The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
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Supporters <strong>of</strong> this view agree with those <strong>of</strong> view 1 and view 2 that prophecy is a permanent<br />
gift that remains available to us today. <strong>The</strong>y agree with supporters <strong>of</strong> view 3 that revelation<br />
ceased with <strong>the</strong> completion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New Testament. Contrary to <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r three views, however,<br />
supporters <strong>of</strong> view 4 hold that post-biblical manifestations <strong>of</strong> prophecy do not involve receiving<br />
revelation. 22<br />
This view sees no exegetical basis for limiting <strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> prophecy to <strong>the</strong> apostolic period.<br />
Prophecy is seen as <strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> “rightly understanding, expounding and applying Scripture to <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
contemporary issues and problems.” 23<br />
Merit: It recognizes <strong>the</strong> permanence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> prophecy. But it does so by redefining what<br />
is involved in prophecy. This new definition <strong>of</strong> “expounding <strong>the</strong> Word <strong>of</strong> God and applying it to<br />
human situations” is basically <strong>the</strong> central idea <strong>of</strong> prophecy. 24<br />
Problem: This new definition is not <strong>the</strong> whole <strong>of</strong> New Testament prophecy. By excluding<br />
revelation, modern prophecy becomes something different from New Testament prophecy. Is this<br />
change <strong>of</strong> definition legitimate in <strong>the</strong> understanding <strong>of</strong> what prophecy is? 25<br />
All <strong>the</strong>se views have problems--<strong>the</strong> issues involved are quite complete--but <strong>the</strong> fourth view<br />
seems <strong>the</strong> most plausible and has <strong>the</strong> least difficulty. 26<br />
Response to Prophecy<br />
1. All prophecy should be carefully weighed (I Cor. 14:29). Prophecy is uttered by humans<br />
who could be misled. None should engage in prophecy who is not willing that his prophecy should<br />
be tested. Here ano<strong>the</strong>r example may help: At a rally in London a Christian woman gave a<br />
‘prophecy.’ It was couched in religious phraseology, but delivered in a wailing tone and quickly I<br />
discerned it was not from <strong>the</strong> Lord. We were in an Anglican Church and after <strong>the</strong> woman had sat<br />
down <strong>the</strong> vicar (pastor) stood up to say that he thought that <strong>the</strong> ‘gift’ should be tested. A number<br />
<strong>of</strong> folk in <strong>the</strong> congregation raised <strong>the</strong>ir hands to agree that God had not spoken. <strong>The</strong>n John swiftly<br />
encouraged people to turn <strong>the</strong>ir eyes back to Jesus. 27<br />
But we should be swift to hear and slow to speak and not rush into publicly correcting<br />
prophecy in case when we root out <strong>the</strong> weeds we may root up <strong>the</strong> wheat with <strong>the</strong>m (cf. Mt.<br />
13:29). When prophecy is <strong>of</strong> God <strong>the</strong>re is a general consensus that it is so. When it is ‘<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
flesh’ nearly everybody knows it except possible <strong>the</strong> person prophesying who may have been<br />
deceived.