“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
The Basket Case Chronicles #161
“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy” (1 Cor. 14:1).
The justly famous thirteenth chapter of Corinthians has firmly established the ranking of the fruit of the Spirit over against the gifts of the Spirit. Out of faith, hope, and love, the greatest is love, and in his description of the fruit of the Spirit elsewhere, he lists love in the first place (Gal. 5:22). We saw this same truth earlier in this book. The Corinthians were gifted with every spiritual gift (1 Cor. 1:7) but that did not make them spiritual men (1 Cor. 3:1).
Having established this, he then turns to give us a ranking of the spiritual gifts themselves. Just as the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit are not equal, so also the gifts of the Spirit are not equal. That is why he says here that they are to pursue love in the first instance, and after that they are to desire the spiritual gifts. Once they have turned to the gifts, the gift to be valued above all the others is the gift of prophesy.
What is it to prophesy? The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10), and so to speak the Word of God faithfully, in such a way as to turn everyone to Jesus, is the spirit of prophecy. That spirit can come upon a man directly, as it did the prophets of old, or it can be given to a man ministerially, as he speaks authoritatively from the Scriptures.
“… with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony…”
If prophecy is given to all the fellow servants — shepherds & sheep alike, then all can / should speak ministerially, with authority.
Just didn’t want to see folks take this as a pastor or elder only attribute.
I think that most people think that they excel in the “love” department and are therefore qualified to judge others. I believe that “love” is the most misunderstood word in the Bible. Folks think that if they feel sorry for or empathize with others that they love them. Or that if they do something nice for somebody – or think nice thoughts – that they love people. “Herein is Love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and gave Himself to be the propitiation for our sin.” 1 John 4:10.
Thank you for showing me these distinctions; I very much appreciated your work.
t
And when something is revealed to the 2nd prophet, the 1st prophet is to shut up and let the 2nd say it.
Is this your full definition of prophecy? It sounds the same as teaching to me.
Prophecy was something women in the early church could do, but they couldn’t teach. By defining it this way, it implies that either the only type of prophecy women in the early church did was the direct-from-God kind, or they were speaking authoratively from the scriptures, which sounds like teaching, which Paul forbids in a mixed congregation.
“…Paul forbids in a mixed congregation”
Perhaps if “congregations” was “assembly meetings”, then teaching & prophesying had no gender restriction outside of that venue.
Hmm OK, I don’t really understand your response (it’s almost a double negative and has me confused).
What I mean is, plug Doug’s definition into 1 Corinthians 11:5 and it sounds like giving a sermon:
“but every wife who…[speaks authoritatively from the Scriptures] with her head uncovered…” etc.
The context of the verse suggests a public congregation, so can women speak authoritatively from the Scriptures in a public setting, or is prophesy something else?
Good point, Eric. The job of the Firstfruits Church was legal (Covenant) witness. Where the Head is necessarily a silent sacrifice, the Body’s sacrifice is witness and praise. But I would also say that limiting the gift of prophecy to preaching in church is the same parochialism evident elsewhere in FV thinking — the Church is the target of the Gospel rather than an army of witnesses who profess their faith. Both facets are still present, obviously, but the New Covenant has shifted the focus dramatically from those within to those without. For sacramentalists, the Church is the means of… Read more »
Hi Mike — I might be a sacramentalist, I don’t know. But I don’t see the church as means of saving. We’re a group of saved folks hopefully trying to help each other out, is all. And some witness on purpose; some don’t.
Prophesying comes in handy if you do witness to unsaved, for sure.