We have already determined that the
apostles and prophets Paul refers to in his epistles are only those who are in
the body of Christ. Paul is the chief
apostle (as is Peter in the kingdom program), and there are secondary apostles
under him.
The gift of prophecy was needed during
the early part of Paul’s ministry.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-20
Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings.
1 Thessalonians is an early epistle written
by Paul before he had received and recorded the complete mystery of
Christ. So how would the saints
understand the mystery like we can? They
couldn’t read about it; but they had two things: prophets in the body of Christ
and Paul’s prophetic ministry.
Paul talks about the spiritual gifts in
1 Corinthians 13.
1 Corinthians
13:1-2
Though I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a
tinkling cymbal. And though I have
the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge;
and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not
charity, I am nothing.
The apostle Paul had every spiritual
gift. There was nothing that the Spirit
of God gave to any man that Paul didn’t also have, and more.
2 Corinthians
12:4
How that he was caught up
into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a
man to utter.
Paul alone
could speak the tongue of angels. When Paul
was caught up, he heard and understood the language angels speak in heaven. (When on earth, angels communicated with man
in human languages.) Paul could communicate
with anyone in the universe. He could
speak in any language/tongue of man; and he could speak with angels in their
language.
So we see in 1 Corinthians 13:2 that
Paul was a prophet. Not only were there
other prophets in the body of Christ, but Paul devotes an entire chapter to the
operation of that spiritual gift.
1 Corinthians
14:1-5
Follow after charity, and
desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
Paul was telling them to ask God to give them this
gift of prophecy.
For he that speaketh in an unknown
tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him;
howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
Like the
church today, they desired to speak in tongues but they didn’t know how to use
them or that the purpose was for edification.
Paul said to forget that; but rather desire to prophesy (i.e., speak forth) the mystery of
Christ in their own language to the church the body of Christ.
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto
men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
Paul
tells them that they should want to have the gift of prophecy to be able to
edify people in the doctrine of grace, the mystery of Christ.
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue
edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake
with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that
prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that
the church may receive edifying.
Colossians
4:3
Withal praying also for
us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of
Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
There were women in the body who had the gift of
prophecy; they just couldn’t use it in the church.
1 Corinthians
14:34
Let your women keep
silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but
they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.
When Priscilla and Aquila ministered as a couple, Priscilla
could also communicate the doctrine; she was a believer.
Acts 18:26
And he began to speak
boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took
him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
Romans 16:3
Greet Priscilla and
Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
God wants women to understand this information
too. But women couldn’t teach in a
leadership capacity in authority over men in the local assembly.
There are other women in the bible who were prophets.
Exodus 15:20a
And Miriam the
prophetess, the sister of Aaron
Judges 4:4
And Deborah, a
prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
And Hilkiah, and they
that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess
Nehemiah 6:14
My God, think thou upon
Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess
Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
Luke 2:36a
And there was one Anna,
a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser
These
women were prophets because men were not taking the leadership role that they
should have.
Paul
functioned as a prophet by communicating doctrine.
Romans 16:17
Now I beseech you,
brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the
doctrine which ye have learned [from
Paul]; and avoid them.
1 Timothy 4:6
If thou put the brethren
in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ,
nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou
hast attained.
1 Timothy
4:16
Take heed unto thyself,
and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt
both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
2 Timothy
3:10
But thou hast fully known
my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity,
patience,
There were other prophets in the body of
Christ besides Paul.
1 Corinthians
14:37
If any man think himself
to be a prophet [if you think you
have the gift of prophecy], or
spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the
commandments of the Lord.
One
of the main functions of a prophet was not just to say, ‘Thus saith the Lord’
verbally; but it was to actually determine what was scripture and what wasn’t. It was to point to something that was written
and say, ‘This is scripture.’ The bible
wasn’t put together by some church council (in Rome); it was ‘canonized’ by
prophets in the body of Christ in Paul’s day.
Hopefully this
helps!
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