Prophets and Gift of Prophecy

Now, it is necessary to make a difference also between two things that are commonly confused: the ministry of a prophet and the gift of prophecy.

The ministry of a prophet is listed in Ephesians chapter 4. The gift of prophesying is listed in 1st Corinthians chapter 12. Now, you'll find a very interesting thing if you study this, and we're not going to go into it in detail. Essentially, the ministry gifts are according to the measure of the gift of Christ. It is Christ, the Son of God, continuing His ministry through the persons who have those particular ministries. Christ, the prophet, in a man, gives the man that prophetic ministry. Christ, the evangelist, gives the man that ministry as an evangelist.

Now, when we come to the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1st Corinthians chapter 12, it's the Holy Spirit that manifests Himself in that gift out of the believer. In other words, the ministries are essentially manifestations of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The spiritual gifts are essentially manifestations of the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit.

You see, a man may have a valid ministry under the category of the ministry gifts without being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Many men have a definite, God-given evangelistic ministry as evangelists who are not baptized in the Holy Spirit. I'm not saying that they should not be baptized in the Holy Spirit, but I'm saying that their ministry does not depend on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It's not a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, but it's a projection of the ministry of Jesus Christ. I had great problems about this for a time until I saw the difference between the ministry gifts, which are the continuation of the person and ministry of Christ, and the spiritual gifts, which are manifestations, and they are supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit from within the believer.

Now, this applies particularly to this relationship between the ministry of a prophet and the gift of prophesying. And I think I can show you sound scriptural evidence that they're distinct. If you look in Ephesians 4:11, this key verse that we have looked at so many times, Ephesians 4:11, you'll find it says there,

“He,” Christ, “gave some apostles and some prophets.”

I think the text makes it clear that He did not give all prophets. Not all are going to have the ministry of a prophet. Not all are going to have the ministry of an apostle, and so on. I think that is perfectly clear.

But now, turn over to 1st Corinthians chapter 14, 1st Corinthians chapter 14, and look at what Paul says about the gift of prophesying, the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. 1st Corinthians 14:31, Paul says,

“Ye may all prophesy one by one.”

All may exercise the gift of prophesying, but not all necessarily will have the ministry of a prophet. The ministry is the continuation and extension of the ministry of Jesus Christ. The spiritual gift is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Now, I'm not setting these one against the other, nor am I making any division within the Godhead, but there is, nevertheless, a clear scriptural distinction between the person of Jesus Christ and the person of the Holy Spirit.

Essentially, the ministry gifts are related primarily to the person of Jesus Christ. The spiritual gifts are manifestations of the person of the Holy Spirit. “All may prophesy.” It's within the revealed will of God for all Spirit-baptized believers to prophesy. But that does not mean that all Spirit-baptized believers will have the ministry of a prophet. “He gave some prophets, but ye may all prophesy.” Now, what we are talking about today is not the gift of prophesying, but the ministry of a prophet.

Now, stay in 1st Corinthians 14, and let's look at the next great principle that is established. 1st Corinthians 14:29 says,

“Let the prophets,” plural, “speak two or three, and let the others,” and the Greek is plural, and by implication, it's the other prophets, “judge.”

You will notice that Paul assumes that prophets minister in teams. They are not on their own as individuals. We've already seen this principle is true of the apostle. The apostle in the New Testament never ministered as an apostle on his own as an individual. Apostles were sent forth in teams. They ministered in teams. There was a certain sense of collective responsibility. Exactly the same is true of the prophet. “Let the prophets,” plural, “speak two or three, and let the other prophets judge.” In other words, no one man as a prophet is to be a dictator and say, “Thus saith the Lord, and you've got to believe me whether you like it or not.” Because when one prophet says, “Thus saith the Lord,” the other prophets have the right to say, “Well, now, I acknowledge that as a genuine manifestation of God's spirit, or I do not accept that.” All prophesying and the ministry of all prophets in the New Testament church is subject to judgment.

Any person in the New Testament church who sets himself up as a dictator, who is not subject to judgment, is out of line with Scripture. Actually, this is one of the greatest causes of problems in the charismatic movement, is prophecy and a prophetic ministry which are not submitted to judgment. And in most cases, you'll find that this type of person operates as an individual.