Many people today do not understand the context of Prophecy and the gift of Prophecy and Prophesying
The Office of the Prophet has been and always will be two-fold. In the Old Testament, Prophets were the Spokesman for God. His Mouth Piece. When they spoke, it came to pass, or they were stoned. If this practice was done today, many self-proclaimed Prophets would resign
.
Prophets spoke of :
- Judgment to come
- exposed hidden sin and confronted the sinner
- Gave warning and guidance in war.
- Answered prayers of Kings, Rulers, Preist, and judges.
The office of the prophet is for today, for it is a gift to the church from
Christ Himself, known in Greek as the "
didลmi "
Found in Ephesian chapter 4:7- 13
Spiritual Gifts
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure
of Christโs gift. 8
Therefore He says:
โWhen He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.โ
9 (Now this, โHe ascendedโโwhat does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself(Christ) gave" (didomi) some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
This has not stopped. Some of my
Cessationist types teach and believe the gifts are not needed based on 1cor 13:8-10. Nothing in the word of God states the gifts are not for today because of the canonization of the bible. Just not there. It is interjected by those who have a bias. Or were hurt by those who used the gifts improperly.
We must read the text in context. 1cor chapters 12 through 14 are unit chapters. The context doesn't start in chapter 13 about the gifts of the Holy Spirit; it starts in chapter 12 and is completed in chapter 14, as they are known as unit chapters. Also, Paul did not write his letter in chapters and verses that was added after to make it easier to read. Again Added. I did not see the red Flag thrown up about that by our
Cessationist.
Prophecy โ Foretelling vs. Forth-telling
Foretelling: is the declaration of future events as revealed from the Lord, pertaining especially to the kingdom of God
Forth-Telling: is to utter forth, declare, a thing which can only be known by divine revelation; declare the divine will, to interpret the purposes of God, or to make known in any way the truth of God which is designed to influence people.
That being said, all words spoken, or prophecy/prophesying, must be judged by and in the light of the word of God, Period.
If the word that was said doesn't line up with God's word, it is to be rejected outright.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit given to the church are for the edifying, comfort, and exhortation of the whole body of Christ, as Paul taught in 1cor chapters 12 through 14 chapters. Which is also said in Eph chapter 4.
Those who speak under the inspiration of the Spirit to proclaim the gospel = as Pastors do each time they step into the Pulpit Sunday morning. Or a minister provides a word to a person for the purpose of edification, comfort, and building up, from the word of God.
Many things told to me were godly and correct yet weren't said as it was provided in the word of God, yet the words said could be confirmed by the word of God. That is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Prophesying doesn't mean you are a prophet.
There is a foolish movement going on by some of my Pentacostel friends that suggest if the Pastor and a person who gives what is called a prophetic word and the pastor disagrees, we are to listen to the "prophet." That is Scuballa, and not of order and well disciplined. There are those who today are in the office of a prophet, yet they do not or ever are to replace the word of God. How does one know today if one is prophesying or a prophet today? I am glad you asked. I will tell you in my next post