Do you truly desire the gift of prophecy? Or have you, like many others, stopped desiring it because it scared you, because you were hurt, or because you got it wrong once and never want to look foolish with it again?
In this sermon drawn from 1 Corinthians 14, David Pothier takes time to clarify what the gift of prophecy really is in the church today. It is neither a blank check to say whatever you want "in the name of the Lord," nor a ministry reserved for a select few. It is a gift that God wants to release through every one of his children to build up, encourage, and comfort the body of Christ.
The apostle Paul is very clear, "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:1). This article will help you understand the framework, discern false words, and find the courage to tell your brother or sister what God is putting on your heart.
Article Outline
- The difference between prophecy in the Old Testament and in the New Testament
- The three forms of the prophetic in the New Testament
- Five words to summarize 1 Corinthians 14
- How to discern a true prophecy from a false one
- The framework for exercising the gift in the local church
- How to give a prophecy: humility, love, courage
- What if you get it wrong?
1. Old Testament and New Testament: Two Different Frameworks
Before talking about the gift of prophecy, we need to make an essential distinction. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is not yet poured out on everyone. The anointing is reserved for kings, priests, and prophets. Prophetic words therefore carry supreme authority, "Thus says the Lord." And if what you announce does not come to pass, you are automatically a false prophet, and you could be put to death.
In the New Testament, everything changes. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is poured out on all believers (Acts 2). The anointing is no longer the privilege of a few, it is for the whole body. The prophetic therefore takes on a new form, broader, more accessible, but also subject to the discernment of the body.
2. The Three Forms of the Prophetic in the New Testament
2.1. The Ministry of Prophet
Ephesians 4:11 tells us that God gave the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers for the equipping of the saints. The New Testament prophet is a bit like a hero. He calls the church back to God, he is a guardian of truth, and he often exercises the gift of prophecy within his ministry.
2.2. The Prophetic Witness
Because all believers received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, all are called to be witnesses for Jesus Christ. This is the prophetic anointing on the whole people of God, speaking of Christ to those who do not know him.
2.3. The Gift of Prophecy
This is the third form, the one Paul develops in 1 Corinthians 14. It is the exercise of the gift within the local church. Here is the definition David uses, the gift of prophecy is an impression, a thought, an image, or a spontaneous message brought to a person's mind by the Holy Spirit in order to build up, encourage, or comfort.
In practice, this can take many forms, a Bible passage that strongly comes to your heart while you pray for someone, a word, a phrase, an image like a short film playing in your mind, a memory, a sense of something, a dream at night, or a vision while you are awake. Sometimes (not always), the prophetic comes with a prediction about the future, but its main purpose always stays the same, to build up, encourage, comfort.
3. Five Words to Summarize 1 Corinthians 14
3.1. Pursue (Love)
"Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (v. 1). Your pursuit of love has to be greater than your desire for the gifts. Without that, it very quickly becomes about you, your ministry, your place, your visibility. The church in Corinth had this problem, and we still have it today. We have reduced the spiritual gift to "platform, stage, and being seen." Without love, you are nothing.
3.2. Earnestly Desire
The word "earnestly desire," in the Greek, is the verb zeo, from which we get the word "zeal." Paul is asking you to be zealous for the gifts. Not a passive desire, along the lines of "if God wants to use me, he will." No, an active, engaged desire, like the guy who really wants to find a wife but, instead of going to talk to a woman when he sees one, just prays about it for six months.
A lack of desire leads to apathy. And apathy leads to contempt. That was exactly the problem with the Thessalonians, they had started to despise prophecies. Maybe you too have stopped desiring this gift because:
- You have seen too much sensationalism and emotionalism, and it shut you down;
- You were hurt by a false prophecy or by someone who exercised their gift poorly;
- You were hurt by the church itself when you exercised the prophetic;
- You got it wrong before, and your pride is now paralyzing the gift God gave you.
3.3. Build Up
"The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation" (v. 3). To build up is to construct. To encourage is to spur someone on to persevere. To comfort is to bring relief. Even when a prophecy is a word of correction, it always aims to build up, never to tear down.
God will never affirm you in your sin. But a true prophetic word, even a corrective one, calls the person to walk in their true identity in Jesus Christ. It looks at someone and says, "You are more than this."
3.4. Examine
"Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything, hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21). We can quench the Holy Spirit by despising prophecies. But we can also be fooled by swallowing everything without discernment.
3.5. Frame
"Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said" (v. 29). No one has a monopoly on prophecy. The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets (v. 32), it is done with self-control, in respect for the body, and under the spiritual authority of the church. There is a framework, and the framework is there to set people free, not to hold them back.
4. How to Discern a True Prophecy from a False One
There are plenty of false prophets today, especially on social media. Your phone is full of them, 24 hours a day. Here is how David suggests discerning between them.
4.1. Look First at the Messenger
Is this someone who loves the Lord Jesus? Who shows the fruit of the Spirit? Who walks in holiness and in submission to the spiritual authorities of the church? One of the biggest lies going around today is that there is no connection between the gifts and the fruit of the Spirit. That is false. The source is the same, they cannot be separated.
4.2. Look at the Message
Is what is being said aligned with Scripture? God will never contradict himself. If someone tells a brother, "leave your wife, God wants you to be happy," that word does not come from God.
4.3. Look at the Motives
Being a false prophet is popular and profitable. Popular, because people often have an itch to hear pleasant things that affirm their fleshly ambitions. Profitable, because there is always someone willing to buy the books and fill the conferences.
