223 When you come together – Prophecy – 1 Corinthians 14

Talk 10.   Paul’s Teaching on Prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14

Having discussed Paul’s teaching on tongues and interpretation in 1 Corinthians 14, we now turn to the subject of prophecy. We will consider what it is, its value and purpose, its limitations, and its use in church.

What is prophecy?

In both Old and New Testaments the basic meaning of the word prophesy is to speak on behalf of someone else. A good illustration of this can be found in Exodus 7: 1-2 where the Lord says to Moses :

See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet . You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go…

Aaron  is called Moses ’ prophet  because he is going to speak on his behalf. Understood this way, to prophesy is to hear from God and then pass on to others what he has said [1].

Today, however, prophecy is often used to mean foretelling the future, but although it can contain an element of prediction, this is not its essential meaning. And it should not be confused with preaching or teaching. In Body Builders I described the gift of prophecy as:

speaking on behalf of God by the supernatural  inspiration of the Holy Spirit  for the strengthening, encouragement  and comfort of the church . It may at times contain elements of revelation  or even prediction , but must be distinguished from the ministry  of the teacher  whose message comes from God by way of the Scriptures. 

In the New Testament, apart from the many references back to the prophecies contained in the Old Testament, we find that there are three different ways in which the words prophecy and prophesy are used.

First, remembering that the basic meaning of prophesy is to speak on behalf of someone, as God’s people there’s a sense in which we can all ‘prophesy’ because we are all called to speak on his behalf. The purpose of the Spirit’s coming at Pentecost  was that we might receive power  to be witnesses (Acts 1:8). The Spirit was poured out so that all God’s people could prophesy  – sons and daughters, young and old, servants, men and women  (Acts 2:16-18).

Secondly, however, although we are speaking for God when we witness for Jesus, it is not the same as the gift of prophecy that brings strengthening, encouragement and comfort to the church (14:3). In 12:8-11, where Paul  lists nine spiritual gifts , one of which is prophecy , he says:

 …to another prophecy … he (the Spirit ) gives them to each person just as he determines.

This shows that this gift  is not given to everybody, and Romans 12:6 backs this up by saying:

We have different gifts  according to the grace  given us. If a man’s gift  is prophesying…

So, although all Christians are to ‘prophesy ’ in the general sense of speaking on God’s behalf, not all will exercise the gift of prophecy Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians.

And, thirdly, not all who exercise the gift of prophecy will be prophets  in the Ephesians 4:11 sense. In Body Builders I have suggested that the clearest role of a New Testament [2] prophet is to be seen in the ministry of Agabus who spoke with great revelation  from the Spirit  (Acts 11:27-28, 21:10). This included the accurate prediction  of certain future events. His prophecy  about a widespread famine (Acts 11:27-30) and  his prediction of Paul ‘s captivity in Jerusalem  (Acts 21:11) are well-known examples of this. They demonstrate that his ministry  involved more than the simple gift  of prophecy.  In short:

·        All God’s people should prophesy  (speak on his behalf).

·        Not all will receive the gift  of prophecy  (to edify the church ).

·        Not all of these will exercise the ministry of a prophet like Agabus .

With these things in mind, as we now turn to 1 Corinthians 14, it should be clear that it’s the gift of prophecy and possibly the ministry of prophets that Paul is talking about.

The value and purpose of prophecy

Returning now to 1 Corinthians 14, as we read verse 1 it becomes immediately clear that Paul valued prophecy very highly indeed. He says that we should eagerly desire it:

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

This is the main theme of the chapter. He ends the chapter as he has started it:

Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy…(39).

The Greek word Paul uses for eagerly desire is very strong. It’s the origin of our English word zeal. God wants us to be passionate about prophecy. Notice that in verse 1 Paul doesn’t say or. He says and.

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts.

The pursuit of spiritual gifts is not an optional extra. We must not say, I have love, so I don’t need spiritual gifts. We must eagerly desire spiritual gifts, and especially the gift of prophecy (1). But why?

The value of the gift is to be seen in its purpose. We should be passionate about prophecy because it edifies the church. Paul says in verses 4 and 5:

… he who prophesies edifies the church. I would rather have you prophesy… so that the church may be edified.

What he means by this is explained in verse 3 where he says:

But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.

