The Prophetic Nature of the Church

Jesus commissioned His Church to make disciples. He poured out His Holy Spirit on the Church. So, we have divine authorization and enduement of power to be His ambassadors. Now, we are called to operate as the holy prophets of old operated. We are called to “keep in step with the Spirit.” [1] We hear from God and speak for God as the Spirit gives utterance.

“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” [2]

“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” [3]

There is a big difference between interpreting and proclaiming Scriptures by the power of the Holy Spirit and trying to do so without Him.

“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” [4]

The good news is that the Lord wants people to be able to understand and help others understand His Word.

The Holy Spirit helps us to proclaim the Bible rightly.

“No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” [5]

The Holy Spirit gives prophetic revelation into God’s Word.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maid servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.” [6]

The good news about the prophetic role of the Church is that our role is to proclaim Christ as the Savior. We are not the saviors. He is! Our calling is to present His Word as the Holy Spirit leads us and believe in His power to convert souls and make disciples through us.

The Spirit of prophesy is the testimony of Jesus according to Revelation 19:10. The messages of the apostles in the Book of Acts bear witness to this truth.

“[Jesus Christ] whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your Seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” [7]

All God’s prophets bear witness to Jesus. “Every soul who will not hear that Prophet will be utterly destroyed.” That is very serious. The Spirit calls Paul’s listeners sons of the prophets. What are they to do? They are to receive Jesus as Messiah.

Peter preached, “ To Him all the prophets witness that, through His Name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” [8]

People with prophetic gifts are mentioned in the Book of Acts. These are not Scripture writing prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah or Ezekiel. They are people who help the Church navigate through various situations.

“And in these days, prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.” “Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers…” “Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.” “Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.” [9]

The Lord in His grace has allowed me to experience the blessing of receiving a download from His Spirit when asked to speak impromptu. This is what Paul did on occasion…

“After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, ‘Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.’” [10]

Scriptures from the Law and Prophets were read. Paul was asked if he had a word of exhortation for the people. Relying on the Holy Spirit, He did.

The word for exhortation in the original Greek text for the above verse is “Παρακλησεως” (paraklesis). It comes from the word “parakaleo” which means “to call to one’s side,” which is an act of comforting someone. In the New Testament, “paraklesis” is often used to describe the Holy Spirit's role as a comforter and advocate.

Paul’s message about Christ was sourced from the writings of Moses and the prophets…

“Therefore, having obtained help from God to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” “So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.” [11]

He asked one of his listeners if he believed the prophets…

“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” [12]

Paul was also given divine navigational messages from the Lord while traveling whereby he had peace in the midst of a storm and was able to convey that peace to others…

“And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. However, we must run aground on a certain island.” [13]

How many people are hearing the Word of God week after week, but not hearing or believing it? They need to believe that Jesus is the One and Only Savior of humankind. The One and Only Messiah. There is no other. Each of us must repent of our sins, ask God to forgive us, and ask God our Father in the Name of Jesus to fill us with His Holy Spirit.

Throughout history, there have been people who hear God’s Word but do not yield themselves to the Lord to do His transforming work in their lives. Paul spoke to such a crowd when he said, “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, ‘Go to this people and say: hearing you will hear and shall not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’” [14]

There is none so blind as one who refuses to see.

The Lord provided for Paul. The Lord is no man’s debtor. No man can out give God. At the end of the Book of Acts, Paul has a home from which he continues his ministry of preaching and teaching the Word. I have to believe that this is what God did for all His prophets such as Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. He provides for us as we bring His Word to the nations.

“Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.” [15]

[1] Galatian 5:16
[2] Acts 2:4
[3] John 14:26
[4] 1 Corinthians 2:12-14
[5] 2 Peter 1:20-21
[6] Acts 2:17-18
[7] Acts 3:21-26
[8] Acts 10:43
[9] Acts 11:27; Acts 13:1; Acts 15:32; Acts 21:9-10
[10] Acts 13:15
[11] Acts 26:22-23; Acts 28:23
[12] Acts 26:27
[13] Acts 27:22-26
[14] Acts 28:25-27
[15] Acts 28:30-31