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Prophecy (2)
Note: the content on this page is
a revision of the material of the page 'Prophecy
and New Revelations' to include greater detail and depth. While
there is some repetition, there is much here that is new.
Is there a
difference between the Bible and a prophecy received in the 21st
century? Is there a difference between a prophecy in the Bible and a
message that Christian gets today when he or she is in prayer about
something? Is there a difference between a Family publication containing
specific words ‘from Jesus,’ and the words of Jesus in the Bible? Is
prophecy God’s Word for today? What’s the difference between true and
false prophecy, and how can we discern between them? Doesn’t God still
speak today? Doesn’t He still have His prophets who give out His word to
the world in these days? Bible prophecies were once new revelations;
couldn’t He be still giving new revelations?
Understanding the
place of the spiritual gift of prophecy is crucial, for at stake is the
authority of the word of God. If all modern prophecy is seen as
legitimate then the risk of error becomes high. There is little to
determine whether or not a prophecy is ‘true’ or ‘false.’ How can we
tell? The ‘prophet’ may assure his audience that he indeed is truly
inspired by the Spirit of God, but should his audience merely accept his
word for it? Does each Christian need to have the ‘gift of discernment’
in order to verify the gift of prophecy?
Prophecy has
always played a pivotal role in the Family. The founder claimed to have
the gift of prophecy and sent numerous messages to his followers which
he said he had received from God. Some of these messages were long and
detailed, hundreds of words, often in King James English. Other
‘prophecies’ were short, sometimes only a sentence, a verse, a word or
two, or even only an impression. Many of these ‘prophecies’ were pivotal
in determining Family direction and doctrine. It was quite common for an
unusual or controversial teaching to be supported by a ‘prophetic
message.’
Since the founder
died in 1994, there has been a tremendous increase in the use of
prophecy. Each Family member has been encouraged to practise the gift
and use it for themselves. Family members have been told to ‘hear from
God’ about everything. Whenever they have a decision they need to make,
they should pray and ask God for a message, which they may then use as
the basis for decision-making.
The main question
this page addresses is that of authority. If someone ‘gets a prophecy’
today, how much authority does it carry? Is it the ‘word of God’ as much
as the Bible is? How can we tell if a prophecy or a prophet is true or
false?
What is
prophecy?
Thayer’s Greek
Lexicon
NT:4395 To prophesy:
to break forth under sudden impulse… to teach, refute, reprove,
admonish, comfort others
Vine’s
Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words
NT:4395 Though much
of OT prophecy was purely predictive, see Mic 5:2, e.g., and cf. John
11:51, prophecy is not necessarily, nor even primarily, fore-telling. It
is the declaration of that which cannot be known by natural means,
Matt 26:68, it is the forth-telling of the will of God, whether
with reference to the past, the present, or the future, see Gen 20:7;
Deut 18:18; Rev 10:11; 11:3....
In such passages as 1
Cor 12:28; Eph 2:20, the ‘prophets’ are placed after the ‘Apostles,’
since not the prophets of Israel are intended, but the ‘gifts’ of the
ascended Lord, Eph 4:8,11; cf. Acts 13:1;...; the purpose of their
ministry was to edify, to comfort, and to encourage the believers, 1 Cor
14:3, while its effect upon unbelievers was to show that the secrets of
a man’s heart are known to God, to convict of sin, and to constrain to
worship, vv. 24,25. (Vine’s)
To ‘prophesy’
means to proclaim under divine inspiration: A prophet is a speaker for
God. While there are certainly predictive prophecies in the Bible,
‘prophecy’ is not synonymous with ‘prediction.’ Rather, it means
“speaking under the extraordinary influence of the Holy Spirit” (ISBE).
Baker’s
Dictionary:
A prophet is an
authorized spokesperson for God with a message that originated with God
and was communicated through a number of means. When God spoke to these
spokespersons, they had no choice but to deliver that word to those to
whom God directed it…
Biblical prophecy is
more than “fore-telling”: two-thirds of its inscripturated form involves
“forth-telling,” that is, setting the truth, justice, mercy, and
righteousness of God against the backdrop of every form of denial of the
same. Thus, to speak prophetically was to speak boldly against every
form of moral, ethical, political, economic, and religious
disenfranchisement observed in a culture that was intent on building its
own pyramid of values vis-a-vis God's established system of truth and
ethics.
