NO CONTINUATION OF PROPHETS IN TODAY'S CHURCH AGE
By: Victor T. Stephens
"People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up."
~ George R.R. Martin
REFUTING TODAY’S NEW PROPHECY (continued)
Let's now examine the next account that non-cessationists use in their efforts to prove fallible "congregational prophecy".
2) "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge." (1 Cor. 14:29)
Since non-cessationists contend that prophecy today can include truth mixed with error, they reference this verse as a means to evaluate prophetic utterances. The fact that Paul says prophecy should be judged is an indication that prophetic utterances may contain true and false elements. To minimize errors, allegedly provisions have been made for the prophet who speaks to be judged by the other prophets.
Such a proposal represents an incorrect interpretation and application of this verse. Simply put, non-cessationists are imposing their own theological presuppositions by reading into the text what it does not say. There is absolutely nothing in 1 Corinthians 14:29 to suggest that legitimate prophecies may encompass true and false elements.
Factually, this verse says that when a plurality of prophets are speaking their oracles during a church meeting, the entire prophetic message of each prophet is to be judged for complete accuracy by the other (established) prophets seated. A completely accurate prophetic message would determine who was a true prophet of God. In other words, the other prophets who were seated were not judging true and false elements within each oracle spoken, but rather they were sorting out the true and false prophecies amid the number of prophecies they received. Judging prophecies was a means of appraising the prophets' messages to declare judgment on the prophets themselves.
Further proof is presented by examining the proper context of the word "judge" in 1 Corinthians 14:29. The Greek word for "judge" is "diakrino." It appears 18 times in the New Testament (Matt. 16:3; 21:21; Mark 11:23; Acts 10:20; 11:2; 11:12; 15:9; Romans 4:20; 14:23; 1 Cor. 4:7; 6:5; 11:29; 11:31; 14:29; James 1:6; 2:4; Jude 1:9; 1:22). According to the New Testament Greek Lexicon, the usages communicate a variety of meanings, such as:
"to separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer to learn by discrimination, to try, decide, to determine, give judgment, decide a dispute, to withdraw from one, desert, to separate one's self in a hostile spirit, to oppose, strive with dispute, contend, to be at variance with one's self, hesitate, doubt." (New Testament Greek Lexicon)
If we read the 18 passages mentioned previously, we will discover that the New Testament does not use the word "judge" ("diakrino") in the context of distinguishing between true and false elements contained within individual conceptions, thoughts, notions, and impressions. Let's take a look at a few examples:
"For who makes you different ("diakrino") from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" (1 Cor. 4:7, emphasis mine)
"I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge ("diakrino") between his brethren?" (1 Cor. 6:5, emphasis mine)
"For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning ("diakrino") the Lord's body." (1 Cor. 11:29, emphasis mine)
"For if we would judge ("diakrino") ourselves, we would not be judged." (1 Cor. 11:31, emphasis mine)
In these four verses, the Greek word "diakrino" is used to make distinctions between people. If in 1 Corinthians 14:29 the Greek word "diakrino" ("judge") was used to signify a distinction between true and false elements, this grammatical usage would be unprecedented in the New Testament. However, if it is distinguishing true prophets from false prophets, then this verse is in harmony with other passages of Scripture that use the Greek word "diakrino."
With that being the case, Paul was appealing to the other seated prophets to test the entire prophetic messages of the prophets who were speaking. How did the other prophets ascertain if a divine utterance was authentic? Verse 30 says,
"And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop."
The other prophets were to determine whether the prophetic message from the first prophet speaking was truly direct communication from the Holy Spirit. If a revelation came to one of the prophets who were seated, the first prophet who was speaking would be required to stop so that the next prophet could take his turn (v. 31). Thus, the test for true prophecy was a revelation. Revelation from the Holy Spirit championed the complete accuracy of the true prophet of God. This is the same test that is consistent with Old Testament standards to determine the ultimate source of prophecies. Deuteronomy 18:21-22 says:
You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed. (Deut. 18:21-22)
Jeremiah 28:9 states:
"But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true." (Jer. 28:9)
Ezekiel 33:33 says:
"When all this comes true --- and it surely will --- then they will know that a prophet has been among them."
