New Testament Prophets

by Steve Atkerson
In I Corinthians 14:26-40, the shroud of history is parted and revealed is a glimpse of a NT house church gathering. Integral to the meeting was the speaking of several "prophets" (4:29-33). Just who were these masked men and exactly what was their ministry?

The Greek word for "prophet" is prophetes. It is composed of pro, a preposition meaning either "before" (in time) or "forth" (in place), and phemi, "to say". Thus, a prophet is both a foreteller and a forth teller. This is seen in an examination of any of the Old Testament prophetical books; most of the text is a forth telling of previously revealed Mosaic legislation, but interspersed are occasional warnings and encouragements based on foretold events. Proclamation and prediction are combined.

It is important to note that during the 400 years that passed between the Old Testament and the New Testament, the word "prophet" was watered-down a bit. As a result, an Old Testament prophet (like Moses or Isaiah) carried far more authority than a New Testament prophet (like Agabus). For instance, in the Old Testament it was primarily the prophets who wrote Scripture; in the New Testament it was the apostles (not the prophets) who wrote Scripture. Thus, the New Testament equivalent of an Old Testament prophet is really a New Testament apostle.

Furthermore, under Old Testament law, a single false prophecy qualified the speaker as a false prophet and required his/her immediate execution (Deuteronomy 13 & 18). Happily for New Testament prophets, a wrong prediction resulted only in humility, not death. The New Testament requirement that all prophets and their prophecies be continually judged indicated the high likelihood that even genuine New Testament prophets might occasionally mistake last night's pizza for a movement of the Spirit (I Corinthians 14:29, I Thessalonians 5:19-22)! Unlike Old Testament prophets, an occasional erroneous prophecy did not necessarily a false New Testament prophet make. Notice too that New Testament prophecies were constantly open to evaluation. The Old Testament prophets (once proven) thundered "thus saith the Lord" statements and expected them to be accepted without question. Again, an Old Testament prophet is more the equal to a New Testament apostle in the sense that both consciously spoke God's word (see I Corinthians 14:37).

Insightful in understanding contemporary thought on prophecy in he first century are the recorded statements of several rather carnal people in the New Testament. In Luke 7:39, a Pharisee observed a sinful woman anointing Jesus' feet with perfume and said, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is - that she is a sinner." In Luke 22:63-64, soldiers blindfolded Jesus and then beat him, asking "Prophesy! Who hit you?" Finally, in John 4:17-19, the Samaritan woman thought Jesus a "prophet" because He knew about her five husbands and live-in boyfriend. These three examples indicate that popular conceptions about prophets included a belief in their ability to supernaturally have access in information about other people.

Similarly, I Corinthians 14:24-25 tells us that an unbeliever in the church will, because of prophecy, become convinced that he is a sinner as the secrets if his heart are laid bare. So impressed will he be by this supernatural display of knowledge about his private life that he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" Thus, it seems the popular notions about the gift of prophecy were correct.

Beyond these popular ideas, I Corinthians 14:3 says that prophecy speaks to men "for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort." It is also that God's people may be "instructed and encouraged" (14:31). In Acts 16:32, the prophets Judas and Silas "said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers." Based on I Corinthians 14:37, being a prophet is also associated with the ability to discern (recognize) spiritual truth spoken by others.

Not surprisingly, New Testament prophets are also seen predicting the future. In Acts 11:28, Agabus predicted a severe famine and then, in 21:11, foretold Paul's Jerusalem arrest. The entire book of Revelation is described by John as a "prophecy" (1:3) of "what must soon take place" (1:1). Note then that New Testament prophets not only were given revelations about current (and past) events and people, but also spoke messages designed to strengthen and encourage the church, and even occasionally foretold the future.

It is popular in Constantinian churches to equate New Testament prophecy with "preaching". If this is so, then women are also to be permitted a preaching ministry (Luke 2:36, Acts 2:17, 21:9, I Corinthians 11:5)! In reality, "preaching" (unlike prophecy) is nowhere listed as a spiritual gift (Romans 12:3-8, I Corinthians 12-14), is associated with evangelism among unbelievers (Acts 8:5, 9:20, 10:42, 20:25, 28:31, Romans 10:14-15, I Corinthians 9:14-23, 15:11, II Corinthians 1:19, Galatians 2:2, I Thessalonians 2:9), and is never recorded as occurring in a New Testament church meeting!

A different notion, more popular in the house church movement, is that New Testament prophecy is essentially no different than teaching; the two are seen as synonymous. If so, then I Corinthians 14:30 grants anyone with a teaching the right of interrupt another teacher mid-sentence and completely change the lesson! That teaching and prophecy are not exactly synonymous terms is evident from the fact that they are consistently listed as separate and distinct spiritual gifts (Romans 12:6-7, I Corinthians 12:28-29, 13:6). Their fundamental difference lies in the fact that prophecy is the result of an impromptu "revelation" (I Corinthians 14:26, 29-30), whereas teaching comes as the result of the patent study of truth already revealed (i.e., Scripture). The church is, of course, "instructed: (I Corinthians 14:31) by prophecy, but this does not fundamentally make a prophet a teacher. Even singing can be a form of teaching (Colossians 3:16), but this likewise does not make a singer the same as a teacher.

This distinction between prophecy and teaching is important. First, I Corinthians 14:29-33a does in fact not give someone the authority to interrupt a teacher so as to completely change the subject (I Corinthians 14:30). Second, whereas Scripture explicitly denies women the ministry of teaching God's Word in church (I Timothy 2:11-15), no such prohibition was made concerning prophecy (Acts 2:17). Thus, while women may not be teachers of the Bible, they may strengthen and encourage the saints through prophetic revelation. Whether prophetic words from a sister should occur during a church meeting or be saved for a private setting depends on the meaning of I Corinthians 14:33b-35. In any event, Judges 4:4-7 indicates that God intends for women prophets to at least occasionally gave a ministry in men's lives. Oddly though, despite the presence in Caesarea of Philip's four daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:9), God sent Agabus down from Juda to Caesarea to prophesy to Paul (21:10-11)!

Is the gift of prophecy still with us today? No doubt some of that which passes for prophecy today is merely emotionally induced. However, I Corinthians 14:29 commands that two or three prophets be allowed to speak if they so desire. Fear of potential quackery could easily motivate the forbidding of any prophecy, but I Thessalonians 5:20 must be remembered ("do not treat prophecies with contempt:). Even if all prophecy ended with the apostolic era, the fact that supposed prophecies are of be tested (I Thessalonians 5:20) and judged (I Corinthians 14:20b) will reveal any "evil". It is not better it risk a false prophecy than to :put out the Spirit's fire" (I Thessalonians 5:19)?

As J.P. Baker wrote "....there appears of be no good reason why the living God, who both speaks and acts (in contrast of dazed idols), cannot use the gift of prophecy to give particular local guidance to a church, nation, or individual, or to warn or encourage by way of prediction as well as reminders, in full accord with the written word of Scripture, by which all utterances must be tested. Certainly the New Testament does not see it as the job of the prophet to be a doctrinal innovator, but to deliver the word the Spirit gives him in line with the truth once and for all delivered of the saints (Jude 3), to challenge and encourage our faith". (New Bible Dictionary, p. 985).

For further reading: The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today, by Wayne Grudem.