I received your very good letter today, along with the publication. I have already read through the letter twice. I must grasp the spirit in all things. The words in themselves are not the important thing; that’s why I have to read slowly, study, and read it again.

You say that an overseer “shall” be the husband of one wife, etc. I have looked at the German and English translations, and they also use “shall” or “must.” The old Norwegian translation uses “ought to,” but the new one uses “shall.” Further on, where it’s written that he ought to have his children in submission with all reverence, it cannot mean children like mine who are only one-and-a-half and three years old, because they don’t even understand what submission or reverence means. So it doesn’t look like we will be able to fulfill the conditions for being overseers. What are we to do then? I know of no other solution than to take heed to the ministry we have received, until we are duly relieved of it.

Paul himself was an overseer of the churches he traveled to, despite the fact that he was unmarried. Surely he knew what he was doing when he gave such guidance, because he knew from experience just how carnal people are. When he requires an overseer to be the husband of one wife, have submissive children (Tit. 1:6, having believing children), etc., he means someone in whom people can have confidence and can rely on—a man who won’t easily go astray. But what if such a man were suddenly to lose his wife? What then? Or what if his children were to die, like all other mortal beings? Then he would be in a position where he no longer meets the conditions. What then? Should he just pack up and leave? No! I don’t think so. If God has placed all the reins in his hands, he should keep them as long as he is faithful. For God, the most important thing is to find a faithful overseer. If He cannot find someone who fits the description given in the letters to Titus and Timothy, then He will choose someone else, for it is God alone who appoints shepherds, evangelists, and teachers in His churches. People do the same thing; if they don’t have a broom to sweep with, they use a brush, and if they don’t have a brush, they find something else. Imagine if there wasn’t anyone in a church with all these qualities; then this church wouldn’t have any overseer at all. Timothy and Titus needed to have a pattern for a true and genuine overseer.

December 23:

Yesterday Brungot stopped by, and we had a short but good meeting together in a room at the back of the house, which I’d been using as a classroom before Christmas. A number of people also want to study Norwegian now, but it prevents me from giving my undivided attention to spiritual matters, which is why I will not begin until after Christmas. We will see how God leads things later on. I earn about 20 kroner a month from it.

But now, back to the ministry of an overseer. 1 Tim. 3:4-5: “One who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?) . . . .”

From this we learn that when a man rules his own house well, he will also be trained to care for the church.

However, if a person is unmarried and has no house to rule, yet demonstrates that they are able to take care of God’s church, and have spiritual children, isn’t that person at least as competent as a married man with children who has never had children in Christ? In fact, as a bachelor, shouldn’t he be considered as married with God-fearing children, despite the fact that he is unmarried, because he has raised spiritual children and has thereby fulfilled the temporal requirements? Jesus was tested in all points as we are. He was not married, but He was tested in all points, just like a married man. Paul exhorted those who were married regarding their relationships, even though he was unmarried. Paul had sons in the faith: Timothy, Titus, and many more, of course. As an apostle, he traveled and oversaw the churches. If he could travel around as an unmarried man, exhorting and overseeing all the churches, then one can assume that if he had settled in one place, though he was unmarried, he could have been the overseer of one church.

In this regard, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.

“Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.”

In the same way, by appointing overseers, Paul also became an overseer himself; because the one who appoints is certainly greater than the one who is being appointed. But if a bachelor can appoint one who is married, then a person’s value isn’t determined by whether or not they are married, but rather by their relationship with God. So then, since it is a person’s relationship with God that counts, why allow yourself to get hung up on the thing that was intended as a vehicle to develop my capability? If the capability is attained without using the vehicle, then the purpose has been achieved; so why get hung up on the vehicle?

But it is true that an overseer ought to be a married man with believing children, because such a man is tied more to one place than, for example, you are to Kristiansand. You are thinking about moving—something you would probably not do if you were older and had grown children.

Nevertheless, if the one is lacking, God will use the other, without being bound by the pattern for an ideal overseer. We need insight into this leading of God. Even human beings are not at a total loss just because they don’t have the ideal materials available—God is far less so.

Now we have explored this issue, and like you, I think we can carry out this task without bringing it to people’s attention. If they did become aware of it, it would be better if it came from someone else; although it would have to be someone with an apostolic ministry.

There is an urgent need for true messengers (apostles) who are sent by the Holy Spirit and who can give guidance and direction in the churches. I have been thinking that if the leading men in the Spirit-filled churches were to come together at a conference and pray and fast, just as they did in Antioch—asking that witnesses be sent out—then I believe the Holy Spirit would appoint men for such a ministry today, as He did in former times. Exceedingly great authority is required of such men. They must have nerves of steel and an iron-strong faith so that they can subdue all folly. They need wisdom to resolve difficulties, love in order to suffer patiently, and many other qualities. This could be something to think about—whether it would be profitable at some point in the future to organize a conference to focus on these things.

I hear that you and the others are studying and searching in the Word of God. There are depths there. God’s Spirit has been working with me for several years, night and day, giving constant revelation in the knowledge of God, and my desire grows stronger the more God gives me. It is said that love surpasses knowledge. This often gets horribly distorted. Love doesn’t trample the knowledge of God in the dirt; rather, the more knowledge of God we receive, the more we understand His love. When our knowledge of God increases even more, we understand His love even better. No matter how great our knowledge of God becomes, love will always be greater. In this way, knowledge and love go hand in hand.

I have much to write about. I am compelled from within, for God has done tremendous things, and the fragrance of His knowledge fills His elect with joy.

[The rest of the letter is missing.]