International
Standard Bible Encyclopaedia:
Prophecy (Rom 12:6 1
Cor 12:10 1 Cor 12:28-29), under which may be included exhortation (Rom
12:8; compare 1 Cor 14:3). The gift of prophecy was bestowed at
Pentecost upon the church as a whole (Acts 2:16 ff), but in particular
measure upon certain individuals who were distinctively known as
prophets. Only a few of the Christian prophets are directly referred
to-Judas and Silas (Acts 15:32), the prophets at Antioch (13:1), Agabus
and the prophets from Jerusalem (11:27 f), the four daughters of Philip
the evangelist (verse 9). But 1 Corinthians shows that there were
several of them in the Corinthian church; and probably they were to be
found in every Christian community. … It is evident that the functions
of the prophet must sometimes have crossed those of the apostle, and so
we find Paul himself described as a prophet long after he had been
called to the apostleship (Acts 13:1). And yet there was a fundamental
distinction. While the apostle, as we have seen, was one “sent forth” to
the unbelieving world, the prophet was a minister to the believing
church (1 Cor 14:4,22). Ordinarily his message was one of “edification,
and exhortation, and consolation” (1 Cor 14:3). Occasionally he was
empowered to make an authoritative announcement of the divine will in a
particular case (Acts 13:1 ff). In rare instances we find him uttering a
prediction of a future event (Acts 11:28; 21:10 f).
With prophecy must be
associated the discernings of spirits (1 Cor 12:10 1 Cor 14:29; 1 Thess
5:20 f; compare 1 John 4:1). The one was a gift for the speaker, the
other for those who listened to his words. The prophet claimed to be the
medium of divine revelations (1 Cor 14:30); and by the spiritual
discernment of his hearers the truth of his claim was to be judged
(verse 29). There were false prophets as well as genuine prophets,
spirits of error as well as spirits of truth (1 John 4:1-6; compare 2
Thess 2:2; Didache xi). And while prophesyings were never to be
despised, the utterances of the prophets were to be “proved” (1 Thess
5:20 f), and that in them which came from the Spirit of God spiritually
judged (1 Cor 2:14), and so discriminated from anything that might be
inspired by evil spirits.
(from International
Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Spiritual Gifts)
Macarthur:
The Greek word for
prophecy is propheteia, from the verb propheteuo. It is a
basic word coming from pro = “before,” and phemi = “to
speak.” It means “to speak before.” It does not mean “to speak before”
in terms of time, but “to speak before” in terms of an audience (i.e.,
“to speak in public, to publicly proclaim”). That is the gift of
prophecy. It is not necessarily revelatory (i.e., revelation direct from
God), or nonrevelatory (i.e., proclaiming something God already revealed
in the past). It is simply a communicative gift. The idea of predicting
the future was only an English addition to the word from the Middle
Ages. A Greek or a Hebrew knew that prophecy simply meant “to speak
publicly.”
Now, what is the gift
of prophecy? It is the ability given by the Spirit of God to a person to
proclaim God’s truth to others. First Corinthians 14:3 says, “But he
that prophesieth speaketh unto men....” There, in very simple terms,
is a definition of the gift: He speaks unto men God’s word. … It is the
gift of proclaiming, the gift of speaking before men. (Spiritual
Gifts)
1 Cor 14:3 But one
who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and
consolation. NASU
The gift
of prophecy
Prophecy is
mentioned in the Bible as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
particularly in the first epistle to the Corinthians. It appears that
the Corinthians’ pagan past was infecting their church, so Paul took
pains to spell out several points.
1 Cor 12:1-3
1 Now concerning
spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. 2 You know
that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols,
however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one
speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can
say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
NASU
Some people had
been coming into their worship services, and while pretending to be
under the power of the Holy Spirit, had actually been cursing Jesus.
Perhaps their performance had been quite convincing, for Paul had to
clarify that it was impossible for the Holy Spirit to say such things.
He then makes the same point in reverse, as it is the only by the Holy
Spirit that we may come to submit ourselves to Jesus as Lord of every
aspect of our lives.
