1 Corinthians 12:10 (NKJV) 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
Our basic premise for this study has come from 1 Corinthians 2:1-4. Paul is telling the Corinthian church how the Holy Spirit enabled him to break through in their city. Two elements were important. First, he determined to know nothing but Jesus and him crucified. This points to the simple Gospel. Second, he said he came in a demonstration of the Spirit and the power of God so their faith would rest in that power and not the wisdom of man.
We asked the question, “What were these demonstrations?” Chapters 12-14 are a teaching on 9 categories of demonstrations of the power of God called in Greek the charisma and in English the gifts of the spirit. It is reasonable to assume that these manifestations listed in chapter 12 are the same demonstrations mentioned in chapter 2. We have studied the three that reveal something to us, the discerning of spirits, the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. The insights and information that come to us via these demonstrations are limited and focused to help us minister life to a person we may be trying to help and lead to Jesus.
Today we will begin looking at the three demonstrations that say something. I want to remind us that all of these demonstrations are supernatural. These 3 types of manifestations are not words that come from our own mind. They are words that come from God’s mind through us to others. Perhaps the easiest to understand is the gift of prophecy. In the Old Testament, the prophets were people that heard from God for the nation of Israel. It was understood that what they spoke or wrote did not come from their mind but from the mind of God. If a prophet spoke something that was proven not from God, he was killed (Deuteronomy 18:20.)
In the New Testament, the role of prophets and prophecy is different. Prophets are not the sole voice of God to people. God speaks to his children on a personal level. The Holy Spirit is not just with us but in us (John 14:17.) He leads us by “the still small voice” we sense in our heart. He leads us with the inward witness, that nudge in one direction or the other. It is also the “red light” or “green light” we may sense when we must make a decision. What then, is the role of prophecy in the New Testament?
There are times when God wants to speak to a group of people. For instance, a church congregation or other gathering of believers. There are times God still desires to speak to a nation or other group. There are also times when God wants to speak to individuals particularly when they are finding it difficult to discern what God is saying. At those times God will use the manifestation of prophecy to put his words and thoughts in the mind of an individual so they can then release it to the person or people to whom he wishes to speak.
Once again, the purpose is always to minister to someone else. God does not use people in prophecy in order to build their ministry or to prove their calling. God is love and all that he does is motivated by love. He speaks through you because he knows there are people who need to hear what he wants to tell them. We learn in chapter 14 that prophecy is to produce one of three things: Edification, exhortation or comfort. Let me give you some simple definitions.
Edification is for the purpose of building up or stirring up. We get the term “edifice” from this word. An edifice refers to some kind of structure, often a building. To edify is to build. So, a word of prophecy that comes through a believer to a person or group of people can be to build them up or encourage them in some way. It also may stir them up or excite them so they will be energized to do the will of God.
Exhortation is often misunderstood. The Greek word comes from the same root as the word Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit as the comforter or helper in John. Sometimes we think exhortation is something God uses to chasten us or correct us. This can be true, but not the way we might think. It does not mean God is mad at us. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the helper, or one called alongside to help. The word for exhortation means a calling alongside. Therefore, a prophetic word of exhortation is a calling alongside. The question is to whom we are called alongside. The answer is God.
A word of exhortation is God calling us closer to himself. It may involve correction or even chastening. However, the point of exhortation will always be to bring us closer to God. It will never condemn. Condemnation focuses on our lack and tells us something is wrong with us. Exhortation may produce conviction that we can do better, but it always emphasizes God’s ability and desire to help us and our ability in him to do or change whatever we are asked. This is a very important distinction. Condemnation will always make us feel hopeless while exhortation will produce hope.
A prophetic word of comfort may seem obvious. Comfort means to give strength and hope or to cheer up a person. It also means to ease the grief or the hurt of a trouble. Therefore, we might say that a prophetic word of comfort is a word that brings comfort to us in difficult or sorrowful times. A word of comfort is a word that says to us, “Things are going to be alright.” In the case of the prophetic word of comfort it is when God himself is telling us, “Everything is going to be alright.” When the Almighty says things are going to be alright, they are! When a prophetic word of comfort comes to us and we know it is God speaking, we can trust it absolutely.
We are familiar with this gift if we are part of a church that flows in the gifts of the spirit. It is probably the most common manifestation in our churches. The Bible teaches us in chapter 14 that prophecy should be judged.
1 Corinthians 14:29-32 (NKJV) 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. 30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
Why should this manifestation of the spirit be judged? The answer is that anyone can say that they are speaking under God’s direction. The fact that someone thinks what they are saying is prophecy does not automatically mean it is. We make mistakes. Prophecy to a group or an individual should be judged. However, I believe there is another function of this gift that does not happen in the church and the standard for judging that is somewhat different.
If I say I am “prophesying” that means I believe that God is putting words into my mind that I am doing my best to say without allowing my own thoughts to get in the way. I have been used in this gift extensively. I do my best to be sure I am saying only what God is saying. However, I know that I can make mistakes. Therefore, I want others of experience to judge whether what I say is indeed from God. I do not fear their correction. My motive is to be a help to the person or people to whom I am speaking. I understand that I am saying God is speaking if I am prophesying. I do not want to cause harm because I made a mistake.
There is another function of the manifestation of prophecy in which I do not believe we have majored. There are times as I have looked back at things I said, and have realized the words came from God not me, but I did not know it at the time. They were “prophecies,” but I was not asking the person or people to accept them as such. It is this function of prophecy that I believe we need to flow in more readily. It is this kind of prophecy that we are called to take into the world. We will look at this more closely next time.
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