Must a Prophet Function Perfectly?

If you have been following my Facebook posts you will have seen that I have been posting bullet points on my beliefs concerning the prophetic office and gift. Those points are not exhaustive, but a starting point in doing my part to appropriately restore, mentor, and untangle any confusion regarding this gift. There is a growing antagonism, in my estimation, between cessationists and continuationists with regards to spiritual gifts and offices. I understand there will forever be a difference of opinion in these matters, but I want to put some thoughts out there to see if we can keep from talking past one another and seek to understand the other without necessarily agreeing when it’s all said and done. There is nothing more frustrating than watching theological adversaries construct “straw men” of their opponents views and then debate the view never realizing they have entirely missed the point.

One area of confusion is the expectation that the prophet must always function at 100% accuracy or else that prophet must be a false prophet. This expectation is understandable due to the nature of the gift which “speaks the heart of the Lord”. Can the Lord ever get it wrong? The answer is obviously, “Of course not!” So, how is a believer to reconcile the notion that the Holy Spirit may indeed use a person to communicate the heart of the Lord while at the same time retaining some sense of realization that the person giving this prophetic word is a human being and potentially subject to error? The cessationist has the easiest position at this point by simply stating the gift (or office) has ceased and God no longer speaks except though the written Word (Scriptures). Deuteronomy 18:18-22, seems at cursory glance to basically say that if a prophet “misses it”, they have spoken “presumptuously” and should be put to death.

Quite a standard.

Quite a repercussion.

If this is where the debate ends, then there are numbers of people in continuationist circles who need to be put to death…

Along with…

Blasphemers
Sabbath breakers
Rapists
Adulterers
Homosexuals
Beastiality
Prostitution
Cursing a parent
Rebellious children
Kidnappers
Presumption towards a Priest
A false witness in court

All activity in the Old Testament which was a capital crime.

Now my point here is not to undermine the Scriptures or wriggle out of a divinely prescribed repercussion. The application of penalties under the Law would make another fantastic blog article on another occasion. My point in this article is consistency and what flowed contiguously out of the Old Testament and into the New Testament. Are New Testament prophets exactly like Old Testament prophets? Not exactly, for as I already stated in my Facebook posts, New Testament prophets are no longer writing Scripture. There may be similarities, but no one that I am aware of demands exactitude in ministry between the two covenants for obvious reasons. The Cross of Christ changed numerous applications and repercussions of the Old Covenant without violating the mandate of that covenant. Those Christian denominations and fellowships which retain the use of the title (or term) “priest” (whether we like the designation or not) certainly would quickly stipulate that their priests are not functioning exactly as Old Covenant priests functioned.

But there is an expectation that a real prophet should be accurate. Their ministry should be 100% on target if that title is to be ascribed to their words. Let me say quickly, accuracy should be one of the litmus tests of a true prophet. Inaccuracy is certainly no virtue. However, psychics are accurate and are being used by demons (familiar spirits). So a ministry’s accuracy ratings should not be used singularly to esteem their work. There has to be a better answer on this discussion. Let me suggest some things.

2 Corinthians 4:7, states that “divine treasures are held in earthen vessels”. That means there are things genuinely from the Lord which flow out of imperfect human beings. Prophets are just as human as the next person, with the only exception being that a divinely imparted gift is at work inside of them and potentially flowing through them. The New Testament prophet is one of a number of gifts which is subject to the same requirements and graces as the others. For example…

Is a real apostle 100% successful in every city they may go?
Will a real evangelist win 100% of the lost in every crowd?
Does a real pastor retain 100% of the sheep which are entrusted to them through the years?
Will a real teacher have 100% of all knowledge and understanding of the Scripture?

The answer is obviously, no. We recognize people’s humanity without diminishing their gifting or office. Whatever God has gifted or graced a person to do, there should indeed be a supernatural component in it, but to expect perfection in operation or errorless performance is not only unrealistic, it is also simply not biblical. So, do I believe a person can “miss it” as they prophesy to someone or about some thing? Yes, it is possible.

You may say, “How is that possible?”
If a person (prophet) says, “Thus saith the Lord”, then they better be sure they are hearing from God. Exactly. They have a responsibility to not speak presumptuously, however, even in sincerity I still believe it is possible for a prophetic word to be “off the mark”.

Perhaps the person prophesied out of youthful excitement or exuberance and simply declared an encouraging “hope” word to build up the hearer. Perhaps there was a sense of pressure from seeing desperate people longing to hear some insight from the prophetic minister and a word was released to give them some glimmer of hope. I am not an apologist for those who prophesy and miss it. I have been clear in my instruction that if someone preaches or prophesies something amiss, they need to own it and take responsibility for it and repent (apologize) for their presumption. But “missing it” does not necessarily mean one is a false prophet and should be put to death.

I honestly think that those beginning in the prophetic ministry should begin by using more reticent language so there can be no assumption of infallibility. To say something like, “I sense the Lord may be saying…” -or- “I sense the Holy Spirit may want to minister this to you…”. A prophetic word could end by simply saying, “If you sense the Lord talking to you in that word, I encourage you to pray about and seek His confirmation”. If the prophetic ministry was exercised with humility, the confusion and misunderstanding might be more readily cleaned up. It might also provide the mentoring ground that credibility can be built up and established for greater confidence in both the prophet and the listeners.

We must also realize that prophetic declarations are conditional upon people’s responses. There was a prophecy of judgment and destruction concerning Nineveh which Jonah was to deliver. The city repented and the word which he released did not come to pass. (At least not instantly.) Jonah was upset that the Lord did not follow through with what he was told to speak. Was Jonah in error? Was Jonah mad because his prophetic credibility was challenged? Jonah seemingly appeared inaccurate, yet the will of God was accomplished.

I’ve often wondered if we were to put the same expectation and accuracy level upon a pastor’s Sunday sermon, if any pastor could provide 100% accuracy with regards to any doctrinal question? If we truly “see through a glass darkly”, as the Scripture teaches, might there be occasion where we don’t see as clearly as we might hope? Are we really going to remove any grace for failure to those who are attempting to respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting?

In coming posts I want to follow up on this subject because I think there are numerous factors and misunderstandings concerning the prophetic ministry that can be cleared up. I, for one, want to hear God’s voice as I study the Scriptures and remain open to those moments where the Holy Spirit may have some insight, guidance, or direction that I might truly need in order to walk with Him. The good news is that God is still leading and guiding His people, first through the Scriptures which are always the final say, but also in personal detail which can come through the prophetic voice.

Tune in soon for further thoughts…