Note that Paul
did not say that if someone says “Jesus is Lord” then everything
he says is anointed by the Holy Spirit. Rather, he is condemning those
who speak against Jesus, and placing Jesus’ lordship at the centre of
their understanding of these spiritual gifts.
1 Cor 12:4-11
4 Now there are
varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of
ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the
same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given
the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is
given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of
knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same
Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to
another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to
another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of
tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and
the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one
individually just as He wills.
NASU
In this list of
various spiritual gifts, Paul repeatedly stresses that all gifts come
from the same source. It is the Holy Spirit who distributes different
gifts to individual Christians “just as He wills” (vs.11). One of the
reasons for this emphasis is the fact that the Corinthians had been
engaging in a certain amount of spiritual one-upmanship. Paul rebuked
them in chapter one for their factional disputes over preferred
leadership (“I am of Apollos” “I am of Paul” 1 Cor 1:12). Here, Paul
stresses that no particular gift is more important than any other gift
because they all originate from the same Holy Spirit. There is no
particular hierarchy of gifts. One person may be given the gift of
prophecy, while another may receive the gift of the word of knowledge
and the prophet is not above the one with knowledge.
The next
paragraph (vs.12-26) presents the analogy of the body as representative
of the church, in which each member depends on all the others.
Then, Paul
returns to his earlier topic, with another list of various roles and
gifts that may be present in the church.
1 Cor 12:27-31
27 Now you are
Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed
in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then
miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds
of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are
they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles,
are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not
speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 31 But
earnestly desire the greater gifts.
NASU
Not every Christian
needs to fill every role, because within the body of believers, God will
appoint people with the roles or gifts that are needed. So, one of the
themes here is of unity within diversity. It is clear that the gift of
prophecy is not more important than any other gift, and it is also clear
that true prophecy will not cause doctrinal division within the body of
Christ.
It is important
to remember that the word ‘church’ in 1 Corinthians does not refer to
‘the denomination’ or the ‘local group of believers’ or ‘those who
follow Paul.’ The ‘church’ is the universal body of all believers,
regardless of their location, the historical time they live, or the
particular group they are organised into. If they are true believers,
they are members of the church. Therefore, the unity that is an integral
part of the gifts of the Spirit means cross-denominational unity. Unity
that is confined to a particular location or denomination or group is no
unity.
The book of
Ephesians tells a similar story. It is God who appoints His people into
various roles:
Eph 4:11-16
11 And He gave some
as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as
pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of
service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all
attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the
fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children,
tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of
doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into
Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being
fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the
proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body
for the building up of itself in love.
NASU
Note that the
purpose of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers is
to equip the saints “for the work of ministry” (vs.12 NET Bible), “until
we all attain to the unity of the faith” (vs.13). Apostles, prophets,
evangelists pastors and teachers build up the church in order to bring
unity of faith and unity in knowledge of the Son of God. In fact, this
unity is a measure of Christian maturity: “Until we all reach unity in
the faith… and become mature” (vs.13 NIV), and this unity of faith will
protect us from being “tossed here and there by waves and carried about
by every wind of doctrine” (vs.14).
Keeping
gifts in perspective
In the book of
Romans, Paul again uses the analogy of the body to discuss spiritual
gifts.
Rom 12:3-8
3 For through the
grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly
of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound
judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as
we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the
same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ
according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them
accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if
service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who
exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who
leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
NASU
First, Paul cautions
his readers not to become personally proud (vs.3). Using the analogy of
the body, he then shows that Christians can complement each other and
help each other, according to the particular gifts that they were given
(vs.4-6). Each one, however, is to remain humble in the knowledge that
he depends on the believers with different gifts.
An alternate
translation to verse six is “each of us is to exercise [our gifts]
accordingly: if prophecy, in agreement with the faith” (NASU footnote),
or “If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in agreement with the
faith” (NIV footnote). Vine’s Dictionary says that this verse is a
“warning against going beyond what God has given and faith receives.”
