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

Christ's Continuing Voice in the Church

• Fulfilled his prophetic destiny, since Ananias had announced that Paul would bear God's name before the Gentiles and kings.

Agabus' enacted prophecy was accepted, despite some question as to God's will and meaning. 23 This raises the most significant question about prophecy in our day: How can prophecy be evaluated or judged? This challenging question will be addressed in chapters 20 and 21. Until then important preliminary information is presented-such as the next chap ter in which the controversial fourteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is exam ined (where Paul outlines the proper place and use of tongues, interpre tation and prophecy in the local church).

Summary of Acts

We may draw nine conclusions about prophetic activity in Acts:

1. Some Christians practiced prophesying regularly, and possibly twelve individuals were labeled "prophets": Agabus (11:27-28; 21:10-11); Judas and Silas (15:32); the four virgin daughters of Philip the evan gelist (21:8-9); and at least two of the five men at Antioch (13:1)­ Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the Hero dian and Saul. Also, some prophets (unnamed) who accompanied Agabus to Antioch (11:27). 2. Prophecy is a primary manifestation of the outpouring of the Spirit during this era (2:16-21). 3. Acts depicts prophetic activity as normal and pervasive among the churches of that day (20:23; 21:4, 9, 11). 4. Prophesying is an unexpected activity that accompanies being filled with the Spirit for the first time (19:1-6). 5. Prophesying is one among many manifestations of the Spirit taking place in the early Church. 6. It has several functions: a. Foretelling or predicting the future (11:27-28; 20:23; 21:10-11; and some would include Paul's revelation in 27:10, 23, 31) b. Selecting individuals for tasks (13:1-3; 22:13-16) c. Solving religious disputes (15:28, 32) d. Receiving guidance in making decisions (16:6-10) e. Demonstrating the supernatural (19:6) 7. Some prophets were mobile but they were not aimless and irrespon sible (11:27; 15:32; 21:10). 8. Paul received prophecies (gratefully, we assume) from others: ■ 208