Today I received your good letter dated the 17th—eight densely written pages abundantly packed with questions. I rejoice to see that the battle has abated and that so far victory has been won. Just as God has given us victory until today, we shall always overcome in Christ Jesus. I felt no small conflict within me as I read the information you gave me, but praise God, He gave victory. However, victory is not a question of refuting all our opponents’ words, but their power. The foundation upon which both Schrenk and Rubanowitsch build their theories is rotten to the core. They drag others down to their own level and strongly warn against what is spiritual. When reading a book like this, it’s easy to see whether the author is gathering to Christ or if he is scattering.

On the subject of prophets: A person is not a prophet just because he has the gift of uttering prophetic words. If that were the case, the twelve mentioned in Acts 19:6-7 would have been prophets. We read in Acts 13:1 about some prophets and teachers, among whom were Saul and Barnabas. These were real prophets. A prophet is a man who stands in the secret counsels of God. He stands on his own two feet. He is not subject to any shepherd, but he himself is a shepherd. A prophet is a mediator between God and the people. He is the mouthpiece of God. Abraham was a prophet for Lot. A prophet must always have someone to be a prophet for. Paul was a prophet and an apostle. “If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you,” he wrote to the Corinthians. He was conscious of his standing, and we—as many as have any standing in the Spirit—need to be conscious of ours as well. You could have easily remained a dental student your entire life without ever becoming independent and conscious of your vocation if you had not, at some point, terminated your studies and started up on your own. But as soon as you began your own practice, you felt a personal responsibility, and this responsibility made you more competent than when you were a student. Likewise, we need to be conscious of our ministry in Christ. We should think of ourselves as we ought to think—not higher, because that puffs us up, but not lower either, because then we’d get discouraged. Then someone else, who is less capable, would soon take the helm—to the detriment of God’s kingdom. We should not hide our wisdom to the point of being overly modest, nor should we make ourselves out to be too wise, or we will do ourselves harm. Moses and John the Baptist were prophets. They were pillars that the people could depend on. But people can hardly depend on those who are new beginners. Nevertheless, I believe someone is a prophet right from their mother’s womb, as Samuel and Saul of Tarsus were, even if they lived a worldly life for a time. A prophet can draw conclusions and foresee in the Spirit how things will go if people act in a certain way, because he stands in God’s secret counsels. He is acquainted with God’s zeal and knows how He governs, just as ministers of state get to know their king. They can tell you precisely what pleases or displeases him. John could say, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” He was able to say this through the knowledge of God, because everything and every spiritual sign focused on the person, Christ. “He who sent me to baptize with water said to me . . . ,” etc. This tells us that John sat in the counsels of God because he was an emissary of God, sent directly from Him. God spoke to him directly, just as He did to Samuel. 1 Sam. 3:4. Eli was also a prophet and should have been Samuel’s teacher, but he had grown so sluggish that God had to speak to Samuel about Eli (1 Sam. 3, from verse 11). We see that the young boy Samuel became a prophet for old Eli, who himself was a prophet but who didn’t live up to his calling. There are varying degrees of greatness among the prophets. Among those born of women, there was no greater prophet than John.

As we have already seen, there are also prophets in the new covenant. If a prophet does something wrong, God immediately appoints another prophet over him (David and Nathan, Samuel and Eli, etc.). A prophet is an authority as long as he remains faithful to his calling. Christ was a prophet. A prophet should be able to receive training from a prophet (Jesus and His disciples—Elijah and Elisha). A prophet must be faithful in all the counsels of God. In the church God has appointed apostles, prophets, shepherds, evangelists, and teachers. A prophet can be a shepherd, teacher, and evangelist. In fact, being a prophet is the very thing that qualifies the prophet for these ministries.

If God has given us souls in the church to safeguard, we should do this with care. Here the same principle applies as in whaling: sometimes it is necessary to let the whale run with 200 to 300 fathoms of line as it thrashes about wildly. However, when the harpoon is firmly lodged and the whale has completely worn itself out, you can haul in the slack. The important thing is not to dislodge the harpoon. This requires great patience, but nonetheless, it is a blessed work.