So, it is God who
determines which spiritual gifts are given to which believer. There is
little in the Scripture to support the idea that one may demand a
certain gift. There is absolutely nothing in the Bible to support the
idea that the gift of prophecy is more important than other gifts. True
spiritual gifts will always foster unity across the universal body of
Christ because true spiritual gifts originate from the same source.
Therefore, any ‘prophecy’ which causes factional or doctrinal disunity
may be safely rejected as being false.
Guidelines
for prophecy
Returning to
First Corinthians, chapter 14 contains some specific instruction about
the use of prophecy in the church. The bulk of the chapter is a
comparison between the gifts of tongues (or “languages”) and prophecy.
Prophecy is intended as a gift to strengthen the church, whereas the
gift of tongues are for a sign to unbelievers (as it was on the day of
Pentecost in Acts chapter two).
1 Cor 14:22 So then
tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but
prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe.
NASU
Paul says that
prophecy is far to be preferred over tongues.
1 Cor 14:5 Now I wish
that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy;
and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless
he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. NASU
1 Cor 14:18-19
18 I thank God, I
speak in tongues more than you all; 19 however, in the church I desire
to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also,
rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.
NASU
Towards the end
of the chapter, Paul gives some specific counsel as to how the
Corinthians should run their worship services.
1 Cor 14:26-33
26 What is the
outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a
teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all
things be done for edification. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it
should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must
interpret; 28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the
church; and let him speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three
prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. 30 But if a revelation
is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. 31 For
you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be
exhorted; 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; 33 for
God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of
the saints.
NASU
People were not
to speak in tongues (or “languages”) unless an interpreter was present.
If anyone had a prophecy to say, they were to do it in an orderly
fashion, one by one. Following each prophecy (or after two or three
messages), the other believers were to “pass judgement” on the
prophecies. This judgement would include evaluating whether or not this
was a true prophecy, as well as carefully weighing the content.
Women were
specifically forbidden to prophesy in the church (1 Cor 14:34-35).
Paul then
specifically addresses the would-be prophets in Corinth with a
foundational principle.
1 Cor 14:36-38
36 Was it from you
that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? 37 If
anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the
things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. 38 But if anyone
does not recognize this, he is not recognized.
NASU
The Corinthians
were not the source of the Christian revelation, and they were to
recognise their place (vs.36). If anyone was to be a prophet, the very
first thing he had to do was to acknowledge Paul’s superior authority.
Anyone who did not accept Paul’s instructions was immediately to be
rejected or “ignored” (NIV). Actually, this verse applies today as much
as it did in the first century. If anyone wishes to be a prophet in the
21st century, he must first acknowledge Paul’s superior
authority. He must first accept Paul’s instructions as from a higher
authority. He must believe and teach that the things that Paul wrote are
“the Lord’s commandment” (vs.37). Anyone who does not do this should not
be recognised as a prophet.
It should be
noted here that the founder of the Family had serious issues with Paul’s
writings, particularly regarding sexual matters. He claimed that Paul
had not shaken his Jewish legalism and therefore had written things in
his epistles that were merely his own opinion. However, the New
Testament offers no option to treat Paul’s writings as mere opinions.
They are authoritative, given by inspiration of God as the Holy Spirit
moved him.
To reiterate, “if
anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him
acknowledge that what [Paul wrote] is the Lord’s command” (1 Cor 14:37
NIV).
False
prophecy
It is as important
to understand and be warned against false prophecy as it is to
understand the true gift of prophecy. There are numerous warnings
throughout the Old and New Testaments to be wary of false prophets, and
a lot of specific advice for recognising and dealing with them.
‘Prophecy’ is
defined as proclamation of the truth under divine inspiration.
Therefore, false prophecy occurs when someone emulates a true prophet,
while proclaiming untruth. This may occur because the false prophet
deliberately intends to deceive the people, or because he is deceived
himself and does not know that he is speaking lies.
FALSE
PROPHESYINGS
Among those given to
false prophesying were the ones who spoke after “the deceit of their own
heart” (Jer 14:13-14); those who without real prophetic gift borrowed a
message and assumed the speech of prophecy (Jer 23:28,31); and those who
sought the prophet's role in order to gain the material gifts which came
from the people to their prophets (Mic 3:5). These, when discovered,
were counted worthy of punishment and even death. There were, however,
false prophesyings from men who honestly believed themselves to have a
message from Yahweh. These prophecies from self-deceived prophets often
led the people astray. The dream of national greatness was substituted
for the voice of Yahweh. It was against such prophesying that the true
prophets had to contend.
