http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue95.htm
“Do not quench the
Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine
everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;
abstain from every form of evil.” (1Thessalonians
5:19-22)
Paul instructs us to take prophetic utterances seriously.
To “despise” means to treat with “dismissive disdain.”1 In
1Corinthians 14:31, Paul wrote, “For you can all prophesy
one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted.”
He spoke, not about utterances of official authoritative
prophets, but about prophetic utterances that could be given
by any member of the congregation.
Today many are confused about the meaning of the term
“prophecy” as it was used in the 1st century church, and
what, if anything, it is in the church today. Some assume
that prophesies were spontaneous, “ecstatic utterances”
caused by the Holy Spirit. Some, who hold this view, believe
that these utterances have ceased. Others hold the same
view, but believe that these ecstatic utterances are also
for the church today. Still others believe that prophecy in
the first century was the Holy Spirit giving inspired
revelation that was necessary to fill in the gap caused by
the incomplete canon of the New Testament. Those who hold
this latter view generally say that all prophecy has
ceased.2
Here is what I believe: that prophecy, as addressed by the
passages above, is to proclaim valid implications and
applications of authoritative Scripture. Under the New
Covenant, every redeemed child of God has the Holy Spirit,
and therefore may prophesy. This is an implication of
Peter's citation of Joel in Acts 2:17—rather than the Holy
Spirit only coming upon certain persons as under the Old
Covenant, He indwells every true New Covenant believer. This
is why they “may all prophesy” as Paul wrote.
The Reformation Teaching on Prophecy in the Church
The restoration of prophecy for every believer was important
to both Luther and Calvin. The alternative was that only the
teaching magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church had the
authority to prophesy. Luther often cited 1Corinthians 14:31
as proof of Rome's error in this regard. For example,
consider how Luther used the passage here:
Also, “You can all prophesy, one by one” [I Cor. 14:31].
What sense is there to this drunken prattle of the pope and
his papists, though handed down over many generations: “We
command, we earnestly direct, the Church of Rome is Mistress
of the churches and the articles of faith”? All right, let
her sit and teach and be a mistress, yet here she is
commanded to be silent, if a revelation is made to one
sitting by. Not only she, but each of us, one by one, may
prophesy, says Paul, a master and corrector even of Peter
when he acted insincerely [Gal. 2:14ff.]. How much more
ought we not then confidently judge the church of Rome in
its insincerity and feigned authority. We are not to be
judged by this church lest we imperil our own salvation and
be found to deny Christ.3
In the following discussion of 2Peter 1:19, Luther cites
1Corinthians 14:31 in his discussion of prophecy in the
church:
But why does he say: “We have a sure prophetic Word”?
Answer: I believe indeed that henceforth we shall not have
prophets like those the Jews had in times past in the Old
Testament. But a prophet must really be one who preaches
about Jesus Christ. Therefore although many prophets in the
Old Testament foretold future things, they really came, and
were sent by God, to proclaim the Christ. Now those who
believe in Christ are all prophets; for they have the real
and chief qualification prophets should have, even though
they do not all have the gift of foretelling the future. For
just as through faith we are brothers of the Lord Christ,
kings, and priests, so we are also all prophets through
Christ. For we can all state what pertains to salvation,
God's glory, and a Christian life. In addition, we can also
talk about future events insofar as it is necessary for us
to know about them. For example, we can say that the Last
Day will come and that we will rise from the dead.
Furthermore, we understand all Scripture. Paul also speaks
about this in 1 Cor. 14:31: “For you can all prophesy one by
one.”4
Calvin rebuked “enthusiasts” who thought that the utterance
of spontaneous ideas apart from the scripture was prophecy:
In like manner, when Paul says to the Thessalonians, “Quench
not the Spirit,” he does not carry them aloft to empty
speculation apart from the word; he immediately adds,
“Despise not prophesying,” (1 Thess. 5:19, 20). By this,
doubtless, he intimates that the light of the Spirit is
quenched the moment prophesying falls into contempt. How is
this answered by those swelling enthusiasts, in whose idea
the only true illumination consists, in carelessly laying
aside, and bidding adieu to the Word of God, while, with no
less confidence than folly, they fasten upon any dreaming
notion which may have casually sprung up in their minds?
