Wormwood said:
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” (Hebrews 1:1–2, NIV84)
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.” (2 Peter 2:1, NIV84)
“For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.” (Acts 20:27, NIV84)
Michael,
I appreciate your kind tone in this post. However, I think the above Scriptures testify that prophecy is a gift that has passed. The clear implication is that God spoke to his people "in the past" through prophets, "but now" has spoken through His Son. The prophets were a lesser form of communication from God. Now we have been given the full revelation and "whole will of God" through the ministry and teaching of Jesus. In fact, Peter declares that there "were" false prophets in the past but there "will be" false "teachers" among us now. 1 John also makes it clear that the enemy has begun to use a new tactic...false teaching and "antichrists." So, because God is now moving in a new way through the teaching of Jesus, so the enemy has changed from using false prophets to false teachers because God has fully spoken through his Son and continues that testimony through his Spirit that is poured out "on all flesh." Just as the priesthood passed away at the coming of the ultimate priest, so also the prophets have passed away at the coming of the Word made flesh. The idea that prophets exist today, to me, is like saying we need to reestablish the priesthood. Why? Jesus has spoken and we each possess the Spirit of God within us. We no longer need prophets or priests to bridge the gap.
This is just reformation dogma, not Biblical or accurate, with cherry picked scripture to support the oppression of the church, not its growth. The New testament scripture also tells us:
27. Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28. One of them named Agabus stood up and {began} to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the {reign} of Claudius. Acts 11:27-28
These were new testament prophets, Christians (presumably) from Jerusalem, who gave warning of a famine so that the church could prepare for it. This was after Christ's resurrection and had nothing to do with creating the cannon of scripture. How in the world would the bible warn Christians of a coming famine or other trouble? The very notion is absurd, childish and irresponsible, but this has been the way of church leadership for many centuries. Perhaps its even the reason for the hundreds of church splits leading to multiple denominations with their own unique theological quirks. It certainly was the reason for the murder of many martyrs.
We also have the Apostle Paul teach us something about the composition of the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians, an early New Testament book:
27. Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it.
28. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, {various} kinds of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:27-28
This identifies apostles and prophets as normal in the 1st century church and it was a few hundred years before the organized and now institutionalized church met to determine what writings were valid as scripture and declared the cannon complete (free of the burden of God telling them to do so.) This same book by Paul tells us in chapter 13:
9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10. but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:9-12
Here Paul, speaking to the point of the excellence of love and its power, declares that the partial will be done away with when the perfect has come, but that which he refers to is not the bible (you don't look at the bible "face to face"). The bible didn't even exist at the time that Paul wrote this text. Paul anticipated the return of Christ and the coming of His kingdom. There will be no need for prophecy in the kingdom, because God will rule and walk among us and He really doesn't need us to tell Him what's going to happen.
Its even funny that you would choose Acts 20:27, as this predates much of the NT scripture including the greatest prophetic work of all time, the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
You can beat the body of Christ. You can suppress God's truth through poor theology. But you can't prevent His return, so its foolish to even try (I don't mean you personally, wormwood, I'm addressing those who have suppressed the truth in unrighteousness beginning at the cross and to this day, from within the visible church.)