(International
Standard Bible Encyclopaedia)
Judging
prophets by their fruit
Obviously, it is
very important to know how to judge whether a prophet or prophecy is
true or false, and there are a number of passages in the Bible that give
several specific guidelines on how to do this.
Matt 7:15-20
15 Beware of the
false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are
ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not
gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So
every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18
A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good
fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.
NASU
The importance of
being able to discern the truth of a prophet is stressed in verse 15, in
which Jesus warns that there is extreme danger in being deceived. The
proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing has only one purpose, that is, to
devour the sheep. Likewise, following a false prophet can be spiritually
deadly.
One of the tests
of a true or false prophet is in the fruit they bear. The analogy of a
fruit-bearing tree brings to mind Jesus’ analogy of the vine in John 15,
where He points out that only those branches that “abide in the vine”
will bear fruit (John 15:4).
The important
question to ask here is exactly what kind of good fruit attests to a
true prophet, and what kind of bad fruit discloses a false prophet.
In the Family, it
is common to point to statistics that show large numbers of ‘souls
saved’ in order to ‘prove’ that the Family bears good fruit, and that
the founder of the Family, who claimed to be a prophet, was therefore a
true prophet. There are several points that must be raised about this
practice of using statistics to judge the truthfulness of a prophet or
group, as statistics can be very misleading.
First, Family
teaching is that ‘salvation’ is obtained by the mere repetition of the
‘salvation prayer.’ In other words, anyone who repeats the prayer is
automatically ‘saved,’ whether or not they understood what they were
saying, whether or not they repented from their sins, whether or not
they actually accepted Christ as their Lord. True salvation is, of
course, far deeper than that. It is a miraculous event, in which God
calls a sinner to repentance and bestows upon him the gifts of
forgiveness, sanctification, transformation and eternal life. At best,
the Family concept of salvation is simplistic and formulaic. At worst,
it misleads people into believing they have fulfilled all their
obligation towards God, whereas in reality they may be continuing in
sin, without having escaped its fearful consequences. For more on
salvation,
click here.
The implication
is that people who are counted as ‘souls saved’ in Family statistics may
or may not be actually converts to Christianity. They were persuaded to
repeat the ‘salvation prayer’ but may not actually have repented from
their sins at all. This point effectively nullifies all Family
‘salvation’ statistics.
Second, Family
statistics are impossible to verify. Statistics are compiled in the
Family from the reports of individual members who send in their numbers
each month. There is no evidence to support the numbers cited, other
than anecdotal salvation testimonials. Family statistics actually prove
no more than their own ability to collect statistics.
Third, salvation
is a gift of God and a work of God. It is God Himself who gets the
credit for every salvation, not any church. Therefore, even if a person
was genuinely ‘saved’ and converted to Christianity, no person, church
or group may claim that person as evidence of their own good fruit.
Fourth, Jesus did
not say that His followers may be judged by the number of converts they
had. In fact, such a teaching is completely foreign to the Bible.
However, He did say that they would be judged by their obedience to Him
and by their love for each other. Regarding obedience, one may ask why
the Family does not follow
Christ’s teaching on sexual matters,
and regarding love, why they exhibit no love for Christians who are not
members of their group.
So, what kind of
‘fruit’ was Jesus talking about?
Fruits, in the
Scripture and Jewish phraseology, are taken for works of any kind. “A
man's works,” says one, “are the tongue of his heart, and tell honestly
whether he is inwardly corrupt or pure.” By these works you may
distinguish (epignoosesthe) these ravenous wolves from true shepherds.
The judgment formed of a man by his general conduct is a safe one: if
the judgment be not favourable to the person, that is his fault, as you
have your opinion of him from his works, i.e. the confession of his own
heart.
