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
MORE DELIBERATIONS (continued)
Deliberation 4
Someone may say, "Well, God spoke to me in a dream; therefore, I must be a prophet." I believe it is safe to say that most believers can likely remember at least one time when they believed God spoke to them in a dream. Does that make them a prophet?
Firstly, let's bear in mind that God spoke to several people in the Bible who were not considered prophets. For example, in Genesis 20:3, God spoke to Abimelek:
But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman." (Gen. 20:3)
In Judges 7:13-14, God spoke to a Midianite soldier:
Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream", he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed." His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands." (Judges 7:13-14)
In Acts 10:1-8, God spoke to Cornelius:
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. (Acts 10:1-8)
As we see from these three passages, just because God speaks to some people does not automatically authenticate them as prophets. There is a difference between God speaking to a person and God speaking to and through a person. A true prophet not only hears from God, but also, as previously stated, acts as an inspired spokesperson on His behalf, acting as a bridge between God and humanity.
Secondly, experiential arguments should not be regarded as equivalent to or exceeding the authority of Scripture. Many people attempt to interpret the Bible based on their personal experiences when, in fact, they should judge their personal experiences by the Word of God. Therefore, we should be careful to accept as truth when someone declares themselves to be a prophet today. Anytime a person's exegesis seems to be experience-driven and we trust the fallible words of men rather than the perfect, infallible Word of God, we are engaged in supreme gullibility.
Thirdly, it is within the realm of possibility for miracles and prophecies to arise from sources other than God. For example, Acts 16:16-19 says:
"Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.' She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' At that moment the spirit left her.'" (Acts 16:16-19)
Exodus 7:8-12 states:
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle', then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh', and it will become a snake." So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake." (Exodus 7:8-12)
These accounts of the female slave and Pharaoh's "wise men and sorcerers" could easily be interpreted as coming from God when, in fact, Satan can engage in such actions. This is why judging the Word of God by personal experiences can be dangerous.
CONCLUSION
Many people who believe the prophetic gift is valid today are incarcerated in a historical anachronism. They are failing to discern the distinction between the building-up stage in church history and that which pertains to churches today. It is contradictory to allege that the Bible is complete while concurrently suggesting that revelatory prophetic gifts are still active. Employing proper hermeneutics as well as comprehending the various distinctive points in time where God dealt with the nation of Israel and the Church, it should be evident that the prophetic gift is no longer necessary and applicable in today's church age.
Any individual or church that subscribes to the idea that true prophets of God still exist in today's church age is teaching false doctrine. And those who claim to be prophets of God are either sincerely mistaken or outright false prophets.
I hope this study has brought clarity to this controversial issue. I believe any objective person will become convinced of this fact once this issue is carefully studied in its proper context, as illustrated in this comprehensive article.
The Church should firmly adhere to what has already been revealed through the written Word of God alone. Believers should be cautious of those who tag themselves as "prophets" by their own words. While some may be sincerely misconceived, there are many who use the title "prophet" for money and self-glorification.
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." (1 Tim. 4:3-4)
Beware! I pray that the Lord will lead you to His Truth. Remember; the Bereans "searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11). And so should you!
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