PROPHETS
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;" - Ephesians 4:11
A Prophet is sent by God to guide people along the straight and narrow way.
While Prophets are gifted for the exposition of divine truths, it is important to note that any Believer can receive the gift of prophecy. This is explained in Acts 2:14-18:
"But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:"
Under the Old Covenant, God appointed specific Prophets in Israel as His spokespersons. They often received an interpretation of visions and dreams from the Lord and could hear from God directly to relay that message to others. However, even then Prophets could speak presumptuously (Deuteronomy 18:22) and deliver messages that God really didn't say. Therefore, it is important for modern-day Prophets to apply lessons from Biblical history to ensure they are most effective.
Lessons for Modern-Day Prophets
God will choose to speak or not speak when a Prophet asks for a sign or confirmation (1 Samuel 28:6).
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5:6)".
Prophets are not the only Believers who hear from God (2 Peter 1:19-21).
Always be reminded of God's Sovereignty; believing that God will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Prophets must test every spirit to see if it is from God (1 John 4:1, Jeremiah 14:14, Jeremiah 23)
Prophets should be grounded in the Sovereignty and Goodness of God so that they are not swayed negatively by any prophecy received from the Holy Spirit. Prophets must always understand that God's will and way are good, pleasing and perfect and seek to encourage Believers even when giving a difficult word (Acts 21:10-13).
Prophets can help to refresh Pastors and other Believers (Exodus 2:16-17, 19).
God is not the author of confusion, we are (1 Corinthians 14).
A Lesson from the Church at Corinth
Directed by the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 14:34-40. It contains an often controversial passage about women being silent in the church. However, it is important for us to understand the Biblical context. Some women at Corinth were fully convinced that they were appointed by God to be Prophets and were speaking as "thus saith the Lord" to their congregation; but in their delivery they brought much confusion to the body of Christ. Therefore, Paul declared, "let your women keep silence in the churches".
Paul, here, is teaching an important lesson on biblical submission and the testing of prophecy in private before it is relayed publicly. In this case, a woman submits a prophetic word to her husband for reasoning and approval. If the word is confirmed, then it is to be relayed in a decent and respectable way, by him, to the church. This ensures that the confirmed message is relayed in a peaceable, clear and concise way. It also promotes a great deal of humility to have a prophectic word relayed by someone else; ensuring that nothing is added.
