Some churches claim to have prophets who speak authoritatively for God. But is that really a thing anymore? If not, how do we hear from God?
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Let’s start with a passage that seems to answer the question:
Ephesians 4:11 (NLT) Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
Seems clear, right? Prophets are still a thing.
So the churches that claim to have prophets and apostles are the most biblical churches? Not so fast. Let’s look into this…
Prophets in the OT
Prophets in the OT were not mere fortune-tellers but messengers chosen by God to guide, comfort, and ultimately call people back to God.
Exodus 3:9-10 (NLT) “Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”
Ezekiel 2:3-5 (NLT) “Son of man,” he said, “I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day. They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people. But I am sending you to say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says!’ And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for remember, they are rebels—at least they will know they have had a prophet among them.
Hosea 1:2 (NLT) When the LORD first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the LORD and worshiping other gods.”
Jonah 1:1-2 (NLT) The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”
Prophets in the NT
In the NT the Holy Spirit was given to every believer, and this caused prophecy to take on a whole new meaning and purpose.
Acts 2:17-18 (NLT) ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy.
(Pillar New Testament Commentary) Whereas the Spirit especially designated and empowered the prophets and other leaders of Israel under the Old Covenant, God promises that all his people will be possessed by the Spirit in the last days.
(Pillar New Testament Commentary) The expectation from 2:17-18 is that all believers under the New Covenant would 'prophesy' (prophēteusousin), and so share to some extent in the prophetic role (cf. 19:6). However, it is clear that some of the early Christians were especially gifted in prediction (cf. 21:4, 9, 10-11), and others in exhorting and strengthening believers in their discipleship (cf. 15:30-2).
Acts 21:9-12 (NLT) He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’” When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
Two Types of Prophet
The key to answering this question is to consider the two types of “prophet”. The first is capital “P” prophet = speaks authoritatively for God. It’s what we see here:
Ephesians 2:19-20 (NLT) So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.
This is what I call capital “P” prophets - those who spoke authoritatively and laid the foundation. Paul describes it further in the next chapter:
Ephesians 3:5 (NLT) God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.
Through Peter, John, Paul, etc. God revealed his plan of salvation: Jew +Gentile. Good news! But not what the people expected.
This was prophetic revelation. New revelation. This work is done. God does not need to reveal anything new through prophets.
Ans: God does NOT speak through these types of prophets anymore.
But that’s different than the gift of prophecy in the local church. That’s what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 4, the passage we started with today. Now we’re ready to read it in context:
Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT) Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
This is what I call lower case “p” prophets - those who speak out to every new generation (and congregation) what God has already spoken.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 (NLT) Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.
Close:
Why do we no longer need prophets in the capital “P” sense? The ultimate “prophet” is Jesus himself.
Hebrews 1:1-2 (NLT) Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son….
We’ll find all the revelation we need in Jesus. Look to him for your answers.