Surely a very different sobriety becomes the children of
God. As they feel that without the Spirit of God they are
utterly devoid of the light of truth, so they are not
ignorant that the word is the instrument by which the
illumination of the Spirit is dispensed.5
The Reformation view was that prophecy was the teaching of
the Word and proclamation of the terms of the gospel. Since
every believer has the Holy Spirit, every believer has the
“keys of the kingdom” and can authoritatively declare the
terms of entrance into the kingdom. All are anointed and all
have the authoritative teachings of Christ and His apostles.
Therefore they may prophesy.
Matthew Henry saw prophesying as taught in 1Thessalonians
5:20 as a means of grace:
Despise not prophesyings (v. 20); for, if we neglect the
means of grace, we forfeit the Spirit of grace. By
prophesyings here we are to understand the preaching of the
word, the interpreting and applying of the scriptures; and
this we must not despise, but should prize and value,
because it is the ordinance of God, appointed of him for our
furtherance and increase in knowledge and grace, in holiness
and comfort. We must not despise preaching, though it be
plain, and not with enticing words of men's wisdom, and
though we be told no more than what we knew before. It is
useful, and many times needful, to have our minds stirred
up, our affections and resolutions excited, to those things
that we knew before to be our interest and our duty.6
This view is commonly found from the Reformation through the
19th century. For example, consider the 19th century scholar
Albert Barnes' comments on 1Thessalonians 5:20:
But the office of addressing mankind on the great duties of
religion, and of publishing salvation, is to be God's great
ordinance for converting the world. It should not be
despised, and no man commends his own wisdom who contemns
it—for it is God's appointment—the means which he has
designated for saving men. . . . There is nothing else that
has so much power over mankind as the preaching of the
gospel.7
Every believer who accurately announces the terms of the
gospel to the lost is prophesying with the full authority of
God.
The Work of the Holy Spirit in Prophecy
The ground for the teaching that “all may prophesy” is the
work of the Holy Spirit in every believer. In 1John 2, John
warns against “antichrists” (false anointed ones) and
reminds believers that they all have an anointing from the
Holy One and need no man to teach them. The implication of
1John 2 is that every believer has the Holy Spirit, every
believer has been given “the faith once for all delivered to
the saints” (not delivered to some church bishops to solely
interpret), and therefore no authoritative teaching exists
that can only come from certain people who claim a special
anointing.8 The authoritative teachings of Christ have
already been delivered to us. Our role is to “prophesy”—to
declare the valid implications and applications of these
teachings to be binding on our hearers.9
This does not mean that God has not raised up teachers
(elders who labor in the word and doctrine – 1Timothy 5:17
KJV), but that every believer can also both speak
prophetically and judge prophecy as is appropriate in a
given setting. For example, in our Sunday Bible studies we
all open the Scriptures and explore together the
implications and applications thereof, sharing them with one
another. This gives each one an opportunity to prophesy. But
during the worship service, the Word is expounded by someone
called and equipped in public proclamation to a bigger
audience. But in every case, prophecy must be judged, and
all may judge it. In a congregation the seemingly lowliest
person can correct the teachings of a church authority if
that authority teaches what is contrary to Scripture. When
they make this correction, they are judging prophecy. That
is something Luther insisted on as a necessary protection
against potential wolves.
When we discuss the work of the Holy Spirit in a
congregation and the need for prophecy, we must keep a key
principle in mind. It is found in this passage: “I am a
fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the
testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus
is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10b). Prophecy
testifies about the person and work of Jesus Christ—that is
its great central theme. Jesus made this clear: “When the
Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that
is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will
testify about Me” (John 15:26). Those who are filled with
the Holy Spirit will proclaim true words about Messianic
salvation. They prophesy as they bring the claims of the
gospel (using the keys of the kingdom) to the minds of the
lost. They authoritatively declare that those who repent and
believe the gospel shall be saved and that those who reject
the gospel will be damned. That is their life theme.
This theme is particularly emphasized in Luke/Acts. In Luke,
the Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth (Luke 1:41); Zacharias
(Luke 1:67); and Simeon (Luke 2:25) and they all spoke forth
words about Jesus Christ and salvation. Jesus told His
disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power
from on high (Luke 24:49). Then in Acts Jesus told them that
when they received the Holy Spirit, they would be His
witnesses (Acts 1:8 – the term witnesses here is the root of
the same word for “testimony” in the passage in Revelation).
