One of the great dividing points
(after the issue of tongues) in Evangelical Christianity is the issue of
prophecy. We see in this passage an example of prophecy in the New Testament.
We shall then examine three things:
·
Prophecy in the Old Testament - as background to this passage
·
Prophecy in the New Testament, and
·
Are there prophets today?
(Acts 21:1-16 NIV) After we had torn ourselves away from
them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to
Rhodes and from there to Patara. {2} We found a ship crossing over to
Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. {3} After sighting Cyprus and passing to
the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was
to unload its cargo. {4} Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven
days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. {5} But
when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and
their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach
we knelt to pray. {6} After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the
ship, and they returned home. {7} We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed
at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. {8}
Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the
evangelist, one of the Seven. {9} He had four unmarried daughters who
prophesied. {10} After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named
Agabus came down from Judea. {11} Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied
his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this
way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him
over to the Gentiles.'" {12} When we heard this, we and the people there
pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. {13} Then Paul answered, "Why
are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but
also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." {14} When he
would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be
done." {15} After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. {16} Some
of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of
Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early
disciples.
Review: Old Testament
Prophecy
It must be remembered that there
is a change of covenant - the basic working relationship between God and man -
at the Cross. So the activities and abilities of the Old Testament prophet may
not be entirely applicable. But before we can decide that, we need a
convenient classification of those abilities and activities:
Types of Prophecy
In the Old Testament, we see the
prophets engaged in two kinds of activities:
·
Foretelling. In this activity, we see the prophet
predicting the future. This can be done in one of two ways:
1. National
foretelling relates to the nation of Israel, and by extension to the people of
God. In particular, this type of prophecy is most related to the coming of
Christ, which is the central event of the entire Bible. This type of prophecy
usually relates (in symbolic terms) great events on the scale of nations, kings
and empires. It is particularly focussed on the people of God; it is not a
comprehensive "future history" but rather the particular perspective
of the people of God.
2. Personal foretelling
relates to specific individuals. It may be a pronouncement of warning; it may
be the announcement of doom. On occasion, it is the foretelling of good news.
·
Forth-Telling. In this activity, we see the prophet
warning. It is the picture we most commonly associate with prophecy: the
courageous prophet in the king's face.
1. The most
prominent activity, however, is the giving of commandment. It is by the
prophets, particularly Moses, that God explains the Law to the people. This
"laying down the law" is a major prophetic activity. It usually
includes the consequences of disobedience as well. This is a national form of
forth-telling.
2. There is also a
personal form of forth-telling. It comes to individuals (most commonly the
king) and it either serves to warn them, pronounce doom upon them - or
encourage them in righteousness and faith.
The last of the Old Testament
prophets is found in the New Testament: John the Baptist. He foretells the
coming of the Christ (in ministry), and tells forth the message of repentance.
He does so to the nation, and to individuals.
What, then, is the difference
between Old and New Testament prophecy? This might just be our first clue: in
the NIV version of the Old Testament, we find this phrase - "the word of
the Lord came to…" - 98 times. It occurs not once in the New Testament.
The reason? The Word of the Lord has come - to us.
New Testament Prophecy
We must face the fact squarely
that many preachers firmly teach that there is no such thing as prophecy in the
church today. I disagree - but to understand this, we need to examine three
things:
·
The types of prophecy permitted in the New Testament church after
the time of the Apostles.
·
The "proof text" used to prove that prophecy does not
exist now.
·
Restrictions on the New Testament prophet.
Types of prophecy permitted
Using the classification we
devised in the start of this lesson, we may ask: "Are all forms of
prophecy permitted after the time of the Apostles?" The answer is
clearly, "no."
·
Foretelling, in the national sense, is complete. John the
Apostle assures us that there is nothing to be added to his Revelation:
(Rev 22:18-19 NIV) I warn everyone who hears the words of
the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him
the plagues described in this book. {19} And if anyone takes words away from
this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of
life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
So we must conclude that any
prophecy relating to the second coming of Christ, and other great events
surrounding this, are not permitted. National foretelling is out.
·
Similarly, the giving of commandment (as Moses did) is also
restricted - for now that the Word has come, the revelation is complete.
So we conclude, then, that
prophecy in the New Testament, after the time of the Apostles (we must exempt
John's Revelation) is purely of a personal nature, either foretelling or
forth-telling.
The proof text
One can understand why preachers
would not want to allow the existence of prophets. They can be messy people to
deal with (John the Baptist never made anyone's best dressed list) and rather
stubborn. The usual (indeed, only) proof text for this is this:
(1 Cor 13:8 NIV) Love never fails. But where there are
prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
The argument is then made that
the Bible records no instance of prophecy being passed on by anyone but an
Apostle; the Apostles are all dead; therefore, there is no prophecy.