Br. Brungot, who wrote that beautiful hymn, number 190 in the Schibbolet hymnal, recently returned from a long voyage off the coast of America. Yesterday evening he came to his first meeting and for the very first time heard tongues being spoken and words of prophecy. He was greatly amazed and rejoiced. He said that he had expected to be raked over the coals because he felt like he hadn’t been living as he should. (He had gone through a lot, to the extent of having to carry a revolver in his pocket to scare the crew. He was the chief mate on the vessel, and the crew wouldn’t do anything unless they were threatened.) Instead of a beating, Br. Brungot received peace and joy in his heart; he couldn’t believe it. In this connection, the scripture became so living for me: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful . . . .” Three sisters have started speaking in tongues the last few days, and a fourth isn’t far from receiving the gift of tongues. Olsen, the gardener, who let us use the hall for free for a while, now speaks in tongues and laughs all day long. His wife was furious with him, but now he overcomes her anger with his smiles. He left Kristi Menighet, as they call it. He resembles a big, old, dignified parish priest, smiling away as he walks along, wearing something akin to a half-sized top hat. Things are going very well here now. There is unity and order as never before. Kristian Olsen came from Drammen, where they have split into three groups. He really likes it here. Now he has gone to Moss, but he will be coming here during Christmas. Since that recent confrontation, there is a fear of gossiping, and it is a real joy to see how happy everyone is. It is only when we have a sword in hand and all cannons are at the ready that we are able to experience this. People are lying in wait for us on all sides, but God has given us power to crack them on the head with something really hard. I have heard that there is real order and unity in Fredrikshald. However, according to Kristian Olsen, Severen Larsen had said he had to lead like a wild ox there in order to keep everything moving in a healthy direction. This is quite true; we have to use every means available—be like a roaring lion outwardly and wise as a serpent inwardly. If those who are spiritual will not lead, those who are carnal will immediately take over the leadership, and they won’t hold back. I’ve seen this myself. They won’t relent until all life has been destroyed. Of that wonderful little flock that was gathered here in the beginning, not even two remain united. This is worth taking note of. Their leader sanctioned all sorts of madness and just laughed it off, but now we see the results.

The most difficult challenge of all is keeping things pure within the flock. We can’t just clamp down hard on the madness; if we did, we would not overcome. We must rather play out the line a few hundred fathoms to keep the hook lodged. To be a servant of the Spirit, we must be able to maneuver with enormous patience and intervene fearlessly when necessary.

You ask: “The sting of death is sin”? 1 Cor. 15:56. It is obvious that the sting of death has been removed from us, because we are saved from sin, which is the sting. The sting (sin) is gone. That’s why it is written, “Those who have fallen asleep in Christ . . . .” Christ tasted the sting of death when He was made to be sin for us. He was numbered with the transgressors.

To speak prophetically is to speak unto the edification of the church. 1 Cor. 14:4. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. What does this mean? It means that Jesus testifies about the destruction of the body of sin, and He testifies about the building up of His own body, because He abolished sin by the one sacrifice. All words of prophecy or messages must lead in this direction, because in this Spirit we are to prophesy unto the edification of the church (that is, His body). If the words of prophecy don’t lead to the destruction of the body of sin and the building up of our spiritual life, then you can, in good conscience, stop the mouth of the one prophesying, because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. In this spirit we cannot seek our own or prophesy according to the vision of our own heart, but simply serve others, for this is the Spirit of Jesus.

You are of the opinion that when an interpretation of a tongue is given by another person, the speaker and the interpreter can diverge from one another concerning the direction in which the Spirit is going. I am very much in agreement, because I have experienced this. But sometimes the person who is speaking in tongues can compel the interpreter to interpret in the direction he wants. This has happened between me and Br. Ellefsen; he wanted to give another interpretation but instead was prompted to interpret in the way I wanted. I could feel him gradually getting closer and closer until he was where I wanted him to be. Afterward, he was greatly amazed that he had interpreted in a way that he had never intended to. Br. Berg, on the other hand, has interpreted differently from what I wanted at that moment. Here it probably depends on whether the person speaking in tongues is aiming in a certain direction or whether he is speaking generally without having any particular direction in mind. If you want the message to be interpreted in a particular direction, and the interpreter is “in tune,” spiritually-speaking, then I definitely think it is possible for someone else to interpret what you want to bring out. We have experienced this before, as written above.

As for the question about 1 Cor. 14, from verse 7, Paul says this in order to make it clear to the Corinthians how wrong it is to only come together and speak in tongues when no one interprets. In his mind, it would be like a gypsy who comes into our meeting and starts preaching in his own language. He would be speaking into the void, because no one would understand him.