Also watch out for prophetic words that flatter your ego ("you are going to be the greatest..."), that feed your wounds instead of pushing you toward forgiveness, that affirm you in victimhood, or that push you toward rebellion against spiritual authority.
That said, when a brother or sister from your local church comes to encourage you with a word, calm down. In 99 percent of cases, this is not a false prophet, it is your brother.
5. The Framework for Exercising the Gift in the Local Church
At the Chapelle, David identifies three spaces that are especially conducive to this:
- Before the services, if you arrive right as things start and leave before the end, you are missing something. You are keeping God from using you for a brother who needs a word that comes from you.
- After the services, same thing. You are not there to consume oxygen, you are a member of the body.
- Small groups, this is almost a direct picture of what Paul describes. "Two or three speak, the others weigh it." A chair in the middle of the living room, someone shares a need, people pray, and often the prayers become prophetic.
6. How to Give a Prophecy: Humility, Love, Courage
6.1. With Humility
Do not say, "Thus says the Lord," unless you are ready to stake your life on it the way people did in the Old Testament. Instead say, "Here is what I believe I received from the Lord for you."
Why? Because a prophecy has three parts:
- The revelation, what God reveals;
- The interpretation, what it means;
- The application, what to do with it.
As Paul says, "we know in part and we prophesy in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9). Sometimes God gives the revelation to one person, the interpretation to another, and the application to a third. We see this with Agabus (Acts 21), he has the revelation and the interpretation about what will happen to Paul, but not the application. Others think they have it, "Do not go up to Jerusalem." Paul has the application, "I am even ready to die for the Lord."
Do not try to force validation either by systematically asking, "does that make sense to you?" That puts pressure on the person. Instead say, "Here is what I believe I received, would you like to bring it before the Lord in prayer?"
6.2. With Love
Never prophesy out of frustration, anger, jealousy, envy, or judgment. Never prophesy with a spirit of superiority, to be seen, to be praised, to prove yourself, to defend yourself, or to justify yourself. If your words and your motives are not rooted in love, it is better to stay quiet.
6.3. With Courage
It takes courage to go up to someone and say, "I believe I have received something from the Lord for you." If you have made "not getting it wrong" an idol, you will never be able to be used in the prophetic. Let your desire to build up the body be greater than your fear of getting it wrong.
7. What If I Get It Wrong?
Good question. If it is done with humility and love, the worst thing that can happen when you get it wrong is exactly that, you got it wrong. Maybe it will not build anyone up, but at least it will not destroy anything. At the Chapelle, David reminds us, we are not a church that abuses these things, we are a church that is learning to grow in these things. When there is a real problem, people go see the leaders, and it is taken seriously. But most of the time, it is not a false prophet, it is your brother.
The body is not there to be served only by the pastors. Pastors cannot meet every need, it is the body that takes care of the body, member by member. And the prophetic is at the heart of this mutual ministry.
Key Takeaways
- The gift of prophecy is not a blank check, nor is it a gift reserved for a select few. All believers have the Spirit, and all are called to desire this gift.
- The purpose is always the same, to build up, encourage, comfort, even when the word brings correction.
- Discernment starts with the messenger, then the message, then the motives.
- A prophecy has three parts (revelation, interpretation, application), and rarely does one person have all three.
- The framework (local church, before and after services, small groups, submission to the body) sets the exercise of the gift free instead of stifling it.
Personal Application
- Do you truly earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, or is your desire a passive one hiding behind pious phrases?
- Is there a wound, a fear, or a past failure that has paralyzed the gift God gave you? Are you ready to hand it over to God?
- When a brother or sister comes to share a word with you, do you receive it with humility, or do you react as if every modern prophecy were suspect?
- The next time God puts someone on your heart with a word, a verse, or an image, are you ready to take the step and tell them, "Here is what I believe I received for you"?
- Do you come to church to consume, or also to give? What would you concretely change about your involvement before and after the services?
Verses Cited
- 1 Corinthians 14 - central text on the gift of prophecy in the local church
- 1 Corinthians 13:9 - "we prophesy in part"
- Ephesians 4:11 - the ministries given to the church, including the prophet
- Acts 2 - Pentecost and the Spirit poured out on all
- Acts 21 - Agabus and the prophecy about Paul
- 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 - "do not quench the Spirit"
- Matthew 16 - Peter, speaking by the Spirit then speaking by the flesh
FAQ
Does the gift of prophecy still exist today?
Yes. Paul never presents the gift of prophecy as something limited to a bygone era. On the contrary, he says, "Earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:1). The gift is given to the church to build up the body of Christ, within a clear framework and under the discernment of the assembly.
How can I know if a prophetic word really comes from God?
Look at three things, the messenger (does he love the Lord, does he walk in the fruit of the Spirit and in submission?), the message (is it aligned with Scripture? does it build up, encourage, comfort?), and the motives (does it exalt God or man, does it flatter the ego?). Also check whether the word is examined by other believers and by the spiritual authorities of your local church.
What should I do if I think I have a word for someone but I am afraid of getting it wrong?
Simply go to that person with humility and love. Say, "Here is what I believe I received from the Lord for you, would you like to bring it before him in prayer?" Never say "thus says the Lord" lightly. If you get it wrong and it was done with humility and love, it may not build anyone up, but it will not destroy anything either. The fear of getting it wrong must never be greater than your desire to build up your brother.
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