Prophets & Prophecy
Chapter 15
Definitions
The verb "prophesy" means "to speak before" (from Greek pro, before, and phemi, to speak). The gift includes both the idea of foretelling and forthtelling, predicting the future and preaching. A prophet was God's mouthpiece: he spoke for God and gave His message. Sometimes that message was regarding the future. Other times it concerned the present, even the past, or simply doctrinal truth, but it was always God's message spoken forth.True
The Issue
Some controversy arises at this point. Today's renewed interest and investigation of the spiritual gifts has seen many non-charismatics redefine the gift of prophecy. The Charismatics, of course, readily admit the revelatory nature of this gift and claim its operation today. Some modern non-charismatics have defined the gift in another way, resulting in an interpretation which allows the gift of prophecy today but not in its revelatory sense. They say that the gift of prophecy means only the ability to speak forth for God, to preach; it is not necessarily, they say, a revelatory gift, but the ability to preach the truth of God's Word with great power and insight. Its pretty obvious what the gift of prophecy is, and it is seen all of the way through the bible. The deabate then is not what it is but whether it is still in operation today. Those that say it isnt do so because they havent experienced it usually, those that say it is usually are experiencing it, but even if they are, it needs to be handled according to the word of God. Like anything in the word, there are those that handle things poorly, or are out of balance or are just outright deceived, but then there are those who are in line with the word, and are operating in the Spirit. Its easy to discern true from false, simply by their fruit. But not just anyone can discern even, as this too is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and many have a false gift or tainted, or out of balance gift of discernment.
The issue can be stated in the form of two questions:
1) Is it Scripturally allowable to limit the gift to only forth telling (as opposed to predictive prophecy)? and, no - why would we or should we?
2) Is there in that forthtelling nothing revelatory? That is, is it merely the ability to expound previously revealed truth? This is not the gift of prophecy, this is the gift of teaching, understanding the word, and revelation etc. The Holy Spirit enlightens our understanding and reveals all truth to us, and it is He that reveals the written word and the living word Jesus to us.
So the question to clarify at the outset is one of definitions. The answer to this question will determine the course of the remainder of the study.
Evidence
First of all, it must be recognized that one who prophesies is a prophet not correct, all may prophesy, there is a difference between the office and gift of prophecy, all of the other offices -Apostle, teacher, pastor and evangelist can prophesy, although a prophet will function in the gift more powerfully usually. he saints(any believer) can also prophesy. It is not limited to the prophet only. This would seem obvious enough (no), but there are those who seek to support this idea of non-revelatory prophecy by making sharp distinction between these two -- a prophet being the one with the revelatory gifts and the one who prophesies being merely the preacher of previously revealed truth. This distinction is both gratuitous and impossible to demonstrate exegetically. One who teaches is a teacher. One who preaches is a preacher. And one who prophesies is a prophet. Bad way to define these roles, although the teacher does teach, for example, all who lead need to be apt to teach, its not as simple as a teacher teaches. A teacher may also prophesy, or encourage, or operate in the gift of a word of wisdom, or word of knowledge, or gift of healing. There is simply no evidence of any distinction between a prophet and one with the gift of prophecy. Yes there is, if one prophesies is prophesying, not necessarily a prophet, in terms of office. Although any manifestation of the true gift of prophesy is an expression of Jesus the Prophet.
Old Testament
There is no question or debate at all, among Bible believers, that the Old Testament prophets received direct revelation and were able to foretell the future. Their function, in part, was to reveal what God would do in the days or years that lay ahead. Their prophecies also dealt with matters of present concern -- what God willed for His people at that time. Yes, they spoke forth, from God. His message, revealed or spoken to them, whether that pertained to the present, past, or future. Prophecy is that ability, not necessarily the ability to foretell, although does include this. Their prophecies further concerned matters of doctrine: God revealed truth to them so that they, in turn, would "prophesy" Which is simply conveying a message, the word prophesy deals with the mechanism in its totality, ie. hearing from God, and issueing forth - conveying it. it to the people. There were also times when God would give revelation concerning the past, telling them about some event otherwise unknowable to them (similar to the gift of the word of knowledge in the new covenant, which is different to prophecy); Nathan's confrontation with David over his sin with Bathsheba well illustrates this fact (II Samuel 12:1-12). The fact is clear: the Old Testament prophets both foretold the future and forthtold God-given truth, but both aspects unquestionably involved direct revelation. Their prophecy, whatever it concerned, was clearly revelatory. Yes, the gift of prophecy, knowledge and word of wisdom are revelatory gifts, or gifts of hearing.
