FEBRUARY 2007 Acts 11: 27 – 30 KJV I believe in and affirm the Office of the Prophet and the ministry of prophecy however I do believe there have been abuses in recent years. In this newsletter, I’d like to address the issue of abuse and suggest some guidelines for offering and receiving prophetic words. Many of you will probably dismiss this newsletter at this point on the assumption that God no longer operates in this way. To those of that opinion I have no issue and offer no debate. But for those that do believe I would like to make a few suggestions. First, prophecy must never be used intentionally or unintentionally, consciously or unconsciously to manipulate or control any one else. It must always be inspired of God, it must always be spoken in love, and it is usually difficult to express in that it requires obedience and self sacrifice on the part of the prophet. In his amazing book, Overcoming Witchcraft, Rick Joyner said, “Witchcraft is counterfeit spiritual authority; it is using a spirit other than the Holy Spirit to dominate, manipulate, or control.” By this definition almost any means of manipulation qualifies as witchcraft. I am not suggesting that those that abuse the gift or office of prophecy are witches but I do believe that placing an essentially selfish act in the guise of a Holy Spirit gift is a serious error. When prophecy is used as a means of manipulation or control instead of from a position of obedience to God, it is not at all too different from a form of witchcraft. There is a fundamental difference in the way a redeemed community should conduct itself in contrast to an essentially self-serving one. That difference is in part addressed by Solomon Alexander Nigosian in his book, Occultism in the Old Testament. Solomon said, “Both religion and magick are concerned with the supernatural, both deal with non-human forces, and both refer to a realm beyond the tangible. Moreover, symbolism or ritual is common to both. But one of the most fundamental distinctions is the manipulative attitude found most strongly in magick, as against the supplicative attitude of religion. The essence of magick is coercion while that of religion is worship. Religion means submission to God upon whom we feel dependent. Magick seeks to force the supernatural to grant what is desired.” Prophecy is not about what we want or desire but what God wants for His people. “In the first-century church, a prophet belonged to a recognized order in the church,” – KJV Bible Commentary There is strong Biblical evidence that the ministry of prophecy and the Office of Prophet was intended to continue throughout the church age. Acts 2: 17 Acts 13:1 1st Corinthians 12: 28 Ephesians 4:11 Apostles are church planters, teachers are in abundance in pulpits and on the airwaves, and today, there is a strong prophetic movement but it tends to be more a subculture than a mainstream movement. So what does the biblical prophetic office look like and what purpose does it serve? Our search for answers to these questions must begin and end with the only authoritative rule of faith and conduct—the Word of God. In Acts 11: 27 – 30 we have a clear example of a prophet, what a prophet does, and how God’s people respond to prophecy. The prophet’s name is Agabus. There are three things we can learn immediately about prophecy from the example of Agabus.
The following suggestions regarding prophecy were inspired by material in J.W. Hayford’s Bible Handbook, Thomas Nelson Publishers. Some of the material is quoted verbatim but I did not place it in quotes because I have added or edited where I felt it needed it to fit my purpose. I have also drawn on material found in Andre Kole’s great book, Mind Games, and I have integrated Andre’s material with Hayford’s. “Personal prophecy” refers to a prophecy or “word” the Holy Spirit may prompt one person to give another, relating to personal matters. Many feel deep reservations about this operation of the gift of prophecy because sometimes it is abused. For instance, personal prophecy may be used to manipulate others, or they may be unwisely or hastily applied. Acts 11 reveals safeguards against abusive uses of personal prophecy, allowing us to implement this biblical practice. Agabus is also mentioned again in Acts 21: 10 – 12 Acts 21 contains the second reference to the ministry of Agabus. In Acts 11, the church took steps to avoid the catastrophe that Agabus said would come about. But, in Acts 21, Paul did not alter his course. Paul did not change course because God told him to go to Jerusalem. The prophecy of Agabus was true and valid but it was not relied upon as a sole source of direction. When prophecy alone is relied upon for direction it is no longer prophecy, it is divination. We are called to trust and obey God. Our trust must be in God and in His calling on our lives not on the prophet or his prophecy however accurate that prophecy may be. The second suggestion