Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom
I agree in principle that a lack of a gift does not prevent someone from doing something they otherwise wouldn't do, but again I would say that it doesn't mean that they have to do it.
1 Cor 14:29-31 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.
Notice what Paul says about prophesying. If someone is speaking and another receives revelation, then the first should remain silent. That gives a precedence to those who have something to say that is inspired.
In the LC, the meeting format is such that I don't think it would allow someone truly possessing the gift of prophecy to completely function in that capacity. Why do I say this? There are a few reasons:
1. Time constraints - To squeeze everyone in, there is often a pressing limit on what people can say. This eliminates any inspired speaking that doesn't meet the confines of the LC meeting format. Also, when they limit time to "30s each" or "one sentence", the whole thing becomes a joke. There is not any opportunity for anyone to say anything of substance.
2. The material being used - As I have mentioned already, the basis for the HWFMR is the basis of the speaking. That is a limitation on the content of what is spoken. There can be pressure to speak what everyone else is speaking, so once again, it serves as a limitation on inspired speaking.
3. Cookie-cutter functioning - Paul said that 2-3 should prophesy with other discerning. This was his word on having order in church meetings. By pressuring everyone to prophesy, the LC has created an environment where the true prophets are overshadowed. I couldn't tell you who in the LC has that gift, because the environment does not allow for gifts to be very apparent. Think of it this way. If someone who has no skill at piano is asked to play piano in a meeting for the sake of getting them to 'function', the side effects of doing that would be two-fold. It would obviously have a detrimental effect on the meeting itself, but it would also negate any functioning on the part of the person who does have that gift. This is my argument about prophesying. By allowing everyone to speak, the LC has opened the door to speaking that is of little benefit, but it has also de-emphasized those who have that gift.
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The true apostles, true prophets, true evangelists, etc, where are any of these in fact? Could you tell which is which and how? Would you say the true apostle is the one who gives a gifted and uplifting sermon on a Sunday and draws crowds of people to altar calls? Witness Lee did that, thousands of people saved through his ministry. Based upon his gifting and his effectiveness, we could say he was a true apostle. That is hard to deny. On the other hand, an apostle may also be a relatively unknown figure, languishing in some prison in a foreign land, and suffering for Christ. Paul was such an apostle.
On the other hand, it is not necessarily so that a person that does a poor job at something has a detrimental effect. In that case the church should hire professional musicians and hire professionals to do all the work. What you say touches on the view in the local churches that you can minister Christ even if you are not naturally gifted. A person who is good at something may b asked to do something else so their dependency is on Christ and not their natural abilities. I see no indication in the Bible that church should be performance-based. Rather it is about participation and mutual edification in the Spirit and Christ.