327 NT Guidelines for Small Group Meetings Talk 4 The Right Use of the Gift of Prophecy

Talk 4 The Right Use of Prophecy

Hello again and welcome to Talk 4 in our series on NT Guidelines for Small Group Meetings.

In our last two talks we were looking at Paul’s teaching on tongues and interpretation. Today our subject is the gift of prophecy. We will consider what it is, its value and purpose, its limitations, and how it should be used in our meetings.

What is prophecy?

People sometimes confuse prophecy with foretelling the future, but its basic meaning is speaking on behalf of someone else. In the Bible it’s usually used to refer to speaking on behalf of God. And obviously, if you’re going to speak on behalf of God you need to hear from him first. This happens by the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

In Old Testament times and right up to Acts 2 in the New Testament, the Spirit was given to relatively few people, but from Pentecost onwards the gift of the Spirit was made available to all God’s people. So prophecy in the New Testament worked rather differently from how it worked before Pentecost. There are now three different ways in which we may be said to prophesying:

1.     When we tell others about Jesus we are speaking on God’s behalf and so there’s a sense in which we’re ‘prophesying’. This is something all Christians can, and should, do.

2.     If we have received the spiritual gift of prophecy, when we use it we are prophesying. But this gift is not given to everyone. See 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, Romans 12:6).

3.     If we have the ministry of a prophet, our prophecies may well contain supernatural revelation about the future. See, for example Agabus (Acts 11:27-28, 21:10). Not all Christians, and not even all who have the gift of prophecy, have this ministry.

There isn’t time to go into all these three ways in these talks, but if you want more on this you’ll find it in WYCT Ch. 7, and Body Builders Chapters 9 and 12. In this series we’ll be limiting our attention to the spiritual gift of prophecy, because that’s mainly what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 14, where he describes it like this:

… everyone who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort (v3).

It’s listed among the supernatural gifts Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. So, perhaps we could best define it as:

The supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit which enables us to speak to others on behalf of God by the direct  inspiration of the Holy Spirit  for their strengthening, encouragement  and comfort .

So, it’s not the same as when we bring a brief encouraging word during an open time of prayer or worship. It’s only when there’s a distinctly supernatural element that such ‘words’ are really the gift of prophecy.

The value and purpose of prophecy

Paul valued prophecy very highly indeed. He begins 1 Corinthians 14:1 by saying:

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

This is the main theme of the chapter. And he ends the chapter as he has started it:

Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy… (39).

And we’ve seen in previous talks why he values it so highly. It’s because it edifies the church (1 Corinthians 14:4-5). That’s why he wants to us be passionate about it! Because …everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort (v.3).

This, in the context of church worship, is the practical outworking of Paul’s teaching about love in chapter 13. We are to love our fellow Christians, and if we love them we will want to be a blessing to them, to strengthen, encourage, and comfort them. And that’s what prophecy does.

But that’s not all. Prophecy can also have a powerful effect on unbelievers who may come into the church.

24 …if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"

So, prophecy is to be valued very highly, not only because it strengthens, encourages, and comforts believers, but also because of the powerful effect it can have on people who do not yet believe.

But having said that, prophecy is not without its limitations. In 13:9-10 Paul says:

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

This is because at present our knowledge is incomplete. We see but a poor reflection as in a mirror (12). Our prophecies are imperfect because they are our prophecies, and we are not perfect yet.

That’s why in 14:12 Paul tells us to try to excel in it. If our use of God’s precious gifts were perfect, we would not need to try to excel in them – in fact all Paul’s instructions about their use would have been unnecessary!

And that’s why we’re told in 14:29 that we should weigh carefully what is said.

But that brings us to how prophecy should be used in our meetings.

The use of prophecy in our meetings

Perhaps the first thing to say about the use of prophecy in our meetings is that we should always bear in mind its purpose, which is to strengthen, encourage, comfort, and edify God’s people (3-4).

There is no suggestion that it should be used to rebuke them, or even to give them guidance.

Paul tells us in Romans 8:14 that it’s our privilege as God’s children to be personally led by the Spirit . Guidance received through prophecy should simply serve as confirmation of something that God has already spoken to us about in our hearts.

A good example of this is found in Acts 13:1-3 where the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch were told by the Holy Spirit to set Barnabas and Paul apart for the work to which he had already called them. Similarly, in Acts 21:1-15, Agabus predicts what will happen to Paul, but he does not tell him what to do.

Paul’s specific teaching (29-32)

29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.

Two or three prophets should speak (29)

Paul may be using the word prophet here to refer to people like Agabus, or he could be meaning  those who exercise the simple gift of prophecy. Either way, the principles he is teaching apply to both. The first of these is that, although prophecy is to be encouraged, its use is to be limited, and it needs to be judged or weighed carefully.

