Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Work of prophets in the New Testament church

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

Heb. 1 ... God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

In the OT, the Holy Spirit was not given to all for Jesus had not "ascended".  NT all who belong to God are given the Holy Spirit so God speaks today to each us of "by HIS Son", through the Spirit of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit.

Do we have prophets in the New Testament church?

Eph. 4 shows us that we do have both apostles and prophets in the NT church along with evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)  11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  Eph. 4

After Jesus ascended up on high ... after Jesus was resurrected from the dead ... HE gave to the church some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

But we no longer have to go to the prophet to find out what God wants us to do in specific issues of this present life.

Romans 10 ... Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart:


Now (NT church) God puts HIS laws directly into our hearts and into our minds.

Heb. 8 ... For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:   11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 13In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Heb. 10:16 ... This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

So each of us have direct access to God through Jesus Christ, through the Spirit of Jesus Christ.  It is the Spirit that searches all things of God to reveal them to us.  (I Cor. 2)  So we do not need another person to go find out the will of God for us today as in the OT.

The Spirit of God knows the things of God and reveals those things of God to us.  I Cor. 2

So what do prophets do today in NT Church?  Basically they do the same thing they did in OT.  God still uses prophets to turn HIS people to HIM.  God will warn people when sin has crept into their way.  NT prophets are used to try to turn people to the way of God on this present earth.

Consider the work of John the Baptist ...

Lk. 1 ... And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Lk. 3 ... Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

... And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 10And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 11He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 12Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.  

So you see prophets try to turn people to God's way.  Prophets warn people.  Sometimes God uses prophets to show people things to come although certainly God can do that directly by His Spirit with each believer without using a prophet.

Agabus was a New Testament prophet:

Acts 11 ... And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. 28And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. 29Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: 30Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Acts 21 ... And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. 10And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11And when he was come unto us,  he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 12And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

So today each of us who belong to God have the Spirit of God in us unlike the days of the OT.

But God still uses HIS prophets to correct the church, to warn the church, and to edify the church today.