New Testament
Neither is there any indication of change in the character of New Testament prophecy, but rather its revelatory nature is clearly assumed. For example, when at His hearing before Caiaphas Jesus was spit upon and smote in the face while blindfolded, He was mockingly exhorted to "prophesy who it is that smote thee" (Luke 22:64). This prophecy would clearly involve direct revelation. When Jesus could tell the hidden past of the woman at the well, He was immediately recognized as a prophet (John 4:19). Agabas exercised the gift of prophecy in a predictive way: he foretold a coming famine and also Paul's coming sufferings (New Testament prophet, this prophet (Agabas) was not part of the "foundation" of Gods living temple, this is talking about the "Prophets" of the old testament, though prophets are a foundational gifting, and when building anything in Gods kingdom, prophets should be involved, as should apostles.) (Acts 11:27-28, Acts 21:10-11). I Timothy 4:14 informs us of the same regarding Paul's gift of prophecy: God told him that Timothy was to receive his gift by the laying on of hands; it was direct revelation. Ephesians 2:20 and 3:5 clearly associate the New Testament Prophets with receiving revelation directly from God, and that revelation is not necessarily regarding the future but rather doctrine. God spoke to people to in the testament, and continues today. The distiction is Old Testament/ New Testament. The new covenant ushered in a new way of relating to God through Jesus Christ, and it can be seen in the life of the early church. Just because the gifts seemed to stop relatively soon after the apostles died deoesnt automatically mean that they must have only applied to the aposolic age - the church went into apostasy, and fell away from truth resulting in years of dark ages and great evil - true christian were martyred as heretics in this time. but through the reformation we see, that things that were once lost were restored, and this has continued to happen with each new move of Gods Spirit, and continues to hapen today. We are stilll yet far from where God plans to take His church - she will be filled with the fullness of God. The latter temple - us - will be much greater than the former - Solomons, and just like every temple or sanctuary or tabernacle, when it was built and everything was in place, God Himeself filled the temple.
I Corinthians 12-14
Furthermore, it must be recognized that the only passage in the New Testament which treats the subject of prophets and prophecy in an exhaustive manner is I Corinthians 14 (in its context, beginning with I Corinthians 12). In this passage as well, the revelatory character of the gift is clearly present. In I Corinthians 12:28 prophets are ranked as more important than teachers. In I Corinthians 13:2 the gift of prophecy is explained as "understanding all mysteries and all knowledge." A "mystery," in New Testament terminology, is a secret, something unknowable apart from direct revelation. The underlying assumption is that the gift involved special revelation. True, God does nothing but first reveal it to His servants the prophets.
I Corinthians 14:1 states the theme of the entire chapter -- the superiority of prophecy to tongues. Verse 3 mentions prophecy but not in a definitive way; it only states the results of the proper exercise of the gift, namely, edification. Correct In other words, verse 3 explains exactly why prophecy is superior to tongues. The following verses expand that argument: prophecy is intelligible speech, and tongues is not; hence, prophecy is superior. And in that sense prophecy is associated with other intelligible speaking gifts, such as teaching (verses 6, 9).But its different to teaching, the common attribute here is that it is understandable, though both have very different functions Prophecy is in the tongue you understand, so you are edfied, tongues is in an unknown tongue, so you are not edified, unless there is and interpretation - another valuable gift of the Holy Spirit.
We operate in a spiritual kingdom, and so have giftings that enable us to operate in that kingdom.
In the following section of chapter 14 prophecy and tongues are associated in this very respect -- that they are both revelatory in nature (verses 26-30; cf., verse 2). Finally, verses 29 and 30 clearly demand that the gift of prophecy being exercised in the church of Corinth was revelatory; it plainly states that the prophecy was something "revealed." Exactly
Summary
It is clear enough that the gift of prophecy is not to be confused with the gift of preaching or teaching. That there is overlap between prophesying and preaching is obvious, but the difference is important: A preacher must take a text of previously revealed truth and seek to expound it, and his authority extends only so far as the correctness of his interpretation of that text. The teacher can also expound and teach upon propheticly received revelation from the prophet. It is very important that a teacher is prophetic also, a teacher that can hear, and understand what the Spirit is saying, not just limited to logic, and understanding gained by natural learning. But one exercising the gift of prophecy takes no such text but rather delivers a new text, as it were. He delivers truth revealed by God. His authority, then, rests in the message itself: it is the very word of God. A prophetic utterance is the word of God also, but for instance God can show a person prophetically His heart for another person, and maybe a picture, and a the prophet or prophetic person can interpret or convey the heart or intention of God toward a person. So its not necessarily a word for word verbatim. There is a clear differnence between the written, revealed word of God, and the prophetic utterance. Doctrine is set and needs to be based on the written word, the prophetic word will compliment, and be in line and be supported by the written word. Personal prophecy for example could not be added to the bible as inspired text, but it is personal to the person receiving the word, and will deal with issues in their own life, but will be in line with the Word, and the Spirit. It is God after all that is speaking to them God is as real today as He has ever been, and His sheep know His voice. He speaks to us today, in many was, one of which is prophetic utterance, from the prophet and prophetically gifted.
Accordingly, prophecy is ranked above teaching (I Corinthians 12:28). The closest anyone could come, today, to prophesying is not preaching, but simply reading Scripture ver batim. Garbage, who says??
The gift of prophecy was the ability to declare truth received directly from God, truth obtained by special revelation. The prophets were mouthpieces of God, speaking His word, to their world, regarding either past, present or future truth. They were men of inspired utterance. Yes, and they are today.
Thank you for your kind words. 