robwilkerson.net: Prophecy 101

Is All Prophecy Equal to Scripture? Part 5

Friday, November 22, 2013

In the last post of this brief series I want to summarize what was discovered in the concise surveys presented in Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. I believe that when we start reading the Scriptures and take it at face-value that we cannot come to the conclusion that is known as cessationism.

I have attempted to do this with the subject of prophecy. And my face-value readings on this subject not only called into question the presuppositions I had about the gift itself, but eventually dissolved the very foundation of my belief in cessationism. Eventually it collapsed, giving way to new life growing in the cracks of the rubble which now laid upon the more secure foundation that God is still speaking to His people today like He always has.

A Summary of Differing Types of Prophecy

In summary, there's a qualitative difference in prophecy itself, isn't there?

There is prophecy that is canonical, that is, prophecy that resulted in the Scriptures we have today.

There is prophecy that is not canonical, which is not recorded in the Scripture, even though it occurred during the time the Scriptures were being written.

The first survey of texts indicated that a majority of the prophecy referred to in the Bible was never actually recorded in the Bible, and is therefore non-canonical.

The second survey of texts indicated that a great deal of prophecy was simply practical in nature, and therefore non-canonical. (And judging from what I see there, I personally make the assumption that it probably occurred more than we see in this short survey.)

And 1 Corinthians 14:3 indicates that there is a "one-anothering" type of prophecy that is simply a revelation of the Holy Spirit enabling one believer to strengthen, comfort, and encourage another believer.

Has ALL Prophecy Ceased Today?

Now, there are some cessationists who will argue that all types of prophecy have ceased and are no longer in operation for today. They argue that since doctrinal prophecy resulted in the canon of Scripture that all prophecy, even those of a "lesser" or different quality, including practical prophecy and "one-anothering" prophecy are also out of operation today and not valid. But here's my question: how does one come up with that arbitrary conclusion?

Think about it for a moment. If most of the prophecy in the Bible is non-canonical, and if a great deal of it is just practical and about loving one another, then why must these types of prophecy necessarily cease when the final book of the Bible was written? Does the Bible actually say that this will happen? No. It doesn't. Anywhere. At least, not until Jesus returns (1 Corinthians 1:7; 13:10).

So we have a significant confusion existing within the DNA of the cessationist's reasoning. They argue that prophecy is canonical in nature, when clearly it is not always the case. And they argue as a result of this faulty conclusion that no prophecy of any kind can exist anymore after the Bible is written. However, if we've proved the first conclusion is wrong, then the second conclusion falls as well. Follow the rationale here:

If the canon of Scripture is equal to prophecy...
...while prophecy is not always equal to the canon of Scripture...
then the completion of the canon of Scriptures means that doctrinal prophecy has ceased...
...while the completion of the canon of Scripture has virtually nothing to do with the cessation of practical prophecy and "one-another" prophecy, in the very least.

I recall being a cessationist once. Understandably, I argued from what I perceived to be a historical decline and cessation of these gifts. In other words, I didn't seem them any longer and I didn't see them really operating in the church history that I had personally read. So I concluded that the gifts were not for today. I read more church history and concluded otherwise.

On another plain of thought I also argued from Scripture. I argued from what I perceived to be a decline in these gifts in the New Testament times. In other words, I saw the gift of prophecy, in particular, declining in use as early church history progressed. So I concluded that the gifts were not for today.

The problem with both lines of thought - historical and exegetical - is that neither can be supported by the facts of Scripture itself, or history for that matter. I read more church history and found that my previous perceptions were incomplete. Prophecy has been happening since Pentecost. And I read my Bible a lot more and found that my previous perceptions about its history was also incomplete. The book of Acts ends with the miraculous kingdom in full swing with the prophetic, and the last book of the Bible written was itself one long prophecy.

Personal Conclusions

God is finished speaking in doctrinal prophecy. That much is true. This means I'm a reformed guy who sees Sola Scriptura and the sufficiency of Scripture as the bedrock of my faith. But God is not finished speaking in practical and one-another prophecy. This means I'm also a charismatic guy who sees the qualitative differences in the prophetic throughout the Bible that are plain enough for any person to see, regardless of theological background or exegetical training. The gift of prophecy is also a bedrock of the experience of my faith.

God hasn't finished speaking prophetically to His people for the simple reason that...

We still need literal directions from God to go places He wants us to go to help people come to Jesus.
We still need the Holy Spirit to predict things for us so that we, His people, can prepare ourselves to help and serve one another.
We still need the Holy Spirit to direct us in the mission Jesus has given us.
We still need the Holy Spirit to predict danger so that we can prepare or evade if, necessary.
And we still need the Holy Spirit to give us practical directions on the mission in general.

My conclusion is that...

...the Bible is not an encyclopedia or dictionary of

all the prophecy God has ever spoken to His people.

Instead, my conclusion is that

the Bible is a book of stories that provides

a trajectory for the kinds of practical and one-another prophecy

God will continue to speak to His people.

In the end, we should move beyond an argument about whether or not prophecy is for today.

It is.

And I think it's plain as to why it is.

I think it's plain for the simple reason that practical prophecy and one-another prophecy is not equal to Scripture.

