Christian Living

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The Five-Fold Ministry

Part 1: New Testament Prophets

Many people today view all-things-prophetic in much the same way as they have throughout the ages. Scripture records several examples of such misconceptions regarding this gift. In Luke 7:39, a Pharisee said, while a sinful woman anointed Jesus' feet with perfume, "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." Where did he get that notion?
In Luke 22:63-64, soldiers blindfolded Jesus and punched him, shouting, "Prophesy! Who hit you?" Again, the perception was that this gift was some sort of party trick.

Finally, in John 4:17-19, the Samaritan woman assumed correctly that Jesus was a "prophet" because He knew about her five husbands and live-in lover. These three verses exemplify the common school of thought regarding prophets; that they had the ability to supernaturally have access to information about people. I was in a service one time where a man who was considered a prophet approached another man and asked his name. The man gave this snappy retort, "You're the prophet...you tell me!" I once saw "The Amazing Kreskin" perform at a college. Our perception of him is the typical mindset of what a prophet is supposed to be as well.

The Greek word for "prophet" is prophetes. It is composed of pro means either "before" (in time) or "forth" (in place), and phemi meaning "to say". Thus, a Prophet is seen as 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 foretelling of previously revealed Mosaic legislation, but interspersed are occasional warnings and encouragements based on foretold events. Proclamation and prediction are combined.

During the 400 years between the Testaments, the word "prophet" lost some of its punch - the WORD, mind you, not the function. An Old Testament prophet (like Moses or Isaiah) seemed to carry far more authority than a New Testament prophetically-gifted person like Agabus. In the Old Testament, it was the Prophets who brought forth the Word of the Lord; in the New Testament it was the apostles (the "sent ones") who wrote the Word which advanced the Kingdom and explained the New Covenant and their work continues to do so to this moment. Is the New Testament equivalent of an Old Testament Prophet now a New Testament apostle? Could be, but BOTH roles are hugely significant to God's plan with neither bearing more significance than the other.

Unlike the Prophets of old, the oracles of God who spoke for Him to the Nation of Israel, a New Testament Prophet is one who has a clear vision of Kingdom Living and is able to articulate that vision lucidly as it applies to individuals and groups. A person with the gift of prophesy is often still referred to as a "Prophet" today. There we go assigning titles again. I've even had people ask me if I was a Prophet because I spoke a Word of Knowledge or operated in the prophetic realm. To my knowledge, no, I'm not a Prophet - certainly not in the Old Testament sense - just a guy who loves Jesus and seeks to build God's Kingdom. Am I prophetically gifted? That's another matter. YOU may well be, too, for I believe that MANY are prophetically gifted and either (A) wouldn't recognize the gift as anything God may have given them to advance His Kingdom but refer to their gift as ESP or some other such psychic power or (B) are frustrated because they KNOW they possess some sort of prophetic gift but don't even know what to call it or are part of a group that is powerless to assist in development of that gift. I've met several of these types.

"It will happen in the last days that I will pour out my spirit over all flesh. Your sons and daughters will prophecy, the young will see visions, the old will have dreams, and I will pour out my spirit over my male and female servants. They will be prophets in those days. And everyone that calls My Name will be saved," (Joel 2:28). Over the past 15 years, I have been given the gift of seeing visions that have proven to be a blessing to many for whom those visions were intended. I guess God still considers me a young man because I hardly ever dream dreams (a vision is when your eyes are open; a dream, your eyes are closed).

According to I Corinthians 14:3, New Testament prophecy will always edify, exhort and comfort: "...the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation." Verse 31 states that "...For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged..." I will add that it will also CONFIRM for an individual that which their personal God is already speaking to them by His Holy Spirit. I call this the "EECC Rule: Edify, Exhort, Comfort, Confirm." In Acts 16:32, the prophets Paul and Silas "said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers."

Based on I Corinthians 14:37, being prophetic is also associated with the ability to discern spiritual truth spoken by others. 1 Corinthians 14:32 says, "The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets." A person who prophesies should equip the Church by speaking to it a "NOW" Word from God. Sometimes these words will simply encourage, inspire, and comfort as we speak a Word to one - or many - who are weary in due season. Other times these words will recast a dying vision and bring hope.

