Episode 2843 - Lesson 6 - Thursday August 06 - The Gift of Prophecy

The Gift of ProphecyThe gift of prophecy occupies a prominent place in Paul's discussion on spiritual gifts. Interestingly, the gift of prophecy is usually mentioned before the gift of tongues (1 Cor. 12:10, 28; 1 Cor. 13:8). When the gift of tongues is mentioned first, this is only to emphasize its relative unimportance compared to the gift of prophecy (1 Cor. 14:4-5, 6, 22).Read Ephesians 4:11-13, and 1 Corinthians 14:3-4. What do these passages say about the purpose of spiritual gifts in general and the gift of prophecy in particular?The gift of prophecy is meant to provide edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3; compare with Acts 15:32). This suggests that prophecy is not so much about predicting the future as it is about how to live in the present. The Greek verb prophēteuō can mean either "to say something in advance" or "to say something on behalf of someone else." For instance, the first sense is seen in Acts 2:29-31 (compare with Amos 3:7), where the idea that David is a prophet is explained as "foreseeing." The second sense is seen in Acts 15:32, where Judas and Silas are identified as prophets. Their "prophecy," however, consisted in encouraging and strengthening "the brothers with many words" (ESV).From Ephesians 4:11-13, we learn that the spiritual gifts did not cease in the apostolic era. They should remain until the end (Acts 2:39). However, if someone claims to be a prophet, he/she must be evaluated based on the Scriptures. Broadly speaking, four rules should be satisfied. First, the unconditional prophecies always come true (Deut. 18:22; Jer. 28:8-9). Second, the message agrees with that of previous prophets (Deut. 13:1-3, Isa. 8:20). Third, the daily life demonstrates a commitment to Christ (1 John 4:1-3). Fourth, Jesus said false prophets would be known by their fruits (Matt. 7:15-20). This is also true concerning true prophets.The book of Revelation indicates that the gift of prophecy is a distinctive characteristic of the remnant church (Rev. 12:17, Rev. 19:10). As Seventh-day Adventists, we believe that the gift of prophecy was bestowed upon Ellen G. White and is reflected in her writings.