I also think it's plain for the simple reason that Jesus promised us in John 10:27 that His sheep would hear His voice and follow Him.

We hear the voice of Jesus in the Holy Spirit. And we hear the Holy Spirit in Scripture and in prophecy. The latter doesn't in anyway outdo or trump the former. Practical prophecy and one-another prophecy is and never will be equal with doctrinal prophecy. But we always need the first two to elaborate on and apply the latter.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5

About the Author: Rob is a follower of Jesus at Jubilee Church. From there he pursues Jesus' mission at Revive Consignment as the Business & Operations Development Director, as well as at Jubilee Church of Atlanta, in Woodstock, GA. From there he envisions and pursues missional-shaped business for the kingdom. He and his wife Sherri have been married for 20 years and together have three sons and a daughter. Rob believes the mission of the gospel is summed up in four simple phrases: know God, obey Jesus, make disciples, and plant churches. This is the pursuit of his life, as well as the point of his blog.

canon

Is All Prophecy Equal to Scripture? Part 3

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

In this brief series on prophecy, I'm attempting to re-ask one question that I presupposed so many years ago while I was still a cessationist. During the first half of my life, I assumed that everytime a prophet prophesied something it was equal with Scripture. In Part 2 of this series I gave a sampling of my survey on prophets in the Bible. There I attempted to show a simple conclusion, that very little of a prophet's prophecies were ever recorded in the Scripture. Therefore, not all prophecies are equal to Scripture. If they were, they would have made it into the Bible. This was the first reason I offered as to why this premise just isn't true. It was the beginning of the end for my cessationism. It's simple. And it's hard to argue with. The facts are what they are. And it becomes difficult to interpret them any other way, at least in my opinion.

There's a second reason why this premise is not true. It centers on the very nature of the prophecies themselves. Not only were most prophecies not recorded in the Bible, but many of the very examples of prophecy we have given to us in the Bible are not...well...Scriptural. While at first this statement sounds blasphemous, it will make sense as I move on, and hopefully you'll understand what I mean. In short, I simply mean that many of the prophecies we have in the Scripture are not of a doctrinal content which we normally think of when we think of Scripture.

2. There are differing qualities and content of prophecy itself.

The second reason why not all prophecy is not equal to the canon of Scripture is simply seen in the differing qualities or content of prophecy itself. I've already demonstrated that Scripture is of the highest level of prophecy. In other words, there is a doctrinal type of prophecy that delivers revelation from God on the truths of the gospel. And this is no doubt what Jude referred to in verse 3 of his letter, when he mentioned "the faith once and for all delivered to the saints."

However, there is other prophetic information that God revealed to people in the Scripture that is not of a doctrinal quality. Here is a sampling. I break them down into two basic categories.

A. Practical Prophecy: Hearing From God About Doing the Mission

The Holy Spirit Gives Directions...Literally

In Acts 8:26 the Holy Spirit told Philip which road to take in order to ensure that he intersected with the Ethiopian eunuch, who was later led to Christ.
In Acts 9:11, the Holy Spirit basically gave Ananias an address where he could find Saul, who had just been struck blind by the resurrected Jesus on Saul's religious rampage to Damascus.
In Acts 10:5, the Holy Spirit told Cornelius what city he needed to send his men to in order to find Simon Peter and bring him back for more teaching and revelation.

The Holy Spirit Predicts...In Order to Help His People Prepare

In Acts 11:27-30, Agabus was one of several prophets who came from Antioch to Jerusalem to help. In the process, the Holy Spirit told him about a famine that was going to come. As a result, the disciples in Jerusalem started preparing to help financially.

The Holy Spirit Directs...In Order to Further Jesus' Mission

In Acts 13:1 and following, the Holy Spirit told the church in Jerusalem to set apart a couple of men for a missionary journey.
In Acts 16:6-7, the Holy Spirit somehow redirected Paul and Silas on their second missionary journey away from a region and to another one.
In Acts 16:8, the Holy Spirit gave Paul a dream about a man from Macedonia calling him to cover and help.
In Acts 20:22, Paul says that the Holy Spirit is telling him to go to Jerusalem. Strangely, it seems that the Holy Spirit was telling other men to tell Paul not to go to Jersualem, in Acts 21:4. (Go figure that one out!)

The Holy Spirit Predicts...Danger Ahead!

In Acts 21:10-11, Agabus prophesied again that if Paul went to Jerusalem he would be arrested and harmed.
In Acts 27:9-10, Paul, presumably the prophetic power of the Holy Spirit, predicted that the voyage he and his shipmates were on would be dangerous and even disastrous.
In Acts 27:21-26, Paul is again informed prophetically by the Holy Spirit about the incredible and merciful solution to the disaster they were experiencing.
In Acts 27:33 and following, Paul is seen giving what again appears to be prophetic insight about how to prepare for the danger and deliverance God had prepared for them.

The Holy Spirit Reveals Hearts...to Get Things Done

In Acts 5:1-10, Peter received a supernatural word that Ananias and Sapphira were lying to the church and to the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 8:23, Peter prophetically discerns the heart of Simon and stops the work of the enemy.
In Acts 13:8-11, Paul prophetically discerned the spiritual condition of Elymas and spoke correction and judgment into the situation.
In 1 Corinthians 14:24-25, Paul teaches that a prophecies in the local church expose a sinner's heart so that he falls to his knees and claims that God is alive through His people.

