Prophetic Ministry in the New Testament Church

INTRODUCTION

Prophetic ministry in the New Testament church

The prophetic ministry as it operated in the New Testament church is either unknown or greatly misunderstood by too many Christians today. When the term “prophesying” is mentioned, most people think of the Old Testament prophets, Biblical end-time prophecies, or psychic phenomena (the demonic counterfeit of the true spiritual gift taught in scripture). In this series, I want to show how the prophetic ministry operated among the first Christians as recorded in the New Testament. Their practice should be the model that we emulate in our Christian walk today. We should do what they did.

Presenting this subject to those who are unfamiliar with it is like describing a landscape painting one brushstroke at a time. The partial picture sometimes produces as many questions as answers. The subject cannot be covered in one post, and there will be many points that need further explanation and clarification. Hopefully the reader will follow the process until I have covered the subject sufficiently in subsequent postings. Meanwhile, I welcome any questions or comments that the reader may wish to present.  -Billy Long

My first experiences with prophetic ministry

The gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit came alive to me when I received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in 1967 during the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that became known as the Charismatic renewal. It was not uncommon to hear people giving general prophetic words to congregations or to the people gathered for worship. Usually at some point in the meeting a person might stand up and give a brief word, often beginning with the phrase “thus says the Lord.”  I learned later that a prophetic word does not have to begin with that phrase and is often given to individuals as well as to groups, and can be spoken in a more conversational rather than religious style.

The first time I witnessed the prophetic ministry in which supernatural words were given to individuals was when my wife Laurel and I visited in the home of Leland Davis. Our testimony had been published in Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association’s Abundant Life Magazine, and not surprisingly I had in my possession a rather large stack of these magazines that I kept on hand to pass out to people. When Laurel and I arrived at Leland Davis’ house, one of the first things I did was to hand him a copy. I guess I thought he would be impressed.

After the evening meal we went with him to church where he was the guest minister that night. After his sermon he began to move in his prophetic gifting, going from one individual to another, giving very encouraging supernatural words. This was the first time I had seen the prophetic ministry at this depth.

 My jaw dropped, and with mouth open I realized what a novice I was. I was ready to ask Leland to give back my magazine. I had given it to him with such an air of youthful arrogance. Now I was humbled into realizing there is more, more to learn, more to experience, and more to grow into. It is such arrogance for us to think we “have arrived,” to think we are so “deep,” and thus lose our hunger to grow and reach forward. If we look back in awe at how far we have come, we should look forward and be humbled by how far there is yet to go.

     

Prophecy- A General Introduction

Prophecy in the New Testament church is not “preaching.” Prophecy is speaking by immediate revelation and by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It can relate to past, present, or future. The time aspect is not primary, but rather it is the Lord’s speaking to encourage, comfort, strengthen, or to bring some revelation. Prophecy is the Holy Spirit’s moving upon one to speak a word from God to a specific person or people. It can appear amazingly supernatural or it can sound very simple and uneventful to those standing by. It can be an intense and dramatic word or a quiet and gentle word to remind someone that God loves them. It is not to be confused with or equated with psychic phenomena which are demonic counterfeits of the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12.

A careful reading of the New Testament reveals three levels of prophecy operating in the early Christian church.

1)    The office of a prophet (Ephesians 4: 11, Acts 21: 10-12).

2)     The ministry of prophecy in which a person is specially gifted in ministering to others prophetically (Romans 12: 6. Acts 21: 9).

3)    The manifestation of the Holy Spirit (“You can all prophesy.” 1 Corinthians 14: 24, 31).

Scriptural Examples of Prophecy in the New Testament church

 For the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all…to another prophecy…. 1Corinthians 12: 7, 10

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 1 Cor.14:1

Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied… Luke 2: 67

And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar…  Acts 11: 27-28 

Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”    Acts 13: 1-3

And now I go bound in spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.  Acts 20: 23

Now this man had four daughters who prophesied.  Acts 21: 9

And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”   Acts 21: 10-11

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may war the good warfare. 1 Timothy 1: 18

Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.     1Timothy 4: 14

The verses listed above should convince the open-minded reader that New Testament Christians experienced something more than we customarily see in our typical worship service and fellowship. For those of you who are being introduced to this subject for the first time and those who have known it only at a superficial level, I hope you will follow the entire series in subsequent postings. My objective is to clear-up misconceptions (of which there are many) and to help the reader to see how wonderful and precious this gift of the Holy Spirit is when it operates in the atmosphere of God’s love. It and the other gifts of the Spirit are meant to be instruments of compassion in which the Lord works through us to encourage and strengthen one another.                                                                                                                   

If you have a comment or question to address to me personally, please email me at blong8@sccoast.net     
Thanks for reading,
Billy Long