A Healthy Context for Prophecy in the New Testament Church

Prophecy is supernatural, but it does not have to feel that way. The supernatural-ness is determined by context and timing as well as by content.

I remember on one occasion I was about to teach a Bible study to a group of about twenty or thirty young people, and was silently asking the Lord to confirm my direction for the teaching that night.

As the group was worshiping the Lord, one of the boys stood up. I knew he was about to share what he thought would be a prophetic word from the Lord. He said, “The Lord wants us to watch and pray.” He then paused and stood there silent for a minute hoping to add something more significant. But that was it. He had nothing else to say, and so he sat down feeling a little embarrassed and thinking he had failed.

I then stood up. “Our friend has just given a short, simple word telling us to watch and pray. He does not realize how the Lord has used him. He has not only shared a word to which we should all take heed, but also, without knowing it, he has given a word of confirmation to me. I was just now asking the Lord to confirm the teaching I am about to give. My text for tonight is Matthew 26: 41, ‘Watch and pray…’ My Bible was opened to that verse and my eyes were on those very words as our friend was saying ‘The Lord wants us to watch and pray.’”

You don’t have to act strange or take on a different personality.

In some cases a prophecy may be given directly from God syllable for syllable, word for word. In other cases God may inspire the concept, the idea, or the thought, but allow them, in their expression, to take on the flavor of the speaker.

The Spirit-filled Harvard professor very calmly walks up to someone and in a very dignified and stolid voice and says, “This is what the Lord is saying to you, Your canines will develop acariasis and become acaudal.”

A backwoods farmer then walks up to the same person and in a very emotional and energetic manner says, “Thus saith the Lord. Thy dogs-uh will become infested with ticks and lose their tails-uh.”

The fact is, these men said the same thing, but each one spoke out of his own personality and style. The Lord’s word was in the content while the style represented the individual vessel.

You can speak in a conversational tone.

“The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.”  1 Corinthians 14: 32.

How do we expect people to act when they are being used by the Holy Spirit? A fellow once said to me, “My preacher is so anointed he pure foams at the mouth.” That is a strange one, and I am thankful that the Lord does not expect us to do that. So what style do we use in our presentation?

While there may be unusual and strange occurrences during great visitations of God’s presence, it is important for us to know that generally speaking we can move in the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit in the normal conversational tone of everyday life. How else can we approach the average person in the world with the reality of Jesus Christ? The Holy Spirit’s work is not confined to a religious context. He can move in church or in any context of daily life as we interact with people.

We can be ourselves, we don’t have to act strange or change our voice. This is one of the keys to moving in the Holy Spirit on the job, in school, on the street, and out in the market-place. You don’t have to walk up to people and shout. You don’t have to say ‘’God-uh” or “yea, yea, thus saith the Lord.” You can be emotional or non-emotional. You can be enthusiastically zealous or you can be quiet and reserved. The key is to be genuine and real. The supernatural is not what you do, but rather what God Himself does. Sometimes God’s work is seen as obviously and patently supernatural. Other times it can be hidden and unnoticed because it is defined by the context and timing and may be significant only to those to whom it is directed.

A person moving in prophecy should not be passive.

“The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.”  1 Corinthians 14: 32.

This verse deals with two problems: emotionalism and passivity. Emotions (such as joy and enthusiasm) are good, but emotionalism tends to be emotions posing as or substituting for the Holy Spirit, and generally tends to quench the Holy Spirit. Emotions represent our response to God’s presence. 

The verse also deals with the problem of passivity.  “The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet” means a person should not put his mind and thoughts in neutral waiting for “something” to take over.  Demonic counterfeits, the occult, and false religions work on the principle of passivity. We see it in meditation as practiced by eastern religions and in the demonic ceremonies of animistic cultures. Allowing your thoughts to go into neutral and your mind to be “blank” opens the door to demonic spirits, who take control. By contrast the Spirit of God works together with us while our faculties are at work and engaged. The Holy Spirit works through our spirits, and our spirits are subject to us. There are times when the Holy Spirit will move forcibly upon us (as in unusual revivals), but generally speaking He will be gentle and lead us rather than drive us. He requires our cooperation and our active involvement rather than a limp vessel with passive mind.

We Prophesy in part.

“For we know in part and we prophesy in part.”1 Corinthians 13: 9

“For now we see in a mirror dimly.” 1 Corinthians 13: 12

Paul reminds us that we are not infallible and our knowledge is limited. A person moving in prophecy will generally be given only a glimpse of the issues to which he speaks. We may not fully comprehend or understand the implications of the words we give.   

Prophecy should be judged

“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 19-21

“Let … prophets speak, and let the others judge.” 1 Corinthians 14: 29

Because we are human, we have to deal with the principle of mixture. We make mistakes. Within proven Christian fellowship our ministry and words should be pure and clearly from God. However, we sometimes let the imaginations of our own heart blend in with the word and create mixture. This produces the need to test and evaluate whether a word is from God or from man, or a mixture of both. 

The devil can also be the motivating source of a word or activity. This is why a prophetic word or any ministry must be evaluated by the written word of God and discerned by those who are spiritually mature.  

Prophecy usually confirms issues which a person has already been dealing with or considering. It should not give direction “out of the blue.” A person should not accept a word with which he does not indentify. He might reject it if he thinks it is wrong, or place it in his “pending file” to be evaluated again later. A person should not make a decision base on a prophetic word alone. He should have an inner witness or a confirmation from fellow Christians or spiritual leaders. Prophecy must be harmonious with and not contradict the Bible.

Prophecy, like preaching, does not replace the Bible nor does it stand on the same level as scripture. It must be judged or evaluated the same as a sermon or any other word of instruction or exhortation. The Bible is the written word of God and is the standard by which prophecy and all ministry, church doctrine, and practice should be judged (Galatians 1: 6-9; 2 Peter1:16-21; Act 17:11).   In testing prophecy or any other word of ministry, we consider the following: Is it harmonious with scripture? Does the recipient of the word identify with it and does he have an inner witness to the truth of the word? Are fellow Christians or spiritual leaders able to confirm the word? Does the word reflect the love and peace of Christ.

We should not force people to accept our words.

A person giving a prophetic word must allow the recipient freedom to test the word and to accept or reject it. We do not coerce a person to act beyond what he has grace to do. We do not force a person to receive our words. We allow him the freedom to reject the word and go his own way, even if it is to his judgment and God’s discipline.

We should prevent excesses and abuses that harm the reputation of the prophetic ministry.

You should not prophesy every time you get a thought or feeling.

You should not “prophesy” things you ought to communicate from yourself.  Don’t “prophesy” what should be given as an exhortation, or counsel, or personal input and your opinion.

Prophecy should not be used as a substitute for personal confrontation. Some people attribute to God what they themselves would like to say. They put the other person in the psychologically uncomfortable position of having to disagree with God. 

It is best not to prophesy in situations where there is conflict. People will not accept it. If it’s wrong, it is soulish or carnal and not spiritual. If it’s right and a true word, it ends up “pearls before swine” and trampled on.

At this point I refer the reader to a previous post entitled “The Biblical Context for the Supernatural,” which shows the distinction between the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the demonic counterfeits that are in our culture today. Just click this link: Biblical Context

(My next posting will deal with cautions to leadership regarding prophetic ministry in the New Testament church.---Billy Long)