In the church it’s forbidden to speak in tongues if there is no interpreter—verse 28. We understand from this that all speaking in tongues in the church should be directed to the church in the Spirit. The interpreter should then be at the service of the person speaking in tongues, and the person speaking in tongues should have a clear intention as to which direction he wants the tongue to take. People are not to speak in tongues just because they want to speak in tongues; that is not serving in the church. A person must have a clear intention, then speak in tongues; and if the interpreter does not interpret in the direction he wants him to, then the person speaking in tongues should stomp the floor, just as Warley did in the Methodist Church in Kristiansand when the interpreter gave the wrong interpretation. However, people are still children when it concerns these things, so you can’t expect too much; rather, work in the right direction with the flock. Seek to develop the gifts and esteem them highly, instead of rejecting these glorious things that God has given us. A person who gives a tongue and cannot interpret will suffer unless someone makes himself available and interprets what he wants to bring out. Emphasize these things among those with understanding in Kristiansand.

Paul spoke in tongues more than all of them. He didn’t mean by this that he continually went around speaking in tongues. Rather, he means that what he spoke in tongue, he spoke in tongues. He understood to apply his gift of tongues where it could have an effect. If you speak in tongues in season and out of season, it’s only when the use of it achieves its mission that the gift has had the effect for which it was given (namely, as a sign to unbelievers). No doubt Paul had better things to do than sit around all day speaking in tongues. But with the little he did speak in tongues, he accomplished far more than all the others. So he spoke in tongues more than all of them, because he accomplished more when speaking in tongues than all of them.

What we need more than anything else is rest so that we can apply our hearts to understanding what God wants to reveal to us. We need to be more introspective, because if we are always occupied with outward things, we will become worldly. By turning our attention inward, we will become spiritual.

What is your understanding of verse 15? “I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.” This is the opposite of verse 14, where we read, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.” When Paul says he prays with his spirit and with his understanding, he means that he is praying in the usual sense, as opposed to praying in tongues.

“Have you ever seen tangible evidence of verse 25?” you ask. Yes, it was the “falling down on his face” that Rubanowitsch was so against. Even if a person doesn’t always literally fall down on their face, they do “fall on their face” in acknowledgment. I have seen this many times, and I have heard them preaching it themselves.

Verse 19: Here Paul means just what he says. He would rather speak five words and be understood than ten thousand words in a tongue, because he never thought in terms of his own edification, but only that of others. He was one of the fathers. The fathers’ only joy is that it goes well with the children, even if this means that the fathers have to suffer in the process. Christ did not serve Himself; He served others. The fathers’ edification is that the children are edified. We can imagine that Paul’s 10,000 words might very well have edified him greatly, since he who speaks in tongues edifies himself. However, he was willing to forego that edification if he could edify the church by using just five words with his understanding. Let us have the same mind.

I agree with you that it is predominantly carnality that attempts to exercise influence within God’s assembly. “If you receive a different spirit . . .” we read. A person must consciously receive this spirit; it cannot come in without our knowledge. To do that, we must deny the Spirit we already have and receive “a different spirit.” This is what it means to be “pulled up by the roots” and “twice dead.” However, this is rarely the case. People can be strongly influenced by “a different spirit” without being conscious of it, even when their heart is right before God. I have seen this happen. However, God looks to the heart and knows how to deliver us so that we don’t get pulled up by the roots. What people want most is to avoid suffering and obedience. This is carnality; it can bring unrest and can greatly hinder spiritual growth. What Dallmeyer, Schrenk, and Rubanowitsch write is “pure nonsense,” “worn-out phrases,” mixed together with “cunningly devised fables.” We should go out from among such people and be completely separate. No one has ever been able to take up a battle against someone else’s flesh and come out of it victorious. Kristiansen must separate himself completely.

I have written a long letter and poured out what is on my heart for the time being. I may not have answered all your questions, but I think I have left you with enough to chew on for now.

Greetings to everyone at home.

I think it would be good if we could publish a little paper, either twice a month or monthly, by working on it in our spare time. We could use it to refute folly and unspiritual tendencies. A paper like this ought to be a “shepherd’s staff.” We would have to use what God has given us, and not just cut out articles from other publications.

Greet Helga and Br. Gerrard. I didn’t get to hear anything about how the meeting went last Friday. I thought a lot about you all that Friday evening. Between 9 and 10 p.m., I sensed you were in a difficult situation. I am just telling you what I sensed—nothing more than that.

Hearty greetings to you with Tit. 2:1.

Your brother in Christ Jesus,