The spiritual gift of the prophet is the deliverance of God’s will to the Body of Christ through the Holy Spirit. The prophet must bring to life the truth in himself and in others. As a bellwether of right and wrong, the prophet will go to great lengths to communicate and illustrate that purpose, even to the detriment of his/her own situation. The prophet is an encourager with a very strong desire to push the Body in the right direction that God has set forth.
But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort.” (1 Corinthians 14:3 NIV)
“[Prophecy] did not unravel the future for man’s gaze, but it revealed the will of God for man’s present duty.” (Laurin, 210)
The word “Prophet” derives from the Greek word meaning “Public Expounder”. (Graham, 176)
Do not confuse the gift of prophecy with other gifts such as teacher and pastor. Those with the gift of prophecy are decision makers, acting quickly, with little patience or inclination to have lengthy discussions or lessons on matters. They do not lecture or instruct but instead are direct, bold, and anxious to get their point across which they deeply feel comes from God. This must be done with love and humility, however, or the gift could be misused or perceived as self-serving.
A Sign for Believers
The gift of prophecy is a sign for believers and means nothing to those that are outside of the Body. Someone claiming to be a prophet that is not using the gift within the Body of Christ should be discerned with a great deal of caution. The Bible warns on numerous occasions that false prophets are in the world. A person with this gift will live by example, allowing the truths of God to control his own life. If this key attribute is missing from someone who claims to have the gift then they are a false prophet.
The spiritual gift of prophecy, according to Scripture, involves speaking God’s truth to His people with clarity, boldness, and authority. It is one of the gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 and is considered essential for the edification, encouragement, and comfort of the church. Here’s a summary of its key aspects:
Purpose
1. Edification, Encouragement, and Consolation: The primary purpose of the prophetic gift is to build up, encourage, and comfort the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 14:3). Prophets speak words that help believers grow spiritually, inspire faith, and bring hope in times of difficulty.
2. Revealing God’s Will: Prophets may also bring specific insights into God’s will, especially regarding future events or directions for the church, though they always remain subject to Scripture and discernment by the community.
Characteristics
1. Divine Inspiration: Prophecy is not based on human knowledge or understanding but is a direct communication from God through the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).
2. Boldness and Clarity: Prophets speak with boldness, clearly declaring God’s word without fear of the response it may provoke, always aiming for truth and faithfulness to God’s message.
3. Conviction: Prophetic words can deeply convict hearts, challenge sin, and call individuals or communities to repentance, always aiming to bring people back to alignment with God’s will.
Application in the Church
1. Speaking to the Body: Prophecy is meant to benefit the church, guiding it, and providing direction. It is not about self-promotion or personal status, but about being a vessel for God’s voice in a way that uplifts the body (1 Corinthians 14:4).
2. Submission to Scripture and Discernment: Prophetic messages must be tested against the truth of Scripture and examined by other believers (1 John 4:1). Prophets are not infallible, and their words should be measured by the community to ensure they align with biblical truth.
Difference from Prediction
Not Just Foretelling: While prophecy can involve foretelling future events, it is primarily about speaking God’s message for the present, offering wisdom, guidance, and insight into current situations. Prophecy may also involve correction, encouragement, and teaching rather than mere prediction.
Importance in the Church
Prophecy is a vital gift for the church’s spiritual health, ensuring that God’s Word is proclaimed and understood in a relevant and timely manner. It helps the church stay focused on God’s purposes, offering guidance in both personal and communal aspects of the Christian walk.
Martin Luther on the Spiritual Gift of Prophet
Martin Luther had a complex and nuanced view on the spiritual gift of prophecy, which reflected his broader theological principles and his commitment to Scripture. On the one hand, he affirmed the biblical teaching that God continues to speak through His people, including through prophetic messages that could edify, exhort, and comfort the church. Luther’s perspective was that the Holy Spirit actively works within believers, enabling them to express insights and truths that align with God’s word. This was a vital aspect of the Reformation’s emphasis on a personal relationship with God, where believers could hear His voice and be guided by the Holy Spirit.
On the other hand, Luther was skeptical of claims of prophecy that went beyond the clear and established teachings of Scripture. He held a view of sola Scriptura—the doctrine that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice. Therefore, while he recognized the potential for prophetic gifts, he urged discernment and caution regarding any prophetic claims. Luther believed that the gift of prophecy should ultimately be rooted in and tested against Scripture, as anything that contradicted or added to biblical teachings could lead believers astray.
Luther emphasized that the gift of prophecy was primarily concerned with the faithful preaching of God’s word and the proclamation of the gospel. He regarded the preaching of Scripture as a means through which God communicates with His people, ensuring that the core truths of Christianity were preserved and spread. For Luther, the true prophets were those who faithfully declared God’s truths, encouraging the church to remain steadfast in its commitment to the gospel.
