About prophesying

[Runningman]

In 1 Cor. 14:1, Paul writes "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. " Encouraging all members of the church to desire the spiritual gifts, but especially the ability to prophesy.

The gift of prophesy is a spiritual gift that only God can control. He has the ability to impart spiritual gifts to people and we should desire. Prophesying is used for the purpose of God's glory and it isn't something everyone can just do. God has to enable this ability within church members.

I would suggest that those who are following after charity and genuinely desiring the spiritual gift of prophesy are more likely to receive this gift, per the simple text in 1 Cor. 14:1. I believe the kind of prayer that God wants to answer are those that are seeking after His glory. From that genuine state of heart we can request spiritual gifts.

Before I continue, I want to address a some points. Those with the gift of prophecy can receive messages from entities other than God, such as the devil, demons, and angels. This is why 1 Cor. 14:29 says " Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge." The reason for this is to root out any possible false doctrines, false gospels, or ungodly messages.

What Paul wrote in Gal. 1:8 was literal, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Paul stated point blank it's possible to receive a message from an angel. Furthermore, Paul also said that it's possible to receive messages from seducing spirits and demons in 1 Tim. 4:1 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"

That is why it is best to be careful when prophesying. It is necessary to know the Bible well. The Spirit that speaks expressly in 1 Tim. 4:1 will not contradict the Bible. We cannot know what contradicts the Bible unless we know the Bible. Those who do not know the Bible can be easily deceived, led astray, confused, become a false prophet, and more.

A simple test for a prophet to confirm who they are talking to is mentioned in 1 John 4:3. "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God..." A prophet can possibly pick up on a lot of sweet words, clever ideas, things that seem right and sound good, but ultimately are crafted to shipwreck a prophet's faith or break their spirit. A simple test is to literally ask "Do you confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh?" if they deny it then you know who you're talking to.

2 Cor. 11:4 is also literal, "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." This is for the purpose of getting a foot in the door and gradually supplanting the truth with false doctrines and lies.

Above all, every Christian needs to seek after the literal guidance of God's Holy Spirit to help them understand the Bible, follow charity and desire spiritual gifts, especially prophesy.

1 Thess. 5:20 says "Despise not prophesyings." and it is as simple as that. No matter what anyone says, the Bible does not say the spiritual gifts have ceased. There is overwhelming evidence to actually continue to desire spiritual gifts and to even ask God for them directly.

 

[Aerials1978]

I think there has always been many people who wish for the of prophecy, but would they really want it and the immense responsibility that comes with it?

 

[Runningman]

I think there has always been many people who wish for the of prophecy, but would they really want it and the immense responsibility that comes with it?

I guess that's a choice each person needs to make, but I don't think we should shirk increased responsibilities not despise prophesying. While the reality is that people do avoid anything beyond the status quo, I think God is looking for people who won't do that.

It's like the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. While in this parable the talents are a former currency of the Romans and Greeks, it's actually fitting to think of talents as the kind of talents that describe a skill. We shouldn't be lazy with what we have been given, whether that be the gift of prophesying, money, or something else.

 

[oyster67]

Those with the gift of prophecy can receive messages from entities other than God

??????????? really ? Being tormented by Demons and Devils is a gift now????

in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"

Well there we have it then. Departing from the faith is not like falling off a log. Apostacy is a real possibility, but it is a willful choice.

That is why it is best to be careful when prophesying. It is necessary to know the Bible well.

Prophecy doth not proceed forth from a headful of Bible knowledge. It comes from above.

We are not to walk and talk and work in fear, but in confidence and by faith.

 

[oyster67]

I think there has always been many people who wish for the of prophecy, but would they really want it and the immense responsibility that comes with it?

I think I do. The fields are white and ripe and we have such a short and limited time to lay up treasure in Heaven. Time spent any other way is time wasted...

1 Corinthians
14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual [gifts], but rather that ye may prophesy.
14:2 For he that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth [him]; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men [to] edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
14:4 He that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater [is] he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

 

[Runningman]

??????????? really ? Being tormented by Demons and Devils is a gift now????

Who said anything about being tormented?

Well there we have it then. Departing from the faith is not like falling off a log. Apostacy is a real possibility, but it is a willful choice.

I agree. Prophets have the ability to intercept what seducing spirits and demons say. How else do you think the doctrines of demons get distributed to the masses?

Prophecy doth not proceed forth from a headful of Bible knowledge. It comes from above. We are not to walk and talk and work in fear, but in confidence and by faith.

If someone doesn't know the truth from scripture they'll fall for any false doctrine. It can't be minimized how important it is to be firmly rooted in the Word.

 

[Jackson123]

In 1 Cor. 14:1, Paul writes "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. " Encouraging all members of the church to desire the spiritual gifts, but especially the ability to prophesy.

