Personal Prophecy: How Much Can We Trust It?
Bible teacher Eddie L. Hyatt asks: What is the place of personal prophecy in the local church and our lives?
It seems that almost everyone has an amusing or thought-provoking anecdote about an encounter with personal prophecy. For example, a prophet once exhorted me that I no longer had to be concerned about my unsaved little brother. God had revealed to him, he said, that my little brother would be saved and there was no need for any concern. In private, I shared with this “prophet” that I had not been concerned about my little brother because I did not have a little brother. Obviously embarrassed, he replied, “I will have to be more careful.”
The above experience highlighted for me the potential danger of personal prophecy gone awry. An equal danger, however, is when the Church reacts to such extremes and rejects or discourages personal prophecy altogether. In 1 Thess. 5:19-20, Paul gives clear instructions in this regard. Do not quench the Spirit, he says, and Do not despise prophecies (NKJV). In vs. 21 Paul then balances the former two verses by saying, Test all things; hold fast what is good (NKJV). Paul’s approach to prophecy may be described as “openness without naiveté and discernment without judgmentalism.”
In Paul’s instruction on prophecy throughout his letters, several key guidelines emerge that are particularly relevant to personal prophecy: (1) It is given as the Spirit wills; (2) It is given for confirming and encouraging; (3) It is given as a free gift of grace; and (4) It is given to glorify Christ.
Prophecy Is Given As the Spirit Wills
Paul is very clear in 1 Cor. 12:11 that prophecy, along with other gifts discussed in this passage, are given as the Spirit wills. These are not gifts that a person carries and operates at his own will, but manifestations that come forth as the Spirit wills.
Recently my wife, Susan, and I were in our van about to back out of our driveway when the Holy Spirit interrupted us. As she was about to shift into reverse, Sue was suddenly aware of an inner compassion flowing out to our next-door neighbor who was working in her yard. We had only recently moved into this house and this neighbor, upon discovering that we were Christians, introduced herself as a backslidden preacher from Brooklyn, NY. We did not attempt to discuss our faith with her and in the succeeding days sought merely to be good neighbors.
On this day, with a sense of God’s compassion reaching out to our neighbor, Sue called her by name—“Adele!!” Upon hearing her name, Adele walked over to the side of our vehicle. Without a prior sense that it was coming, Sue broke forth with an utterance in tongues. I leaned across the seat and spoke the interpretation which was a personal word of prophecy to Adele, “My daughter, you are precious in my sight.” Adele burst into tears and then into praying in tongues. We had a mini-revival right there in our driveway. What a powerful experience it was, facilitated by a personal prophecy that came forth, not as we willed, but as the Spirit willed.
Contrary to the Biblical model, many are teaching that believers can prophesy at their own volition, or will. One well known prophet insisted that, just as it took Pentecostals several decades to discover that they could speak or pray in tongues at will, many in the body of Christ are now discovering that they can prophesy at will. Proponents of this teaching point to the fact that, in 1 Cor. 14:15, Paul says, I will pray with the spirit, an obvious reference to praying in tongues. They then conclude that if one can will to pray or speak in tongues, then one can also will to prophesy.
This is, of course, poor hermeneutics that ignores the context of Paul’s discussion. When Paul says, in 1 Cor. 14:15, I will pray with the spirit, the context makes it clear that it is private, devotional tongues in which he wills, or chooses, to pray. He distinguishes between private, devotional tongues in which he prays at will and the public manifestation of tongues that requires interpretation and comes forth as the Spirit wills—a very important distinction.
Prophecy is Given For Confirming and Encouraging
1 Cor. 14:3 gives the primary purpose of prophecy in very clear and succinct terms. It says, But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. The three key words in this passage, “edification,” exhortation,” and “comfort” carry the meanings “to build up,” “to stir up,” and “to cheer up.” On the other hand, Paul says, in 2 Tim. 3:16, that Scripture is good for doctrine (teaching), for reproof (rebuke), for correction, for instruction in righteousness. When individuals begin to utilize personal prophecy for purposes reserved primarily for Scripture, it is time to beware.
This distinction was made very real to me as the result of an erroneous prophecy that came forth in a congregation I once pastored in eastern Canada. Near the close of a Sunday evening service a woman, who was quite new to our assembly, brought forth a very severe rebuke to the congregation in the form of a prophecy. She spoke this word during a time of spontaneous worship as people were basking in the warmth of God’s love and presence. As she concluded her prophecy, I could see confusion appearing on people’s faces and I knew that I must address what had just happened. I proceeded to inform the congregation that the word just spoken was not from God and encouraged them to ignore what had been said and to continue worshipping.
After the service, this woman came to me very upset. I found myself pointing her to the two passages mentioned above and explaining to her the different purposes of prophecy and Scripture; prophecy being for confirming and encouraging and Scripture being for teaching, rebuking and correcting. I then offered her five minutes in our next service to present a rebuke to the congregation. “But don’t prophesy to us,” I said. “Take your Bible and show us where you think we are missing the mark.” “Oh, I could never do that,” she replied. “You just did it,” I said, “But you hid behind a ‘thus saith the Lord.’”
The point is that we must not allow personal prophecy to usurp the place of Scripture, prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In the Old Testament, people often went to the prophet, or seer, to obtain direction and insight. In the New Testament, however, there is not a single example of anyone seeking guidance from a prophet. In the New Testament, the indwelling Holy Spirit is the right and privilege of every believer, making the mediation of a special prophet unnecessary. Prophetic ministry in the New Testament will thus confirm and strengthen, not mediate and legislate.
At this point some will want to distinguish between the gift of prophecy and the office of the prophet. The New Testament, however, does not make such a fine distinction. In the New Testament, prophetic ministry is available, at least potentially, to all believers. Although some individuals are referred to as prophets, there is no mention of a prophetic office. Dr. Gordon Fee may well be correct when, in his commentary on 1 Corinthians, he says that those called prophets in the New Testament are probably those who prophesied more frequently than others.
Prophecy is Given As a Free Gift of Grace
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul refers to prophecy as a charisma, the Greek word that is translated “Spiritual gift.” Charisma and its plural form charismata are derived from charis which is the Greek word for “grace.” Prophecy, therefore, is literally a grace-gift. It is freely given out of the graciousness and kindness of God, not because of any merit in the one who prophesies. Paul uses charisma, no doubt, to undermine the egoism and pride of the Corinthians in the exercise of their Spiritual gifts—including prophecy. Church history demonstrates that every generation needs to be reminded that these gifts flow out of God’s grace and are not badges of spiritual superiority.
Prophecy is Given to Glorify Christ
Conclusion
To derive the greatest benefit from the prophetic gift, we must avoid the extremes of a too-controlled or an uncontrolled prophetic ministry. A too-controlled approach will quench the gift altogether while and uncontrolled approach will inevitably lead to misuse, abuse and disaster. Mature pastoral guidance that both values the prophetic gift and understands the potential pitfalls therein is indispensable.
With an open and mature approach to personal prophecy, perhaps Paul’s description of a genuine prophetic meeting in 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 can be realized in our own gatherings. He says that when the unlearned or unbelievers come into a meeting where the prophetic gift is flowing freely, as they listen, their secret thoughts will be laid bare, and they will fall down on their knees and worship God, declaring, God is really among you. May leaders seek God’s guidance in shepherding this powerful gift so that people both inside and outside the church may be challenged and edified through the gift of prophecy.
PR
Reprinted with permission from Ministries Today, September/October 2004. Copyright Strang Communications Co., USA. All rights reserved. www.MinistriesToday.com
