Month: May 2013

Categories
Holy Spirit

What is the gift of prophecy?

Maya prophecyThere seems to be a renewed interest in the more “supernatural” spiritual gifts among evangelicals.  Mark Driscoll, who calls himself a “charismatic with a seat-belt”, is no doubt a contributing factor.   I have recently posted about healing, miraculous gifts and speaking in tongues.  What remains is prophecy1. 

Prophecy in the Old Testament

Deuteronomy 18:18 describes the role of a prophet like this,

“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”

This gives us a clear definition of prophetic ministry. God put His own words in the prophet’s mouth. The prophet was moved by God and spoke the very words of God to the people of God. From Moses to Malachi, God spoke to his people through the prophets by their spoken and written word, publicly and privately.

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Categories
Christian Worldview

Good news is better than good advice

good newsThere is a VAST difference between good advice and good news.

When the company you’ve invested in goes bankrupt and their share price starts falling, it is good advice to sell your shares as soon as possible. When your mechanic phones you and says your car is starting to give up its ghost and things are starting to go horribly wrong, its good advice to sell your car. When the school phones you to say that your teenage son has been bunking again and been caught smoking at the local mall, its good advice for your son to mentally prepare himself for a good dose of discipline. Good advice, you see, is often the result of bad news.

Continue reading “Good news is better than good advice”

Categories
Holy Spirit

Should every Christian speak in tongues? (Part 2)

speaking in tonguesI argued in my previous post that the speaking tongues in Acts was not the norm for all Christians, but the very specific and unique plan of God to demonstrate that there was to be only one church.  Not a separate Gentile Church.  Not a separate Samaritan church.  One church made up of converted Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles.   The pouring out of the Holy Spirit on all these groups demonstrated by the speaking of foreign languages (like at Pentecost, Acts 2) was evidence of this.

1 Corinthians 12-14 is the only other place in the New Testament that mentions speaking in tongues.  (If speaking in tongues was and is the distinctive evidence of being filled by the Spirit, as is alleged by some, one would have thought it would be mentioned more?)

For those who hold the position that every Christian should speak in tongues as evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit, here is some food for thought:

Continue reading “Should every Christian speak in tongues? (Part 2)”