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The Gift Ministry of a Prophet (Endnotes)

1. There are occasions when apostles, because of the position God has given them in the governance of the Church, are given words of prophecy that ordinarily would come to the Church through prophets. We see this in the book of Acts. Close

2. This is the usual case as is stated in the Word. Of course, the Lord can work through people who are not called prophets if he so desires, but that would be the exception, not the rule. Close

3. Many people who have the gift ministry of a prophet do not serve the true God, but turn to the flesh or the demonic. Even then they are especially spiritually sensitive and are sometimes recognized as such. Thus they occasionally use their gifting for the Devil’s purposes, and become psychics, mediums, oracles, “spiritual advisors,” etc. The spiritual sensitivity of these people is real, whether they work for God or the Devil. Close

4. Joseph H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA, reprinted 2000), “prophetes,” p. 553. Close

5. Joseph C. Dillow, The Reign of the Servant Kings (Schoettle Publishing Company, Hayesville, NC, 1993), p. 341. Close

6. For more on the school of the prophets, see “Chapter Six,” Number 17, “Team prophecy can be a blessing.” Close

7. It is important to correctly understand 1 Corinthians 14:29, which reads: “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.” Although “others” refers to prophets, it also includes the rest of the congregation, each of whom has holy spirit and each of whom should be interested in the prophetic word being accurate. Close

8. R. Harris, G. Archer, B. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Moody Press, Chicago, 1980), Vol. 1, pp. 1421 and 1422. Close