[So every good tree]
As the thorn can only produce thorns, not grapes; and the thistle, not
figs, but prickles; so an unregenerate heart will produce fruits of
degeneracy. As we perfectly know that a good tree will not produce bad
fruit, and the bad tree will not, cannot produce good fruit, so we know
that the profession of godliness, while the life is ungodly, is
imposture, hypocrisy, and deceit. A man cannot be a saint and a sinner
at the same time. Let us remember, that as the good tree means a good
heart, and the good fruit, a holy life, and that every heart is
naturally vicious; so there is none but God who can pluck up the vicious
tree, create a good heart, plant, cultivate, water, and make it
continually fruitful in righteousness and true holiness.
(Adam Clarke’s
Commentary)
Any examination
of the fruits of Family leadership will need to focus on the godliness
of their lives, their obedience to scriptural demands for holiness,
their personal and moral purity.
Judging
prophets by their miracles
Immediately after
instructing his audience to observe the personal fruit in the lives of
so-called prophets, Jesus warned that there would be many people who
would prophesy falsely in His own name.
Matt 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who
says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who
does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will
say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name,
and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many
miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you;
depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’
NASU
False prophets
would prophesy in Jesus’ name. This shows that even if someone uses the
name of Jesus in a prophecy, they may still be speaking error. Even if
they “cast out demons” or “perform many miracles” in Jesus’ name, they
may still be a false prophet. What did Jesus say was wrong with them?
They practiced “lawlessness” (vs.23 NASU, NKJV) or “lawbreakers” (NET),
“evildoers” (NIV, RSV). The Greek phrase means those whose acts show
“contempt and violation of law” (Thayer’s). It is the prophets’
disregard and disobedience to the truth of God’s word that proves that
they are false. In fact, their lawlessness overrides any fruit they
bear, miracles they preform, or even any words they say. When someone is
disobedient to the commands of God in the Bible, their ‘prophecies’ are
of no account.
Later, Jesus
predicted that these people would continue to appear. They will be able
to perform miracles and give prophecy, but nonetheless they will be
false prophets.
Matt 24:24 For false
Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and
miracles to deceive even the elect — if that were possible. NIV
A miracle does
not prove that someone is speaking the truth. This is a principle that
was spelled out for the Israelites from the beginning.
Deut 13:1-5
1 If a prophet or a
dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2
and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you,
saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us
serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that
dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if
you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4
You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His
commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. 5 But
that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he
has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from
the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce
you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So
you shall purge the evil from among you.
NASU
How were the
Israelites to know whether the prophet was true or false? They were not
to allow themselves to be swayed by miracles which he performed; the
test was not whether his prophecy came true. Rather, they had to compare
the prophet’s message with the commandments of the Lord. If his message
conflicted with what the Lord had already said, then he was a false
prophet.
This is the
primary test of the truthfulness of a prophet. If their words do not
conform to biblical truth, then they are speaking false prophecy,
regardless of how many converts they claim to have, regardless of
whether they spoke the truth in the past, regardless of whether they use
the name of Jesus.
This is in fact
the test of any teacher. Jesus made it very clear that all teachers were
to be measured and judged by the commandments of God, and in this case
He was speaking specifically about the Old Testament:
Matt 5:19 Anyone who
breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do
the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever
practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom
of heaven. NIV
False
teachers
There is a lot in
the New Testament about false teachers. As the Early Church grew and new
churches were planted, there were constant battles against people who
would try to infiltrate the believers with various false doctrines. For
example, Ephesus seemed to be continually plagued with false teachers,
and we can read about some of this in Paul’s letters to Timothy.
The first epistle
to Timothy was written to assist Timothy with some rather complex
problems. He had been left in charge of the church in Ephesus, but there
were also present a number of false teachers who had been leading many
of the believers astray. One of Timothy’s initial tasks in Ephesus was
to prevent these false teachers from speaking (1 Tim 1:3). It seems that
they enjoyed the acclaim of being teachers, but were sadly ignorant of
their subject matter.
1 Tim 1:7 They want
to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking
about or what they so confidently affirm. NIV
Paul asserted
that these false teachers had deserted their faith and had been deceived
by the Devil.
1 Tim 4:1 The Spirit
clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow
deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. NIV
The “deceiving
spirits” had been enticing them with ideas of profiteering from the
Ephesian Christians:
1 Tim 6:3-5
3 If anyone teaches
false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord
Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands
nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels
about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions
5 and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been
robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial
gain.