The gift of prophesy is a spiritual gift that only God can control. He has the ability to impart spiritual gifts to people and we should desire. Prophesying is used for the purpose of God's glory and it isn't something everyone can just do. God has to enable this ability within church members.

I would suggest that those who are following after charity and genuinely desiring the spiritual gift of prophesy are more likely to receive this gift, per the simple text in 1 Cor. 14:1. I believe the kind of prayer that God wants to answer are those that are seeking after His glory. From that genuine state of heart we can request spiritual gifts.

Before I continue, I want to address a some points. Those with the gift of prophecy can receive messages from entities other than God, such as the devil, demons, and angels. This is why 1 Cor. 14:29 says " Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge." The reason for this is to root out any possible false doctrines, false gospels, or ungodly messages.

What Paul wrote in Gal. 1:8 was literal, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Paul stated point blank it's possible to receive a message from an angel. Furthermore, Paul also said that it's possible to receive messages from seducing spirits and demons in 1 Tim. 4:1 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"

That is why it is best to be careful when prophesying. It is necessary to know the Bible well. The Spirit that speaks expressly in 1 Tim. 4:1 will not contradict the Bible. We cannot know what contradicts the Bible unless we know the Bible. Those who do not know the Bible can be easily deceived, led astray, confused, become a false prophet, and more.

A simple test for a prophet to confirm who they are talking to is mentioned in 1 John 4:3. "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God..." A prophet can possibly pick up on a lot of sweet words, clever ideas, things that seem right and sound good, but ultimately are crafted to shipwreck a prophet's faith or break their spirit. A simple test is to literally ask "Do you confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh?" if they deny it then you know who you're talking to.

2 Cor. 11:4 is also literal, "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." This is for the purpose of getting a foot in the door and gradually supplanting the truth with false doctrines and lies.

Above all, every Christian needs to seek after the literal guidance of God's Holy Spirit to help them understand the Bible, follow charity and desire spiritual gifts, especially prophesy.

1 Thess. 5:20 says "Despise not prophesyings." and it is as simple as that. No matter what anyone says, the Bible does not say the spiritual gifts have ceased. There is overwhelming evidence to actually continue to desire spiritual gifts and to even ask God for them directly.

If the prophecy come true that may from the Lord but when it wrong, it not from the Lord
Recently I listen some wrong prophecy
I remember Kenneth cooplan prophecy in the summer 2020 Covid 19 will be no more.
And it's wrong. If God who told to Kenneth, it will come true, so God not talk to him
Another pastor prophecy Donal trump will win and it was wrong. God never wrong, so if prophecy not happen, than not from God

 

[posthuman]

A simple test for a prophet to confirm who they are talking to is mentioned in 1 John 4:3. "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God..."

interesting question about that:
does this count as 'confessing that Christ has come in the flesh' ?

When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying,
“What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
(Matthew 8:28-29)​

 

[posthuman]

If the prophecy come true that may from the Lord but when it wrong, it not from the Lord
Recently I listen some wrong prophecy
I remember Kenneth cooplan prophecy in the summer 2020 Covid 19 will be no more.
And it's wrong. If God who told to Kenneth, it will come true, so God not talk to him
Another pastor prophecy Donal trump will win and it was wrong. God never wrong, so if prophecy not happen, than not from God

i love you Jackson

we should be wiser than to ever pay attention to someone like Kenneth Copeland or to people saying prophecy about a worldly political man like Mr. Trump.
both of those men just want our money, and to have power. we should have discernment, and i pray for it for everyone here at CC

 

[posthuman]

I think there has always been many people who wish for the of prophecy, but would they really want it and the immense responsibility that comes with it?

amen

'the trouble with love is its other face -
you just want the club but you don't want the race' ​

- J. Garcia, run to the roses​

 

[posthuman]

is prophecy just 'telling the future' and 'calling fire down from heaven' etc?
because while Biblical prophets did such things, the record of their lives in scripture could be read aloud in an hour or two - often even less. so what was a prophet's day-to-day like?
they're clearly not always going around proclaiming judgement and revelations of the future. they may go years between any kind of event like that. so what does it really mean to be a prophet?

as an example that needs to be scrutinized and understood to really answer that question, we need to look at this:

And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
(1 Samuel 19:24)
​

in contest this is immediately after Saul had begun to try to kill David. David escapes the palace, and Saul sends people after him, to recon. those messengers from Saul run into a group of people with Samuel 'prophesying' - the Spirit comes over them and they start prophesying too. Saul hears of this, sends another contingent. same thing happens to them - they forget all about their duty to the king and start prophesying by the Holy Spirit.
so Saul himself goes out after David, and lo and behold, Saul runs into these 'prophets' with Samuel ((apparently a pretty larege group by now, wow!)), and Saul starts prophesying too!

what is Saul doing? telling the future? giving people 'words of knowledge' ? calling down fire on the enmies of the LORD?
Saul is engaged in trying to do something evil, and runs into a man of God - and the Spirit comes over Saul, making him do absolutely the opposite of what he set out to do.



i just think, if we're going to have a thread about the gift of prophecy -- one of the first things we need to cover is what in the word does it mean to 'prophesy' in the first place? we need an accurate, Biblical definition of that. i think we all know there are a lot of very poor definitionsout there

 

[Nehemiah6]

Encouraging all members of the church to desire the spiritual gifts, but especially the ability to prophesy.

