By Ezekiel Kimosop
This question has been addressed in a number of articles on my teaching forums, including my website blog page.
I have revisited this issue because of the exponential rise in the number of people who claim that God spoke to them on COVID 19 pandemic before it happened.
Social media platforms are awash with articles and video clips attributed to people who purport to speak the mind of God during this difficult season. Some believers are confused about how to deal with these "prophets".
My view is that the only way to authenticate a preacher is to examine their teachings, doctrines and lifestyle in the light of the authority of the word of God. This is basically what the men of Berea did. Jesus taught that we shall identify or discern false teachers who claim to speak the mind of God by their fruit.
Matthew 7:15-16 says "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?"
The Bible contains other caveats on prophetic claims. 1 John 4:1-2 says "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
Elsewhere in the New Testament Scripture, we are exhorted to "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
My view is that the gift of foretelling has been sealed in Scripture. We do not require prophets to speak into the future because the Bible has sufficiently addressed our future.
The only gift of prophecy available to the church is the gift of forthtelling which concerns the articulation of the truths of Scripture with profound wisdom and clarity as they relate to our contemporary Christian living.
The gift of forthtelling is a prophetic gift exercised by Bible teachers when proclaiming the word of God.
My view is that this gift is only exercised in plenary when the preacher is speaking under the authority of Scripture and at no other time. I am hesitant to consider such gifted teachers as prophets because I find no authority in the New Testament Scripture or by reference to historical tradition as a basis for arriving at that conclusion.
There's no evidence, in my view, that the gift of prophecy (foretelling) continued beyond the period described by the Book of Acts. There are several other apostolic gifts that were never replicated beyond that period. Note for instance that the power to raise the dead was only granted to Paul and Peter and in only one instance for each of them!
The regulations in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 do not mention the office of prophet or Apostle. No other New Testament writer besides Paul makes reference to biblical offices. My view is that Pauline writings have settled the issue for us.
I believe that the Old Testament Scripture contains the works of the prophets that God permitted for us. The fact that certain prophets are mentioned only in passing implies that God did not use their writings (if any) as part of inspired Scripture. There are several prophets (and prophetess) whose works are unknown.
For instance, we have no record of the prophetic works of Miriam, yet she is described in Scripture as a prophetess (Exodus 15:20-21) and later listed among the three leaders that God appointed to lead His people (Micah 6:4).
This is true of Hulda, Deborah, Micaiah, Simeon, and other obscure prophets who fall into the same category.
You will also notice that despite the significance of Jesus' parents in His incarnate coming, little is mentioned about His father and His mother beyond the Gospels.
I believe that God sovereignly determined to keep the works of these people in obscurity for His divine purposes.
I further believe that God superintended the work of the church fathers who compiled the Scripture books into the two cannons we have today.
If we ever place doubt on the admissibility of this process, then we shall open the floodgates for additional Scripture writings from every Tom Dick and Harry!
In conclusion, my view is that the 66 Book Bible is the final record of God's revelation to the Church. These Scriptures are sealed. There's therefore no further inspiration or prophecy that can be admitted by the Church (Rev 22:18-19).
Shalom
© Ezekiel Kimosop 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment