We’ve probably all been in a conversation where the other person uses a word they assume you know…..but you don’t. If that happens in face-to-face conversations with people who live in the same time and place as we do, then it is not surprising that it happens when we read the Bible. This is especially true in the letters Paul sent to churches, since we are only getting one side of a conversation that took place a long time ago in a different place and different culture. What might have been clear to the writer and original recipient may not be as clear to us today.
I believe the discussion of “prophecy” in 1 Corinthians is one such example. Paul mentions it in 11:5 when discussing men and women in the church. It is a key element of his discussion in 1 Corinthians 12-14 when he labels it as a “spiritual gift” (12:10; also see 12:29), states that it will cease eventually (13:8), notes its value (14:3-5), and says that only two or three prophets can speak in a gathering and should do so one at a time and then have their prophecies evaluated by others (14:29). However, he offers no clear definition of what it is. That has led to confusion both in understanding what he was saying to the Corinthians and what it means for us today. This post can only offer a brief overview of the discussion on this topic and some principles to keep in mind, both as we read the letter and as we think about the church today.
What Did the Corinthians Understand Paul to Be Talking About?
Since Paul does not define what he means by prophecy in 1 Corinthians, we have to look for clues to its meaning within the letter itself as well as from the wider usage in the Bible, both the Old and New Testament.
The letter shows that it is something that both men and women are doing in Corinth, and it is attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit. Those truths recall the words of the prophet Joel 2:28 that are quoted in Acts 2:17 on the day of Pentecost that “your sons and your daughters will prophesy” in the last days and said to be fulfilled when the followers of Jesus speak in other languages (tongues) upon the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that day. A link between tongues and prophecy also appears in 1 Corinthians, as these two gifts seem to be ones that the Corinthians were focusing on that prompts Paul’s discussion in 1 Corinthians 12-14. The people in Corinth seemed to elevate these two gifts, perhaps thinking that they indicated that someone was more Spirit-filled than others or even the only ones who were truly Spirit-filled. Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 12-14 is that anyone who confesses Jesus has the Spirit (12:3), that there are a variety of gifts that the Spirit gives (12:4-11), and that not everyone receives the same gifts (12:28-30). Paul names a number of other gifts in this section – such as wisdom and knowledge (12:8) – without defining them or describing them in much detail, but he offers more insight into prophecy and tongues even without giving a clear definition of what they are.
The discussion of prophecy and tongues compares them, with prophecy viewed as the greater gift (14:1-5). The basis for such an evaluation seems to be related to their function, as prophecy speaks to people for “their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation” (14:3) and is something that builds up the church (14:5). Tongues only seem to have that function if they are interpreted (14:5), which may indicate that the difference between tongues and prophecy is less in their content (what is said) and more in their delivery (the language in which it is said). Later on, Paul also notes how prophecy is a gift for “believers” while uninterpreted tongues are for “unbelievers” (14:22) because uninterpreted tongues lead to confusion among unbelievers who walk into the gathering while prophecy leads to them being convicted of sin and trusting in God (14:23-24). Another point that Paul makes in the discussion of prophecy is that these need to be evaluated (14:30).
In one sense, this call to evaluate the prophecy is not overly surprising and in conformity with what we read in other parts of the Bible. There are a number of prophets in the Old Testament, both in the books recounting history and those that derive from particular prophets. We also see prophets at work in the New Testament in the book of Acts (Acts 11:28; 13:2; 15:23; 21:8, 10), and Paul references prophets in Ephesians (2:20; 3:5; 4:11) and the gift of prophecy is also noted in Romans 12:6. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, there is also a call to “test all things” (5:21) after reference to prophecies (5:20) and the Holy Spirit (5:19). In addition, the Old Testament offers a test to determine if someone is a true or false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 18:20-22). Failing those tests in Deuteronomy would lead to one’s execution, but this does not seem to be a possible result of the evaluation of these prophets in the New Testament.
This difference in terms of the judgment of the prophets in the Old and New Testament has led some to see the prophecy of these New Testament prophets to be a little different from the prophecy of the Old Testament prophets who declared “Thus says the Lord” and thus complete obedience to their very words. Those who have this view note that it is the apostles, not the prophets, who are the successors of the Old Testament prophets in that they are the ones writing God’s Word in the books of the Bible and that the revelation that God gave to and through these apostles is what the other prophetic words would be measured against. These writers will often describe this gift of prophecy discussed in 1 Corinthians as information or knowledge that God spontaneously gives a person that the person then interprets, applies, and proclaims in their own words, which could be fallible and the reason such a view needs to be tested. Thus, New Testament prophecy is not on par with Old Testament prophecy.
Others, however, would reject that view, noting how the book of Revelation is said to be a word of prophecy (Revelation 1:3; 22:18), which points to continuity between prophecy in the Old Testament and New Testament. Those with this view would see these prophets as offering similar prophetic words as the Old Testament prophets and coming alongside apostles to establish the foundation of the church (see Ephesians 2:20; 3:5). In this view, New Testament prophecy is the same as Old Testament prophecy.
What Does This Mean For Us Today?
The lack of a clear definition of prophecy in 1 Corinthians not only leads to different understandings of what is being described but also different views of what it means among Christians today who believe in the Holy Spirit and the authority of the Bible.
Because Paul tells the Corinthians to be eager to prophesy (14:39) and offers guidelines for how such prophetic activity should be conducted, some Christians see this as something that must continue until today. Those in this camp note that the statement about prophecies ending in 13:8 points to the end being the return of Christ, when it is no longer needed because we will no longer know in part. In this view, the words of prophets are subordinate to the teachings of the apostles and the words of Scripture – and thus measured against them – and that these prophetic words are not on par with the Bible. In addition, they would note that a prophet today can’t claim that you should just accept their word because they are a prophet but rather should be open to their prophecies being evaluated in accordance to what it says in 1 Corinthians.
Others, however, view the command to be eager to prophesy and guidelines given to the Corinthians as being for their circumstances in the age of the apostles and prophets. In this perspective, there are no more apostles and no more prophets in this time as we have God’s prophetic Word completed in the Bible; we now have teachers who are called to study and proclaim God’s Word rather than offer words of prophecy. Those in this view do not think the Holy Spirit is no longer at work or giving guidance, but rather would not phrase such ministry as “prophesy” or “revelatory” to the same degree. Rather, they might describe a thought as an impression they sense from the Spirit or the leading of the Spirit.
The differences between these two views, however, should not obscure some of the key things that they agree about and that I think are most important. Both positions affirm the sufficiency of Scripture, noting that it is the ultimate authority for life and that all things must be evaluated by it. Neither believes that the Bible can be added to or altered today. In addition, both would affirm that the Holy Spirit moves and works in Christians today, guiding their lives and giving gifts to serve others. In some ways, these two views emerge from different understandings of the same word, “prophecy” – and reminds us how people can use the same word to mean different things and make similar points using different words.
What’s the Overall Point?
The debate and discussion about what exactly the gift of prophecy was and what place (if any) it has in the church may actually cause us to miss the overall points that Paul makes in discussing this gift. He wanted Christians to know that this was not the only gift of the Spirit, and he seems more interested in showing the variety of gifts out there than nuances found in particular gifts.
While it might appear that Paul is calling it the most important gift, it’s best to understand that to simply be in comparison to tongues because of the way prophecy builds up the church. His command for them to seek this gift thus points to a bigger principle at play: our desire should not be to exalt ourselves but rather to be useful and helpful to our brothers and sisters in the church. We have gifts and are to use them in love for the common good rather than use these gifts to bring attention to ourselves or as a status symbol.
The regulations Paul puts around it points us to the fact that the Spirit-led community is not a free-for-all in which anything goes but rather a community with order, restraint, service, and peace.
Finally, the weighing of prophecies is a reminder that it is the teaching of the apostles that we should always be pointing back to and evaluating whatever anyone is saying against and that the place to look for truth is Scripture.
Regardless of what one thinks this gift was and whether one thinks there are prophets in the church today, there are false prophets out there now just as there have always been. So let us hold fast to the truth, asking questions to make sure we understand what a person is saying and means when they use unfamiliar words but also words that people can use with different meanings.
Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also email to be added to the list that receives weekly emails with our blog posts.
