The Church of Old by Robert Govett

The full title of the book is The Church of Old in its Unity, Gifts and Ministry. It's an exposition of 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14. Govett says that these chapters from the pen of the apostle are "eminently worth of study, and much light will be found to flow from them to those who read them under the teaching of the blessed Spirit of God.... As a whole, these three chapters present the churches of God of old in their gifts, unity, love, worship, and ministry. Viewed as single chapters: chapter 12 offers to us THE BODY AND THE SPIRIT; or the Holy Spirit gifting and sustaining the many members of Christ in their places and mutual sympathy. Chapter 13 gives us LOVE - the temper in which the members were to abide and act. Chapter 14 presents THE CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY in its inspired worship and ministry of old.

Robert Govett (1813-1901) was a British theologian and pastor who became well known because of his brilliant deductive and analytical capabilities. He was a fellow of Worcester College, Oxford. His teachings and writings have been preserved in a large number of books and tracts. C. H. Spurgeon said of him: "Mr. Govett wrote a hundred years before his time, and the day will come when his works will be treasured as sifted gold."