Why does Paul say this? Because written scripture (including Paul’s own writings) always trumps spontaneous prophecy.
According to the New Testament, the “office” of a prophet (if we have to word it like that), is exactly as the other four listed ministries - a position of Servanthood, for the building up of the Church, for the glory of God: Being a prophet is to serve the Body of Christ, in the House of the Lord, like a Pastor or a Teacher, etc. We are not celebrities…We are bond-servants. We’re merely serving in the Body; I don’t have a more spiritual walk than you…I’m likely not more mature than you…I certainly didn’t earn the ministry of prophet. I’m just serving in the Body, in the capacity that the Lord decided to give me, like every other faithful believer. (Maybe if we stopped using the term “office of prophet” and “office of apostle” it would change the dynamics of the church for the better.) Because the Lord will judge me, based, not on how popular I was, but on how OBEDIENT I was.
Let everyone (including prophets) be subject one to another. When operating within the Church fellowship let every prophet be subject to the shepherd of that flock and the elders, when prophesying. See Titus 1:5
Scriptures such as James 3:1 help us put the whole “5-fold ministry” concept into perspective: -
“Not many of you should become Teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”
In reading this, we realize that the effective functioning of the Body of Christ requires much more than just the “apostle” and the “prophet”. Basically, we are ALL important within the Body!
Here are some illustrations of prophesy from both the Old and the New Covenants:
1Samuel 9:10-12
1Samuel 19:20-24
John 11:49-51
When we read scriptures such as these, we recognize that prophecy comes by the sovereign move of the Holy Spirit and will of the LORD and is by no means to be used for one select group of people to take advantage or to lord it over everyone else.
Above everything else let ALL be subject to the Word of the Lord: the Holy Spirit’s PRIMARY way of speaking and through which He is BEST known. And for me personally, given the choice between prophecy and teaching the Word, I will choose “sola scriptura” (Scripture alone) every time. Read Matthew 24:35 & 1Corinthians 13:8.
However, this downward spiral that we seem to be descending in the more charismatic branches of the Church…discarding more and more the written Scripture, in favor of
“new/fresh revelation” … “another gospel” …
or even “another Bible” (aka the Passion Translation) has become grievous and frightening. How long will we idolize the gift, instead of truly worshipping the Giver (we can’t do both - it’s either one or the other).
The Holy Spirit is always revealing himself in fresh ways and giving us fresh revelation, through His Word - if we would only set about to know Him through reading it (This is what Paul was referring to in Ephesians 1:17) … or at least put ourselves under anointed teachers, whom the Spirit has equipped to rightly divide the Word of Truth for us.
What is the best training we can receive as prophets? Read, hear and study the Word of God:
If we wish to prophesy in truth, we must know Who is the Source of All Truth - and the ONLY source of Truth:
The Lord, who is the Word (John 1:1-2),
who breathed the Word (2Timothy 3:16-17) and who is revealed through His Word (Hebrews 1:1)
Right now, we’re “having fun” with the anointing - and I’m not saying this is a bad thing (Personally I have benefited greatly from this time) - but it’s the best way to describe the “season” we’re in.) And the Holy Spirit, by His Grace, is allowing it - and using it…because He wants to impact people’s lives. But we must make the most of this freedom that we have been given: Because this freedom - this “season” - has an end date.
A. h. W.
For further reading: https://undergod714.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-prophet-part-ii.html
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