not know exactly to what these verses apply.
Whether these weaker members are really weaker members, I do not know. If you read it, you find, “the members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary.” They may not actually be weaker; they only seem to be weaker. Yet they are necessary.
I wonder whether these members which seem to be weaker refer to the internal organs. Your outward members seem to have some strength, but your internal organs seem very weak. They need to be protected; you cannot touch them.
But are not these internal organs very necessary? Take away your stomach, and then cut in. The weaker members which seem to be weaker are necessary—very necessary.
Let me try to comfort some of the sisters. The Bible may say that women are weaker vessels. Perhaps your ministry is more hidden, but here the word is “necessary.” Suppose there were none; then you see what would happen.
I really do not know what is meant by the less honorable or the less comely parts, to which God gives more honor and more comeliness. I do not know. I wonder whether God means those who display gifts. I do not know.
But anyway, I know one thing: the Lord says that there may be no division in the body—no division in the body. God knows how to balance everything.
Then finally, it says, “If one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is glorified, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are Christ’s body, and members in particular.”
There is such unity in the body that when one member suffers, the whole body suffers.
Before I had my teeth pulled, I knew so much about toothache. Just one tooth aches, and you do not know how your whole body suffers. People who have never had toothache can never sympathize with you.
You do not know how uncomfortable you are. It is simply miserable. The whole body is down.
But if one member is glorified, the whole body rejoices. If your eyes see a beautiful picture, your whole body is happy.
That is the relationship of the members of the body of Christ.
Is this not the very basic matter in the spiritual? Why manifestations? To whom are the gifts given?
The gifts are given to the members of the body of Christ: a living Head with a living body. All the members are living and functioning according to the gift that God has given to each, for the building up of the body in love.
This is what God desires.
So, brothers and sisters, I wonder whether we need to see this. As, by the grace of God, God’s people are entering into spirituality, it is very, very necessary that we see the Head and see the body.
If you see these two things, brothers and sisters, the Spirit of God can work mighty works to the accomplishing of God’s eternal purpose. Shall we pray?
Oh, heavenly Father, we praise and thank Thee. With the coming of Thy Spirit, Thou hast not only regenerated us, but Thou hast led us into the spiritual realm, that we may touch that which is spiritual.
O Lord, it is a new world to us, and we do need enlightenment. We do need understanding.
O Lord, we pray that Thou wilt give Thy people a vision of the Head, the lordship of Christ. O, by Thy Holy Spirit, make this very real to us, that we may truly be under the Head and hold fast the Head.
And Lord, give us a vision of the body, that we may not be independent, but may be rightly related one to another in love and in submission.
O Lord, may Thy body grow into maturity, into the Head.
Lord, bless Thy people. We ask in Thy precious name.