林前十四1 你们要追求爱，更要切慕属灵的恩赐，尤其要切慕申言。

　　　　　　12 你们…既渴慕灵，就要为着召会的建造，寻求得以超越。

　　　　　　31 …你们都能一个一个地申言，为要使众人有学习，使众人得勉励。

　　1 Cor. 14:1 Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

　　12 So also you, since you are zealous of spirits, seek that you may excel for the building up of the church.

　　31 For you can all prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

　　一个新受浸的人，你不仅要去喂养他，还要把他带到附近的小排去。你要告诉他：“基督徒是有群性的，不像蝴蝶，而像蜜蜂、羊群一样。我现在带你去见这附近的一班基督徒。”不过，你带他到小排去，他们却不能代替你的工作，你还得继续照顾、喂养他。

　　参加排聚会和去家聚会原则是一样的，你总得是一个复兴的人。你赴会之前，就得先祷告，使自己活了，罪认清了，圣灵也充满了，你就成为一个又能祷、又能唱的活人。在排聚会里一定不离开以下五件事：交通、祷告、互相照顾、真理教导和生命指导。

　　中国人受的传统教导就是少说话。但我们去小排，一见面就要说话…。这时人可能还没有来齐，你也不必等了，就可以祷告起来…。祷告以后…就是彼此照顾。如此，弟兄姊妹彼此熟识、相顾，像一家人一样，这样就能黏住人、托住人、成全人。你所邀来的弟兄也可能会问些问题…。问题一提出来，大家都来解答。一位讲完了，另一位又加上一点，年长、蒙恩多年的可以在末后再讲得深一点。总是建立一个风气，每一个人都答复。这样大家都讲，…大家又都来答复。在解答里不仅有真理的教导，还有生命的指导。…一年下来，大家在真理上、生命上可得到许多的栽培。

　　Not only do you have to feed a newly baptized one, but you must bring him to a nearby small group meeting as well. You need to tell him, “Christians are communal. They are not like the butterflies. Rather they are like the bees and the sheep. Let me take you to see a group of Christians nearby.” However, by bringing him to the small group meeting, you should not let the others take over your job; you have to continue feeding and caring for him.

　　The principle of attending the small group meeting is the same as that for the home meeting. You must be a person who is revived. Before you go to the meeting, you must first pray and have yourself enlivened. You must confess your sins thoroughly and be filled with the Holy Spirit completely. In this way, you will be a praying, singing, and living person. The small group meeting should consist of the following five things: fellowship, prayer, mutual care, the teaching of the truth, and the guidance in life.

　　The Chinese are traditionally taught to be quiet. But when we come to the small group meeting, the minute we see each other, we have to speak. ……Perhaps by that time not everyone has arrived yet. You do not have to wait for everyone to be there. Instead you can start praying ……. After the prayer, …… This is what we mean by mutual care. n this way, the brothers and sisters will get to know each other and will care for each other like members of the same family. This way will capture, support, and perfect people. The brother that you have invited may ask a question, ……once this question is raised up, everyone will answer. After one finishes, another may add on, with more points. The older and more mature ones can speak something deeper at the end. We must build up an atmosphere where everyone answers. In this way, everyone speaks……Everyone begins to answer again. In the answer there is the teaching of the truth as well as the guidance in life. If throughout the fifty-two weeks of the year there is this kind of teaching week after week in the small group meetings, everyone will receive much edification in truth and life.

　　申言是为主说话，并说出主，也就是把基督供应给人，这是召会聚会中最主要的事。林前十四章全章专讲申言，它且高举申言，推广、介绍、鼓励人申言。

　　神所要的乃是一个团体的器皿，就是召会，基督的身体。…在圣经中特别有一章讲到召会的建造，就是林前十四章。它提到建造，至少有五次之多。在这一章中，不讲别的，专讲申言，因为申言才能建造召会；其中有几节是重要的。第一节说，“要切慕属灵的恩赐，尤其要切慕申言。”三至四节说，“申言…是对人讲说建造、勉励和安慰。…申言…乃是建造召会。”十二节说，“你们…既渴慕灵，就要为着召会的建造，寻求得以超越。”二十四节说，“若众人都申言，有不信的…人进来，他就被众人劝服，被众人审明了。”三十一节说，“你们都能一个一个地申言，为要使众人有学习，使众人得勉励。”由此可见，…借着说主的话，释放基督的丰富，把基督的丰富分赐到与会的人里面。末了，三十九节又说，“所以我弟兄们，你们要切慕申言。”这样看来，本章从头至尾都在劝我们要申言。

　　为主申言虽不是一件容易的事，但我们知道，圣经上所写的，一定要应验。主也曾说过：“天地要过去，但我的话绝不能过去。”（太二四35。）林前十四章是神的话，若是不应验，召会不能得着建造，主也不会回来。因此保罗说，要追求爱，也要切慕申言（新路生机的实行，二四至二六、一一、三六至三七、七五页）。

　　To prophesy is to speak for the Lord and to speak forth the Lord. It is to supply Christ to others. This is the main work in the church meetings. The whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 14 talks about prophesying. It promotes, uplifts, recommends, and encourages prophesying.

　　What God wants is a corporate vessel, which is the church, the Body of Christ. ……In the end, we see that there is one chapter in the Bible that talks about the building up of the church. It is 1 Corinthians chapter fourteen. It mentions the word “building” at least five times. This chapter deals with nothing other than prophesying. Only prophesying builds up the church. A few verses are particularly important. Verse 1 says, “Desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy.” Verses 3 and 4 say, “He who prophesies speaks to men for building up and encouragement and consolation....he who prophesies builds up the church.” Verse 12 says, “Since you are zealots of spiritual gifts, seek that you may abound to the building up of the church.” Verse 24 says, “But if all prophesy and some unbeliever or unlearned person enters, he is convicted by all, he is judged by all.” Verse 31 says, “For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all be encouraged.” From these verses, we see that the most important thing with our meeting is the prophesying, which is to speak for the Lord, to speak Him forth, and to speak the Lord into people. Through the speaking of the Lord's word, the riches of Christ are released and are dispensed into all the attendants. Finally, verse 39 says, “Therefore, my brothers, desire earnestly to prophesy.” From this, we can see that this whole chapter is on prophesying from beginning to end.

　　Although prophesying is not an easy matter, we know that what is recorded in the Bible must be fulfilled. The Lord says that “the heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my words shall by no means pass away” (Matt. 24:35). First Corinthians 14 is the word of God. If this word is not fulfilled, the church will not be built up, and the Lord will not return. This is why Paul said that we have to pursue love and to desire earnestly the matter of prophesying.