B. "One-Anothering" Prophecy: Strengthening, Comforting & Encouraging One Another

Just from this simple survey of the book of Acts it should be easy enough to see that the Holy Spirit can communicate practical information to people. And that's called prophecy. But it isn't doctrinal prophecy, is it?

And what about the kind of prophecy spoke about in 1 Corinthians 14:3? There, Paul writes that prophecy is also for strengthening, comforting, and encouraging. This means that prophecy among the average believer in the early church was simply about doing those things for one another.

This would create another non-canonical type of prophecy that occurred with great frequency in the early local churches, wouldn't it? I guess we could call this non-canonical prophecy a "one-anothering" type of prophecy.

Based on a simple reading of that verse within its context, Paul gives clear guidelines on how prophecy is to operate in a gathering of believers. When they prophecy in that setting they are to strengthen, comfort and encourage one another. Plain and simple, right?

In this non-canonical type of prophecy, God is spontaneously revealing information to a person. It's revelation. But it's not equal to Scripture...anymore than the revelation of wisdom and knowledge we get about God is equal to Scripture (Eph. 1:17-19)...anymore than the way the Spirit gives us assurance about being a son or daughter of the Father is equal to Scripture.

In short, just because the Holy Spirit spoke, it didn't always result in Scripture. He spoke onto tablets, scrolls, and papyri. But He also spoke into men's minds and hearts. And He still does today...on the tablets, scrolls, and papyri of our heart. That was guaranteed in the New Covenant (Ezekiel 36:36-37; Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Stay tuned for Part 4 where I'll reference the relationship of women to prophecy in an attempt to show the plain difference in prophetic content and quality. This will be a further attempt to show why not all prophecy is necessarily equal to the canon of Scripture.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5

canon

Is All Prophecy Equal to Scripture? Part 2

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

In this series I wanted to resurrect the assumption that prophecy in the NT is equal to Scripture. I used to believe that. I don't anymore. It's a basic axiom of a teaching called cessationism. I don't agree with it anymore, and for two good reasons:

exegesis of the Scripture,

and experience of the Spirit.

I ended up turning to a charismatic understanding of Christian theology through basic Bible study. When I approached the Bible afresh I started by reading with childlike faith, seeking to understand God as a child would a Father. To be sure, it has to go a little deeper than that, if for no other reason than that I am separated by what was written in the Bible by a minimum of 2,000 years. So some research and study into the history, background, cultures, language, etc. is very helpful. All those things are summed up in a fancy word scholars and theologians call "exegesis."

However, when it came to the issue of prophecy in the New Testament church, little exegesis was needed. Why? Because a simple survey of prophets and prophecy in the Old and New Testaments builds a solid foundation. When I began to read the Scriptures afresh in this way, I found that many of my personal beliefs and arguments about cessationism began to dissolve and eventually collapse. One of the most important arguments I held dearly was my belief that prophecy in the New Testament church today cannot exist any longer because the canon of Scripture is closed. I referred to this in Part 1 of this series.

Problem is, this is not a legitimate belief for two reasons. I'm dealing with the first reason in this post today.

1. Not all prophecy that has ever been given was written in the Bible

The first is quite simple, and again is something almost every Christian would agree with. Not all prophecy that has ever occurred was written in the Bible. There is a large amount of prophecy that is referred to in the Scriptures, but was not recorded in Scriptures. Here's a sampling. According to my count, there were about 133 prophets named in the Bible.

In addition, the Bible mentions other groups who were also prophets: the 70 elders of Israel, the 100+ prophets saved by Obadiah, the 50+ prophets sons who came from Jericho, the 100+ prophet's sons at Gilgal, and 288 sons of Aseph, Heman, and Jeduthun. Where are their prophecies?

There were also nine other unnamed and and unnumbered prophets throughout the Bible. Where are their prophecies?

There were various schools of prophets (1 Samuel 10:11; 19:19-20; 2 Kings 2:3, 5; 4:38; 6:1; Amos 7:14). Where are their prophecies?

There were 7,000 prophets that have not bowed the knee to Baal in Elijah's day (1 Kings 19:18). Where are their prophecies?

The prophets at the church in Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul (Acts 13:1). We have some of what Saul (Paul) prophesied, in his thirteen NT letters. But where are the prophecies of the other men who were named?

There were other prophets from Antioch, some unnamed, but another named Agabus, who were prophets and came to Jerusalem to help (Acts 11:27). We have one of Agabus' prophecies. But where are his other prophecies, as well as the prophecies of his friends from Antioch?

Judas and Silas were also prophets (Acts 15:32). Where are their prophecies?
The Ephesian men whom Paul laid hands on prophesied (Acts 19:6). Where are their prophecies?

Philip had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses. Where are their prophecies?

The Thessalonians were experiencing prophecy, according to 1 Thessalonians 5. Where are their prophecies?

The Corinthian church is believed to have had the most incredible display of spiritual gifts in the New Testament. Paul wanted them to prophecy to more than they spoke in tongues. Assuming they did, where are they recorded?

