Perfectly All-Sufficient
Every New Testament congregation conducted its own worship and services, and did all of its own work. This is necessary to the growth and development of the members of the congregation. For a congregation to employ others to do its work deprives them of the activity and exercise necessary to their growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.
"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5.) Every member, man and woman, is a "lively stone" in the spiritual temple, which is the congregation. "Lively" members are not mere spectators, but actively participate. They have a work to do and are personally and individually active in doing it.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." (Col. 3:16.) This is a command to every member of the congregation. Every man and woman who obeys this command is an excellent teacher and preacher. Luther said that one well acquainted with the Scriptures is a good theologian. This is why there is no "clergy" or "laity" among the people of God . "The laity" are not dependent on "the clergy" to teach them the word of God. "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Tim. 2:15.) This, too, is a command to every member, not just to a "clergy" class. Any one who thus studies the word of truth can tell others what to do to be saved and how to live the Christian life.
Every man who devotes all his time to so doing should be supported financially, and supported liberally. "Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel." They are to live of the gospel when they are actually giving their time and labor to preaching it. They are not to live of the gospel for holding a "clergyman's office" in which actually there is little preaching, so little that in many cases they can at the same time hold a second position with a second salary. Every one who loves Christ and wants every one to hear the gospel is rejoiced to give until it hurts to sustain men who are actually spending their time in preaching it.
When a New Testament congregation assembled every brother who so desired was given an opportunity to say something for the edification of the congregation. They all participated in the teaching. Before the full revelation was completed and while the New Testament was being written, different members of the congregation were endowed with different spiritual gifts to guide them in carrying on its work. The fact that the different brethren were endowed with different gifts shows that instructing and teaching the congregation is not the work of only one man, but that many have a part to perform. "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every one severally as he will." (1 Cor. 12:8-11.) Miraculous gifts required miraculous manifestations to prove that they were miraculous.
In First Corinthians 14, Paul commands that they proceed orderly and not all try to speak at once. He comments also on so many desiring to speak foreign languages. If a brother endowed with the gift of tongues was present, he was not allowed to speak unless another brother endowed with the gift of interpretation was also present, that every thing said and done be unto edifying. Women have a great part to perform in the work of the congregation; hence in this infancy of the church were endowed with inspiration. Paul commands that they keep silence in the general assembly. "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law." (1 Cor. 14:34.)
"If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth." (Verses 23-25.) "All speak", "all prophesy". Teaching the church requires the labors of "all".
"How is it then, brethren? when ye come together every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying." (Verse 26.) "Hath a psalm." Singing is one of the five ordinances appointed by inspired men. Divine inspiration was necessary to teach the congregation to reflect the teaching of the word of God in their singing. "Hath a doctrine", or teaching necessary to edify the congregation. "Hath a tongue." One of the proofs of the divinity of Christ is that the Holy Spirit is the Author of the gift of tongues. Language is not a human invention. It came from God. Adam learned to talk from hearing God talk. "Hath a revelation." Every item of the Christian religion comes by divine revelation and in the infancy of the church, before the full revelation as finished and the New Testament written, miraculous inspiration, in different degrees, was conferred on different ones. The apostolic degree was the fullest and highest degree. "Hath an interpretation." Every thing in the teaching service must be made plain and intelligible. "Let all things be done unto edifying."
"For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted." (Verse 31.) They were all desirous to have the endowment of a spiritual gift. "Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church." Verse 12.) When the church assembled every brother was to speak "one by one". This was necessary to their growth and development. Without it no church can be strong and capable of doing its own work.
The miraculous age was temporary and was for the purpose of giving the revelation of the Christian religion.
The completion of the revelation and the completion and close of the New Testament canon, was all coming "in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Eph. 4:13.) Paul, after speaking of the spiritual gifts, says, "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." (1 Cor. 13:10.) The complete, perfect revelation, with the complete New Testament, is "that which is perfect". It is the "more excellent way" than the temporary miraculous age.
All this shows that every Christian, with the completed Bible in his hands, has the full and perfect revelation of the Christian religion. Every congregation, with each member having a copy of the Bible, has all the revelation from God that came through all of the degrees of divine inspiration. The fact that a spiritual gift, instead of being conferred on only one man as the main teacher, was conferred on different ones in the congregation, shows that a diversity is needed in the teaching and that the different brethren should take a part, speaking "one by one". The completed New Testament took the place of spiritual gifts and the New Testament is the gift of God to every one, not just to the clergy. The congregation grows into a wonderful organization to do good as the different brethren, under the supervision of the overseers, are taught and trained to actually conduct their own worship and services and to personally and individually do all of their own work.