~ The Spiritual Gift of Prophecy ~
Opening Comment ~ “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18).
Definition ~ A prophet in Biblical times was one who represented God to people.
A Prophet spoke forth as God’s mouthpiece to reveal God and His nature. By contrast a Priest was one who represented the people to God. (A King ruled over men on behalf of God.) John Phillips describes the gift of prophecy as “inspiration of truth.”
“...members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19b-20). They were the foundation or early construction of the Church.
“They were men who were given, as were the apostles, particular insight into the doctrines of faith.” —J. Vernon McGee
In the pure sense there are no Apostles or Prophets in the world today. However, the Biblical Prophets are still members of the true Church of God and still speak to us today.
Scripture ~ “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried (literally ‘driven by’) along by the Holy Spirit” (1 Peter 1:20-21).
“They were under the immediate influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which distinguishes them from ‘teachers’.” —J. Vernon McGee
Biblical Examples ~ Remember the account of the Samaritan woman’s interaction with Jesus at the well: “‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘I can see that you are a prophet’.” (John 4:19). She recognized that He had miraculous knowledge of her life.
Christ’s miracles confirmed that He was a prophet.
The Daughters of Phillip prophesied (Acts 21:9). Agabus prophesied (Acts 21:10).
Traits ~ The gift of Prophecy involved two factors: the ability to receive revelation directly from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10, Ephesians 3:3-5), and the ability to communicate that revelation with inspired speech to other human beings (1 Corinthians 2:13).
It was the exercise of the gift of prophecy that made a person a prophet (i.e., Romans 12:3-6; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 8-10, 18, 28-29).
Scripture ~ “...to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues, and still to another the interpretation of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:9b-10).
“In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mysteries of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy Apostles and Prophets” (Ephesians 3:4-5).
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12).
“to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:10-11).
“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers” (1 Corinthians 12:28).
“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith” (Romans 12:6).
“In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.” Ephesians 2:21
Apostles—Prophets ~ Since the apostles of Christ had been given the gift of prophecy, they too were prophets. Jesus said, “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the [Old Testament] prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets [New Testament], wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city” (Matthew 23:31-34). Notice that Jesus is calling His Apostles Prophets!
“Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul” (Acts 13:1).
The Apostle John was identified as a Prophet (Revelation 1:3, 10:11, 22:10,19).
Comment ~ “In the early church prophets were inspired teachers.” —John Phillips
In a similar but lessor way many of today’s preachers are fulfilling their gifts of Prophecy – in that they are setting forth God’s truth to their congregations. This is a common understanding throughout Christian circles today.
In today’s world prophets are those who speak forth “their conscious intellect informed by the Holy Spirit.” —Henry Alford
But keep in mind much of today’s preaching is not the traditional gift of prophecy. “The modern preaching gift has the element of illumination rather than the element of prophetic inspiration.” —John Phillips
“... built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself as the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).
“In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit of God’s holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:4-5).
Traits (our era) ~ “The God-given ability and supernatural empowerment by the Holy Spirit to set before the people a special message from God for a special circumstance persuasively as God’s messenger.”—Robert Lloyd Russell
Closing Comments ~ “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).
“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).
“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
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