There are many people today that claim to be prophets in one way or another. Whether it is by saying they have received a message from the Lord, God impressed on them something about you, or outright saying they are a prophet, they claim to speak for God.
Throughout our history God has used prophets. They have brought men revelation from God often times regarding the future. According to Deuteronomy chapters 13 and 18 a Prophet was to speak the words given to him by God and none else. If he added to the words, he was to be put to death by the people.
In the Old Testament prophets were needed as a way for God to reveal to man what was expected of him and at times what the future holds. Even in the beginning of the Church prophets where giving revelation from God to the Church. Acts 11:28 gives an example of a prophet revealing that a famine would come.
However, Scripture also reveals in 1 Corinthians 13 that prophecy will cease. Why will prophecy stop? When will it cease? Are there prophets in the Church today?
What is prophecy? Is it equivalent to preaching the Word of God? To fully understand the difference between preaching and prophecy we need to look at the original language that Scripture was written in. In Greek, since we are in the New Testament at this time, used two distinct words for prophecy and preaching. To preach is to herald a message. Proclaiming the Word of God does not include additional revelation. It is speaking about what has already been written. There are multiple Greek words that are used for how the message of the Gospel is presented. The more dominate word, when it comes to the message of Christ, mean to bring good news, or gospelize. Either way, the messenger is bringing a message. As for prophecy, it means to tell before hand. The Greek word is a combination of a preposition which means before and the word for “tell” or “to bring to light by speech”. The purpose of revelation is to present something that will happen in the future that is unknown. As you can see, preaching and prophecy have two different meaning and are used in totally different ways. Therefore, preaching is not the same as prophesying.
Since the purpose of a prophet is to reveal something that will happen in the future, that has not been revealed, when will prophecy cease? According to 1 Corinthians 13:8, 9 it will cease when that which is complete comes. “Love never fails, but whether prophecies, they will be rendered ineffective, or speaking in another language (tongues) they will cease, or the word of knowledge, it will be rendered ineffective” Prophecy ceases, or is done away with become the full revelation has been given. “For now we experientially know in part, and out from a part we prophecy, but when the complete will come, the out from a part will be rendered ineffective.” Once we have the full revelation, there is not need for prophecy. There is nothing left to reveal.
The Church no longer needs prophets because God has given us all the revelation that He has chosen to reveal. We have the completed Bible. God is not adding anything more to it. Only the Church has been given this privilege throughout the history of mankind. Therefore, only during the dispensation of grace, which directly relates to the Church, is there no need for prophets. What will a prophet bring? Remember, prophecy is to bring revelation from God. Now that God has revealed everything, what more is there to bring?
Perhaps some will say that prophecy now brings revelation of what God wants us to do with our lives. However, according to Romans 12:2 to understand what God’s desirous will is for our lives we are to use the renewed mind that we have and test each situation to determine if it is approvable. That is, to determine if it is something that agrees with what we already know is God’s will for our lives. What are the things that we already know? Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, Romans 12:1; Be transformed by the renewedness of your mind, Romans 12:2; Use your Spiritual gift, 1 Corinthians 12:18; Give yourself to the Lord and to other believers, 2 Corinthians 8:5; Serve the Lord, Ephesians 6:6, 7; Be set apart and abstain from fornication, 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Be thankful for and in everything, 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Experientially know the riches of the glory of the indwelling Christ “Christ in you”, Colossians 1:27; Ask for yourself according to His will, 1 John 5:14, 15; Do good in every part of your manner of living, 1 Peter 2:15; Suffer in some circumstances for your consistent testimony, 1 Peter 3:17; 4:19; Live the remaining time in the will of God and not to the flesh, 1 Peter 4:2. By weighing each situation you face in your life against these, you will know if you should be involved or not. You do not need a word from God to know. He has already provided you with all you need to know His will for your life.
What about the future? God has revealed in Scripture what will happen to the saved and unsaved. You, as a Christian, will be seated at the right hand of God. All sinners will stand before the Great White Throne and be judged for their sins. We also know of the end of this dispensation, the rapture, and the tribulation period. Also God has revealed the next dispensation, the millennial kingdom (the dispensation of the fullness of times, Ephesians 1:10).
Paul revealed the entire counsel of God to the Ephesian elders, Acts 20:27. Therefore, within the Bible we have all of the revelation that God is giving. It is the entire revealed Word of God.
Not to mention, God has provided us everything we need to live godly, 1 Peter 1:3. We do not need more revelation, we just need to use what has already been provided for us.
Therefore, anyone claiming to be a prophet from God is, according to Scripture, lying. For God is not giving any more revelation. We now have the complete revelation; therefore, that which was out from a part, is no longer necessary. Prophecy, speaking in another dialect (tongues), and the word of Knowledge have ceased. These where revelatory gifts that have been rendered ineffective because we now posses the entire revealed Word of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment