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*This is a series of posts which might be of benefit for the first time reader to begin at the “Introduction” for continuity sake.

The same question could be asked of any of the FIVE office gifts or graces found in Ephesians 4:11. What real authority does earthly ministry leadership and especially prophetic ministry have over the individual or the church? I speculate, with lengthy experience in both the pastoral / teaching office, as well as the prophetic, that greater authority is at times granted to prophets (or those exercising a prophetic gifting) due to the dramatic aspects which spring forth in foretelling or hidden knowledge. It is sad, but many people seem to need a side show of revelatory drama from a prophet, rather than receiving the mundane biblical and wise counseling of a seasoned pastor. This is where cessationism has found ample illustration of Charismatic gullibility and immaturity. Many accept a prophetic utterance as final authority, rather than the plain pastoral counseling of Scripture. It is this kind of confusion that led Edward Irving to a downfall in the early 1830’s in the famous London Presbyterian Church when he assumed (mistakenly) that those with gifts must be in some way superior to those with legitimate and established governmental authority. Government and gifts must never be conflated or confused without some discernment.

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*This is a series of posts which might be of benefit for the first time reader to begin at the “Introduction” for continuity sake.

This may be the most interesting post in this series. Can a real prophet ever “miss it”? At first glance, the simple answer appears to be “no”. A real prophet must be 100% on target at all times. There can be no wiggle room, no exceptions, and no quarter given to anyone claiming prophetic utterance who gets it wrong. I would never want to be placed in a position of defending error or a person who apparently “missed it”. An erroneous prophecy is simply that, erroneous. But let’s be sure we have all the biblical insight available which might help us process the human element under a New Testament paradigm. For example, some questions I personally have…

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*This is a series of posts which might be of benefit for the first time reader to begin at the “Introduction” for continuity sake. We are still spring boarding off part 1, dealing with Jesus’ and the religious leaders misconception concerning prophets in Luke 7:39.

Prophets are a misunderstood lot.

It has always been that way, albeit to varying degrees, all through the Bible. It is still true to this very day. Prophets come in all shapes and sizes, personalities and quirks, and even assignments and purposes. No two prophets are exactly the same. Our problem as 21st century interpreters of such people, is that we like to make things static and concrete. It is easier to evaluate and judge people when any aspect of divinely ordained uniqueness or human subjectivity is removed. Isaiah was not the same as Ezekiel in forms of ministry or personality, yet both are prophets. Jeremiah was different than John the Baptist, yet both stood in this office. So, untangling misconceptions starts with the human element. Even Jesus was misunderstood as the Messiah because He arrived as a Servant-King. People rejected Him because He didn’t live up to their self-generated, preconceived notions of what messiah’s should look like. We need to keep this in mind as we work through prophetic ministry. I have found that if a misconception exists long enough, it is presumed to be accepted doctrine. Religious misconceptions do not die easily. In fact, they often die kicking and screaming “heresy”. However, we need to challenge old notions and preconceived ideas, especially if the Bible leads us in another direction.

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“Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

– Luke 7:39 NKJV

Misconceptions abound when it comes to prophetic ministry and prophets. The reference above illustrates this perfectly. Jesus is interacting with a woman and a religious leader has a preconceived idea as to what a “real” prophet would be doing or saying. It becomes even more interesting as the religious leader is a supposed expert in what we would call “biblical knowledge” and the accusation is made towards Jesus who would epitomize the ultimate prophetic expression. I also think this story opens up the very real consideration that Old Testament prophetic activity may not exactly be replicated under a new covenant. In other words, an Old Testament prophet may not transition through the Cross in exactly the same way to be a New Testament prophet. (We will open that can in an upcoming post.)

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