According to the verse above, prophecy should be the most coveted gift in the body, yet it is not. In fact, many Christians have a distorted view of prophecy. They look upon it with either fear, confusion or suspicion. Sadly few understand what prophecy is at all. I've been studying this gift for about four years now and absolutely love it. In this post I hope to address common misconceptions and stir you seek the gift for yourself.
Understanding Prophecy
Prophecy comes from the Greek word prophéteuó.[1] According to Helps Word Studies, it can refers to forthtelling, (speaking forth the mind of God) or foretelling (speaking of a future event). Some think prophecy has to do with being able to hear God's voice. This is partly correct. In the Old Testament usually the only people who could hear God were the prophets (Hebrews 1:1, Numbers 12:6). But this wasn't God original intention. Shortly after God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt they begged him, out of fear, not to hear his voice (Exodus 20:19). Moses encouraged them not to be afraid and later unknowingly prophesied God's heart. "I would that all people were prophets and that God put his Spirit on all people" (Numbers 11:29) . God would later promise through the prophet Joel to pour out his Spirit on "all flesh". He always desired his people have a personal relationship with him and be able to hear his voice. With the new covenant he accomplished just that. In these days God speaks to us through his son and not the prophets ( Hebrews 1:2). Thus all who have a relationship with Jesus can hear God's voice (John 10:27). However God still chooses to use prophets under the new covenant, not as a barrier between himself and an individual believer, but as a special form of ministry, a way of having us work together as a Body (Ephesians 4:11-3). Prophecy allows us to build each other up, receive confirmation we are hearing God correctly, and learn humility through receiving message from other believers. Thus prophecy is about not only hearing God's voice but speaking to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3). It is the communication of a message from God to the church in order to edify it. When I've felt discouraged or uncertain about God's plan for my life, God often has had other believers prophecy to me, sometimes through prayer, and they would "reveal the secrets of my heart" (1 Cor. 14:25) : The things God showed them to say to me were exactly the things I had been asking him to confirm. Another way to see prophecy is to think of it as inspired speech, Spirit breathed speech (2 Peter 1:21, 1 Peter 4:11). This inspired speech has the power to impart life to the listener and bring both the giver and receiver of the message incredible joy. "For the words I speak to you are Spirit and life" Jesus once said (John 6:63). The times I've received prophecy have always put new life in me and energized my walk with God. I come away truly edified.Embracing Prophecy
There are two common hindrances to prophecy in the Church: cessationism and skepticism. People believe either prophecy has ceased with the Old Testament or they believe it can happen today but are mistrustful of it. To address the first barrier, while there is no new Scripture produced today this does not mean God has stopped talking or encountering his people. In fact the prophet Joel proclaimed in the last days God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh, and effectively encounter more people than in any point in history:And Afterward
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
God declares people will prophecy until the great and glorious day of the Lord (a.k.a. the return of Jesus.) The last days began when Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 2:17) and since he has not yet returned , we are still in them. Throughout history God has continued to save and fill people with his Holy Spirit so that we may be sealed and inherit eternal life (Titus 3:5-7). Prophecy today gives us personal, and detailed guidance for our lives, as well as expounds upon what Scripture has already revealed. The Bible is the infalliable rubric by which we must judge all modern prophecies. God will not contradict himself and will never tell someone a prophecy that goes against what is in his Word. We can think of the Bible as an outline, and prophecy the crayons to color it in. The Word is the required textbook while prophecy, the supplementary materials. When prophecy is handled correctly and used with the word of God it becomes a powerful tool to build up the church and therefore something that should be eagerly sought. However many in the church actually despise prophecy out of fear and ignorance. In some ways the mistrust of prophecy is understandable considering there have been plenty of individuals who have abused this gift out of ignorance or wickedness. There are also false prophets that lead many astray (1 John 4:1). Nonetheless, the apostle Paul commanded us:
"Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil."( 1 Thessalonians 5:20)
The word contempt in the Greek is exoutheneo and means to ignore or despise [2]. It is our natural inclination to want to avoid something that causes us pain. If another believer has abused the gift of prophecy or if we have been victims of false prophecies, we are tempted to "throw the baby out with the bath water" and hate prophecies altogether. In addition if we don't understand prophecy or aren't exposed to it, its easy for us to ignore it. But Paul's words demonstrate that our faith is not based upon what another person does or teaches but on what God says. Therefore, regardless of false prophets and other's mishandling of the gifts, we must eagerly desire to prophecy. We only need to test everything against the word of God and hold on to what is good---- which leads me to a quick aside on judging prophecy. Some believers apply the Old Testament criteria that a prophet be 100% accurate to the requirements for prophets under the New Testament. They are also quick to label others as false prophets. Jesus came to fulfill the law not to abolish it but he did change how some things are done. Prophecy in the New Testament does not work the same as in the Old, just as the Sabbath Day in the Old Testament is not exactly like the New Testament version. In the Old Testament, again, prophets were the only way people could hear God's voice. But under the new covenant everyone can hear God's voice and thus it is not as crucial for prophets to be 100% correct---though prophets certainly should strive for that percent! As falliable beings, we only prophecy and know in part, and some prophets, especially the immature ones, will make mistakes; some of their prophecies maybe correct and there could even be a mixture of right or wrong in single prophecies. That is why Paul charges us to weigh carefully what another "prophet" says (1 Cor. 14:29). False prophets in the New Testament will typically be wolves in sheep's clothing sent by the devil OR believers who really have not been called. The destruction of other people's lives, the exaltation of themselves rather than Jesus, and even the denying of Jesus will characterize the ministry of false prophets (1 John 4:1-3). As the Lord said, we will know them by their fruits. As a general rule, prophets who are consistently wrong are false, but it is important to note that a few mistakes does not a false prophet make. Prophets should be allowed to mature in their gifting and be mentored, just as preachers and teachers are often allowed to do.
Pursuing Prophecy
It is important for the church to foster a healthy environment where prophecy is respected, tested and everyone encouraged to pursue it. Admittedly not all will "prophesy" and not all are called to be prophets (1 Cor. 12:29). You can prophecy without being an "official" prophet, just as you can teach but not professionally be a teacher or preach the gospel without pastoring a church. The office of a prophet (along with the office of the apostle, pastor, teacher and evangelist) is outlined in Ephesians 4:11. A person in the office of the prophet is given a higher level of authority and accountability than a person only with the gift of prophecy. He will operate at a higher level , a "professional" level if you will, because he is given a higher measure of grace ( Romans 12:3-6, Ephesians 4:7) . Words about the future, warnings, or directions for a person's life are usually reserved for those in the office of the prophet. It may take years of training before God officially installs a person in this position and allows the world to see him "confirmed as a prophet of the Lord" (1 Samuel 3:20, NASB). Still, the simple gift of prophecy is available to all believers and people can even have prophetic ministries without being prophets. God said that we may all "prophesy" (1 Cor. 14: 5, 31) Because prophecy is so edifying for the church we need to seek it. We pursue the gifts by continually knocking and continually seeking until the Lord opens the door saying yes or shuts it saying no. With this is in mind, let's pursue the way of love and eagerly desire the gifts, especially prophecy. In my next post I'll share a few more incentives for doing so.[1] http://biblehub.com/greek/4394.htm
[2] http://biblehub.com/greek/1848.htm
Suggested Reading. I've found these books to be very helpful in either learning to hear God's voice or exploring prophecy:
Jacobs, Cindy. The Voice of God. Ventura, CA, USA: Regal, 1995. Print.
Eckhardt, John. God Still Speaks. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2009. Print.
Seputis, Teresa. How to Hear the Voice of God in a Noisy World. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2001. Print.
