Apostles and Prophets, Part 2

Question

Can you share with me why you teach that we cannot have apostles and prophets today?

Answer

In the previous post, we examined the roles of apostles and prophets, showing that they were temporary at the beginning of the church. Their purpose was to lay the foundation on which we are still building today (Ephesians 2:20). We also saw that the apostles did not replace themselves as they died, recognizing that local churches are to be led by local pastors, not a central group or hierarchy of leaders over multiple churches.

In this post, we will turn our attention to the role of prophets.

Prophets

While apostles opened new areas to Christianity, preaching the gospel of salvation through Jesus and starting local churches, prophets had a different job.

An examination of the prophets in the Old and New Testaments shows us two facts about prophecy:

1. A prophecy was always a direct message or revelation from God. It was not just a feeling or sense; it was clear and often audible.
2. A prophecy was always intended for someone else, whether an individual or a group. While God frequently gave messages to an individual, it was not regarded as prophecy unless God meant them to deliver it.

Typically, a prophet’s message called the immediate audience back to God (see most of the OT prophets) or revealed God’s commission for someone (as Ananias did for Saul in Acts 9:10-19).

It is essential to distinguish prophecy from teaching. First, Paul listed them separately in all three places he wrote on spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Romans 12:6-8). Second, teaching is the exposition of truth that we already have (for example, in the Bible), whereas prophecy was a new revelation from God. While a prophet could expound on that new revelation (as Paul did in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), a teacher was and is limited to revelation already received. Thus, teaching will continue until we are all at home in eternity, even if God never gave another new message.

And that brings us to 1 Corinthians 13:8-12, which explains that prophecy and supernatural knowledge would end at a specific time. Notice the language Paul used for prophecy and knowledge.

“If there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when what is perfect comes, the partial will be set aside.”

Paul wrote that prophecy contained partial information, but we would have complete information at some point. When the revelation for the church was finished, prophecy would end. Now, some people believe that will not take place until Jesus comes back. While this is attractive to those who continually want new messages from God, it does not consider the fact that Paul expected Jesus to return within his lifetime. He did not know that the New Testament would be finished 40 years after he wrote 1 Corinthians and that Jesus would still have yet to come 1,950 later.

When John wrote the book of the Revelation, he concluded it by quoting Jesus’ statement: “I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20). Whereas the Old Testament ended by expecting more prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6), the New Testament ends with a warning about additions and subtractions and our anticipation of Jesus himself.

So, while Paul did encourage the Corinthians to expect more prophecy – more revelation from God – he also warned them that prophecy was a temporary gift. When God stopped giving prophecy, the role of prophets ended. Their messages helped lay the foundation for the church, and our teachers continue to serve us by studying and instructing us from those messages. In the Bible, we have everything we need for a godly life.