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

Definition of Christian Prophecy

Prophecy in the early and modern Church frequently has been one hun dred percent accurate.No present prophecy, however, even if absolutely accurate, is considered in the same class as the inerrant, infallible Scrip ture.In all the years I have associated with Spirit-filled people, I have known no one who equated modern prophecy with the Scripture (see chapter 5).Prophecy in local church gatherings is directed specifically. Robeck explains: "The gift of prophecy seems to be designed by God to speak ad hoc, to specific people at specific times in specific situations." 32 This is clearly the tenor of Paul's teaching for the prophecy that he expected to occur. Bible readers have long observed that the words of some Old Testa ment prophets who spoke to the needs of the people were not preserved or given canonical status.A few examples: Moses' elders (Numbers 11); Saul (1 Samuel 10, 19); the old prophet in Bethel (1 Kings 13:11); Ahijah (1 Kings 14:4-16); the anonymous prophet (1 Kings 20:35-42); Iddo the seer (2 Chronicles 9:29); Uriah, son of Shemiah (Jeremiah 26:20); the prophets in the prophetic schools; and the canonical prophets themselves, whose words at times were not recorded as Scripture.This observation has led some to posit two levels of prophecy in the Old Testament-one more valued, the other less.Graham Houston, for instance, cites "con siderable evidence in the Old Testament for at least two types of prophecy, one of which claimed to communicate God's word with an absolute ver bal authority, and one which was seen as a powerful sign of God's pres ence without necessarily bringing a specific message." 33 Bishop David Pytches suggests caution: "While a two-level category of prophecy may be suggested here we should never insist upon such clear cut distinctions.The Holy Spirit eludes systemisation.Who can say where the wind is coming from or where it is going (John 3:8)?" 34 Depends on faith of speaker. If and when a person prophesies in the church, he or she must do so "according to the proportion of his faith" (Romans 12:6)."Proportion" is the translation of analogia, which appears only once in the Greek New Testament.As Everett Harrison points out, it seems that Paul in this text is "intent on emphasizing the need for exer cising the gifts, and for exercising them in the right way...." 35 Various commentators rightly suggest that "faith" here is to be taken in a sub jective way, tied in with the "measure" mentioned in verse 3.So, as Bar rett points out, while it is possible to translate "of the faith" (with faith representing the Christian religion), Paul is most probably referring to how a person is to function. 36 Some have stronger faith than others, but each of us must minister with the strength of conviction God gives, recognizing an element of launch ing out in faith.Sometimes we miss an opportunity to minister a spiritual 175 ■