NIV
How did Paul
define exactly what constituted ‘false doctrines?’ The false teachers’
words do not agree with the “sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and
the teaching which accords with godliness” (vs.3 RSV). Any teaching that
differed from what Christ had taught was to be rejected, as was anything
that promoted ungodliness. Paul listed a few characteristics of the
false teachers: they were conceited, ignorant of the scriptures,
morbidly interested in “controversial questions” (vs.4 NASU), they
provoked envy, strife, and so on.
The false
teachers had been deceived by demonic activity, and were actively
infecting others with the same deception. Paul told Timothy to silence
them.
1 Tim 1:3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia,
remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach
strange doctrines NASU
Paul warned about
false teachers in other places as well. The book of Romans concludes
with a warning to avoid divisive teachers.
Rom 16:17-18
17 I urge you,
brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles
in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep
away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but
their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds
of naive people.
NIV
The way the
Romans were to judge the teachers was by comparing their words to the
“teaching you have learned.” Anything that did not measure up to sound
doctrine was to be rejected. Sound doctrine was defined as the teaching
of Christ, and His anointed Apostles.
Similar warnings
occur throughout the New Testament. For example, the readers of the book
of Hebrews were also warned not to “be carried away by varied and
strange teachings” (NASU). They were also told to examine the fruits of
the lives of those who taught them.
Heb 13:7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word
of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate
their faith. NASU
The Galatians
were told that any person or any spirit being that preached a contrary
Gospel was “accursed” (Gal 1:8 NASU) or “eternally condemned” (NIV).
Jesus advised his
disciple to avoid the Pharisees, whose teachings would lead people
astray.
Matt 15:14 Let them
alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a
blind man, both will fall into a pit. NASU
“God’s word
for today”
There are serious
implications that must be considered if one is to claim that prophecy is
‘God’s word for today.’
If prophecy is
the Word of God for today, then the Bible is God’s Word for yesterday.
If we say that prophecy contains God’s up-to-date instructions then we
are also saying that the Bible is somehow out of date. If we say that
prophecy is the living modern word of God then we also say that the
Bible is no longer alive and powerful. We are saying that the Bible is
dead. Or are we saying that the Bible is not dead, but just that it is
silent, or irrelevant? Are we proposing that prophecies are the new
standard by which all truth is to be measured? Or that prophecies
proclaim additional, new truth? And, should those new messages directly
contradict the Bible, which do we accept?
So, what is God’s
word for today? The Bible is the ultimate revelation of God, containing
“everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3 NIV). The Bible
is the word of God that is “living and active” (Heb 4:12 NASU). Even the
Old Testament contains “living words” (Acts 7:38 NIV). It is the Bible
alone that is God’s word for today.
The fruit
of the Family
Jesus instructed
His followers to examine the fruit of the lives of those who would be
teachers. People with ungodly lives could not be true prophets, and
their messages were to be rejected. Exactly what is the fruit that
results from teachings that are exclusive to the Family? What are the
‘prophecies’ that the Family has received that are different from other
Christians, and what is the fruit of those particular prophecies?
Family members
have been told in prophecy that they are elite disciples, with more
truth than other Christians, given because of their extraordinary
obedience. Does this produce the fruit of humility? Of unity? For more
on the importance of unity,
read these pages: Unity in
Bible Interpretation or Doctrinal
Unity.
Family adults
have been told in prophecy to engage in sex outside their own marriage.
Does this produce the fruit of stable family units? Do Family teens grow
up respecting others’ bodies, treating those of the opposite sex with
self-control, respect and unselfishness? For more on the Law of Love,
see these pages:
The Law of Love in the Gospels
or The Law of love in the Epistles.
Family members
have been given prophecies encouraging casual sex between older and
younger generations. Does this produce the good fruit of marital
stability? For more on marriage
click here.
Family members
have been given illustrated prophecies picturing Jesus as a basketball
coach, or as a naked lover. Does this produce respect and honour for
Christ the king? For more on Jesus the lover,
click here.