However, he was particularly wary of those who claimed to receive direct revelation from God that contradicted or added to the teachings of Scripture. Luther believed that such claims were often the result of spiritual pride or deception, leading individuals and communities away from the truth of the gospel. He warned that unchecked claims of prophecy could sow discord and confusion within the church, ultimately hindering the mission of the Body of Christ. His perspective thus encompassed both an appreciation for the potential of prophetic gifts within the church and a strict adherence to the authority of Scripture as the guiding framework for discerning true prophecy.
John Wesley on the Spiritual Gift of Prophet
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, held a robust understanding of the spiritual gift of prophecy. He believed that prophecy was not merely about predicting future events or foretelling the end times, as is often emphasized in modern views of prophecy, but was primarily about speaking God’s truth and will for the present moment. For Wesley, prophecy was a gift of the Holy Spirit that enabled believers to speak forth messages directly inspired by God for the edification, encouragement, and exhortation of the Church.
Wesley’s view of prophecy was deeply rooted in the practical and moral teachings of the Bible. He understood prophets as individuals who were not just concerned with foretelling the future, but were specifically called to speak truth to power, to challenge the status quo, and to call the Church back to its foundational values—especially those of holiness, love, and faithfulness to the gospel. In this way, the gift of prophecy was an active, living force within the community of believers, helping to guide the Church in alignment with God’s will.
One of Wesley’s key beliefs about prophecy was that it was not a gift restricted to a select few or to those in positions of power. Rather, he believed that the gift of prophecy could be manifested in various ways among the faithful, and that all believers could experience and recognize the Spirit’s movement in this regard. He encouraged Christians to cultivate a spirit of discernment, urging them to test all prophetic messages according to the Scriptures. This was to ensure that any message claimed to be prophetic was truly from God, in alignment with the biblical witness, and beneficial for the body of Christ. Wesley emphasized that the prophetic voices within the Church were not to be ignored, but were to be listened to with prayerful consideration, always seeking alignment with Scripture and the broader Church community.
At the same time, Wesley was careful to provide important cautions regarding the exercise of prophecy. He recognized the potential dangers of false prophets—those who might use their gift for personal gain or to promote their own agendas. As such, he stressed that the gift of prophecy should always be exercised with humility, accountability, and love. Prophets were to submit their words to the scrutiny of Scripture and to the authority of the Church’s leadership, ensuring that their messages served the broader good of the Church and its mission, rather than undermining or distorting it.
Wesley’s teachings on prophecy underscored the importance of humility in its exercise. He warned against the temptation to elevate oneself through the gift or to use prophetic words as a means of gaining power or influence. Instead, prophets were to serve the Church with a spirit of humility, ensuring that their words always pointed back to the centrality of God’s Word and the glory of Christ, and never to their own self-promotion or personal agenda.
The Catholic Church on the Spiritual Gift of Prophet
The Catholic Church also recognizes the spiritual gift of prophecy, but with some distinctions from the Protestant understanding of the term.
In Catholic theology, prophecy is understood primarily as a gift of the Holy Spirit that enables believers to discern and communicate God’s message for the benefit of the Church. This message may involve a call to repentance, a warning of impending judgment, an exhortation to faithfulness, or a proclamation of God’s mercy and love.
However, Catholic theology emphasizes that the gift of prophecy must be exercised in communion with the Church’s teaching authority and tradition. This means that prophetic messages should not contradict the doctrines or moral teachings of the Church, but should be in harmony with them and submitted to them.
In addition, the Catholic Church recognizes that the gift of prophecy can be manifested in various ways, such as in preaching, teaching, counseling, or personal witness. However, it also emphasizes the importance of discernment in distinguishing between true and false prophets, and of accountability to the Church’s leaders in exercising the gift of prophecy.
People with this Gift:
- Present God’s truths through careful study
- Understand the Word of God and apply it with extraordinary depth of understanding for the benefit of the body
- God does not reveal new doctrine through those with this gift, but He does reveal direction and guidance
- Provides clarity to situations and relation to God’s will in order to build up the body
- Bold and direct speech; persuasive in their arguments
- More concerned about the “right and wrong” of a situation than anything else
- Fear of God should he or she not speak up when prompted to do so by the Holy Spirit
Bible References
| Bible Reference | Notes |
| Matthew 13:11-15 | Knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you |
| Acts 15:22-35 | Judas and Silas go to Antioch and encourage the church there |
| Acts 21:9-14 | Prophet Agabus warns Paul |
| Romans 12:6 | Paul mentions the gift of prophecy |
| 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28 | Paul mentions the gift of prophecy |
| 1 Corinthians 13:2, 8-12 | Gift of prophecy without love means nothing |
| 1 Corinthians 14 | Paul’s discussion on prophecy |
| Ephesians 4:11-13 | Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets |
| 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 | Do not treat prophecies with contempt |
| 2 Peter 1:20-21 | No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things |
- Zondervan, 1174
- Stanley, 20-28
- Graham, 176-180
- Wesley, 569
- Laurin, 209-210
- Bryant, 131-134
Other Greater Gifts
- Spiritual Gift of Apostle
- Spiritual Gift of Evangelist
- Spiritual Gift of Shepherd/Pastor
- Spiritual Gift of Teacher