Jesus prophesied more than anyone! But the last chapter of John tells us that if everything was written down that Jesus did, all the books in the world couldn't contain it. Within all of the unwritten content would include the other things Jesus said. Sorry if this is a shock to you, but Jesus said a whole lot more than what's in red in our New Testaments! And if everything Jesus ever said was considered prophecy (which it probably was since He was God Himself and since the Spirit was leading Him), then we have an innumerable amount of prophecy that never got written down.

I think it's safe to say on this first point that...

not everything that is

spoken prophetically

is necessarily canonical,

simply because it wasn't

recorded in the canon.

Therefore, based on this first fact, we can safely conclude that just because it's prophetic doesn't mean it should be included in the Bible. So there's no reason for a cessationist to continue making this claim, as I used to. The facts, when read plainly, clearly say otherwise. It's even safe to say that most of the prophecy that was given by prophets was not recorded in Scripture. If it were, our Bible would be ten thousand volumes long, probably.

Now, to be sure of something important, since most of this non-canonical prophecy was never recorded in the canon, we don't necessarily know what all that prophecy was about, do we? Perhaps not. However, there are enough reflections of the varying content and quality of prophecy that would prove there is a difference in canonical prophecy and non-canonical prophecy.

After a fresh reading of the Scriptures, it became clear to me that while we don't have the actual content of non-canonical prophecies made by all those many named and unnamed prophets, we do have an idea of the kind of stuff they prophesied about. This brings me to the second reason why not all prophecy is not equal to the canon of Scripture. Stay tuned for this in Part 3.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5

canon

Is All Prophecy Equal to Scripture? Part 1

Friday, November 15, 2013

One of the most challenging thoughts that cessationism struggles with is the relationship between the canon of Scripture and the gift of prophecy. For many cessationists, they are the same thing. They believe that the gift of prophecy is not in existence or operation today simply because we have the Bible.

What is the "Canon" of Scripture?

Many theologians use the term "canon" to refer to the Bible. And they use the term "closed canon" to refer to a complete Bible. In short, it is a truth that basically every Christian probably already does believe. And if not, they should. That's because God isn't writing anymore Bible today. What we have is what there is. And frankly, it's really all the written revelation we need about God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

What we do have in the Bible came supernaturally to the men who wrote the stuff we read. Paul told Timothy that the Scriptures were "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16). The Greek word is theopneustos, and it means that somehow the Holy Spirit supernaturally and mysteriously worked with the minds of men to write specific things to specific people for specific purposes, and the result was a perfect revelation of God that mankind needs to know in this life. To be sure, we'll get far more than we can imagine when we eventually see God face to face.

For me personally, I would understand the process of theopneustos to be prophetic. And I would understand prophecy as a revelation of God from the Holy Spirit. Everything we have in the Bible is a revelation of God from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, everything we have in the Bible is prophetic. Therefore, we safely assume the following equation, and almost every Christian alive would agree with this axiom.

The Canon IS
equal to Prophecy.

But, and this is a very big "but", the fact that this axiom is true doesn't automatically mean the reverse is true.

All Prophecy is NOT
equal to the Canon.

There are a two important reasons why this is true, and they are plainly evident to anyone who reads the Bible.

1. Not all prophecy that has ever been given was written down in the Bible.
2. The Bible plainly shows that there is a differing quality and content in prophecy itself.

Stay tuned as we unpack these through three more posts in this series.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5

Acts 2

Prophecy is the Inheritance of New Covenant Children

Friday, November 01, 2013

In Joel 2:28-29 we read an amazing promise that proclaims the inheritance for God's children:

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit" (ESV).

The coming of the promised Holy Spirit at Pentecost was clearly a fulfillment of this prophecy. Acts 2:16-18 - "But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy" (ESV).

From this prophecy two truths seem abundantly clear:

1. The most significant manifestation of the Holy Spirit's presence in the New Covenant is prophecy, which also comes through dreams and visions. This is why Paul said what he did to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 14. He wanted them all to eagerly pursue spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy (vv. 1, 4; cf. v. 24, 31, 39).

2. The manifestation of the Holy Spirit through prophecy would be poured out upon ALL kinds of people. Notice the emphasis on "all flesh" in verse 28, later described as "sons and daughters...old men...young men...male and female servants..." The Holy Spirit is the inheritance of the saints of the New Covenant (2 Corinthians 5:5). And when He comes prophecy is poured out on the saints. This makes prophecy an inheritance of the saints.

It is their right as sons and daughters of the New Covenant. Whoever believes in Jesus is given the right to be called a child of God (John 1:12-13). John later says that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10). Receiving Jesus is receiving His testimony which is receiving the spirit of prophecy. It is a total package deal: receiving Jesus, receiving the Spirit, and receiving prophecy.

It is an expectation of the sons and daughters of the New Covenant. If the Spirit is poured out in the form of prophecy, then we ought to expect that a primary manifestation of the Spirit's presence is prophecy among all kinds of people in the church today.

If you are a son or daughter of God, this is your blessing, your gift, your treasure, and your right. It is the responsibility ever believer should exercise and a gift every believer should use to impart blessing to one another. Are you walking in, enjoying, and making use of this new covenant promise in order to know God, obey Jesus, make disciples, plant churches, and love one another?

1 corinthians 1

What Does it Mean to Test or Weigh Prophetic Words?