The Church needs to see things - even themselves - from God's perspective when all is lost or slipping away. The prophetic ministry may confirm gifts and callings of others and they sometimes prepare us for future trials.
When a person prophecies, that which is stated should be verifiable scripturally (I Cor 14:37). If a prophetic person says, "Do not despair for Jesus is coming soon," that person's prophecy is obviously true for Jesus ALWAYS came on the scene at the appointed moment. The prophetic person - a fallible man or woman - may be thinking about Jesus coming on a cloud in His Second Coming finale but, the truth is, just as He sent out the 72, just as He showed up after Lazarus had been buried, Jesus WILL come and make things better. Bear in mind that "we prophecy in part" (I Cor 13:9); we are imperfect vessels doing our best to get it right. It's the difference between a literal translation and an interpretation. Time and again I hear so-called "Prophets" making mistakes. If we were living in the Old Testament days, they'd be stoned (Deut 13 & 18). But we're not. Today, under the new and better covenant, all things are permissible but not beneficial (I Cor 6:12;10:23). We, as children of God, do NOT have to buy every can of peas on the shelf. Just because someone comes across as spiritual or pious, does NOT mean Jesus - the Anointed One - is any greater in them than in the rest of us.

Part 2: This is a Test!

First Thessalonians 5:21 admonishes us to "Test everything. Hold on to the good." Remember the "EECC" Rule: Edification, Exhortation, Comfort and Confirmation. Why is this so important? These days, Pentecostalism is the fastest growing movement across denominational lines. We call it "charismatic" meaning "the gifts" are in operation. Even Roman Catholic Churches have charismatic services. Sooner or later, YOU will be approached by someone who declares boldly, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts..." and then gives you a spooky-spiritual prophetic utterance. What will you do with it?

It should make sense to you. You should weigh it against what the Spirit is already saying to you directly. It shouldn't scare you for God has not given us a Spirit of Fear. A woman once phoned my daughter at 6:30 AM to tell her the Lord wanted her to come to her house that afternoon. Why? To clean the woman's garage, it turned out. My daughter was scared by the apparent prophecy as she didn't even know the woman. As my daughter's father, I was still spiritually responsible so I confronted the woman (as God had it, I ran into her "coincidentally" downtown that afternoon). My daughter was taught (A) if it scares you it's not from God and (B) to test such things by running them through those in spiritual authority over her; namely, her parents.

A prophetic word should strengthen you and comfort you. You should walk away encouraged knowing that God was thinking about you. I drove over 3 hours recently and, having prayed for Divine appointments and an opportunity to let my light shine, wound up speaking with a Catholic woman who said she had not taken Holy Communion for ten years after being divorced. I told her that I believed God wanted her to know that what Jesus did at the cross was sufficient to forgive all her sins forever. She was beaming with delight and told me, "If you came all this way just to tell me that, it was worth it!" Indeed, it was for me, too. First Corinthians 14:24-25 tells us that an unbeliever in the church will, because of a prophetic word, become convinced that he is a sinner as the secrets of 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!"

For those who are thinking, "Surely a Prophet is much more than that," bear in mind that Jesus is often referred to as our Prophet, Priest and King. He confirms His status as Prophet in Luke 13:33 and the Book of Hebrews says He is greater than the Prophet Moses. If Jesus, the Prophet First-Class, is well able to speak through us by His Spirit, why must flesh and blood people ALSO be considered and referred to "prophets"? No, we are merely the delivery boys, exercising our gifts of hearing from God and presenting them as given for the sake of others. We are not "anointed" so much as we are carriers of the Anointed One; arks of the New Covenant.

Christianity is NOT all about us. As Jesus showed us, it's a lifestyle lived out for the sake of OTHERS in order to advance the Kingdom.
Is the gift of prophecy still with us today, or did it pass away with the last dead apostle as some believe? Much of what passes for prophecy today is merely emotionally induced. However, I Corinthians 14:29 tells us that two or three prophets should be allowed to speak if they so desire. Fear of unbridled pathetic prophetics could easily motivate a Church leadership team to forbid any and all prophecy. Yet, I Thessalonians 5:20 commands us "do not treat prophecies with contempt... " Prophecy did not end with the apostolic era as too much time is dedicated to its discussion in the New Covenant side of Scripture. All prophecies are to be tested (I Thessalonians 5:20) and judged (I Corinthians 14:20) and this will reveal any "evil". It's better to risk a false prophecy than to "put out the Spirit's fire" (I Thessalonians 5:19) for this is how that gift can be developed and the one who prophecies encouraged and trained unconditionally.
Part 3: Females Prophesying, too?

Afraid so, guys. Judges 4:4-7 indicates that God intends for women prophets to at least occasionally give ministry into 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). He's very strategic.

