When we read the writings of the Apostle Paul we find in a number of places an analogy of the church in the form of "the body of Christ" and Paul teaches us that the body can only function properly if each part does what it was created to do.
4. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5. so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7. or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8. he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:4-8
In Corinth there were divisions among the church over the gifts of the Spirit and Paul addressed the issue in his first letter to the Corinthians using the same analogy:
27. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30. Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31. But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
In chapter 13 of the same book, Paul goes on to describe the "more excellent way" which is the way of love, of patience and forbearance, trust and respect, belief and mutual submission, but let Paul say it:
4. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5. does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 1 Corinthians 4-12
These very verses are used to "prove" that the gift of prophecy has ceased, calling the bible that perfection which Paul was waiting to see. However, if the bible were that perfection written about by Paul, we would need no interpreter, no teacher to explain it's meaning: " For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." This verse and the notion of perfection having come are mutually exclusive.
So what's the point? In the Old Testament we find that the Kings and Priests, the leaders of the people, both of whom were anointed with the Spirit of Prophecy, still needed to be approached by prophets to correct them when they were in disobedience or error: e.g. Nathan was a prophet to King David, while it was David himself who wrote a large portion of scripture while in the Spirit of prophecy. So how does the church no longer need prophets, when Christ appointed them in His order as second after the Apostles?
What do prophets do? They have visions from God for His people, they "see" truth, they are His eyes in the body. They "hear" truth as ears in the body. They speak truth as the "mouth" of the body. A Pastor need not be a prophet, but if not, he should listen to them (as Aaron listened to and spoke for Moses). But prophets are the most despised of God's servants, the only ones that we know anything about from the Old testament were those who were from the priestly and kingly tribes (with the notable exception of Samuel, dedicated to God from before His birth.)
We have the mention of a few in the book of acts, but none besides Barnabus, Judas, and Silas are mentioned as being held in high esteem, and what are they more than messengers in the service of God?
So what has the "church" done to those whom God has honored with such service? Stopped up the ears? Closed the eyes? Gagged the mouth?
Oh, we'll fast and pray for revival. We'll shed tears over the evil we observe around us and pray for deliverance? But listen to those whom God has appointed to act as watchmen and given to cry out a warning, no, we deny their existence to our own destruction. We have no need of eyes, surely we see. We have no need of ears, surely we hear.
In the book of Numbers we're told that Miriam, the sister of Moses who was also a prophetess, spoke out together with Aaron against Moses and the Lord heard her:
1. Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2. And they said, "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?'' And the Lord heard it. Numbers 12:1-2
What was the Lord's response?
8. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?'' 9. So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. 10. And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. Numbers 12:8-10
The Lord takes His appointments seriously, so shouldn't we? How can the body of Christ function properly without all of its parts?
The prophets were not given authority over the congregation, but spoke by the authority of God. They never chose this office for themselves, but were called from their places, sometimes from sheepfolds, sometimes from priestly duty, from places of quiet and peaceful service, then were equipped and prepared by God and dropped into the middle of spiritual conflict which often took their lives. Who in their right mind would ever want to be a prophet? But why question the wisdom of God in making a place for even those who are least esteemed among men.
This may seem a bit self serving as it involves my own calling, but I'm not the only prophet that posts messages here, though some would never identify themselves as such. They're easy to identify as they tend to "sound" a little bit bitter when they write about what they see in the church or in the land that they live in. Where does that bitterness come from except to be appointed and gifted by God for a purpose in His church and rejected by the church because of their calling? Some cry from choir lofts, while others roam about looking for an ear to hear, and what are they fed by those whom they serve except mocking, vitriol, and false accusation?
4. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5. so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7. or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8. he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:4-8
In Corinth there were divisions among the church over the gifts of the Spirit and Paul addressed the issue in his first letter to the Corinthians using the same analogy:
27. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30. Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31. But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
In chapter 13 of the same book, Paul goes on to describe the "more excellent way" which is the way of love, of patience and forbearance, trust and respect, belief and mutual submission, but let Paul say it:
4. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5. does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 1 Corinthians 4-12
These very verses are used to "prove" that the gift of prophecy has ceased, calling the bible that perfection which Paul was waiting to see. However, if the bible were that perfection written about by Paul, we would need no interpreter, no teacher to explain it's meaning: " For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." This verse and the notion of perfection having come are mutually exclusive.
So what's the point? In the Old Testament we find that the Kings and Priests, the leaders of the people, both of whom were anointed with the Spirit of Prophecy, still needed to be approached by prophets to correct them when they were in disobedience or error: e.g. Nathan was a prophet to King David, while it was David himself who wrote a large portion of scripture while in the Spirit of prophecy. So how does the church no longer need prophets, when Christ appointed them in His order as second after the Apostles?
What do prophets do? They have visions from God for His people, they "see" truth, they are His eyes in the body. They "hear" truth as ears in the body. They speak truth as the "mouth" of the body. A Pastor need not be a prophet, but if not, he should listen to them (as Aaron listened to and spoke for Moses). But prophets are the most despised of God's servants, the only ones that we know anything about from the Old testament were those who were from the priestly and kingly tribes (with the notable exception of Samuel, dedicated to God from before His birth.)
We have the mention of a few in the book of acts, but none besides Barnabus, Judas, and Silas are mentioned as being held in high esteem, and what are they more than messengers in the service of God?
So what has the "church" done to those whom God has honored with such service? Stopped up the ears? Closed the eyes? Gagged the mouth?
Oh, we'll fast and pray for revival. We'll shed tears over the evil we observe around us and pray for deliverance? But listen to those whom God has appointed to act as watchmen and given to cry out a warning, no, we deny their existence to our own destruction. We have no need of eyes, surely we see. We have no need of ears, surely we hear.
In the book of Numbers we're told that Miriam, the sister of Moses who was also a prophetess, spoke out together with Aaron against Moses and the Lord heard her:
1. Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2. And they said, "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?'' And the Lord heard it. Numbers 12:1-2
What was the Lord's response?
8. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?'' 9. So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. 10. And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. Numbers 12:8-10
The Lord takes His appointments seriously, so shouldn't we? How can the body of Christ function properly without all of its parts?
The prophets were not given authority over the congregation, but spoke by the authority of God. They never chose this office for themselves, but were called from their places, sometimes from sheepfolds, sometimes from priestly duty, from places of quiet and peaceful service, then were equipped and prepared by God and dropped into the middle of spiritual conflict which often took their lives. Who in their right mind would ever want to be a prophet? But why question the wisdom of God in making a place for even those who are least esteemed among men.
This may seem a bit self serving as it involves my own calling, but I'm not the only prophet that posts messages here, though some would never identify themselves as such. They're easy to identify as they tend to "sound" a little bit bitter when they write about what they see in the church or in the land that they live in. Where does that bitterness come from except to be appointed and gifted by God for a purpose in His church and rejected by the church because of their calling? Some cry from choir lofts, while others roam about looking for an ear to hear, and what are they fed by those whom they serve except mocking, vitriol, and false accusation?
