The gift of prophet
seems to have been a temporary gift given by Christ for the laying of the
foundation of the church. Prophets were foundational to the church (Ephesians 2:20). The prophet proclaimed a message from the
Lord to the early believers. Sometimes a prophet’s message was revelatory (new
revelation and truth from God) and sometimes a prophet’s message was predictive
(see Acts 11:28 and 21:10). The early Christians did not have the
complete Bible. Some early Christians did not have access to any of the books
of the New Testament. The New Testament prophets “filled the gap” by
proclaiming God’s message to the people who would not have access to it
otherwise. The last book of the New Testament (Revelation) was not completed
until late in the first century. So, the Lord sent prophets to proclaim God’s
Word to His people.
Are there true prophets today? If the
purpose of a prophet was to reveal truth from God, why would we need prophets
if we have the completed revelation from God in the Bible? If prophets were the
“foundation” of the early church, are we still building the “foundation” today?
Can God give someone a message to deliver to someone else? Absolutely! Does God
reveal truth to someone in a supernatural way and enable that person to deliver
that message to others? Absolutely! But is this the biblical gift of prophecy?
No.
Whatever the case, whenever a person
claims to be speaking for God (the essence of prophecy) the key is to compare
what is said with what the Bible says. If God were to speak through a person
today, it would be in 100% complete agreement with what God has already said in
the Bible. God does not contradict Himself. 1 John 4:1 instructs us, “Dear friends, do not
believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1
Thessalonians 5:20-21 declares, “Do
not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.” So,
whether is it a “word from the Lord” or a supposed prophecy, our response
should be the same. Compare what is said to what the Word of God says. If it
contradicts the Bible, throw it out. If it agrees with the Bible, pray for
wisdom and discernment as to how to apply the message (2 Timothy
3:16-17; James 1:5).