The others should weigh carefully what is said (29)

The verb translated weigh carefully is the same as is used for distinguishing between spirits in 12:10. The clear implication is that every prophecy needs to be evaluated. It’s not infallible.

However, despite its limitations, Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20 that it’s not to be despised. But even that may indicate the possibility of human weakness in the operation of the gift. This could be why the Thessalonians had been despising it!

So prophecy needs to be judged or weighed carefully. But this raises two questions. The first is: Who is responsible for judging it?  

Looking at the immediate context, Paul seems to mean the other prophets. The things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned (2:14), and those with a prophetic gift are more likely to weigh a prophetic revelation accurately.

But surely the others may be applied more widely than that? Certainly, pastors or teachers have a special responsibility here, and in the context of a small group perhaps the group leader has too. We need to be alert for anything that might mislead God’s people.

But it’s not just leaders who have this responsibility. We all have! We all have the capacity, and the responsibility, to weigh prophetic words. But that leads us to the second question:

How is prophecy to be judged?

There are two areas of importance here, its authenticity and its application.

By authenticity I mean, first of all, its conformity to Scripture. Paul is very clear in verse 37 that what he is writing… is the Lord's command. All prophecy must be judged in the light of what the Spirit has already said in the Bible. But judging is more than an intellectual exercise based on our Bible knowledge. There is a spiritual dimension to it too. A ‘word’ may be in line with Scripture, but it may not be what the Spirit is emphasising to us right now.

By application I mean that we need to consider to whom the prophecy may apply. Is it for me? Is it for the whole church? How do we apply it in practice?

These are decisions that we all must make after hearing a prophecy. Clearly, we cannot judge it until we have heard it! However, in some churches people who feel they have a prophetic word to bring are expected to share it with the church leadership before bringing it publicly. The church leaders evaluate it before it is given. The advantages of this are twofold:

·      It prevents any unauthentic or inappropriate prophecy being given in public.

·      Those who are inexperienced, but eager to prophesy, feel more secure in having their prophecy confirmed by the leaders before bringing it.

We sometimes encourage this in our church, but at the same time we don’t want those who have a proven track record in prophecy to feel they have to consult the church leaders before they prophesy. Their prophecies should be judged after they have delivered them, which is clearly what Paul had in mind in the verse we’re looking at.

What’s more, to insist that leaders must be consulted before prophecies are given seems out of keeping with the encouragement Paul gives in verse 26 for all to participate, and with the spontaneity implicit in his teaching on the matter in verse 30.

And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop (30)

This shows:

·      the spontaneity that Paul envisages in Christian meetings – there was no set liturgy

·      prophecy may also contain an element of revelation

·      the importance of making room for others.

 

For you can all prophesy in turn (31)

This doesn’t mean that everyone in the meeting can prophesy, because not everyone has the gift. And I think it’s unlikely that he means that everyone with the gift can prophesy in every meeting! Like tongues and interpretation, he limits prophetic words to two or three (v29). There’s good sense in this, because if we get too many people bringing too many ‘words’ we can’t possibly take it all in!

The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets (32)

All the gifts God gives us are under our control. This is clear from the fact that specific instructions are given for their use.  If the use of the gifts were only dependent upon the Holy Spirit  himself, such instructions would be both inappropriate and unnecessary. 

That’s why Paul  teaches that we are able to:

·      regulate the number of prophetic utterances in any one meeting (14:29).

·      cease prophesying if something is revealed to someone else (14:30).

·      prophesy  rather than speak in tongues  if unbelievers are present (14:23-25). 

Our ability to control the gift  of prophecy also implies that we are responsible for the way we express the message God has given us.  I may believe that God has given me something to say, but I am not God, and I should not talk as if I were! And neither should you!

So please, prophesy, but don’t say ‘I’.

For example, it would be better to say

 The Lord loves you... than to say, I love you.

Avoid giving the impression that you are God!

But that now brings us to the final verses of 1 Corinthians 14. Note that verses 34-35 relate to women asking their husbands at home. It does not relate to women praying or prophesying in meetings, which Paul clearly allowed subject to the social conditions prevailing at the time (11:5).

In verse 37 he insists that what he is writing is the Lord's command.  Paul was a church leader and he was writing Scripture. Anyone who is truly spiritual will submit to the authority of Scripture and respect their church leaders.

Finally, prophecy is to be encouraged, and tongues should not be forbidden (39). And whatever happens, everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way (40).

That’s it. That’s all from me for now. Thanks for listening. Now, over to group leaders for questions for discussion. The Lord bless you.

 

Questions for discussion

1.     From what you’ve heard, how do you think we can distinguish between a brief encouraging ‘word’ and the gift of prophecy?

2.     Why do you think Paul wants us to be eager to prophecy?

3.     How can we encourage the use of this important gift in church and in our home groups?

4.     Might a group discussion be a good way to evaluate a prophetic word?

5.     You feel that a prophecy might be specifically for you, but you’re not quite sure. What should you do?