Presenting Biblical answers to tough questions
Q: Are there prophets in the world today?
A: To “prophesy” in the Bible fundamentally means to “speak under the influence of someone or something else.” It can refer to insane babbling (I Samuel 18:10), speech inspired by evil spirits (II Chronicles 18:18-22), faithfully communicating messages from God (Ezra 5:1), or recording God’s messages, which would eventually become the books of the Bible (Hebrews 1:1).
Do any or all of these activities continue in modern times? Leaving insane babbling to one side, the New Testament warns believers to be on guard against false teachers and false prophets (Matthew 7:15; 1 John 4:1), these activities, unfortunately, are still very much present. When it comes to those claiming to have new revelation or messages from God the traditional perspective of the Church is that the Canon of Scripture was closed upon the death of the Apostles. Apostles and prophets formed the foundation of the Church (Ephesians 2:20), and once the foundation was completed the offices of Apostle and prophet were no longer needed (I Corinthians 13:8). Christians today are blessed with a personal relationship with God (I John 2:20), the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 14:25-26), and the completed Word of God (Psalm 119:105). Because we can receive God’s message ourselves, God no longer needs a ‘go-between’ to deliver His word.
In short, if someone comes to you claiming to be a prophet sent from God they should be treated with extreme skepticism and caution (I Thessalonians 5:21; 2 Cor. 11:13-15). Let your pastor know what is going on, and bring the Light of God’s word to bear on their message, exposing any errors that it holds.
If you have a question that you would like a biblical answer to you can send it via email to [email protected] or by mail to Formoso Church; P.O. Box 66; Formoso, Kan. 66942
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