When Peter received the Holy Spirit, he powerfully testified
about Jesus Christ and salvation (Acts 2). The apostles,
when persecuted and told not to teach in the name of Jesus,
prayed, were filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word
of God with boldness (Acts 4; see verse 31). The promise of
Jesus in Acts 1:8 is shown to be fulfilled throughout the
rest of Acts as the Holy Spirit anointed God's messengers to
proclaim with authority and boldness the terms of the
gospel.
Since the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, and
Jesus said the Holy Spirit would testify about Him, then
valid prophecy in the church should be gospel-centric. We
all prophesy when we gather together in prayer, open up
God's word, and explore together the glories of our mutual
salvation, while proclaiming the terms of the gospel with
authority and power. When we do, Paul describes a possible
outcome: “But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an
ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to
account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and
so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that
God is certainly among you” (1Corinthians 14:24, 25). This
does not mean, like some falsely assume, that the content of
the prophecy was the secrets of someone's heart. Paul taught
in the same chapter that prophecy was for “edification,
exhortation, and consolation.” True prophecy comforts and
strengthens faithful believers, warns straying believers,
and convicts the lost of their sinful condition. The Holy
Spirit, Jesus said, would convict the world of sin,
righteousness and judgment. So the convicted person is
brought to see that their secret sins are exposed to God's
just eyes and they face His certain judgment unless they
obtain the imputed righteousness of Christ through faith.
Paul told the Thessalonians to not quench the Holy Spirit or
despise prophecy. When the word of God is not proclaimed
with authority and accuracy and when the word of God is not
applied directly to the hearts and souls of people through
valid prophecy, then the Spirit is quenched in the Christian
assembly. When that happens we cannot expect true
edification, exhortation, or consolation to occur, nor can
we expect that unbelievers will be convicted of sin.
Paul used the term “revelation” in 1Corinthians 14 as the
content of prophecies of believers. This causes some to
imagine that Paul was entrusting to the church the ability
to get new revelations beyond the apostolic teaching. This
is not the case. Paul, in Ephesians, uses the term
“revelation” in a way that will help us understand how this
relates to prophecy. Paul prayed, “That the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit
of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray
that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you
may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the
riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints”
(Ephesians 1:17, 18). The prayer for “revelation” was that
they would understand in a more profound manner the depth
and glories of the implications of their eternal salvation
and relationship to Christ. This fits with our definition of
the content of prophecy as “the testimony of Christ.” So the
“revelation” they share prophetically is a deeper
understanding of the glories of Christ and of the many
aspects of His saving work in their lives.
Why Prophecy Must be Judged
The New Testament teaches that prophecy in the church must
be judged. This can be shown in several important passages.
For example: “And let two or three prophets speak, and let
the others pass judgment” (1Corinthians 14:29). This passage
is often misunderstood to mean that certain official or
authoritative prophets could prophesy and other official
prophets could judge them. Those who teach this and also
believe that prophecy contains special, new revelations
subjectively revealed to prophets, thereby use the
subjective to judge the subjective. So in that case, a
person claims special status as official “prophet” and
utters something purported to be a word from God. Then other
persons with the same special status decide whether they
think it is from God or not.
This interpretation is false on two fronts. First,
“prophets” in this passage is functional terminology meaning
“ones who prophesy” and not people with a special office.10
It can be seen in passages such as 1Corinthians 14:1, 31
that everyone in the body could prophesy. Second, if we
assume that prophecy is a subjective impression about ideas
that may or may not be from God we have a problem. Why?
Because prophecy speaks of the implications and applications
of God's authoritative Word as I have argued. Earlier Paul
warned the Corinthians to not go beyond what is written
(1Corinthians 4:6). The Corinthians were rather unstable and
prone to elitist, hyperspiritual ideas. That Paul would turn
the church over to the subjective ideas of prophets and then
tell them to judge those ideas by themselves rather than by
an objective standard is very doubtful.