Family members
have been given prophecies urging them to call in prayer on a plethora
of spirit helpers. Does this result in the kind of prayers Jesus
commanded, that praise and honour God the Father? For more on spirit
helpers,
click here.
Family members
have been given prophecies promoting prophecy itself as ‘new wine’ above
the ‘old wine’ of the Bible. Does this produce the good fruit of
obedience to the Bible as the unchanging word of God? For more on
prophecy as new wine,
click here.
Do Family members
keep God’s commandments despite the prophecies given them which promise
‘greater freedom than all other Christians’? For example, they have been
taught that biblical commandments against adultery do not apply to them.
Do Family members have strong convictions to obey other biblical
commandments? For more on the Ten Commandments,
click here.
Conclusion
The Bible is the
standard by which all prophecy is measured. It is the Bible that judges
each and every doctrine, each and every revelation. Each individual
prophecy must stand before the scrutiny of the Bible for judgement. This
does not mean including Bible verses in a teaching or prophecy in order
to justify it. Rather, it means allowing the Bible to shred our theories
until nothing remains but what God says, submitting our doctrine to the
burning fire of truth from which none can hide, until it is either
destroyed and discarded, or confirmed by the voice of God speaking
through the pages of the Bible.
Each and every
‘prophecy’ published by the Family must be subjected to such an
examination.
It does not
matter how sincere the prophet is, or how loyal his or her followers
are. It does not matter whether they appear to work miracles or gain
converts. It does not matter if they have given true prophecy in the
past.
Each Family
prophecy must be considered individually.
Any prophecy that
is contradicted by the Bible must be rejected as false. Any prophecy
that brings disunity to the universal body of Christ must be rejected as
false. Any prophecy that promotes disobedience to God’s commandments
must be rejected as false. Any prophet that demands allegiance to his or
her doctrines above those of the New Testament must be rejected as
false.
Each Family
prophecy that promotes or refers to the Family’s doctrines of sex,
the keys of the kingdom,’ contact with
spirit helpers, as well as various other unbiblical teachings must be
rejected as false.
The Bible
contains many warnings not to follow self-proclaimed prophets, even if
they speak of Jesus Himself, even if they prophesy about Jesus and give
messages that supposedly come from Jesus Himself. The name of Jesus is
not a test to determine truth or error. Rather, it is the entire Word of
God in the Bible that is the measuring standard by which all else must
be judged.
Family
‘prophecies’ that purport to come ‘from Jesus’ yet which present
unbiblical doctrines are testimony to the general unreliability of all
Family prophets, as well as the lack of discernment of those who ‘judge’
the messages before publication. This specifically includes the current
leader of the Family.
Christians are
warned to take a close look at the lives of those who would teach us
about the Lord, those who boast about their special connection to God,
those who take delight in notifying others that they have received more
truth, who say with confidence that they know His will. We are to look
closely at their lives. Are they obedient to God’s laws? Do they steal?
Do they have sexual relations outside of marriage? Do they promote such
activities? Teachers or prophets with such bad fruit in their lives are
to be rejected and avoided.
The moral fruit
of the Family is appalling. No prophecy ever published by the Family
need be considered at all; all may be rejected as originating from a
‘bad tree.’ No future prophecy need be considered unless and until the
Family rejects its unbiblical teachings and repents from its sin.
The simple truth
is that God will not tell us anything that contradicts what He said in
the Bible. Family prophecies contain much that contradict the Bible,
therefore they do not originate from God.
See also
Getting Prophecies
1
The Prophet of
the Endtime
Prophecy
and new revelations
Further
study and references
The Gift of Prophecy from the International
Standard Bible Encyclopaedia
Spiritual Gifts by John Macarthur. This page quotes from
'The
Gifted Men - Apostles and Prophets' and 'The
Permanent Edifying Gifts - the Speaking Gifts.' There are many more
studies on 1 Corinthians by Macarthur and others
here.
What Bible Prophecy is Not!
by L.Dolphin
The Spirit's Point,
Guidelines on Gifts by Ray Stedman
‘Prophet,
Prophetess, Prophecy’ from Baker’s Dictionary:
John Macarthur,
The Charismatics, 1978, Zondervan.
Vine's
Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
© 2008 Make
Straight Paths
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