Friday, October 25, 2013

Have you ever wondered what how a prophetic word is deemed to be "legit"?

With all the abuses and strange prophecies uttered as if they came directly from the mouth of God Himself, how is a believer, and the whole church for that matter, supposed to know what God wants us to hear and what He wants us to forget?

In 1 Thessalonians 5:29-22, Paul teaches,

"Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil" (ESV).

Quenching the Spirit is directly connected with despising prophecy in this verse. To look down on prophecy and to think less of it is actually putting out its fire. Paul's desire instead is that believers test, weigh, and measure it with a view to accepting it as from the Lord and putting it to use.

What Does it Mean to Despise Prophecy?

This last sentence is essentially the meaning behind the Greek word for despise. Exoutheneo means, to make no account of, to despise or disdain utterly, count as nothing, esteem less, hold contemptible. When compared to other usages of the word in the NT, we find that...

In Acts 4:11 the word is used to refer to the rejection of Jesus as the cornerstone.
In Luke 23:11 it is used to refer to Herod who, with his soldiers, treated Jesus with contempt and mocked Him. Notice the coupling here of contempt with mocking.
In Luke 18:9, the word is used to introduce the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, specifically to capture the attention of those "who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt."
In Romans 14:3, Paul exhorts those who eat meat offered to idols not to, "despise the one who abstains." Then, a synonym is used in the other half of the verse with reference to a converse situation. "...and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him." Thus, to despise is also to pass judgment, in a negative way, of course. This same coupling of words and ideas is repeated again in verse 10.
In 1 Corinthians 1:28, Paul says it is the thing the world despises and considers low that God chose, as opposed to what the world considers truly wise.
In 1 Corinthians 6:4, the word is used to describe "those who have no standing in the church," referring to judges in human courts of law. Thus, they are irrelevant and have no authority when dealing with matters inside a church family.
In 1 Corinthians 16:11, Paul is sending Timothy to help in the Lord's work there. "So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace..." Notice the contrast between despise and help. One puts out the hand in rejection, the other extends the hand in assistance.
In 2 Corinthians 10:10, Paul is quoting the "super apostles" who have tried to demolish Paul's apostolic reputation in the Corinthian church. They say, "His letters are weight and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account."
In Galatians 4:14, Paul encourages the Christians in Galatia that even though his condition was a trial to them, they "did not scorn or despise" him, but received him as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.

I Was Guilty of Despising Prophecy for Most of My Life

I have been so very guilty of treating prophecy like this for so many years. Ridiculously, my defense was that the prophecy I was supposedly hearing or witnessing was supposedly not Biblical or from the Lord. I summarily concluded, without any testing (and therefore without any obedience to the command itself), that prophecy was not for today, and that any proclamation to the contrary was not biblical.

My attitude toward it most of my life was holding it in contempt, rejecting it, considering it of zero account, rejecting it, mocking and scorning it, and concluding that it is irrelevant to our walk with Jesus today. Man, I was so, so wrong, not only in my theological view, but more than anything else, in my attitude. In reality, I was actually guilty of doing the very opposite of what the passage said, simply because my theological box had told me that prophecy was no longer for today. What an arrogant position!

So here's the question I had to ask myself one day. And it is one I now put to cessationists today. (Cessationism is the theological viewpoint that the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit that we see in the New Testament are no longer for the church today.)

What if a cessationist were to simply obey what the verse in 1 Thessalonians explicitly said?

Suppose they already had what they believed to be a biblically and theologically justifiable position that prophecy is not for today. Do you think that this would exclude them from at least obeying or attempting to do what the passage explicitly says?

That is probably what is one of the most amazing things about my former position of cessationism. I believed that I had the theological authority to conclude that if a verse didn't apply today, then I didn't have to obey the commands about it. Yet they are commands of God! As a point of fact, if this were true, then perhaps it would be one of the only commands in the NT which the NT church does not have to obey today!

So let's assume for the sake of argument that a cessationist is right, that prophecy is no longer for the church today. But let's also assume that such a person is also still held accountable to this command of God. What would such a person have to do? Three things come to mind.

First, we would have to acknowledge that we are quenching the Holy Spirit of God when we treat prophecy this way.

I mean, think about it for a moment. Just because you may not believe prophecy is no longer in operation today doesn't mean that it's okay to disobey the verse when other Christians believe that God has communicated with them prophetically. After all, isn't this the very first step in handling prophecy accurately? A proper attitude begins with a confession that the Holy Spirit is always afire, attempting to inflame God's people with God's love. Jesus taught is in John 14-16, among other places, what some of the roles of the Holy Spirit were. One of them is to guide us into all truth, to teach us all things, to remind us of the things Jesus taught. The Spirit's function is to lead us to a relationship with Jesus!

Second, we would have to acknowledge that the Spirit moves in prophecy and that such movements should not be treated as irrelevant, of no value, or with contempt.

It is a wonder that the Spirit moves at all in places where His miraculous revelatory work of prophecy is consistently and sometimes so vehemently disavowed, disdained, and despised. Yet this was certainly the story in Jesus' day, was it not? Any person who claims to be a follower of God must have his ear toward God and his heart in a place of humility, listening to whatever God desires to say, through His other followers. One of the most interesting ways I've seen prophecy despised before has been to take the testing Paul requires in this verse and apply it to prophecy before a person has even had a chance to say it! But the order of the verse is pretty clear, is it not? Don't despise it means listen to it and then follow the instructions, and not the other way around.

