The Gift of the prophet

While at a trade show I was talking to a fellow minister. He explained that he was in charge of overseeing dozens of ministries in his denomination. I enjoyed very much talking with him about many ministry related topics. I spoke to him of some of my teaching and he mentioned his agreement with my teaching on "Establishing Biblical Truth". I do believe that we must test everything we hear taught or preached by these standards before we receive them as biblically true. During our conversation he mentioned a doctrine I had never heard before, so I waited to study this out before I gave my opinion.

2 Timothy 2:23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

This is the result of my study.

If my understanding of what he said is correct he was basing his opinion on the following scripture.

1 Corinthians 14:26-32 "How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

If the doctrine taught is that no prophetic utterance is allowed unless there are two or three prophets there to judge the prophecy first, I must test it according to the three rules of discerning Biblical truth. Please bare with me.

Rule 1 - Is it in the bible?

What is not in the Bible is that a prophecy must first be judged by another prophet. "Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge." The word "other" appears 81 times as the word "others" and "other" and the word that preceeds it "the" does not appear but is added by the translators. I see this scripture as reading "and let (the) others make a distinction and learn by discrimination or to listen and discern, everyone for himself.

Any way you look at it the bible doesn’t say "other prophets judge",

and it does say that they should be sensitive to "another" who wants to prophesy and that "all may learn" and "all be comforted" in the sense of cooperation and teamwork and not interrupting: (verse 32 "subject")

This word "judge" in 1 Corinthians 14:29 appears 23 times in the scriptures but is only translated "judge" 2 times.

Strong’s definition: 1252 diakrino {dee-ak-ree'-no}

1) to separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer

2) to learn by discrimination, to try, decide

2a) to determine, give judgment, decide a dispute

3) to withdraw from one, desert

4) to separate one's self in a hostile spirit, to oppose, strive with dispute, contend

5) to be at variance with one's self, hesitate, doubt

Here are some actual scriptural uses of 1252:

Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt <1252> not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall <1252> not doubt <1252> in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Acts 10:20 Arise therefore, and get thee down , and go with them, doubting <1252> nothing: for I have sent them .

Acts 11:2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended <1252> with him,

Acts 11:12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting <1252>. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:

Acts 15:9 And put no difference <1252> between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Romans 4:20 He staggered <1252> not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth <1252> is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

1 Corinthians 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ <1252> from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

1 Corinthians 6:5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge <1252> between his brethren?

1 Corinthians 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning <1252> the Lord's body.

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering <1252>. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending <1252> with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference <1252>:

Rule 2 - Second Witness

There is no second witness to a prophetic utterance not being allowed unless there are two or three prophets there to judge the prophecy first.

Rule 3 - Does this doctrine contradict other scriptures?

Jesus is judged by God’s word not by the religious leaders. The Father bares witness.

John 8:13-18 "The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me."

Romans 14:10-13 "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."

The people doubted Moses was a prophet because he did not see visions. The Father bares witness.

Numbers 12:7-9 "My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed."

False Prophets are judged by God’s Word not other prophets

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 "If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee."

Deuteronomy 18:15-22 "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

No other prophets are standing in judgement.

Judges 6:8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

1 Samuel 22:5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

Numbers 11:24-29 "And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!"

In the following scriptures the prophets of God didn’t believe that Saul was anointed to prophesy and joked about it. Eventually everyone believed because his prophetic words were proven to be the truth.

1 Samuel 10:5-13 "After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

In this story the prophets of Israel had been seduced by Jesebel to join the prophets of Baal in opposition to Elijah who stood alone against them and their judgements. The prophets that stood against Elijah were destroyed. The multitude of the prophets in agreement had led the people astray. They were judged by the word of God.

1 Kings 18:19-24 "Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken."

1 Kings 18:37-40 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

There are many more examples of this stand alone prophet with only the word of God to bare witness to its truthfulness. This is a contradiction of the doctrine of other prophets judging a phropetic utterance. The multiple witness is always in the Word of God not in the word of man. Therefore it fails all three tests of Biblical truth and must be rejected.

1 Corinthians 11:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

The anointing of prophetic utterance is in the cooperation and control of the prophet, not a committee.

1 Corinthians 14:32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

Numbers 11:25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

There is no covering for a prophet but God

1 Corinthians 11:3-4 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

If we put anyone’s authority, such as a man’s authority, above Christ’s authority when we prophecy we dishonor Christ. This is the same reason we don’t pray to Saints or Mary but to the Father only.

My conclusion is that this doctrine does not stand up to the test of Biblical truth.