I would like to offer then is that prophecy should not be relied upon as advice or to direct a course of action to the exclusion of other forms or decision making. We need to seek the counsel of our own heart and conscience, the leadership God has placed around us, and the principles found in His word. Third, the “word” will usually not be new to the mind of the person addressed, but it will confirm something God is already dealing with him about. From Acts 20:22-24 we know Paul was already sensitive to the issue Agabus raised. Fourth, the character of the person bringing the word ought to be weighed. Agabus’s credibility is related not to his claim of having a word, but to his record as a trustworthy man of God used in the exercise of this gift (11:28; 21:10). Words of prophecy do not build a reputation nor do they make one “spiritual.” Reputations are built on character, and the measure of a person’s spirituality is the depth of their love and concern for their fellow human being. In other words, the operation of a gift is no substitute for nor is it an indicator of good character. There is no substitute for good character. Fifth, prophecy is not to be considered “controlling.” In other words, prophecies should never be perceived as dominating anyone’s free will. Christian living is never cultish—governed by omens or the counsel of gurus. Paul did not change his plans because of Agabus’s prophecy or because of the urging of others (vv. 12-14); he received the “word” graciously but continued his plans nonetheless. Seeking words for the sole purpose of getting direction or advice is at best unwise and at worst a form of divination. God wants your complete trust. Sixth, all prophecy is “in part” (1 Cor. 13:9), which means that as true as that “part” may be, it does not give the whole picture. Agabus’s “word” was true, and Paul was bound in Jerusalem. But this also occasioned an opportunity to eventually minister in Rome (Acts 23:11). Seventh, in the light of a word of prophecy, we should prayerfully consider the word as Mary did the shepherds’ report (Luke 2:19). A hasty response is never required; simply wait on God. We should then move ahead with trust in God, as Hezekiah did. He had been told that he would shortly die; but he prayed instead of merely surrendering to the prophecy, and his life realized its intended length—unshortened by his diseased condition. You should never feel pressured to make a decision not by an impassioned plea from the pulpit nor from a would be prophet with a personal word. My advice to you in times when you do feel pressured is to sleep on it. You do not have to make an immediate decision. Finally, a good word of prophecy creates clarity not confusion. God gave the gift of prophecy to His people and He gave prophets to the church so that He can communicate. God is not the author of confusion. Pastor George Raduano said, “When God speaks there is certainty, growth, change, and positive transformation.” Occasional personal prophecy is not risky if kept on biblical footings, but neither is it to become the way we plan or direct our lives. Agabus is also an example of the Office of the Prophet in the New Testament. This role differs from the operation of the gift of prophecy in the life of the believer, for it entails a Christ-appointed ministry of a person rather than the Holy Spirit-distributed gift through a person. In the New Testament, this office was not sensationalized as it tends to be today. Such an attitude is unworthy, both in the prophet and in those to whom he ministers, and is certain to result in an unfruitful end. Apparently Paul was addressing such assumption of the prophetic office when he issued the challenge of 1 Cor. 14:37, calling for submission to spiritual authority rather than self-serving independence. Spiritual authority, pastors, elders, etc. keep the “gifted” in check. This is a part of the purpose of spiritual authority. One clear indicator of problems is tension or worse a break with spiritual authority. The office of prophet cannot be taken lightly. There is nothing in the New Testament that reduces the stringent requirements for serving this role, and Deuteronomy 18:20-22 ought to be regarded seriously. Prophecy is nothing to be “experimented” with, for souls are in the balance in the exercise of every ministry. 20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thine heart, "How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him The incident of Agabus resulted in effective action by the church’s rising to meet a challenging situation. This is a valid test of the prophetic office. It is for edification and not for entertainment—to enlarge and refresh the body, whether locally or beyond. V. 29 = the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could How can we discern between the hand of God and the cunning of the human mind or the deceptiveness of the demonic world?
Love and many blessings, |