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

Who Judges the Prophecies?

A public correction from the church leadership is justified when an unscriptural statement is made, an immoral suggestion given, a condem natory prophecy pronounced on an individual or church, an accusation made that demands verification, or any statement that would create con fusion in the minds of the people or destroy their unity or the spirit of worship. We need to guard against wrong prophecy, but also against throwing a wet blanket on the whole procedure of prophecy in the local church. The elders should not be waiting to pounce on some unwary soul! We are there to help the people and to encourage prophecy, not discourage it. Whatever course of action is needed for prophetic correction, we should seek to do what will best serve the interests of the whole congregation. If someone's message is borderline, or it has problems and might trou ble some of the people, it may be wise for the pastor to ask that person publicly to meet with him after the service (as we do in our church). This sends an immediate message to any nervous sheep that the person who has just given this troubling word will have pastoral counseling and will not be repeating the mistake. Prophecy holds a potential blessing for both the small church and the megachurch, but it must be handled in both cases wisely and discreetly. It is possible in any location, with any size congregation, to have spiritual order that controls fanaticism yet allows freedom for spiritual manifestations. To permit the exercise of prophecy, without requiring it to be sub jected to scriptural judgment, is against the teaching of the New Testament, and commonly leads to abuses which discredit prophecy as a whole, and frustrate the purposes for which true prophecy is given. 32 Derek Prince The root reason inspirational movements in the past have so fre quently come to grief has either been, on the one hand, attaching too much infallibility and authority to prophetic utterance, or on the other hand, of "despising" this particular manifestation of the Holy Spirit until it has been thereby "quenched." 33 Donald Gee The prophetic word should be judged by those who are established leadership. Those who are not leadership should not presume to make this 349. REFLECTIONS