Third, we would have to test all things.

Undoubtedly, the "all things" refers to the prophecies just mentioned. These are not a collection of commands randomly sewn together as a haphazard conclusion to an inspired epistle. Rather, they are inseparably connected to each other in a particular order. The Spirit moves. We prophesy. Then we test. So what is the testing?

The Greek word for testing is dokimazete. There are several important features about this word to take note of. First, it's in the second person plural form. That means Paul is talking to the church family as a whole. Second, as a verb it is in the imperative form. This means it's required whenever we hear someone prophesy. Third, the verb tense is present. In Greek, a present verb generally means that we are always to be to in the habit of performing the action. In this case, believers should always be in the habit of testing prophecies.

So then, if the whole church is to be in the habit of constantly testing prophecies, what exactly does that testing entail? The Greek word itself means to examine something or subject it a test of some sort. Of course, the text doesn't say what that test actually is. It merely assumes the community of faith would do it, and then follow the testing by holding fast to what was good and staying away from what was evil.

However, there is a slight nuance to the word in other places where Paul uses the word. Reviewing those helps shed light on what the testing looked like. And contrary to the modern mind, it is not so rigidly intellectual as we might presuppose. I say this for the benefit of my academically-inclined brothers and sisters who, perhaps in a religious education institution, have been educated with a Western-minded, rational, intellectual view toward the things of an early Eastern church.

In 1 Corinthians 11...

Paul is discussing the problem of how the Corinthians were observing the Lord's Supper. They were being divisive and factious so that when they came together for this amazing meal, "each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk" (v. 21). In addition, the poor were being left out. The wealthier believers were humiliating "those who have nothing" (v. 22). It is in this way that partaking of the Lord's Supper is "unworthy," in verse 27. In fact, partaking in this way is actually "profaning the body and blood of the Lord." What each believer is to do first and foremost then, is to examine themselves.

Here is the usage of dokimazo. Examining themselves meant making sure or confirming that their attitude and actions toward other people in their group were headed in the right direction before they partook of the Lord's Supper. Were they waiting on the poor? Were they giving preferential treatment to the wealthy? Were they celebrating a meal which emphasizes unity in Jesus Christ while also harboring bitterness and resentment? Had they resolved conflicts with one another? It was after these heart attitudes and relationships were healed and headed in the right direction that they were to partake. Thus the examination process in this text is the heart checking to confirm that it is about to partake in a worthy manner.

In Galatians 6...

Paul is closing out his letter to the church who was suffering greatly with a memory loss about the message and power of the gospel. The concluding message included a reminder of "the law of Christ" which is fulfilled when we "bear one another's burdens" (v. 2). No man is greater than his neighbor, and therefore he should not think of himself as somehow higher or greater than his neighbor (v. 3). Then Paul tells them to "let each one test his own work," which highlights our word again, dokimazo.

This is followed by a foregone conclusion which Paul understand that every man will reach when he tests himself properly: "and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor" (v. 4). In effect, Paul is saying that the neighbor who is bearing our burden is the one to boast in, and not in himself. And no one is to think themselves so high and mighty as to conclude that they are too important to waste time bearing someone else's burden who is somehow considered a little lower on the totem pole. The summary of this word comparison reveals then that dokimazo in this context is testing toward a foregone conclusion which simply confirms what we already assume to be true.

In 1 Timothy 3:10...

Paul is instructing Timothy how to choose deacons for the local church there in Ephesus. Paul commands, "let them be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless." As with our text in 1 Thessalonians 5:21, so here too the word dokimazo is a present tense imperative. Paul means for the testing of deacons to be a continual, ongoing process, not for probationary purposes, but probably "so that when deacons are later needed they may come from the available worthy group" (Lea and Griffin, NAC: 1, 2 Timothy and Titus, p. 117).

The testing of deacons was for the purpose of determining who was blameless so that those could be chosen to serve. What is more, this is not testing in the sense of mentors or teachers sitting back with pen and paper in hand, grading him, as it were, on his behavior and life and marriage. Rather, this is testing in the sense of putting him to a season of testing by presumably working with him on basic life responsibilities (like his speech, drinking, and financial life, in verse 8; sound doctrine and clear conscience, in verse 9). It is not giving something to a man and taking a hands off approach while watching him to see whether or not he screws up or passes. Instead, it is presumably the pastor or elders working with men in basic life responsibilities, essentially discipling them, in order to ensure that they are ready to be deacons when needed. Here again then, we see that the process of testing was toward a confirmation of something in particular. In church leadership it is testing toward a confirmation of one being able to serve as a deacon.

Testing is Positive, not Negative

In conclusion, the stress of this Greek word, dokimazo, "falls on a positive result in which that which is tested passes and is recognized as genuine" (H. Haarbeck, New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, 3:809). It also "carries the positive nuance that the object will pass the test and be shown to be true. Its other sense is of 'approving' something that has already been shown to be true" (Mounce, The Pastoral Epistles, p. 292).

