林前十四3　但那申言的，是对人讲说建造、勉励和安慰。

　　　　　　5　我愿意……你们申言；……使召会得建造……。

　　　　　　31　因为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。

　　借着享受基督而在生命里长大，所发展的一切恩赐中，最高的恩赐乃是申言。这是超越的恩赐，因为这恩赐建造召会（林前十四4下~5）。在林前十二章，就是论到恩赐的一章，最后一节里，保罗告诉我们要切慕那更大的恩赐（建造召会的超越恩赐，二○页）。

　　在新约中，有一章圣经专特说到申言这件事，那就是林前十四章。这一章圣经共四十节，一开头就说，“你们要追求爱，更要切慕属灵的恩赐，尤其要切慕申言。”（1）这是因为申言乃是超越的恩赐。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。”超越一辞，原文指充盈、满溢、洋溢，也指超越。……我们追求主到一个地步，就是要能申言，为主说话，并说出主，把主说到人里面，供应基督以建造召会（新约福音祭司的尽职，三二页）。

　　1 Cor. 14:3 But he who prophesies speaks building up and encouragement and consolation to men.

　　5 I desire…especially that you would prophesy…that the church may receive building up.

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

　　Among all the gifts that are developed in the growth in life through the enjoyment of Christ, the top gift is prophesying. This is the excelling gift because it builds up the church (1 Cor. 14:4b-5). In the last verse of 1 Corinthians 12, a chapter on the gifts, Paul tells us to earnestly desire the greater gifts. (CWWL, 1988, vol. 4,”The Excelling Gift for the Building Up of the Church,” p. 455)

　　In the New Testament 1 Corinthians 14 is a chapter that especially speaks concerning prophesying. Because prophesying is the excelling gift, this chapter of forty verses begins with this word:”Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy” (v. 1). Verse 12 says,”Since you are zealous of spirits, seek that you may excel for the building up of the church.” The word excel in Greek denotes”to become full, to abound, to overflow,” hence”to excel”…We should pursue the Lord to such an extent that we can prophesy, speaking for the Lord, speaking forth the Lord, and speaking the Lord into others, that we may minister Christ for the building up of the church. (CWWL, 1989, vol. 2,”The Ministry of the New Testament Priests of the Gospel,” p. 256)

　　新约信徒蒙神拯救，作君王、作祭司，并作申言者为神申言（启一5~6，二十4下、6下，林前十四31）。神愿意每一位信徒都能申言，就是为祂说话，并说出祂（真理课程三级卷二，一四四页）。

　　神说话的灵急切盼望我们说话。在新约，神是借着成为肉体的原则运行。神不凭着祂自己作什么，特别在说话的事上。……

　　祂喜欢借着我们说话，并在我们里面说话。……当我们讲说时，我们所说出的主是同着我们说，并在我们里面说。我们若不说话，神就无法说话，但每逢我们敞开说话，盼望说话的那灵就立即随着我们，并加入我们说话。至终，很难说是祂还是我们在说话。

　　那灵总是预备好，期盼同着我们并借着我们说话，但我们总是不肯与那灵合作说话。每逢我们来聚会，我们必须试着说话。实在说来，我们说得正确或不正确，说得好或坏，都不要紧。只要我们说话，神就欢喜。父母总是喜欢听年幼的儿女们说话。……多年来，我们的天父未曾看见我们在聚会中多说话，这必定使祂烦恼。我们来聚会若是说话，即使说得不正确，祂也是高兴的。说得不正确比不说要好得多。当一个人说话，即使是不正确的，他也是在学习供应别人（申言的实行，四四至四五页）。

　　就着为主说话并说出主的意义而言，申言需要在生命里有许多的长大。为此，我们需要认识神并经历基督。我们对神若没有足够的认识，对基督若没有足够的经历，就没有什么可为祂说的，也不能说出祂。……每当申言者为神说话，说出神来，或说预言时，他必须借着神的灵说话。我们若没有生命的灵，却为神说话或想要说出神来，我们的说话就只是平常人的说话，而不是申言（新约总论第七册，一五○页）。

　　参读：建造召会的超越恩赐，第二章；新约福音祭司的尽职，第四篇；申言的实行，第四篇；聚会来说神的话，第一、三篇。

　　The New Testament believers are saved by God to be kings, priests, and prophets who prophesy for God (Rev. 1:5-6; 20:4b; 1 Cor. 14:31). God desires that each of the believers prophesy, that is, speak for and speak forth Him. (Truth Lessons—Level Three, vol. 2, pp. 122-123)

　　The speaking Spirit of God is earnestly expecting that we would speak. In the New Testament, God operates through the principle of incarnation. God does not do anything by Himself, especially in the matter of speaking. He prefers to speak through us and speak within us….When we speak, the very Lord whom we speak forth is speaking with us and within us. If we do not speak, God has no way to speak, but whenever we open up to speak, the Spirit who expects to speak immediately follows us and joins with our speaking. Eventually, it is difficult to tell whether it is He or we who is speaking.

　　The Spirit is always ready and expects to speak with us and through us, but we would not always cooperate with the Spirit to speak. Whenever we come to the meeting, we must try to speak. In a good sense, it does not matter whether we speak properly or wrongly, well or poorly. As long as we speak, God will be happy. Parents always like to hear their young children speak….For many years our Father in heaven has not seen us speak much in the meetings, and this should have bothered Him. If we come to the meetings speaking, even in an incorrect way, He will be happy. To speak incorrectly is much better than not to speak. When someone speaks, even incorrectly, he is learning to minister to others. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 2,”The Practice of Prophesying,” pp. 367-368)

　　To prophesy in the sense of telling for and telling forth requires much growth in life. For this, we need to know God and experience Christ. If we do not have the adequate knowledge of God and experience of Christ, we do not have anything to say for Him, and we cannot speak Him forth. Whenever a prophet speaks for God, speaks forth God, or speaks in the way of foretelling, he must speak by the Spirit of God. If we speak for God or try to speak forth God without the Spirit of life, our speaking will be ordinary human speaking, not prophesying. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 2172)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1988, vol. 4,”The Excelling Gift for the Building Up of the Church,” ch. 2; CWWL, 1989, vol. 2,”The Ministry of the New Testament Priests of the Gospel,” ch. 4; CWWL, 1985, vol. 4,”Meeting to Speak the Word of God,” chs. 1, 3