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

Insights from Modern Church History (A.O. 1830-1980)

Lutheran Church in America (U.S.A.), 1974

As it is reflected in the New Testament generally, prophecy is authori tative proclamation of the will and purposes of God with appropriate exhor tation to action on the part of the Christian community. Vol. I, p. 558 Malines Document I, Roman Catholic Church (International), 1974 1. Prophecy as Integral to the Church's Ministry- . ..The Holy Spirit is the origin and the source of the corporate life of the Church.The prophet was seen as integral to the Church's corporate ministry and mission. 2. Prophecies Are to be Tested-Therefore, the charism of prophecy belongs to the ordinary life of a given local church and should not be looked upon as an unusual grace.Authentic prophecy proclaims God's will and God's word, and focuses God's light on the present. Prophecy exhorts, warns, comforts, and corrects, and is directed to the upbuilding of the church (1 Cor.14:1-5). Extreme care is used with both predictive and directive prophecy.Predictive prophecy is not to be acted upon except as tested and confirmed in other ways. As with all the gifts, prophetic utterance can vary in quality, power, and purity.It also undergoes a maturing process.Furthermore there is a great variety of prophecies as to types, modes, purpose, and expression.Prophecy can be a simple word of encouragement, an admonition, a prophetic act, or a decision for a new line of action.For this reason all prophecies are not to be understood or received at the same level. The prophet is a member of the church and is not set above it, even when he confronts the church with God's will and word.Neither the prophet nor his prophecy is self-authenticating.Prophecies are to be submitted to the Christian community: "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the other weigh what is said" (1 Cor.14:29).They are also submitted to those who have pastoral responsibilities.When necessary, they are submitted to the discernment of the bishop (Lumen Gentium, art.12). Vol.III, pp.58-59 Prophecy: It is a special gift that calls and enables certain persons to convey revelations of God to His church.The revelation is: (a) From God to man, (b) For the edification of Community, (c) For laying bare the secrets of their hearts (1 Cor.14:24-25), (d)Revealing God'spresence, (e) For predicting future events (Acts 11:27-28; 21:10).The criterion by which we judge the claims of a prophet is the Scripture."Let us prophesy in proportion to our faith" (Rom. 12:6).1.Do not go beyond the given.2.Do not withhold the truth. Vol.II, p.165 Lutheran Church, Mekane Yesus (Ethiopia), 1976

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