Here are other Biblical examples or female Prophets in the Old and New Testaments:
Exodus 15:20: Miriam, the sister of Aaron was a prophetess and one of the triad of leaders of Israel during the Exodus from Egypt.

Judges 4 & 5: Deborah, a prophet-judge, headed the army of ancient Israel.

2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 34:22 Huldah, a prophet, verified the authenticity of the "Book of the Law of the Lord given through Moses." She triggered a religious renewal.

Acts 9:36 The author of Luke referred to a female disciple by her Aramaic name Tabitha, who was also known by her Greek name Dorcas. She became sick had died; Peter brought her back to life.

Acts 21:8: Philip the evangelist had four unmarried daughters who were prophets.
Philippians 4:2: Paul refers to two women, Euodia and Syntyche, as coworkers who were active evangelicals, spreading the gospel.

Romans 16:1: Paul refers to Phoebe as a minister (diakonos) of the church at Cenchrea. Some translations say deaconess; others try to obscure her position by mistranslating it as "servant" or "helper".

Romans 16:3: Paul refers to Priscilla as another of his "fellow workers in Christ Jesus" (NIV) Other translations refer to her as a "co-worker". But other translations attempt to downgrade her status by calling her a "helper". The original Greek word is "synergoi", which literally means "fellow worker" or "colleague." (7)

Romans 16:7: Paul refers to a male apostle, Andronicus, and a female apostle, Junia, as "outstanding among the apostles" (NIV) The Amplified Bible translates this passage as "They are men held in high esteem among the apostles" The Revised Standard Version shows it as "they are men of note among the apostles". The reference to them both being men does not appear in the original Greek text. The word "men" was simply inserted by the translators, apparently because the translators' minds recoiled from the concept of a female apostle. Many translations, including the Amplified Bible, Rheims New Testament, New American Standard Bible, and the New International Version simply picked the letter "s" out of thin air, and converted the original "Junia" (a woman) into "Junias" (a man).

Part 4: False Prophets: What can we do about them?

Matthew 24:4-14 says, "And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

Verse 24 in that chapter says, "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible."

Yes, it's possible and happens all the time unfortunately.

Under Old Testament law, a single false prophecy qualified the speaker as a false prophet and required their immediate execution (Deuteronomy 13 & 18). Happily for New Testament prophets, a wrong prediction results only in humility, not death. In the Old Testament, the prophet was the authority and one judged the prophet. That's why you had a lot of dead prophets around because when they were judged and found wanting, they were killed. Unlike Old Testament prophets, an occasional erroneous prophecy does not a false prophet make. New Testament prophecies are open to evaluation by the Church. On the other hand, the Old Testament prophets (once proven) thundered "thus saith the Lord" statements and expected them to be accepted without question. Sounds to me that the Church now carries more weight than the prophet. We no longer are required to test the prophets but, rather, put the prophecies THEMSELVES to the test. The New Testament requirement that all prophecies be continually judged indicated and implies the likelihood that even those who exercise this gift under the New Covenant might occasionally get it wrong (I Cor 14:29, I Thess 5:19-22). We are imperfect vessels, after all.

The legitimacy of a prophetic word should be determined by those who know and love us from within the Ekklesia. Whenever a prophecy is given, in order to test its worth, we must write the prophecy down or record it and pray about it. I have a cassette tape with a prophetic word on it from many years ago which I received at a house church when I was crippled, poor, lonely, at the end of my proverbial rope. On occasion, I have listened to this tape again and marveled at how these words have since come to pass.

Paul exhorted Timothy (1 Tim 1:18) to wage warfare inaccordance with the prophecies he had received.I did likewise for years with that cassette tape until I attained victory after victory. God has since healed, restored and redeemed every aspect of my health, personal life and ministry. He's so faithful!

How many churches do you know that give prophecies regularly that have a log of the alleged prophetic words uttered in their meetings so that they can pray about them and test them to see if they are from God, or if it is prophetic in a futuristic sense, to wait and see if it actually comes true? A church I was affiliated with many years ago had received a prophetic word that we would be establishing 6 churches in three years. At the three year period, we had established five house churches along with our "main" church. Though the leaders saw this as a prophesy that failed the test, I brought up the fact that these house churches were legitimate expressions of the Church. I was mocked. Our church lasted four more years and folded up.

These days, we must not allow ourselves to be subject to the whim of every self-professing modern day prophet speaking "thus sayeth God." We need more protection than that, and we get protection by examining everything carefully as a Church Body.

NEXT TIME: Is there an Evangelist in the House?

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