Further evidence that prophecy is judged by objective
standards is found in Romans 12:6 – “And since we have gifts
that differ according to the grace given to us, let each
exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the
proportion of his faith.” There are interpretive issues with
this verse, depending upon how the Greek is understood and
translated. The word “proportion” is analogia, from which
our word “analogy” is derived. Another issue is whether
“faith” is objective (the faith) or subjective (one's level
of faith). The verse contains a definite article in the
Greek, so the phrase reads “according to the analogy of the
faith” or “in accordance with the faith.”11 Charles Hodge
commented on this, “[A]ccording to the proportion signifies,
agreeably to the rule or standard; and the apostle's
direction to the prophets is, that in all their
communications they are to conform to the rule of faith, and
not contradict those doctrines which had been delivered by
men whose inspiration had been established by indubitable
evidence.”12
Likewise, in the passage previously cited in 1Thessalonians
5, prophecy is to be judged. Paul says, “examine everything
carefully” right after the warning to not despise prophecy
(see verse 21). In that passage, “examine” is a translation
of dokimazo_ which means “to put to the test” and has the
connotation of testing to prove or verify what something is
made of. The result, according to Paul in 1Thessalonians, is
that good and evil are identified, the good to be embraced
and the evil shunned. Judging prophecy is by objective
scripture, not subjective means.13
Since prophecy, according to the interpretation I am
proposing, is to bring out valid implications and
applications of God's revealed truth, it is essential that
prophecy be judged. Why? A valid implication of Scripture is
authoritative because it is logically connected to the
inspired text. This means that implications are binding on
believers.14 An invalid implication would bind people in
ways God has not bound them. This would be abusive and
constitute falsely speaking for God. On the other hand, true
prophecy is a great blessing to the body because it reveals
true implications and applications of God's Word for the
benefit of all. If prophecy were not judged, the true and
the false would be on equal footing and the body of Christ
would be unable to hold fast to the good and avoid the evil
because they would not be able to tell the difference.
Gospel Preaching as Prophecy
The proclamation of the gospel is prophecy in its most
important form. Let me illustrate. If I say to someone,
“According to the Law of God, everyone is a sinner and
stands condemned as a law-breaker. The penalty for all
law-breakers is eternity in hell. Since you, like everyone
else, have broken God's law, you stand condemned. God is
perfectly just and cannot lie. God said that the soul that
sins must die. But God is also loving and merciful. So God's
own Son, Jesus Christ, came into human history through the
virgin birth, lived a sinless life, and shed His blood on
the cross to avert God's wrath against sin, and was bodily
raised from the dead and appeared to many witnesses. If you
repent of living for self, trusting self, and spurning God's
Word and put your faith in Jesus Christ, you will be saved.
But if you neglect God's offer of salvation through the
finished work of Christ, you will face God's wrath in
eternity and there will be no escape.” – I have truly
prophesied in a most powerful and true way. Those words are
not inspired Scripture, but they are valid implications from
Scripture. They have the authority of God not because I
uttered them, but because they correctly describe the
certainty of the consequences of either faith or unbelief.
When they are applied to a given sinner, they constitute a
valid and authoritative application.
John MacArthur prophesies in this manner in his book Hard to
Believe:
The Lord says, “If you don't know Me on My terms, I don't
know you at all. If you haven't come in repentance,
conviction of your own sin, and abandonment of self with
such desperation that you cry out for salvation and
righteousness and heaven, whatever the cost, then you didn't
pass through the narrow gate. You haven't come humbly
seeking forgiveness, knowing you don't deserve it.”15
Martin Luther also prophesied:
What schools! What faculties! What theologians! What bilge!
What newfangled rubbish! So much for your understanding of
the words of God, namely, captivity to the obedience of
Christ. (It is captivity to the obedience of your own
understanding.) By divine authority we confidently conclude
and boldly declare: “Thus says the Lord of Hosts, monastic
vows made and kept apart from faith are sins, and therefore
such vows are pointless and blameworthy.”16
These are valid prophecies if they contain valid
implications from Scripture. Any Christian can judge these
by examining the Biblical arguments and evidence that
MacArthur and Luther gave that led to these prophesies. If
they reflect valid implications from Scripture, they are
true prophecies.
Since every believer is called to discipleship and every
disciple is called to preach the gospel, every believer has
a profound prophetic calling. We can all “bind and loose.”
We can use the keys of the kingdom, declare with prophetic
authority the terms of entrance, the terms for forgiveness,
and show from Scriptural implications the binding terms of
the New Covenant.
Conclusion
Paul warned, “Do not despise prophetic utterances.” What
constitutes despising prophecy? Despising prophecy is the
refusal to allow the Lord's flock to bring the authority of
Scripture to bear on one another and church leaders. This
happens, for example, when a church member hears false
teaching coming from the pulpit, does Biblical research to
bring out valid implications, goes to the pastor and proves
that the pastor has promoted what is false and the pastor
refuses to defend his own teaching or listen to the evidence
of the church member. The pastor has despised the prophecy
of the member and claimed the right to give false prophecy
from the pulpit and then furthered the sin by refusing to
allow his own prophecy to be judged.
