This article first appeared in The Christian Post.
The Church at large is reeling from more and more exposure of sin in the lives of its leaders, whose greed, sexual immorality, abusive behavior, and lust for attention have left many weary and wary.
Photo by Mic Narra on Unsplash
In the charismatic world, the list of problems includes failed “prophecies” from those claiming to speak for God. It’s no wonder that even many continuationists have become gun-shy about the supernatural. To be clear, by “continuationists” (more commonly, charismatics), I mean those who believe the Holy Spirit still distributes spiritual gifts today, including supernatural gifts like prophecy. People who believe the Holy Spirit ceased distributing spiritual gifts after the apostolic age are called cessationists.
Scripture takes these issues seriously. Jesus warns of false prophets (Matt. 24:11, 24), as does John (1 John 4:1). Likewise, Peter and Paul warn of false teachers, prophets, and apostles (2 Cor. 11:13; 2 Pet. 2:1), and all their warnings are relevant for this moment.
With that said, the pendulum has swung too far the other way when it comes to the operation of supernatural spiritual gifts, especially prophecy.
Amid the fallout from the scandals and frustration, overcorrecting responses are reemerging regarding false prophecy, and they all fail to consider the whole counsel of Scripture. The three that follow are typical.
- “A failed prophecy is proof of a false prophet.”
Deuteronomy 18:18-22 speaks of this. For brevity, here’s verse 22:
“When a prophet speaks in the LORD’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously.”
While it is true that one way to spot a false prophet is when their words do not come to pass, before we grab an isolated Pentateuch passage to deal with false prophecy, we must consider the major differences between the first covenant and the new one.
In the Old Testament, prophecy focused on sin, God’s holiness, and the people’s need to return to covenantal faithfulness. The Spirit came upon specific individuals at specific times to prophesy warnings, usually to kings, as well as promises of future blessings like messianic promises. God’s people lived under the law and were required to obey His prophets.
In the New Testament, the focus is on grace and mercy. The Spirit indwells every believer all the time. The emphasis of prophecy is the regular building up of God’s people. Believers are no longer under the law. We are to evaluate prophecy as a community.
Huge differences exist between the Old Testament and New Testament covenants, and that extends to the nature of prophecy.
Nowhere in the New Testament do we find believers in Christ labeled as false prophets, nor do we find any punishment for inaccurate prophecy. The term “false prophet” refers to unregenerate people who deny the incarnation and the basic teachings of the faith.
Thus, we must hold two truths in tension:
- Beware of false prophets, who seem like real Christians.
- Sincere believers who prophesy amiss aren’t false prophets.
How do we manage this tension? By testing all prophetic utterances before receiving them.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 admonishes:
“Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies but test all things. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil (emphasis mine).”
This is the Scriptural antidote to prophetic abuse — not shutting down prophecy altogether.
Sadly, many Christians treat those who prophesy today like Old Testament prophets and never question their prophecies. This results in confusion, pain, and even loss of faith.
- “The Bible says false prophets should be executed.”
This is taken from Deuteronomy 13:1-5. Verses 1-3a, 5 read:
“If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let’s follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let’s worship them,’ do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer … That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the LORD your God … You must purge the evil from you (emphasis mine).”
Sometimes, Old Testament false prophets prophesied accurately, but their motive was still to incite God’s people into rebellion. Their most egregious sin was not inaccuracy, but seducing others into idolatry. Negative character traits of false prophets included corruption, adultery, deceitfulness, greed, and many more (Jer. 23:11, 14; 14:13-16; Mic. 3:11).
Idolatry is offensive to a holy God. Character, not charisma, is the fruit to evaluate in the lives of those claiming to speak for God.
These truths are timeless. However, the punishment prescribed in Deuteronomy is part of Mosaic law. It was not used in New Testament church life, nor should we imply it is the “biblical mandate” for dealing with false prophets today.
- “Prophecy still happens, but it shouldn’t be considered normative.”
This one is for my fellow continuationists:
For Paul, there’s no such thing as a church without spiritual gifts in operation.
Concerning prophecy, he writes,
“Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy … the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation … the one who prophesies builds up the church (1 Cor. 14:1, 3).”
Of all the spiritual gifts, prophecy is arguably the most important. It is the most mentioned, explained, and promoted of the gifts; it edifies the whole church, reveals God’s will, and is the most used by the Spirit and connected with Jesus. Prophecy helps believers endure hardship. It offers specific direction and guidance beyond (but not in conflict with) Scripture. It lets people know God sees them.
Why, then, should prophecy not be considered normative?
Do Christians no longer need strength, encouragement, or comfort? Do we not need clarity when making decisions today? Are we somehow better off only hearing from God through one another rarely, not regularly?
To put it another way, if prophecy should not be considered normative, should mercy or teaching or generosity also not be considered “normative?” (See Rom. 12:4-8 and 1 Cor. 12:7-11.)
We can’t arbitrarily divide the gifts when the text does not do so.
Prophecy is a normal part of a healthy Christian life. Yes, it’s powerful and must be handled carefully, but not by marginalizing the gift or applying Old Testament consequences to false prophets.
Rather, as believers living in the new covenant, we must take responsibility for testing prophecy — in community, with wisdom and discernment, no matter who the prophet claims to be.
Church, it’s well past time for us to get this right.
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To learn more about evaluating prophecy, grab my book Prophesying Daughters: How Prophetic Ministry and Women in Leadership Strengthen the Church, AND the study guide for under $20. Also available in audio book and eBook.
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