We need to keep this in context. The New Testament was being written at that time, but only a fraction was available to the churches. Therefore the gift of prophecy was operational until about 100 AD. The correct meaning of prophecy is divine supernatural revelations directly from the Holy Spirit for all of God's people (2 Peter 1:19-21).

Now that we have the complete Bible and the last book is the last book of prophecy, there have been no genuine prophecies since about 100 AD. Paul already saw the cessation of prophesies, tongues, and supernatural knowledge (1 Cor 13:8). So if anyone now claims to be a prophet (as Joseph Smith claimed) he is a false prophet. And the doctrines of the LDS church display this.

 

[JaumeJ]

All who believe Jesus Yeshua and pass on the Good news from Him have the Spirit of Prophecy, Revelation.

 

[JaumeJ]

All should study the Word enough to know that prophecy is not just foretelling future events.

 

[Runningman]

interesting question about that:
does this count as 'confessing that Christ has come in the flesh' ?

When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, ​

“What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”​

(Matthew 8:28-29)​

Not exactly.

I see how, at first glance, it appears Matthew 8:28-29 is a nod to 1 John 4:2, but it isn't. Remember, "even the demons believe and tremble." The key difference is that they don't acknowledge Jesus Christ as the savior of the world nor do they generally come proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah.

 

[Runningman]

We need to keep this in context. The New Testament was being written at that time, but only a fraction was available to the churches. Therefore the gift of prophecy was operational until about 100 AD. The correct meaning of prophecy is divine supernatural revelations directly from the Holy Spirit for all of God's people (2 Peter 1:19-21).

Now that we have the complete Bible and the last book is the last book of prophecy, there have been no genuine prophecies since about 100 AD. Paul already saw the cessation of prophesies, tongues, and supernatural knowledge (1 Cor 13:8). So if anyone now claims to be a prophet (as Joseph Smith claimed) he is a false prophet. And the doctrines of the LDS church display this.

You got that all wrong. You don't have any verses that say the spiritual gifts have ceased and instead rely on your own commentary and rationale to justify your position.

You seem so sure that there are no such things as spiritual gifts, but I honestly think you're blinded by unbelief.

 

[Runningman]

All should study the Word enough to know that prophecy is not just foretelling future events.

Amen. Exactly. Prophecy is any message from God and most of the time it is not about foretelling future events.

 

[Runningman]

is prophecy just 'telling the future' and 'calling fire down from heaven' etc?
because while Biblical prophets did such things, the record of their lives in scripture could be read aloud in an hour or two - often even less. so what was a prophet's day-to-day like?
they're clearly not always going around proclaiming judgement and revelations of the future. they may go years between any kind of event like that. so what does it really mean to be a prophet?

as an example that needs to be scrutinized and understood to really answer that question, we need to look at this:

And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” ​

(1 Samuel 19:24) ​

​

in contest this is immediately after Saul had begun to try to kill David. David escapes the palace, and Saul sends people after him, to recon. those messengers from Saul run into a group of people with Samuel 'prophesying' - the Spirit comes over them and they start prophesying too. Saul hears of this, sends another contingent. same thing happens to them - they forget all about their duty to the king and start prophesying by the Holy Spirit.
so Saul himself goes out after David, and lo and behold, Saul runs into these 'prophets' with Samuel ((apparently a pretty larege group by now, wow!)), and Saul starts prophesying too!

what is Saul doing? telling the future? giving people 'words of knowledge' ? calling down fire on the enmies of the LORD?
Saul is engaged in trying to do something evil, and runs into a man of God - and the Spirit comes over Saul, making him do absolutely the opposite of what he set out to do.



i just think, if we're going to have a thread about the gift of prophecy -- one of the first things we need to cover is what in the word does it mean to 'prophesy' in the first place? we need an accurate, Biblical definition of that. i think we all know there are a lot of very poor definitionsout there

Good question. Prophesying means a a divine message from God. It doesn't need to be a prediction. It's just a message. It can range from something as simple as a single sentence to something long enough to be a short story.

 

[JaumeJ]

interesting question about that:
does this count as 'confessing that Christ has come in the flesh' ?

When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, ​

“What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”​

(Matthew 8:28-29)​

My understanding from Revelation is a rotund Yes it does.

 

[Runningman]

My understanding from Revelation is a rotund Yes it does.

I have an open mind on @posthuman 's question. How does Matt. 8:28-29 relate to 1 John 4:2?