(Ezekiel. 33:33)
If a prophet from the Old Testament or New Testament spoke with divine inspiration, their prophecy was always accurate. Any prophet who spoke with less than perfect prophecy was considered a false prophet. Let us take a look at 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NIV, KJV):
"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV)
"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter 1:20-21 KJV)
Here, Peter is defining New Testament prophecy in light of Old Testament prophecy. He says "no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation", or in other words, not "by the prophet's own interpretation of things." He then quotes the Old Testament saying, "Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man," or in other words, prophecy never had its origin in the human will. Therefore, the Old Testament standards for judging prophecy also serve as the standards for judging New Testament prophecy. The weight of this fact is elevated when, as pointed out earlier, Peter in Acts 2:17-18 was quoting an Old Testament prophet (Joel 2:28) in describing the prophetic gifts that were poured out at Pentecost.
Now, take special note that Peter also says, "but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." The King James Version says, "but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
These statements by Peter serve as a blistering refutation of the notion that New Testament prophecy may contain fallible elements. Whenever a prophet spoke for God, he was "carried along or moved by" the Holy Spirit. As such, spoken human prophecy from God was always fully authentic. The idea that New Testament prophecy may contain true and false components is an anti-biblical concept conjured up by Satan and his false prophets (Matt. 7:15), false apostles (2 Cor. 11:13-15), and false ministers (Acts 20:29-31). In Genesis 3:1-5, Satan used a combination of true and false elements to deceive Eve.
The next point I'd like to make is that prophets who judge other prophets is not a New Testament concept. In actuality, prophets who judge other prophets had their origins in the Old Testament, proving once again that New Testament prophecy was a continuation of Old Testament prophecy. Prophets in the Old Testament who judged other prophets include Elijah, Micaiah, and Jeremiah. Let's begin with the prophet Elijah:
"Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal's prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire --- he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good." Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood. Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD --- he is God! The LORD --- he is God!" (1 Kings 18:19-39)
In this account, the prophet Elijah challenged the 450 idolatrous prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel to test who was the true God. The test would be a sign from heaven that consisted of fire as evidence of whose god is truly God. As this passage points out, the prophets of Baal failed the test, and thus, they were exposed as false prophets. The God of Elijah, however, sent down fire from heaven, revealing that the Lord is the real God. Let's now consider the prophet Micaiah:
So the king of Israel brought together the prophets --- about four hundred men --- and asked them, "Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Go", they answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand." But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?" The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king should not say such a thing," Jehoshaphat replied. So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once." Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.'" All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious", they said, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably." But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me." When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?" "Attack and be victorious", he answered, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'" The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?" (1 Kings 22:6-18)
Here, the prophet Micaiah judged 400 prophets. These prophets consensually advised the king of Israel to go to war against Ramoth Gilead and professed victory. However, after initially sarcastically deriding their prophecies, Micaiah judged their prophecies as lies. Let's now take a look at the prophet Jeremiah:
Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague." But I said, "Alas, Sovereign LORD! The prophets keep telling them, 'You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.'" Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. Therefore this is what the LORD says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, 'No sword or famine will touch this land.' Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them, their wives, their sons and their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve. "Speak this word to them: "'Let my eyes overflow with tears night and day without ceasing; for the Virgin Daughter, my people, has suffered a grievous wound, a crushing blow. If I go into the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I go into the city, I see the ravages of famine.
(Jer. 14:11-18)
In this account, the prophet Jeremiah judges the prophets in Judah. They were prophesying that the people in Judah "will not see the sword or suffer famine" and will have "lasting peace." But the Lord through Jeremiah said, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name."
There are other examples in the Bible that illustrate prophets judging other prophets. However, for the sake of brevity, I will conclude here. These three Old Testament accounts should demonstrate that the judgment of a prophet against another prophet was common before the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost. There are no implications in the New Testament that there were modifications in how prophets were to test other prophets. Let's now examine the third account that non-cessationists use in their efforts to prove fallible "congregational prophecy."