To understand the problem,
however, we must begin with this: prophecy is not a gift of the Apostles - but
of the Holy Spirit. As one of the Apostles quoted:
(Acts 2:17-18 NIV) "'In the last days, God says, I
will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. {18} Even on
my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and
they will prophesy.
The question, then, is one of
"when." Look at the proof text again. Many non-Pentecostals are
perfectly content with prophecies ceasing and tongues being stilled - but they
forget the third comment about knowledge passing away. If this has happened,
why is there still preaching?
The answer, simply, is that these
will all go away. But when? To understand that, we must read the entire
passage:
(1 Cor 13:8-12 NIV) Love never fails. But where there are
prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge, it will pass away. {9} For we know in part and we
prophesy in part, {10} but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
{11} When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I
reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. {12}
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to
face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
So they fail "then" -
when we shall see "face to face." And when do we see our Lord face
to face? At His return. And at his return tongues, prophecy and knowledge
will cease, for all things will be revealed. The partial will become whole.
Until then, as the Spirit provides, these things continue. So there shall be
prophecy. But under what conditions?
Restrictions on New Testament
prophecy
We should be wise about this:
prophecy is to be treated with great caution. Our Lord explicitly warns us
about this:
(Mat 7:15-16 NIV) "Watch out for false prophets. They
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. {16}
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes,
or figs from thistles?
So we shall have false prophets
(which does not eliminate the existence of true ones) - but we'll know who they
are by what they produce. How shall we know?
One way is this: do they produce
disorder and a lack of harmony in the church? Paul is rather explicit about
this restriction on prophecy:
(1 Cor 14:32-33a NIV) The spirits of prophets are subject
to the control of prophets. {33} For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
As in all the congregations of the saints,
We are indeed taught to
explicitly test the prophets. One such test comes from the Old Testament: if
the prophet is not 100% correct in prediction, that's not a prophet of God.
Other tests?
·
They are to acknowledge the head of the church, Jesus Christ.
(1 John 4:1-3 NIV) Dear friends, do not believe every
spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many
false prophets have gone out into the world. {2} This is how you can recognize
the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in
the flesh is from God, {3} but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is
not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is
coming and even now is already in the world.
·
They are to acknowledge and be subject to the leadership of the
church, starting with its Apostles, and the writings of those Apostles, the New
Testament.
(1 Cor 14:37-40 NIV) If anybody thinks he is a prophet or
spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the
Lord's command. {38} If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored. {39}
Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in
tongues. {40} But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
The Living Word of God has come,
and the prophet must acknowledge that, like his Old Testament forebear, the
word has come to him.
Prophets Today
We have shown, at most, that
prophets may exist today. We have not shown that they must exist
today. The matter is not one which we decide; it is a matter for the Holy
Spirit.
(1 Cor 12:28 NIV) And in the church God has appointed
first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of
miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those
with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
Note that the phrase is
"appointed" - and the God does the appointing, not us. For us to say
they cannot be appointed today is bordering on blasphemy. But it also means
that God does so at his choice. What then, determines his choice?
Faith
The first requirement for a
prophet is faith. If you will, only the faithful need apply for the job, for
as Paul tells the Romans:
(Rom 12:6 NIV) We have different gifts, according to the
grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to
his faith.
The Purpose of Prophecy
One solid question is this: why would
God want a prophet in his church? Paul tells the Corinthians this:
(1 Cor 14:3-5 NIV) But everyone who prophesies speaks to
men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. {4} He who speaks in a
tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. {5} I would
like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you
prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless
he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
The prophet is there that the
church may be edified. There are three primary activities:
·
Strengthening. The word in the Greek is translated either
"strengthening" or "edification". It is a word that comes
from architecture; it roughly means to put the roof on the house. You can see
it as completing the structure of the faithful Christian.
·
Encouragement. This is the same word that is used to
describe the Holy Spirit as a comforter. It means to come along side and build
up in courage and strength, to equip someone for a task.
·
Comfort. This word also implies one who comes along side,
in this instance to give consolation and comfort, as one might to a friend in
grief.
Perhaps we have missed the
point. Perhaps the prophets are among us, quietly and in order, doing the work
of the New Testament prophet, with no fanfare or fuss. Where the teaching of
the church is Biblically sound, what is the need of a prophet to proclaim God's
teaching? But wherever God's people need strengthening, encouragement and
comfort, the New Testament prophet will be sent by the Spirit.