How do we know if this is prophecy?
What is prophecy? And how can we discern
if it's from God?
MUCH of the confusion with
the practice of prophecy in the contemporary church has to do
with a misunderstanding of what the New Testament means by the
term. It is not possible to provide a full discussion on prophecy
in the limited compass of this article. What I propose to do is
to briefly define prophecy and delineate some principles of discernment.
Prophecy in the contemporary church is best described as a report
of thoughts and impressions which may have been inspired by the
Holy Spirit.
It is important to stress at the outset, therefore, that prophecies
by ordinary Christians should never be taken as the "infallible
word of God". This means that prophecies should not be placed
at par with Scripture. They do not enjoy the same authority and
status as God's revealed Word in Scripture, and those who prophesy
are not suddenly elevated to the status of Old Testament prophets
like Isaiah or Jeremiah. Prophecies, then, are nothing more than
God-inspired thoughts which, when shared, would benefit a small
group, or even the whole church.
It is customary in some Christian circles and churches for Christians
to preface prophetic utterances with "Thus says the Lord"
or "Hear the word of the Lord". This practice is, at
the very least, misleading, and should in my opinion be abolished.
Instead, Christians who sense that they have been inspired to
speak should simply say, "I think the Lord is indicating
that …" "or "I feel that the Lord has impressed
upon me to say … " Such an approach corresponds to the
true nature of prophetic utterances, which, as I have pointed
out, are merely reports of Spirit-inspired thoughts that might
bring edification.
Paul broadly describes the purpose of prophetic utterances in
the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 14:3 thus: "But everyone
who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement
and comfort."
Because prophecies do not enjoy scriptural authority, they should
always be tested. In 1 Corinthians 14:29, Paul wrote: "Two
or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully
what is said." Prophecies should never be submitted to mindlessly,
but should be carefully weighed and evaluated.
But who are the "others" who are called to weigh the
prophetic utterances? Without detaining the reader with the finer
issues of exegesis, I believe that "others" here refer
to the entire Christian community. A prophetic message must be
carefully weighed by the leaders and members of the Christian
community on the basis of God's revealed Word, the Bible.
About 20 years ago, I remember addressing this topic at a leaders'
retreat. I used this illustration to describe our response of
prophecy (although I can't recall the church or the precise content
of the talk): Responding to prophecy, I said, is like eating curry
fish-head - you swallow the meat and spit out the bones! Paul
said something similar in the context of judging prophecy in 1
Thessalonians 5:21, 22: "Test everything. Hold on to what
is good. Avoid every kind of evil."
Are only certain Christians given
the gift of prophecy, or is this ability readily available to
all Christians? The New Testament describes prophecy as a gift
which God freely gives to some Christians according to His sovereign
will. Those who exercise the gift regularly are sometimes called
"prophets", although most scholars agree that in the
New Testament this designation does not describe a formally recognised
office.
In principle, then, all Christians have the potential ability
to prophesy, although only some Christians are given that actual
ability. Thus on the one hand Paul maintains that it is the Spirit
who "distributes [spiritual gifts] to each one as he wills",
on the other he urges members of his congregation to "seek
earnestly the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy".
(1 Cor 14:1; 1 Cor 14:39).
God may, through the gift of prophetic speech, encourage and guide
Christians. But Christians must regard prophecy as only one of
the many ways in which God guides. Because prophecy does not have
the same authority as God's revealed Word, the Bible, it should
not be regarded as the only, or even the primary, source of divine
guidance. It would therefore be unwise to make a decision solely
on the basis of a prophetic message.
This is especially true in the case of prescriptive prophecies:
"Leave your job, and serve as a missionary in Bhutan!"
or "Marry Mary!" The Christian may take such prophecies
as possible promptings of God's Spirit; but the wise Christian
would remember that this is only one of the many possible ways
in which God guides.
To repeat, the Christian should never make a decision on the basis
of prophecy alone! He should diligently search the Scriptures,
prayerfully examine the facts and evaluate the consequences, consult
his pastor, elders and matured members of God's household before
making a decision.
Prophecy is God's gift to the church, an evidence or sign of His
abiding presence with His people. God uses the gift of prophecy
to edify, encourage and warn His people. Furthermore, the gift
of prophecy shows that God relates to us in a personal and intimate
way. We should therefore never treat God's gift of prophecy with
contempt (1 Thess 5:20). We should thank God for this wonderful
gift, even as we recognise its proper limits.
Dr Roland Chia is Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Lecturer
in Historical and Systematic Theology at Trinity Theological College.
He worships at the Fairfield Preaching Point in Woodlands.
QUOTE:
GOD'S GIFT
'Prophecy is God's gift to the church, an evidence or sign of
His abiding presence with His people. God uses the gift of prophecy
to edify, encourage and warn His people.'