In the context of church worship this is the practical outworking of Paul’s teaching about love in chapter 13. We are to love our fellow Christians, and if we love them we will want to be a blessing to them, to strengthen, encourage, and comfort them. And that’s what prophecy does.

But that’s not all. Prophecy can also have a powerful effect on unbelievers who may come into the church. In Talk 8 we discussed some of the difficulties in understanding verses 22-23, but verses 24-25 are very clear:

But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all,

25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

So prophecy is to be valued very highly, not only because it strengthens, encourages, and comforts believers, but also because of the powerful effect it can have on people who do not yet believe. But having said that, prophecy is not without its limitations. In 13:9-10 Paul says:

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

This is because at present our knowledge is incomplete. We see but a poor reflection as in a mirror (12). Our prophecies are imperfect because they are our prophecies, and we are not perfect yet. That’s why in 14:12 Paul tells us to try to excel in it. If our use of God’s precious gifts were perfect, we would not need to try to excel in them – in fact all Paul’s instructions about their use would have been unnecessary! And that’s why we’re told in 14:29 that we should weigh carefully what is said. But that brings us to how prophecy should be used in church.

The use of prophecy in church

Perhaps the first thing to say about the use of prophecy in church is that we should always bear in mind its purpose, which is to strengthen, encourage, comfort, and edify God’s people (3-4). There is no suggestion that it should be used to rebuke them, or even to give them guidance.

Paul tells us in Romans 8:14 that it’s our privilege as God’s children to be personally led by the Spirit . Guidance received through prophecy should simply serve as confirmation of something that God has already spoken to us about in our hearts. A good example of this is found in Acts 13:1-3 where the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch were told by the Holy Spirit to set Barnabas and Paul apart for the work to which he had already called them [3].

So, bearing in mind the purpose for which the gift of prophecy is given, we are now in a position to consider Paul’s specific teaching on the use of the gift in church. This is found in verses 29-32 where he says:

29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.

Two or three prophets should speak (29)

Note the contrast with verse 27. Paul does not say if with regard to prophecy. It is not merely to be permitted but to be encouraged. The prophets should speak. But how is Paul using the word prophet here? Is he talking about prophets like Agabus, the kind of ministry he refers to in Ephesians 4:11, or does he mean those who exercise the simple gift of prophecy?

Some have suggested that two or three prophets should speak in verse 29 refers to those with the ministry of a prophet (as in Ephesians 4:11), but that when Paul says in verse 31 you can all prophesy he is referring to the whole church. However, the use of the word for in verse 31 clearly identifies the people he is speaking to as the prophets he addresses in verses 29-30. This means that verses 29-31 must all refer to the same people, either those who are prophets, or those who have the gift of prophecy, or even to both.

In my view we cannot say with certainty which group Paul is addressing in these verses, it is very clear that the principles he is teaching apply to both. The first of these is that although prophecy is to be encouraged its use is to be limited and it needs to be judged or weighed carefully.

The others should weigh carefully what is said (29)

The verb translated weigh carefully is the same as is used for distinguishing between spirits in 12:10. The clear implication is that every prophecy needs to be evaluated, and this illustrates the point that we made earlier that it is by no means infallible. However, despite its limitations, Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20 that it’s not to be despised. But even that  may indicate the possibility of human weakness in the operation of the gift, for why else would the Thessalonians have been despising it?

So prophecy needs to be judged or weighed carefully. But this raises two questions. The first is: Who is responsible for judging it?  Looking at the immediate context, Paul seems to mean the other prophets. The things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned (2:14), and those with a prophetic gift are more likely to accurately weigh a prophetic revelation.

But surely the others may be applied more widely than that? As we have seen, there is a sense in which all God’s people are prophets, and we all have the capacity, and the responsibility, to weigh prophetic words. And certainly those who are pastors or teachers have a special responsibility to be alert for anything that might mislead the flock.

Secondly, we need to consider the question: How is prophecy to be judged? There are two areas of importance here, its authenticity and its application. By authenticity I mean its conformity to Scripture. Paul is very clear in verse 37 that what (he is) writing… is the Lord’s command. All prophecy must be judged in the light of what the Spirit has already said in the Bible.

