Your Sons & Daughters Shall Prophesy - Prophetic Gifts Today In The New Testament Church

The Transition from Old to New

of doctrine and government, and the New Testament prophets continued the great tradition of hearing God's voice, but subject to the authority of the message proclaimed by the apostles.Evangelists, pastors and teach ers also came into existence.Thus, from the one ministry of the classical superstar prophet, five new ministries arose to lead the Christian Church the greatest leaders being those who serve most! The traveling ministry among the churches was enhanced by the apostle and prophet working together. 26 Some feel that the apostles John and Paul were also prophets (a thought considered in chapter 11). Also, it has been argued that the apostle Barnabas (Acts 14:14) was a prophet. 27 The loving way in which evaluation of prophecy was to be adminis tered in the early Church was an incentive, safeguard and great relief to those who prophesied.The presence of the Holy Spirit in each of the believers, their openness to hear from God and the cooperative concern of apostles, other ministries and elders made for an effective, ongoing prophetic presence in the churches. Individuals in both Testaments were inspired at divinely initiated times to speak God's very words with absolute divine authority.These prophets were used to inscripturate the revelation of God.Their messages, as orig inally given, were without mistake and have been collected to form the Bible.Carl F. H.Henry explains: "A special divine activity of inspiration has been operative in their production....The Spirit, in His redemptive outgoing to fallen man, has outbreathed the Scriptures by a special rela tionship to chosen prophets and apostles." 28 The inscripturating prophecy that produced the Bible is timeless, vital, special revelation meant for all mankind; it is universal truth.This occurred in both Testaments.The prophets and apostles did not initiate this inspi ration; it came from God.This no longer happens in the Church, for the canon of Scripture is complete. Also, in both Testaments there occurred prophetic activity not recorded for posterity but particularly for individuals and groups of people at the time given.This secondary prophecy occurred for personal enlightenment and enrichment, appropriate for the time and setting but not infallible or inerrant. Such prophecy sometimes proceeded from persons with no proper office of such a kind to fulfill (that is, they were not of a distinct order with a recognized function), yet they were endowed supernaturally for the occasion.In the Old Testament we see this in the prophesying of ■ 152 Limitations Were Placed on Both Old and New Testament Prophets