What is a Prophet?

[jmwhalen]

Part of the biblical defintion of a prophet(literally, to "forth tell") is "one who speaks for another"(for eg., Moses speaking on behalf of the LORD, Aaron speaking for Moses-Exodus 4:12,15("put words in his mouth"),16("thy spokesman"); 7:1; Deuteronomy 18:18("will put my words in his mouth").

The Lord Jesus Christ was a prophet, "the prophet": Deut. 18:15;Mt. 13:57,21:11;Mk. 6:4; Luke 1:76,4:24,7:16,24:19;John 1:45,4:44,6:14,7:40,9:17; Acts 2:30,3:22,23,7:37. The defintion fits the Lord Jesus Christ's own admission:

"Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.' Jn. 8:28

"For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." Jn. 12:49-50

"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." Jn. 14:10

The office of prophet no longer exists-God's revelation of Himself to mankind was completed("fulfil the word of God"-Col. 1:25) with the revelation given to the apostle Paul from the risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, and thus eliminated the need for this office. Those who claim they are prophets, speaking on God's behalf("thy spokesman") of the LORD, speaking the LORD's words which have not already been given in Genesis through Revelation, had best open the back of the Bible, immediately after Revelation, and start writing "some more Bible".

In Christ,

John Whalen

[Guest Called]

The office of prophet no longer exists-God's revelation of Himself to mankind was completed("fulfil the word of God"-Col. 1:25) with the revelation given to the apostle Paul from the risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, and thus eliminated the need for this office. Those who claim they are prophets, speaking on God's behalf("thy spokesman") of the LORD, speaking the LORD's words which have not already been given in Genesis through Revelation, had best open the back of the Bible, immediately after Revelation, and start writing "some more Bible".

What about this verse?

1 Corinthians 12

27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[1] ? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire[2] the greater gifts.

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

[Catsmeow]

Nebula has said a very wise thing. Do you know how the Department of the Treasury trains their anti-counterfeit employees?

They study the real thing...they know it top to bottom, back to front....

YOD: Nebula didn't say that. I did... for the record.

From: Catsmeow

Get to know an "original" so you can better detect a fake. Learn your bible and gather a strong, balanced understanding of God's word or you'll end up like what the bible prophesied.....that in the end times MANY would be decieved.

[Guest yod]

Please forgive me Cats...

I made a boo-boo!

[jmwhalen]

Called writes:

"What about this verse? 1 Corinthians 12

27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[1] ? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire[2] the greater gifts.

And now I will show you the most excellent way. "

Paul received progressive revelation(Acts 9:16,22:10,26:16; 2 Cor. 12:1-"It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord") from the risen, ascended, glorified Lord Jesus Christ. Part of the reason for the supernatural gift of prophecy, the supernatural gift of tongues, and the supernatural gift of the word of knowledge was to authenticate that what the apostles were saying was the word of God, i.e., it served to authenticate their aposteship, that they were speaking for the LORD=authentication and confirmation, prior to His complete revelation.

These supernatural gifts served to verify the apostle's transmission of God's revelation. Once that revelation was completed, the need for these was done away. Paul verifies this in 1 Cor. 13:8-they were temporary until the LORD completed His revelation through Paul.

See my previous posts on the supernatural sign gifts, their purpose, and their temporary nature.

In Christ,

John Whalen

[Guest yod]

These supernatural gifts served to verify the apostle's transmission of God's revelation. Once that revelation was completed, the need for these was done away. Paul verifies this in 1 Cor. 13:8-they were temporary until the LORD completed His revelation through Paul.

this identifies you as a Baptist!

Or Church of Christ...

and, no, the passage in Corinthians has nothing to do with it...

that is forcing a round peg into a square hole.

[Catsmeow]

Perhaps I'm misunderstand JMWhalen...but is he saying today healings never occur?

Prophesy never occurs?

Miracles never occur?

I'm not sure I understand what he's saying...

[Guest yod]

that is exactly what he's saying, Cats..

I've got an uncle who is more baptist than he is christian so I've heard this teaching before.

Basically they take this verse and say that "the perfect" is the New Covenant so all gifts of the spirit are done away with.

8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;

10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

It's a dispensational teaching that makes an unnecessary assumpion of what Paul was saying. It came about as an answer to the charismatic movement of the early 1990s.

Clearly the perfect has not come because we still only "know in part" the full plan of God.

[jmwhalen]

Yod writes:

"this identifies you as a Baptist!

Or Church of Christ...

and, no, the passage in Corinthians has nothing to do with it...

that is forcing a round peg into a square hole. "

______________________________________________________________

That is your opinion. The truth and your opinion are independent. I am a grace believer and belong to no denomination-Paul calls denominations "carnal". The Church of Christ preaches another gospel(baptismal regeneration). Had you read my previous posts re. subject of baptism you would know that "ye do error". There is one baptism today(Ephesians 4:5) , and that baptism is a spiritual baptism, BY the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor. 12:13 (notice the Holy Spirit is the Baptizer, not the Lord Jesus Christ as at Pentecost), which identifies(baptize means to identify for the purpose of union, change in condition) me into the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and into the Body of Christ. When Christ died, I died. When Christ was buried, I was buried. When Christ rose from the dead, I rose from the dead.You can be "dunked" in water til you look like a prune, or be dunked in a river until the tadpoles know your social security number, but this will not save you in the current "dispensation of the grace of God"(Eph. 3:2). Only the gospel of Christ is the power of God to save you from the penalty, power, and presence of sin(justification, sanctification, glorification).

I preach the "gospel of the grace of God"(Acts 20:24) as outlined in 1 Cor. 15:1-4, and "the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery"(Romans 16:25).

"Forcing a round peg into a square hole"-cliche and merely an opinion.

If someone were to ask God what He would say to mankind today, He would say that everything He would have men to know is contained in the Holy Bible.

In Christ,

John Whalen

[Guest yod]

That is your opinion. The truth and your opinion are independent.

LOL

OK...fair enough. I didn't mean to imply you were teaching heresy or anything....just that this teaching makes a contradiction of other parts of holy writ

Not a biggie.

"Forcing a round peg into a square hole"-cliche and merely an opinion.

This is not necessarily wrong by virtue of being cliche'. I concede that it is an opinion.

If someone were to ask God what He would say to mankind today, He would say that everything He would have men to know is contained in the Holy Bible.

Then what is the point of the Holy Spirit?