By application I mean that we need to consider to whom the prophecy may apply. Is it for me? Is it for the whole church? How do we apply it in practice? These are decisions that we all must make after hearing a prophecy. Clearly, we cannot judge it until we have heard it! However, in some churches people who feel they have a prophetic word to bring are expected to share it with the church leadership before bringing it publicly. The church leaders evaluate it before it is given. The advantages of this are twofold:

·        It prevents any unauthentic or inappropriate prophecy being given in public.

·        Those who are inexperienced, but eager to prophesy, feel more secure in having their prophecy confirmed by the leaders before bringing it.

However, it’s surely unthinkable that those with a proven track record in prophecy should have to consult the church leaders before they prophesy. Their prophecies should be judged after they have delivered them, which is almost certainly what Paul intended. Furthermore, the insistence that leaders must be consulted before prophecies are given seems out of keeping with the encouragement Paul gives in verse 26 for all to participate, and with the spontaneity implicit in his teaching on the matter in verse 30.

And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop (30)

This not only shows the spontaneity that Paul envisages; it also shows that, although the purpose of prophecy is mainly the strengthening, encouragement, and comfort of the church, it may also contain an element of revelation. It also seems to suggest that it was the custom to stand when prophesying while others were seated. Perhaps the second person would stand to indicate that they had received a revelation from the Spirit and that is how the first person would know it was time to stop. Be that as it may, the important point here is that each prophet must be prepared to make room for others who exercise the gift.

 

For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged (31)

What does Paul mean when he says, You can all prophesy?  In my view this cannot possibly refer to all the congregation, as this would contradict the principle taught in chapter 12 that the gifts are distributed as the Spirit determines and would be out of harmony with the phrase to another prophecy (12:10).

Taken in context he must surely mean that all the prophets, or all those with the gift of prophecy, may prophesy. Each person must be given opportunity to exercise their gift as the Spirit may lead, but presumably not in contravention of the two or three principle of verse 29.

The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets (32)

It seems likely that by spirits here Paul is referring to their spiritual gift. While the Greek word pneuma normally means spirit, Paul does use it in 14:12 to refer to spiritual gifts, when he says, Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel… Understood this way, verse 32 means that the spiritual gift of prophecy is under the control of the person who exercises it.

Indeed, all the gifts that God gives us are under our control. This is clear from the fact that specific instructions are given for their use.  If the use of the gifts were only dependent upon the Holy Spirit  himself such instructions would be both inappropriate and unnecessary.  And because of our responsibility for the control of the gift  God has given us, as we have already seen, Paul  teaches that we are able to:

·        regulate the number of prophetic utterances in any one meeting (14:29).

·        cease prophesying if something is revealed to someone else (14:30).

·        prophesy  rather than speak in tongues  if unbelievers are present (14:23-25). 

Our ability to control the gift  of prophecy also implies that we are responsible for the terminology in which we express the message that God has given us.  Since we are not infallible, we would be wise to phrase our prophecies in the third person rather than the first, to talk of God as he and not I.  For example, it would be better to say

 The Lord loves you…

than to say, ‘

               I love you, says the Lord.

We may believe that God has given us something to say, but we are not God, and we should not talk as if we were! 

But that now brings us to the final verses of 1 Corinthians 14. As our subject in this talk has been Paul’s teaching on the gift of prophecy, we will confine our attention to those verses that are directly relevant to this subject. Verses 34-35 in the NIV read as follows:

34 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

It is clear that in the context silence is relative and not absolute. The exhortation relates to asking their husbands questions at home (35) and not to worship or exercising spiritual gifts such as prophecy. In fact we read in 11:5 that Paul permitted women to both pray and prophesy in church, and although it’s possible to pray silently, it’s certainly not possible to prophesy silently!

37 If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38 If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored. 39 Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40  But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

As he draws to his conclusion Paul summarises his teaching on public worship in a few short verses. Whatever your spiritual gift may be you must submit to the authority of the apostle’s commands (37). This has obvious implications with regard to the authority of Scripture, but also to the authority of ministry gift over spiritual gifts. Prophecy is to be encouraged and tongues should not be forbidden (39). Whatever happens, everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

Next time, we’ll be looking at the key principles that underlie Paul’s teaching in this chapter with a view to indicating how church leaders might seek to implement them in their churches.