This is precisely what Luther claimed the Roman Catholic
Church was doing in his day. Church authorities alone
claimed the right to prophesy, and when doing so falsely,
claimed immunity from being judged. This process is being
repeated in many versions of evangelicalism today.
We need to return prophecy to the members of the church.
Every member of the congregation, whether in a position of
leadership or not, has access to the authoritative
Scriptures and may bring forth valid implications and
applications from them. Together, as we prophesy, we benefit
from edification, exhortation, and comfort. The lost are
convicted of their sins while the saved grow in the grace
and knowledge of the Lord.
Issue 95 - July / August 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End Notes
Martin, D. M. (2001, c1995). Vol. 33: 1, 2 Thessalonians
(electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American
Commentary (184). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Walter J. Chantry, Signs of the Apostles, (Carlisle: Banner
of Truth, 1973; 1993 ed) 50, 51 espouses the view that gifts
such as prophecy have ceased upon the completion of the New
Testament. See also, Paul P. Enns, in : The Moody Handbook
of Theology. Chicago, Ill. : Moody Press, 1997, c1989, S.
276, who articulates this view. In my research I noticed
that the view that prophecy has ceased did not become a
prevalent view until the 20th century.
Martin Luther, (1999, c1958). Vol. 40: Luther's works, vol.
40 : Church and Ministry II (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald &
H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (vol. 40, page 32).
Philadelphia: Fortress Press.
Martin Luther, (1999, c1967). Vol. 30: Luther's works, vol.
30 : The Catholic Epistles (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H.
T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (vol. 30, page 164). Saint
Louis: Concordia Publishing House.
John Calvin, Beveridge, Henry: Institutes of the Christian
Religion. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc.,
1997, I, ix.
Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole
Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody:
Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, s.v. 1 Thess. 5:20.
Albert Barnes, “Ephesians through Philemon” in Barnes Notes,
(Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996 reprint of 1884-1885 edition) s.v.
1Thessalonians 5:20.
See CIC issue 63, Antichrists and The Antichrist, http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue63.htm
for an extended discussion of this matter in 1John 2.
This is the essence of “binding and loosing”; see CIC issues
1 and 2 http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue1.htm
See Gordon Fee, “The First Epistle to the Corinthians” in
The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987) 693, 694.
Charles Hodge, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans,
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994 reprint, written in 1835) 390,
391 makes a strong argument for “the faith” being the
objective content of the faith once for all delivered to the
saints.
Ibid.
In 1Corinthians 12:10, “discerning of spirits” follows
“prophecy.” Comparing that passage to 1John 4:1, we have
further evidence that prophecy is to be judged by objective
standards.
Binding and loosing means “forbidding or permitting” on
scriptural basis. See CIC issue # 1 for a detailed
explanation of this.
John MacArthur, Hard to Believe (Nashville: Nelson, 2003)
89.
Martin Luther, (1999, c1966). Vol. 44: Luther's works, vol.
44 : The Christian in Society I (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald
& H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (Vol. 44, Page 276).
Philadelphia: Fortress Press.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Published by Twin City Fellowship
Critical Issues Commentary
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures taken from the New
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1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1995 The Lockman
Foundation.
Copyright © 2006 Twin City
Fellowship
To read the whole article --
and its references, go to
http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue93.htm
Other articles by Bob DeWaay:
True and False
Unity
Discernment in an Age of Deception
Faulty Premises
of the Church Growth Movement
|
Redefining the Church
The Dangers of "Spiritual
Formation" |
The Emergence of Imaginary
Eschatology
“Church Health
Award” from Rick Warren or Jesus Christ?
|
Theophostics |
Bob DeWaay is
the Pastor of
Twin City Fellowship, a
non-denominational evangelical Church in Minneapolis, MN:
"We are a
body of believers who attempt to live our Christian
faith according to Acts 2:42 by devoting ourselves to
prayer, fellowship, searching the Scriptures, and the
Lord’s Supper. Our mission is to equip the saints for the work of
ministry and to reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. We do this through expository preaching, study
of the Scriptures, publications, our website and
neighborhood outreaches."