Yet in all of these usages there is the assumed possibility that the result of this testing or examination might not turn out well. While our every attempt is to be aimed at ensuring our hearts are in the right place toward one another before partaking of the Lord's Supper, it is possible that we find ourselves not in the right mind. And if we test ourselves properly with reference to how God truly views us as compared to our neighbors, it is possible that pride may be so rooted in us that we actually have the audacity to conclude that we are right in how we view ourselves. Finally, if one is undergoing testing to serve as a deacon, it is possible that they are not found blameless and therefore not able to serve.

But despite this possibility, the word still points in a positive direction. We are presumably working with something good and godly. And we are presumably aiming for something good, something beneficial, worthy, honorable, and excellent in the process of testing. The word assumes that the standard and the objective of the testing is that which is good, which God desires for us. He wants us to celebrate the Lord's Supper worthily. He wants us to think of ourselves as equals with our neighbors so that we will fulfill Christ's law of love and bear their burdens. He wants men who are being tested as deacons to turn out blameless so they can serve the church of God.

All of this applies to the usage of our word in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 by assuming that the standard and objective of our testing of prophecy is that which is from the Holy Spirit, whom we are not to quench by despising prophecy in the first place. In other words, it is simply assumed that a church would use something good and godly as the standard for testing prophecy since the aim of prophecy itself is assumed to be good and godly. So much of this lies in an implicit, child-like faith and trust in the Holy Spirit Who is largely unpredictable and uncontrollable. Perhaps the root of it all in cessationism is more fear than anything else. I know that was my personal story if I transparent with naked honesty. What or who are you afraid of?

demons

Prophecy isn't About You

Friday, October 18, 2013

One of the most significant problems many believers seem to face when it comes to prophesying is that their prophetic word somehow becomes all about them, rather than about God and His people. Among many elements at work during a moment of prophecy, in my experience there are two primary enemies at work in the moments when God is revealing something to someone: demons and insecurity.

Demons are real, and they are there trying to foul up whatever they possibly can. Paul taught in Ephesians 6 that demons are the principalities and powers in the invisible realm attempting to undo whatever God is trying to do. This is why Paul taught that we must wear and use the full armor of God. Demons will fling all manner of temptations and thoughts your way, doing anything they possibly can to trip you up, hold you pack, and pin you down.

Insecurity is also a real problem among too many believers. No matter how mature a believer is, he or she has the ability to hear from God and prophesy. But when a believer is not maturing in their sense and enjoyment of security in Christ, attempts to hear from God and prophesy what He reveals can and will often get fouled up. Like demons, insecurity will also trip you up, hold you back, and pin you down from being able to prophesy successfully.

When demons and insecurity are working hard against you in the moments you are receiving revelation from God, or in the moments you are about to deliver your word to those who are anchoring, or when you are waiting on the anchors to decide whether or not to have you share your word, you'll more than likely find the following things happening to you. If and when these things do happen to you, just know that the devil's demons and your own insecurities are partnering up to throw your prophetic moment out of bounds by making it all about you. Here are the big three that have happened to me more times than I can possibly count!

1. When you believe you've received a word, and when you wonder whether or not to share it, do you grow anxious about sharing the word by becoming too focused on how the other people might receive it? Do you experience inner stress about whether it will fall flat and have any impact at all on anyone at all? By allowing anxiety about other people's perceptions to come over you, the focus suddenly shifts to you. And the process of sharing that word suddenly becomes filtered through your insecurities.

2. Do you grow anxious about wondering whether the ones who are weighing prophecy during worship will "like" your word? By allowing anxiety to come over you about the decision of the anchors, your decision on whether to share it is immediately and negatively impacted. In other words, you're less likely to share it because you're scared they'll tell you it's not for that time. So you decide not to share anything at all, which then means that sharing that prophetic word becomes about your anxieties, and therefore about you personally.

3. Have you ever been confident that you've heard from the Spirit, but then became afraid that your word might not sound as "good" as someone else's? Have you ever compared the word you want to bring to the words others have brought in the past, concluding that your words are not as a "quality" as everyone else's? Have you ever attempted to overcome all of this by imagining other things to "pad" your word, adding other details to "fill it out" a little more? Becoming anxious about whether your word will measure up to others automatically makes your word become all about you, instead of others.

Remember that God is interested in using YOU to deliver a prophetic word to someone else. The YOU part means that God has uniquely gifted and wired you. And when he gives a prophetic word to YOU, He sovereignly desires to use YOU to share that word....no matter what you think about yourself or what others think about yourself. To NOT share the word, or to hesitate to bring it, because of what you think about yourself, or because of what other people think about you, is to NOT trust God. After all, HE is the one who gave the word to you.

The way God has made you and wired you is a filter through which He desires to deliver His word of encouragement or comfort or strengthening to someone else. There's something about you that causes God to want to reveal something to someone else specifically through YOU. You're special to Him. The message He wants to give through you is special. Refuse to be a victim any longer of demons and insecurities, thereby fouling up the special moment by worrying about yourself. The greatest cure to the pathway of self in prophecy is God and others. When it comes to prophecy, it's all about the two greatest commandments: loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and loving others like you love yourself.

