man wandering in the parking lot. I simply said, “Hey, do you know Jesus?” He said, “No.” I replied, “Would you like to? He loves you and died for your sins and He sent me over here to share some good news with you.” That was all that was said and I expected to be rebuffed quickly. He said, “Yes, I would.” No speeches or flowery words, just the truth as I understood it, and the Spirit moved on his heart. Amazingly, that young man enthusiastically accepted Christ right there on the spot!
As I rejoiced at God’s faithfulness and told the story to my friends a few cars away, the young waitress I had prophesied over earlier stepped out of the restaurant and crossed the parking lot to the young man that had just received Christ and kissed him—it was the boyfriend God had promised to save! When I saw the kiss and recognized what the Spirit had done in fulfilling that prophecy that same night, I screamed aloud in the parking lot. My friends thought I’d lost my mind, but mine was a heart deeply affected by the privilege of seeing my simple obedience rewarded with a glimpse of the unsearchable riches of God’s kindness through this gift!
Paul states that “all may prophesy one by one,” (1 Cor. 14:31) and what the basic requirements are for this to occur in a gathering of the believers. This would be a “spirit of prophecy” operating within the church, or anywhere for that matter. Here, a speaker is used in the biblically labeled gift of prophecy, but it’s not something they experience very often. This lack of frequency of use can be used to distinguish between those who operate in the gift of prophecy from time to time (spirit of prophecy) and those who seem to possess the frequency consistent with a resident gift (gift of prophecy).
When a “spirit of prophecy” comes on any person, in any place, at any time, it requires faith and obedience to speak, and all that is said must be tested by the truth of Holy Scripture and the witness of the Holy Spirit.
3) The Gift of Prophecy (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:10; Cor. 14:3)
An abiding gift from the Spirit
While anyone can prophesy, some are more active in sharing what the Holy Spirit is revealing to them. The genuine gift of prophecy in someone will typically be accompanied by an evident Christ-like character, humility, and faith. A person who operates in the gift of prophecy will usually receive impressions in multiple ways—dreams, visions, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, and various types of prophecy. Those who function in this gift are told to do so according to their proportion of faith (Rom. 12:6).
Paul is encouraging those who hear God this way not to strive in their efforts, but to function at the level of their faith. This could mean we have faith to share with just one person in one setting all the way up to corporate words for thousands. At either end of the spectrum, it is still faith governing the execution. Nothing changes in terms of the need to test what is said from the person used this way, but if the gift is genuine it will have all the marks of the true gift—accuracy, anointing, encouragement, exhortation, and comfort. (Chapter 21 addresses the testing of prophecy in depth.)
4) The Office of Prophet (Eph. 4:11; Acts 11:27-28, 13:1, 15:32)
A residing gift from Jesus
According to Ephesians 4:11, there are individuals given by Jesus Christ himself to fulfill the calling of prophet to the church. These persons are gifts to the Church from Jesus Christ. This can be a congregational prophetic call to a local church, and in some cases an extra-local call to serve the broader Church around the world. The scope of the prophet’s gift will be discerned by those around him, and the Holy Spirit will make clear what He wants.
This confirmation will typically be recognized by the local pastoral leadership team, other prophets, apostles, and/or church leaders. This acknowledgment is usually made public through a commissioning and validation of their Ephesians 4 gift, a solemn charge to fulfill their ministry in obedience to the Spirit, and an increased responsibility and accountability of the prophet and leadership team caring for them.
He did it with Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13 by prophecy, and Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:14 when He confirmed callings and directed the elders to release his gift. These are men who not only prophesy, but also possess other gifts that qualify them to be used in leadership, teaching, and development of others.
They are called to equip the saints for works of ministry and build up the Church. The anointing on this person will be evident to all who are ministered to by them, and as their character grows, they will be released by the Holy Spirit to take their place alongside the elders in the church to care and provide for her.
These are not first-century Scripture-writing prophets, nor are they Old Testament prophets. They are generational, continuing prophets called to carry the mantle of God’s grace for the Church in their lifetime, leaving a legacy for those they train and release for the next generation. They are not solo shows of prophetic ministry; they are servants who lead teams of prophetic voices in the Church as evidence of their call to equip and build up the Body.
Why the Distinctions of the Gift of Prophecy?
When leaders begin to distinguish between the spirit of prophecy, gift of prophecy, and office of prophet in someone, this would usually relate to the “sphere of influence” (measure of impact) that is discernible when they are used. It’s not a measure of maturity or godly character; it’s an awareness of how God appears to anoint the ministry of one person over another.
This fact that God sees difference in anointing and influence in His servants was clearly explained in Numbers 12:1-8, when Miriam and Aaron challenged Moses’ anointing as a prophet. God clearly distinguished the anointing on Moses as a prophet as different from Miriam and Aaron in such strong terms that He severely punished them for their insubordination.
The differences of prophetic anointing on people being highlighted matter little to anyone not involved in prophetic ministry development. But when leaders are discerning God’s grace on people for ministry, it can be helpful to have a simple template to measure.
The New Testament calls anyone who prophesied with some regularity a prophet (Agabus, Judas, Silas). Even in 1 Corinthians 14, prophetic people were noted as “prophets” (“…the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets”, v. 32). Paul’s use of prophet could have been a general reference to those who are being used prophetically. Instead of saying, “person used in prophecy” it would be easier to just say “prophet” to denote someone speaking from the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, we must be careful to communicate that these distinctions in the gift sphere are not about classifying the talent, performance, or significance of anyone. They are to help us clarify the nature, scope, and level of the grace gift being demonstrated in a person. This allows leaders to better track the development, maturity, and equipping of the believer, which is their scriptural mandate.
We are all in danger of selfish ambition and pride, but the greater danger to all prophetic people is unbelief. When a grace gift is identified in someone, there is a greater sense of responsibility and faith for that gift to grow in them. When they realize there may be a more frequent use in the gift of prophecy, there is an increased sensitivity and readiness to respond.
The labeling shouldn’t be used to separate or exclude, but rather to build faith in those being used. Leaders can encourage people more specifically, “Hey John, every time there is that spirit of prophecy present during worship, I see you so willing to serve. Thank you for your obedience to the Spirit’s prompting. Great word this morning.” Or, “Hey Lisa, I really appreciate the growth I’m seeing in how God is using you in prophecy toward other women. The Holy Spirit has placed a rich gift in you; keep seeking the Lord for more.”
In neither case was the focus
