The King's Church in Ilford
The following is the text of the talk given on 14th June 2009 by Georges Kisombola
"Is there a Prophet in the house today?"
"Is there a Prophet in the house today?"
Reading: 1 Corinthians 14
The term prophet in everyday use simply meant "one who has supernatural knowledge" or "one who predicts the future" or "one who speaks on the basis of some external influence."
Luke 22.64- The men who were holding Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded "Prophesy! Who hit you?"
John 4.19- The Woman said "Sir, I can see that you are a Prophet", this because Jesus told her everything about her life.
In his Systematic Theology, Dr. Wayne Grudem defines prophecy today as "telling something that God has spontaneously brought to mind."
Old Testament prophets spoke and wrote words that had absolute divine authority, words that were the very words of God for all time. To disbelieve or disobey a prophet's words equalled disbelieving or disobeying God.
In the New Testament counterpart to the Old Testament prophets are apostles. A new term used by Jesus. In New Testament the statements we find such as: 1 Cor. 2.13 This is what we speak, not words taught by human wisdom but in word taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words; 2 Cor. 13.3Since you are demanding Proof that Christ is Speaking through me; Gal. 1:12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. The authority comes from Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
Apostles, not prophets had authority to write the words of NewTestament scripture. When establishing their unique authority, they appealed to themselves as "apostles." New Testament prophets did not speak with authority equal to the words of scripture. In Acts 21.4, e.g., Paul was told "through the Spirit" not to go on to Jerusalem. Paul disobeyed this word. In the same chapter, Agabus prophesied about the Jews binding Paul and said they would "deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles." This prediction was nearly correct, but not perfects, something that would have called an Old Testament prophet into question.
Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5.19-21 "do not despise prophesying, but test everything; hold fast what is good." So Paul implies that prophecies may contain some things that are good and some things that are not good. No one would say like this about Old Testament prophecy the true prophets of God. Paul implies that we must discern what is of God and what is not of God, what is of "flesh" and what is of the Holy Spirit.
In 1 Corinthians 14.29-38 Paul suggests that prophets should listen to other prophets and sift the good from the bad. This is called "weighing what is said." No Old Testament prophet would stand for this! Paul commands believers to do this, suggesting that New Testament prophecy does not have the same authority of God's very words.
Most who move in the gift of prophecy teach that contemporary prophecy is not equal to scripture in authority, even if speaking of prophecy as the "word of God" for today. It is not 100% perfect. Confusion comes from the habit of using the phrase "thus says the Lord," This phrase is nowhere used in the New Testament by any prophets in New Testament churches. Agabus used "Thus says the Holy Spirit" in Acts 21.11. We could say that what is being conveyed here is generally or approximately what the Holy Spirit is saying to us.
How should we begin our words? Most used beginnings are "I think the Lord is putting on my mind that…" or "It seems to me that the Lord is showing us…."
In what sense is prophecy from God?
God brings something spontaneously to mind. The person prophesying reports it in his or her own words. Paul calls this "a revelation." In 1 Cor. 14.25 Paul says if a stranger comes in and all prophesy, "The secrets of his heart are disclosed (revealed); and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you."
I remember one Sunday here at King's the Holy Spirit brought to my mind a picture of a woman laying on the side of the road dying and in the spirit I saw her friend leaving her to die. I saw holes all over her body and I heard a voice saying "You are not alive because you are strong, but because I love you. I have given you so many chances but you still continue introducing poison into your body; the beautiful body I gave you. The voice continued saying: Stop what you are doing and follow me. I have great plan for you". After the service that Sunday, a lady came to me and said: "The words you spoke were about me." She shared what she was going through and said she would turn to God who loves her. That is the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
So, a person receives revelation from God and reports the revelation in his own words. It serves as a "sign" for believers, a "sign" of God's hand of blessing on the congregation. It also works for the conversion of unbelievers.
What is the difference between prophecy and teaching?
New Testament "prophecy" was based on the spontaneous prompting from the Holy Spirit and it is right to say that unless a person receives a spontaneous 'revelation' from God, there is no prophecy. Teaching, however, is often simply an explanation or application of scripture. We would call it Bible teaching or preaching today.
Prophecy has less authority than "teaching," and prophecies are subject to the authoritative doctrines of scripture. Jesus Taught, Timothy was to teach Paul's instructions in the church (1 Tim. 4.11, 6.2). Paul taught (1 Cor. 4.17). Believers were to hold to the traditions taught to them (2 Thess. 2.15). It was teachers, not prophets, who gave leadership and direction to the early churches.
Elders were to be apt teachers, those who labour in preaching and teaching (1 Tim. 5.17). Nothing is said about prophesying. Timothy is to take heed to his teaching (1 Tim. 4.16), not to his prophesying. James warns those who teach, not those who prophesy (James 3.1).
Interpreting and applying scripture is teaching. If the message is the result of reflection on the text of scripture, containing interpretation of the text and its application to life, that is a teaching. If the message is the report of something God brings suddenly to mind, that is a prophecy. If someone is teaching and God suddenly brings something to mind, that is a "Prophetic teaching".
The gift of prophecy requires waiting on the Lord, listening for Him, checking all such revelation against the written and authoritative word of scripture. More emphasis needs to be placed on Scripture and seeking God's sure wisdom written there!
Warnings for today.
God has given us objective truth, enough to obey for a lifetime. Prophecy today may have predictions but also disclosure of sins. Anything that edified could have been included. Paul says, "He who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation." Prophecy speaks to the needs of people's hearts in a spontaneous, direct way. Many can prophesy. It is a gift believers should earnestly desire.
However, Michael Harper, an Anglican charismatic pastor, says, "Prophecies which tell other people what they're to do-are to be regarded with great suspicion." Avoid the excessive desire for "messages" from "prophets." We need to be sensitive to promptings from the Holy Spirit while being cautious to test all things and hold to the good. More emphasis should be placed on scripture and scriptural teaching than on prophecy.
The Prophet Today
What was prophesied by Old Testament prophets is now being fulfilled, even in the youngest of believers because the Holy Spirit lives in us. The Holy Spirit is to us the Spirit of revelation, giving us spiritual vision. We are to see what God wants us to see. When one is born again, one sees the kingdom of God. It's part of the new birth. With the faculty of seeing comes the object seen. The Holy Spirit enables us to see the significance of Jesus Christ and God's eternal purpose. We see Jesus. What we see, we are to apprehend, lay hold of. We become what we behold. Spiritual vision is to be personal and increasing in every believer. In order to keep spiritual vision alive, the Holy Spirit uses the instrument of the Cross of Jesus Christ and erase all that corrupts the communication line. My prayer today is that we all take hold of what we are taught about Jesus Christ. When we do, the Holy Spirit will give us revelations of Christ and He will be real to all of us.
You may be here this morning and you are wondering whether there are prophets in the house. My answer is yes, there are prophets even in this very room. Jesus reveals secrets to us through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. He reveals the past, the present and even the future to us in order to warn us, to build us up or to rebuke us. This gift was made available to all who believe in Christ Jesus.