About the Author: Rob is a follower of Jesus at Jubilee Church. From there he pursues Jesus' mission at Revive Consignment as the Business & Operations Development Director, as well as at Jubilee Church of Atlanta, in Woodstock, GA. From there he envisions and pursues missional-shaped business for the kingdom. He and his wife Sherri have been married for 20 years and together have three sons and a daughter. Rob believes the mission of the gospel is summed up in four simple phrases: know God, obey Jesus, make disciples, and plant churches. This is the pursuit of his life, as well as the point of his blog.

church leaders

Being Led by the Spirit in Prophecy...Through Church Leadership

Thursday, October 10, 2013

1 Corinthians 14 teaches that when it comes to prophecy in corporate worship, we are to bring our word and let others weigh what is said. But that can cause a few problems for some, particularly those who are more independent in spirit. All humans are born with a tendency toward rebellion, which we cloak in a more acceptable word called independence. But part of prophesying in corporate worship is learning to be interdependent, and that comes by following the leadership of the Spirit through the leadership of others.

God has placed wise and gifted men and women in places of leadership in the church for one reason: to equip the saints to do the work of ministry. These people are there to help us grow into maturity in Jesus. Learning is a huge part of that. We learn by being taught. And teaching often comes in the form of "no," "not yet," and "not right now."

If and when you bring a word during corporate worship, bring it to those who are weighing words, and leave it there. That takes a HUGE amount of trust in God. After all, you truly believe you've heard from God about something, right? And you deeply believe He wants it shared, right? But do you also believe that those who are weighing words are being used by God to lead the body and to equip you? If so, then you must also believe that God may want to teach you something else. Perhaps He wants to teach you about patience, or trust in God, or how to perceive the voice of the Spirit better, or how to better craft the prophetic word so it will be more profitable for everyone. Or maybe it is something else altogether!

Inherent in this situation is the truth that leaders are people, which means they're fallen. Therefore, not they're not perfect, which means their leadership isn't perfect. Problem is, that can cause some people a lot of angst. Maybe you're one of those. Maybe you take it personally when you're turned away, or when you're told your word is not for that moment, not for the entire group, or not very clear at that moment. How do you respond in such cases? Do you walk away feeling dejected or rejected? Do you walk back to your seat questioning altogether whether or not you ever heard from God in the first place? Please read this next statement carefully: these responses are the wrong direction to go. Your prophetic word and its reception is not an indicator of your security or identity in Jesus Christ. This means that no matter whether you give a word or not, you are a son of the Father, a brother to King Jesus, and a temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. Let no human, demon, or emotional thought tell you otherwise!

Instead, realizing that leaders are human, there's another direction to go. Find them afterwards, and ask to speak to them off to the side, or in private somewhere. Explain your desire to learn more about prophecy so that you can be used of God to encourage, strengthen or comfort others. Affirm your desire to be obedient to 1 Corinthians 14, and that you earnestly desire to prophesy. Then ask for help in how you can grow in this gift. Feel free to ask them why they decided to not use your word. Because in that answer you'll learn more about prophecy and you'll understand how God leads them to lead the corporate worship.

I've found personally that when God does not lead the leaders to use my word in corporate worship, usually there is another place and time and person for which He wants to use it. Sometimes the fact of the matter is that I did in fact receive a word from God, but I simply needed the Spirit's leadership on when He wanted me to share it. By not allowing me to share it in corporate worship, He directed it to the person He did want me to share it with. Other times, while I think my word may be clear in my own head, it is not so clear to others, which means that often prophetic words are a matter of perception. This means that if those weighing words can't or don't perceive it the way I do, then mostly likely other people will not perceive it either, which in turn means it probably won't be so helpful to everyone.

From these incidents in the past I've learned a valuable lesson about bringing words in corporate worship: GOD is running things, and if I get all bent out of shape that I'm not able to share my word, and go home with my feelings hurt, I suddenly make the corporate worship about me. This means I personally miss out on what God wants to show me about prophecy. I am cutting myself off from learning more. If I say I want to learn more and desire to prophesy more, and then I choose a pathway of rejection and insecurity, how will I ever actually learn? Prophecy begins with a firm, secure, concrete, tangible sense of blessing in your life. It flows out of an undeniable sense of God's affirmation of your sonship in His family. If this is not firmly in place in your life, then start with that above all else. Then watch with amazement as prophecy begins to flow so naturally and readily through your soul and mouth!

About the Author: Rob is a follower of Jesus at Jubilee Church. From there he pursues Jesus' mission at Revive Consignment as the Business & Operations Development Director, as well as at Jubilee Church of Atlanta, in Woodstock, GA. From there he envisions and pursues missional-shaped business for the kingdom. He and his wife Sherri have been married for 20 years and together have three sons and a daughter. Rob believes the mission of the gospel is summed up in four simple phrases: know God, obey Jesus, make disciples, and plant churches. This is the pursuit of his life, as well as the point of his blog.

Is All Prophecy Equal to Scripture? Part 5

Is All Prophecy Equal to Scripture? Part 3

Is All Prophecy Equal to Scripture? Part 2

Is All Prophecy Equal to Scripture? Part 1

Prophecy is the Inheritance of New Covenant Children

What Does it Mean to Test or Weigh Prophetic Words?

Prophecy isn't About You

Being Led by the Spirit in Prophecy...Through Church Leadership

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